Page 16 of Knot Gonna Lie
“I can sense you’re upset.” Breathing in, she leaned forward and cupped my cheeks, engulfing me in her warm mintiness that matched her eyes. “Forget about everything I just said about numbers and what would happen if you…fail.” She kissed the top of my head—somehow, I didn’t wince—and gave me a gentle smile. “When you step onto that arena floor, follow your gut. Don’t hesitate. Your first instinct about someone is usually the correct one, so if someone feels right, and their scent draws you in, take it.
“I see time and time again omegas refusing to choose—in fear that they would make the wrong choice. And after a few sessions, they realized they made a mistake—only to be too late because the alpha they wanted was already chosen and mated. I don’t want to see that happen to you, or anyone else for that matter, because it’s heartbreaking.
“This is why I need to know that you are not only ready for The Den but are willing to listen to your instincts—and not be discouraged if none of them feel right for your first time.”
“I’m ready.” Nodding, I licked my lips, slightly disappointed that I couldn’t taste the mint cloud around me. “I want this.”
“Excellent. I look forward to watching your selection.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
LUCA
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Xavier muttered, pacing back and forth in my waiting room like a caged predator. “Let’s say her handler is telling the truth, and Elara does want you there; what happens if she doesn’t choose you?”
“We leave tonight as planned.” I raised an eyebrow at my pilot as I buttoned the cuffs on my suit sleeves. The agitation rolling off him made his chocolate-covered berries scent turn sour, bitter as burnt coffee. “I don’t see what the problem is.”
“The problem is everyone believes you’re your brother, Eli, not Luca,” he spat, spinning to face me. Xavier refused to meet my eyes, initiating a challenge as his gaze fixed over my shoulder. “What happens when your brother finds out? That you used his profile to enter The Den…Stars, what happens when the station discovers your fraudulent activity?”
“If I’m not chosen, then he doesn’t need to find out,” I pointed out, straightening my jacket with deliberate calm. “And if he does discover I used his identity to enter Elara’s roster, thenI’ll explain it was mistaken identity—that I thought they’d used my profile.”
“But you weren’t registered—”
“No, but I will be before my brother returns to the station. I don’t know when he managed to register himself. He hardly leaves the company’s property, much less his villa, so there’s no reason for alarm.”
“And if she picks you?” Seth asked from his seat across from Jaxom in the corner. They were always the observant ones in my crew, watching and commenting only when something was important.
If it weren’t for his citrusy scent and quiet demeanor, I would’ve forgotten he was here. I’d asked the crew’s medic to attend in case Elara needed assistance if she chose me. I knew nothing about her medical history, and if she required pharmaceutical products, it would be essential for both Seth and me to know immediately, ensuring we could provide whatever she needed as soon as possible.
Jaxom was inventory manager and accountant when it came to the clan’s funds. I had final approval regarding purchases from the shared account, but he handled placing orders and ensuring they arrived. I didn’t want to be overly optimistic, but if she chose me, she would need all her necessities taken care of—from my personal account, of course.
Once I’d claimed her, I would be required to provide everything she needed for her new nest before her heat. Even though I was the clan’s alpha, I was only one man and knew I would need my crew’s assistance. An omega near her heat cycle would be demanding, requiring my attention to ease her burning desire—and as her alpha, I wouldn’t be able to resist her siren’s call.
“What if she doesn’t want us here?” Seth flicked his gaze to Jaxom, who nodded in reply. “The three of us may overwhelm her when it comes to getting to know her potential new clan.”
“I don’t believe you have anything to worry about,” I replied, attempting to comfort my betas. “There are seven of us and one of her. Starting introductions as soon as possible would only make the transition easier. But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. I haven’t been chosen, and even if she does choose me, I’ll need to court her until she permits me to mark her.”
“And what about her caretaker, Quinn?” Jaxom asked, crossing his arms. “Is she going to require us to allow her to supervise until she has a mark on her omega’s skin?”
“That I don’t know,” I confessed, scanning the waiting room for any indication of when Elara’s session would begin. The vidscreen on the wall displayed a live feed of The Den’s arena, with all the alphas who had signed up for the current omega’s session lined up and ready. Other than the two-seat table and drink dispenser along the wall, there was nothing else within the room outside of its three doors—one to enter, one to exit, and the restroom. “There doesn’t seem to be a clock in here, perhaps to prevent alphas from getting restless.”
“Are you nervous?” Xavier’s head snapped to the vidscreen as the male omega entered the arena. “We can leave if you want to.”
“I appreciate the offer, but there’s no need.” I stepped beside him and gripped his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. His face turned toward me, eyes flicking from my hand to my face with a questioning stare. “I needed to enter the arena sooner or later, to cast my hand for a chance at being worthy of an omega. She just gave me the push I needed.”
“Have you thought about what happens when you claim an omega?” Seth stood up and grabbed a drink from the dispenser, holding it up and gesturing to the three of us in the room, silently asking if we wanted drinks. “While there’s fluidity when it comesto sexual attraction regarding alphas and omegas, we have two female betas in relationships with the two other males in the crew, who aren’t here. How are you going to handle an omega claiming one and not the other in a relationship?”
“What an omega wants, they get.” Releasing my grip on Xavier, who rolled his shoulders in reply, I shook my head and refused Seth’s offering. “I can bark all I want, but if they’re resilient enough, they can do what they want.”
“Yeah, but do you think our women are going to like it?” Jaxom asked, pointing to the vidscreen. “I’m sitting here nervous about what’s coming. If she does pick you and is attracted to my scent, what happens when she goes into full heat without even having a chance to get to know me? Her needy pheromones will make it almost impossible for me to resist. What are we supposed to do when that happens?”
“I’m planning on taking it day by day,” I replied, watching the male omega move from alpha to alpha—smelling them, touching them, speaking with them before moving to the next one. “If I’m chosen, as soon as I mark her and we get her nest situated, providing her with all the necessities she needs, we can select what exotic planet we want to visit. I’ve checked our shipping schedule, and we have a few weeks before we’re needed next. After that, I can tell my brother we’re taking a vacation and we’ll be back in time for the next delivery. Once we’re settled at a resort, I’ll find a property with two residential buildings—anyone who doesn’t want to be part of her pack can stay in one while Elara, myself, and whoever is interested in joining us can stay in the other.”
“Are you really planning on taking a vacation?” Jaxom drawled, staring at me in disbelief.
“The crew voiced their opinion, wanting to spend the clan’s money on a vacation home,” I pointed out. “I thought over whatwas said and figured that even if I wasn’t chosen, we could still take the opportunity to try to find the perfect place for us.”
“Finally, we can bask in the sun instead of being stuck between metal walls breathing filtered air,” Xavier exclaimed, clapping my shoulders before he went over to the other two, throwing up his hands in joy. “Did you hear? We’re going on vacation after this. Hopefully, we can pick something that has a pool, if not a beach, because I’ve been dying to swim for a long time.”
