Page 72 of Knot Gonna Lie
Maia’s palm connected with Tobias’s shoulder hard enough to rock him sideways. “Let your brother have his moment.” Her voice carried the kind of authority that came from dealing with stubborn machinery and stubborner mates. “She saw something in him. They’re scent-matched, obviously.”
“Obviously,” Stella agreed, though her fingers drummed against the table. “Makes you wonder though...”
“Wonder what?” I asked, already knowing where this headed.
“Who else she’ll claim.” Stella’s gaze drifted across the table—then locked on me. “Only you and Xavier left unmated in the clan.”
Silence fell upon the room as everyone suddenly found the table fascinating.
“You interested, Jaxom?” Stella’s question cut straight through the pretense.
I set down my tablet, meeting her stare directly. “She smells good to me.” The admission came easier than expected. “And I’m attracted to her. But ultimately?” I shrugged, trying for casual despite the hope clawing at my ribs. “It’s her call. Always is.”
“Smart man.” Maia nodded approval. “Better odds than Xavier anyway. He’s too—”
The mess hall doors slid open. Elara appeared tucked against Luca’s side, her small frame dwarfed by his height. Their combined scent flooded the space—tropical sunshine and lavender fields creating something entirely new. Something that made every instinct in the room orient toward them like flowers following the sun.
“That smells amazing.” Elara’s voice carried genuine delight. “Are we late?”
“Perfect timing.” Seth turned from the stove, a genuine smile softening his features. “Just finished.”
She moved into the room with growing confidence, no longer the uncertain omega we’d first met at the station. Luca’s hand rested possessively on her lower back, guiding without controlling. But instead of heading directly to their seats, she steered them toward Seth at the stove.
Rising on her toes, she pressed a soft kiss to Seth’s cheek. The simple gesture froze the entire room. “Thank you,” she murmured, touching his arm. “Not just for me—for all of them.”
Seth’s composed mask cracked completely, raw emotion flooding his face before he managed a small nod. His hand covered hers, just for a moment.
“I love taking care of people,” he said, voice low. “It’s… what I do. It just comes naturally.”
He glanced away, shy, like he wished he could swallow the words back.
Elara caught his hand before he could retreat. “Just because it comes naturally doesn’t mean I shouldn’t appreciate it. Or you.” She tilted her head, searching his face, holding him there with nothing but her gaze. “I knew you were perfect for me the moment I realized how much you give without asking anything back.”
The air seemed to thrum with her words. Seth’s ears went scarlet, his fingers twitching under hers, and still he sat there frozen.
She had him pinned in place with nothing more than honesty, and for a moment, it was like the rest of us didn’t exist. Something inside me twisted at the sight—envy, sharp and sudden—but it was buried under the heavier pull of protectiveness. He needed to hear her, to trust it. To finally believe he was wanted.
Luca watched the exchange with quiet satisfaction before stepping forward to clasp Seth’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Seth. For everything.” His deep voice carried both alpha warmth and genuine gratitude. “Elara’s right—we’ve been together so long we’ve started to take each other for granted, stopped saying the words out loud.”
Then his hand returned to Elara’s back, gentle but certain, his touch more guiding than commanding. “Come, love,” he said softly. “Let’s not keep our cook from finishing. You know how cranky the clan gets when they’re hungry.”
“Especially Tobias,” Seth managed, voice rough but steadying as he returned to his familiar role.
“I heard that,” Tobias called out, though his grin took any sting from the words.
They moved as a unit now toward their seats at the head of the table—the alpha’s traditional place, with his omega beside him.
Our clan’s leaders sat on the oversized couch—though it looked more like a loveseat—nested in front of the viewport that framed our journey through space. Elara’s vibrancy outshone even the cosmos beyond the glass.
Seth began serving, distributing bowls of fragrant noodles and vegetables. The domesticity of it struck me—how quickly we’d adapted to having an omega among us. How natural it felt, as if we’d been incomplete before and only now recognized the missing piece.
“This is incredible.” Elara took her first bite, eyes widening, as she covered her mouth. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”
“Medical school, actually.” Seth settled into his own seat, still wearing that ridiculous apron. “Nutrition courses led to experimenting with actual food instead of just supplements. As the one responsible for our clan’s health, it falls on me to make the most of whatever ingredients we have—especially whenever we are on missions.”
“He used us as test subjects,” Tobias added, already halfway through his bowl. “Some experiments were more successful than others.”
