Page 101 of Knot Gonna Lie
The accusation hung heavy, but I’d expected this. Had prepared for it. “I corrected the problem before I left. I don’t know how you discovered what happened.”
“How could I not when you left the station so quickly?” His laugh held no humor. “Your omega is all people talk about—how the owner of Coco Pharma stole her away.”
Stole.The word ignited something primitive in my chest. My fingers flexed against stone. “I didn’t steal her away. She chose me. Not the other way around.”
“You can’t claim innocence.” The mockery in his tone scraped against my control. “I heard all about a pearl-and-diamond choker you bought her the night before.”
The choker. Of course someone had talked. Privacy was a myth on that station. “I wouldn’t have needed to if Owen hadn’t harassed her at the jewelry shop. How could I have known that protecting her from that desperate alpha would award me a chance to be with her?”
I pushed off the balustrade, closing the distance between us. Let him feel the truth in my scent—possessive satisfaction mixed with genuine indignation. “Perhaps if other alphas spent more time trying to be kind and respectful, omegas would be more open to our advances. It’s not my fault the others have lost their way.”
“You won’t even apologize?” His eyes narrowed to slits, daring me to refuse. “Should I be worried about what you will do in the future?”
A sigh escaped before I could stop it. The weight of brotherhood pressed against the newer, fiercer bonds. Elara remained safe with her betas Stella and Maia, spending the day away from the villa shipping. Seth and Jaxom stood a short distance away, observing us. An argument between alphas could escalate quickly, blood or not.
“Eli.” I forced my shoulders to relax, though every instinct screamed to establish dominance. “You know I’m loyal to you and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize our company. What happened with Elara was a string of events that, looking back, should’ve been handled differently.”
The admission cost me, but I pressed on. “You know the station hasn’t been able to keep up with the alphas’ demand for omegas. You feel the emptiness within you, yearning for an omega to complete you as I did. I was provided with an opportunity. One that I should’ve told you about from the beginning, but I didn’t because I didn’t want you to refuse—”
“—and lose your chance to be chosen by her.” His voice had lost its bite, understanding bleeding through despite his anger. “I understand the risk you took—and why you took it—but why didn’t you tell me during any of our calls afterward? I remember how distracted you were. I guess you were just waiting for your omega to go into heat.”
The accusation stung because it held truth. Those days after claiming her had been a haze of possessive need and strategic planning. “If you had let me know, then I wouldn’t feel as betrayed as I do now, discovering all this while my brother—my business partner and best friend—was about to begin his vacation to ride his omega’s heat.”
“I’m sorry, Eli.” The words scraped raw. I stepped closer, letting him see the truth in my eyes. “Everything has happened so fast since that day. I feel like today is the first day I can breathe a sigh of relief and relax.”
“I wouldn’t know how it feels to be in your shoes, but I hope to someday.” His gaze drifted toward the ocean, defeat coloring his scent. “All I wanted was an apology. Now that I have one, I can let it go.”
Relief loosened the knot in my chest. “Thank you, Brother. You don’t know how much that means to me.”
“I’m also here to tell you that I’ve decided it’s time for me to try my luck at getting an omega of my own.” A ghost of his old grin flickered across his face. “I needed to make sure I finished all my business with you first. Now that you’re planning for a month-long vacation, I’ve decided to do the same and enter the Den. I hope I’m chosen by an omega.”
The Den. My brother would subject himself to that meat market. But I understood the desperation driving him. “They would be foolish not to select you.”
“We will see.” Defeat still echoed in his voice. “I know I can’t reproduce what you’ve done, but I hope I’m able to leave with an omega before my month is over. Until then, I’ve placed you in charge of the whole company. Try not to do anything I wouldn’t do while I’m away.”
“I promise our company is in good hands. May the Stars grace you on your journey. Hopefully, our omegas can meet one day.”
“Your faith in me is—”
The bond exploded through my skull.
LUCA!
Terror. Raw, primal terror flooding through the claiming mark. Elara’s fear crashed into me like a tidal wave. My knees buckled, sand biting my palms as her panic clawed my chest.
Pain bloomed across my consciousness—not mine, hers. Someone had struck her. Someone had dared to—
A snarl ripped from my throat, feral and unrecognizable. The civilized alpha who’d been apologizing to his brother evaporated. In his place rose something ancient, primitive, lethal.
Behind me, twin roars shattered the evening calm. Seth and Jaxom sprinting from their spots under the tree line , their scents blazing with the same fury tearing me apart. They’d felt ittoo—their omega in danger, calling for her pack through bonds still forming but already unbreakable.
“What’s happening?” Eli’s anger had vanished, replaced by sharp concern. His hand gripped my shoulder, trying to steady me. “Luca, what’s—”
“Someone took her.” My vision rimmed red. Through the bond I felt her fight, felt her fury. Then—chemicals, cloying. Her panic dimming. Her heartbeat slowing—
Darkness swallowed her consciousness.
The bond didn’t break, but it muted—dulled—leaving only her heartbeat echoing through my bones. Alive. Still alive. But unconscious, being taken further away with each passing second.
