Page 34 of Knot Gonna Lie
How could she affect me like this?
I navigated through the interface, explaining how I monitored not just our vessel’s supplies but coordinated logistics across the company’s entire fleet. “See these green indicators? That’s optimal stock. Yellow means we’re running low. Red signals critical shortage.”
“You manage inventory for the entire company?” Her eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity.
“Company-wide coordination, yes. Each ship has local managers, but I oversee the bigger picture—ensuring deliveries aren’t delayed due to supply chain issues.” The fact that she cared enough to ask made me want to explain everything. “It’s more complex than people realize.”
“That sounds incredibly important.” She studied the data streams with obvious intelligence. “How do you track everything across such vast distances?”
I opened my mouth to answer—
Seth cleared his throat from across the table. “Elara, would you mind if I examined your mark? I want to ensure it’s healing properly.”
I bit back a sigh as Elara turned, sweeping her hair over one shoulder to expose the fresh claim—the angry red wound at her neck’s juncture. Seth glanced my way—brief, apologetic—before focusing on the mark. He moved closer, trained eyes assessing with clinical precision. “May I touch it gently? I need to check for signs of infection.”
The movement released another wave of her divine scent—now thoroughly infused with our alpha’s claiming pheromones. Ilooked back to my interface, blinking hard, trying not to breathe too deeply.
“Of course.”
He pressed fingertips around the edges with practiced care. “How does it feel?”
“Still tender,” she admitted, wincing slightly at his touch. “But not unbearable.”
“Any ongoing pain?”
“Only when it happened, but that faded quickly.” She met his gaze with curious eyes. “Do you and Jaxom have marks like this?”
Seth and I exchanged meaningful glances. The question revealed just how much the station had sheltered her from basic knowledge about our society.
“Betas don’t receive marks,” Seth explained gently. “Not unless we’ve sworn ourselves to an omega—and through that bond, to their alpha.”
“How did you not know that?” I asked, concern threading through my voice. “What exactly were they teaching you at the station?”
Seth’s expression darkened with worry. “This is troubling, Elara. Basic societal structure should be fundamental knowledge.”
Elara’s body stilled, eyes widening. She looked like someone who’d just had the ground pulled from beneath her feet. The shift hit hard—not just shock, but the weight of realization. She’d been kept blind. Lied to.
Were the gammas purposely leaving omegas ill-informed?
“I’m…starting to realize that,” she murmured, her voice quieter than before—no longer curious, but cracked with something heavier.
The change in her struck deep. No longer merely curious, but wounded by the understanding of how thoroughly she’d beendeceived. It only made me more relieved she’d chosen our alpha—and more determined to get my sister out of that place.
“Let me explain,” Seth said, settling back in his chair. “Over generations, alphas became increasingly unstable due to the scarcity of omegas and clan bonds to anchor them. In response, omegas evolved biological protections—creating layers of defense against unstable or enemy alphas.”
“This evolutionary adaptation intensified during the Great Void War,” I continued, watching her absorb this information. “Alphas fought brutal conflicts over territorial control and space boundaries. Entire sectors burned while they battled for dominance.”
“It was the gammas who finally united as a force,” Seth added, his voice carrying the weight of history. “They purged the most dangerous alphas and established omega sanctuaries. Only stable alphas wealthy enough to provide safe homes—ensuring their omegas lack for nothing—are permitted the chance to be chosen.”
“How did you not know any of this?” I asked, genuine bewilderment coloring my words.
Elara turned toward the viewport, gazing out at the star-scattered void beyond. “I’m beginning to understand how much the enforcers and caretakers keep us sheltered here. They control our access to information.” Her voice carried a note of longing that made my chest tighten. “I want to know the truth. I crave the freedom to discover what exists beyond these walls.”
“Our clan will show you the universe,” I promised, meeting her emerald gaze with unwavering sincerity. She held it—steady, searching. “If you’ll let us.”
Her smile bloomed slowly, tentative but real—soft and full of possibility. I wanted to prove those words true more than anything.
“But first,” I said, returning to my vidtablet with renewed focus, “we need to determine what you’ll require for your new life with us. The Center should have everything—clothing, personal items, nesting materials.”
