We report on our recent study of in-medium $\eta$N interactions and $\eta$-nuclear quasi-bound states, including the implications of self-consistent treatment and the role played by subthreshold dynamics. The self-consistent ab initio calculations of the lightest $eta$-nuclear systems up to $\eta ^6{\rm Li}$ were performed within Stochastic Variational Method. The $\eta N$ scattering amplitudes considered in the calculations were constructed within coupled-channel models that incorporate the $N^∗(1535)$ resonance. We found that $\rm \eta ^6 Li$ is most likely bound. However, the absorption effects caused by the imaginary part of $\eta N$ potentials taken into account shifts the onset of $\eta$-nuclear binding to $\rm \eta ^4 He$ yielding no quasi-bound state in $\rm \eta ^3 He$.