Page 4 of Knot Gonna Lie
“I hate that you keep saying that,” I muttered, shaking my head as I tried to resist the lulling comfort of her scent. “There’ll always be a need for you.”
“We’ll see.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “But first, we need to get the last piece of your outfit for tomorrow, unless you have changed your mind.”
“No, I haven’t changed my mind.” Shaking my head, I gave her a sly smirk. “I know what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to get me to buy some flashy jewelry for tomorrow.”
“You are a gorgeous treasure and deserve to look your best, so you can make all those alphas salivate as soon as their gaze falls on you.” Then, studying me, she grabbed my hand and slowly spun me around, nodding to herself as I halted, facing her. “I don’t want you showing up without jewelry to complement your gown, even if I have to pay for it myself. You deserve something to remember your day.”
“If that’s what I have to do to make you happy, then I will, and I won’t complain about it.” Her mouth opened as her eyes locked with mine in shock from my lack of resistance. “I’m serious, Quinn. I may not know what my future holds once I walk through The Den’s doors. But I know one thing—you’ve been by my side all this time. I’m scared to think of what will happen once I leave here and what will happen if you’re no longer part of my life.”
“Same here. You’ll always be in my thoughts, no matter what happens.” She glanced down at our locked hands and gently released hers from mine. Then, jerking her head toward the crowd, her eyes widened as if from fear of what had happened as she studied the passersby.
Out of respect for Jenna and their relationship, I’d prevented myself from becoming too clingy. She might have been my gamma, but I wasn’t going to jeopardize what she had. I wasn’t even jealous of Jenna. Other omegas might require their gamma’s undivided attention—a natural response—but as I’d grown older, I knew I would eventually have to leave here. Itwould be unfair to prevent Quinn from creating something to look forward to once I was gone.
“Once you pick jewelry for me, what else do we need to do today to prepare for tomorrow?” I asked, breaking the silence as I grabbed Quinn’s attention once more.
She bobbed her head in thought as she turned toward me.
“I’ve ordered your dress and matching shoes to be delivered to your quarters before dinner. Outside of that, I believe you are ready.”
CHAPTER THREE
ELARA
“Do you happen to know what you like?” Quinn teased as we stepped into Glamorous Gems, her voice carrying the musical lilt of someone who’d discovered an opportunity to indulge a cherished friend. “Or were you never granted the opportunity to scavenge through your mother’s jewelry box? Playing dress-up with neighbors around a toy tea set, draping yourselves in borrowed baubles and dreams?”
The memory struck like morning frost—sharp and unexpected. “No, my parents gave me the typical things children of beta families usually have…A classic kitchen set for those who couldn’t afford a dispenser, a sewing machine, and I was beginning to learn how to fix hover cars when my puberty hit.”
The words tasted of rust and regret, of a life severed at its roots before it could truly bloom.
“So you know nothing about jewelry…or dressing up for that matter,” Quinn concluded, shaking her head with lips pressed thin. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me,” I teased, sticking out my tongue while batting my eyes in mock innocence. “That’s why I have you. How would I know what jewelry I want to complement them?”
“May I help you?”
A mature beta materialized before us like a mirage born of commerce and courtesy. Sweat traced silver lines along his receding gray hairline, glistening like morning dew just before the sun’s first touch—fragile, fleeting, and betraying a quiet tension beneath his composed exterior. His pale green eyes flickered between us like trapped moths seeking light—desperate, fluttering, unsure where to land. His name tag caught the store’s illumination, a constellation of tiny gems spelling ‘Toasty’ in obsidian ink. The station badge seemed an afterthought, shadowed by the brilliance of his employee identification on his midnight-black suit.
“Elara is looking for a showpiece for her virgin walk in The Den,” Quinn replied, her playful tone crystallizing into professional precision as she slipped into her role like armor donned for battle. “I know you’re renowned for stunning pieces in high demand. Fortunately, I was told your store recently received a new shipment of fine stones perfect for the occasion.”
“Fortune smiles upon you.” Toasty’s grin bloomed wild and glittering, revealing diamond and gold studded front teeth that caught light like captured stars. He opened his arms as if welcoming long-lost kin before placing weathered hands onto the fiberglass display cases. “You’ve heard correctly. The shop’s inventory is the finest it’s been since we relocated here. Is there, perchance, a particular style calling to your heart?”
“I was hoping for something more natural.” I bit my bottom lip, scanning the displays as imagination failed to conjure myself adorned with the treasures within. This wasn’t me—this gilded creature Quinn envisioned. But if she believed this was necessary, then I would trust her wisdom like a ship trusts itscompass in unfamiliar waters. “Something classy and not too theatrical.”
“Let’s begin with your dress, and we can weave dreams from there.”
“An elegant backless emerald dress with a see-through bodice, detailed with fine crystal beading,” Quinn explained, pressing her hand against my back to guide me closer to the display. Her touch was warm certainty against the cool uncertainty of my spine. “Her hair will be braided to allow the whole room a clear view of her face from all angles of the arena…and tempt them with her needy unmated omega scent.”
“Sounds exquisite,” Toasty drawled, releasing a long whistle as he studied me with the intensity of an artist contemplating a blank canvas, absorbing atmosphere and possibility. The weight of his gaze felt different from invasive stares—more like a craftsman measuring space for beauty. He tilted his head and nodded, clicking his teeth as satisfaction painted his features. “I have something precisely right for you.”
With a twinkle igniting his eyes like struck flint, he swiftly turned. I caught the shimmer of his mating bite on his neck’s nape as he disappeared through the back door. Instantly, I discovered why he bore the name Toasty as bubbly, melted marshmallows roasted over campfire flames teased my senses before the filtration system swept the scent away like autumn leaves on wind.
My legs clenched involuntarily as a whimper bubbled in my throat like champagne seeking release. Heat bloomed across my cheeks, embarrassment at becoming aroused by an older—yet undeniably attractive—bonded beta. Was this merely a glimpse of what awaited me? I shouldn’t be lusting after every edible-smelling person I encountered.
Scanning the store desperately, I hoped no one witnessed my predicament, cursing under my breath when knowing gazes metmine from every direction. Between the room’s brilliant lighting and the single line of display cases forming a U-shaped border between customers and workers, there was nowhere to hide—save behind Quinn.
“It’s going to be perfectly fine, Elara,” Quinn soothed, gripping my shoulder and pressing me against her side like a shield against my own desires. Her calming scent rolled over me in waves, grounding my arousal with the familiarity of morning gardens after rain. “What happened is completely natural, especially for unmated omegas approaching their heat. As soon as we finish here, we’ll return you to your nest.”
“What if I leave and allow you to pick whatever you want me to wear tomorrow?” I huffed, just wanting to be done with the day. “I know you don’t need me…And you are fully capable of buying whatever you believe I need.”
