Page 139 of Carmichael's Omega

We travel for an hour before the alpha responds to Nico.

"Tu hermanocan't have two mates,hijo. The female will bear his pups, and the male will be locked away. No one will know my alphason is mated to a male omega."

Nico inhales, shivering. "Don't hurt him. Them."

"We'll see what Carmichael has to say,sí?" is the alpha's only response.

The truck rumbles along. I think I spot our Jeep following as well as one other vehicle. Our sad convoy meanders south, speeding along the highway, further and further from Caluna, the bar, andCarmichael.

Nico was right. The moon is full enough to see the outline of the desert from the windows. It stretches, empty, for miles. We must be close to the Mexican border when the truck pulls off of the main road and begins to bump over the hard-packed desert ground. I curl up into a tighter ball, my whines growing increasingly louder as I picture what is happening in the bed of the truck.

"Shh,Chica. Easy, easy," Nico does his best to soothe me, but I'm not buying it. He's terrified, maybe more than I am.

When we reach civilization, I'm stunned. Low-roofed houses are packed together in a simple grid. Tin roofs gleam in the moonlight. Every home has a porch, some of them dilapidated. The collection of vehicles are worn, just like the pick-up we are driving. Most houses don't have any sort of vehicle at all.

We trundle past the rows of houses and towards a low, adobe building that looks in better shape than most of the homes we passed.

"The packhouse," Nico murmurs to me.

We stop, and I scramble to my feet on Nico's lap to peer out of the pickup. I watch as two males take Alize from the truck bed and haul her away.

"Where are you taking her?" Nico echoes my thoughts.

"The prison,hijo."

"She's trustworthy,Papá!"

"I make that judgment, not you,hijo," the alpha snaps.

They don't take out Mattie, and our pickup keeps going, leaving the other two vehicles behind.

"Mattie? The male? What are you doing with him?"

The alpha is quiet again, not answering. I start to bark, high-pitched whining sounds.

"¡Papá!"Nico shouts.

"No, Nico! I am the alpha!" he roars."¡Silencio!"

The cab of the truck falls deadly quiet.

A large hand reaches out and pets me. "Shh,mamita. Nothing will harm you here."

"Don't lie to her."

The alpha's eyes turn to Nico. "We'll see what Carmichael wants to do with her, ey? And the male," he mutters under his breath.

We pull up in front of a house from a different world. Confused, my ears twitch, my fur ruffles. It's a hacienda-style mansion that stretches over two stories into the night sky. It's gorgeous, and I can't help but wonder if it's like a venus fly trap, a beautiful flower waiting to lure its prey before devouring the hapless fly slowly.

"I'll take her," Nico protests as his father stops the truck.

"You'll take the male," the alpha sneers a little. "I'll carrymamita. Put the male in your old bedroom. Doors locked,entiendes?"

"Where are you putting Cassie?" Nico asks hoarsely.

Dark eyes meet mine. "In the alpha suite."

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