Page 43 of Knot So Lucky

"So," Cale says around a mouthful of eggs, somehow making terrible table manners look endearing, "did you enjoy that? The racing thing?"

He gestures vaguely toward my gaming setup with his fork.

I pause with a bacon strip halfway to my mouth, considering the question.

"I got an email," I explain, deciding honesty is easier than deflection right now. "Urgent request for someone to fill in for the virtual qualifier because apparently Dante dropped out last night."

"Good riddance."

"Right?" I grin. "But they weren't going to get anyone else to join in time. So I figured... why not? What did I have to lose?"

I take a bite of bacon, savoring the perfect balance of salt and smoke and crispy fat.

"It was a bit addictive to try," I admit quietly, staring at my plate instead of at Cale. "The racing. The VR immersion, especially."

"Yeah?"

I nod, gathering my thoughts.

"I never really understood it before. Why Roran keeps pushing himself so hard? Why he talks about racing like it's... I don't know. Sacred, almost."

Cale sets down his fork, giving me his full attention in that focused way that makes me feel simultaneously exposed and safe.

"He told me once, years ago, when we were teenagers, that it wasn't about winning necessarily. Or fame. Or proving anything to anyone else." I pause, chasing a blueberry around my plate with my fork. "He said racing gives him this level of silence andfreedom that's so addicting. Where nothing else matters except the road ahead and his ability to master it."

"And you experienced that today," Cale says softly. Not a question.

"Yeah." I smile, the expression feeling bittersweet. "The VR made it so realistic that for a moment, I felt what he must feel. Why he keeps doing it. Why reaching the top matters so much."

I pause, bacon strip frozen halfway to my mouth as the full weight of the realization settles over me.

"I guess my brother must be lucky," I whisper.

"Why's that?"

I meet Cale's eyes, seeing my reflection in those grey depths.

"Because he gets to experience that feeling. That freedom. That addicting silence where everything else disappears and you're just...alivein a way that's impossible to explain."

I bite into the bacon, chewing slowly while I work through the tangle of emotions in my chest.

"I can never truly experience that," I say finally, voice barely above a whisper. "Not really. Not in the real world. Because I'm an Omega."

The words taste like ash despite the bacon's savory perfection.

"So I guess I'm not so lucky."

I laugh—a quiet, brittle sound that doesn't contain any actual humor.

"They should make that a tagline. 'Knot So Lucky'—for us Omegas who can't be racing drivers no matter how much talent we have."

Cale's quiet for a long moment, his scent shifting to something protective and concerned.

"Auren beat that stereotype," he points out gently. "She proved Omegas can compete at the highest level."

"Sure." I shrug, stabbing at my eggs with more force than necessary. "That was a one-hit opportunity. A perfect storm of circumstances that'll probably never align again. The racing commission changed the rules to force Omega participation for exactly one season…got their progressive headlines and sponsorship money…then quietly walked it back the moment it was convenient."

I take a sip of the hazelnut coffee, letting its warmth spread through my chest.