Page 165 of Carmichael's Omega

I don't even know how to put into words what I'm feeling. The killing of wolves right in front of us is seared onto the back of my eyelids. I can see them die every time I so much as blink. Then, the aftermath was... not bad at all.

"Let's go find Carm," Cassie says quietly as she puts her wet hair back into a ponytail.

"Alright," I agree. I wrap my hand around hers, and we start to leave the bedroom.

"Stay," Alize orders us from the hallway in an abrupt, harsh voice.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"We have visitors. Not pack," Alize spits out. She pulls out her phone and sends a text. She's standing in front of the windows that face the back of thehacienda. The desert hills begin just a few hundred feet away from the rear of the house. As I squint into the early morning light, I see two, then four, LoboGris wolves sprinting toward the horizon.

Then I see other wolves coming over the closest hill. They approach cautiously, not trying to enter a battle, but the LoboGris leap on them anyway. A harsh lesson in trespassing, the new wolves take their punishment without fighting back. Their non-action makes the LoboGris wolves back away quickly, giving the newcomers room to keep advancing toward thehacienda.

They shift back, four males, and the one in the front is vaguely familiar.

Alize opens the window, and we all visibly strain to hear the male speak. "I am Alpha Diego of the Carabona. I am here for my sister. Where is Leilani?"

I'm stunned, but not. That's why he looks so familiar. He looks like Leilani. His eyes scan the crowd of LoboGris and ClearHowl that is gathering. They are pathetically outnumbered, but I'm instantly flooded with fear. Words can leave more lasting scars than battle, and this male can wound our sister deeply; I just know it.

"You need to ask her brother," Carmichael strolls out of the crowd of LoboGris, bare-butt naked except for a pair of paper-thin jeans that look delicious on him.

"He is here?" the male's eyes dart around.

"Sí, Diego," Carmichael drops the wolf's title insultingly. "This is my Mating Ceremony. It's rude to interrupt,sí?I don't want my mates upset," he warns. It's said mockingly, but no one is fooled into thinking Carmichael doesn't want blood.

"Apologies," Diego says stiffly. "I just want to talk to her."

I expect Teague to step out of the crowd next, but it's Devel who walks out, Leilani close behind him.

Diego's eyes narrow on Devel. "Pendejo," he spits at the scarred northern male.

"Don't call him that," Leilani snaps. "What do you want, Diego?"

Diego's face pales a little when he sees our sister. "I want you to come home."

"She has a home." Now Teague arrives. Or maybe he was always there and just trying to control his temper?

"You belong with us," Diego says to Leilani, ignoring Teague. Not the smartest choice.

"Do I?" Leilani replies. Devel says something, but I can't hear it from up here. Leilani flashes him a sharp look, and he just raises his eyebrows at her.

"You can come home," Diego says. "He won't bother you."

"He? You can't say his name?" Leilani smiles bitterly. "Is it all still a dirty secret? Carabona's alphason is a mate betrayer, but you love him, don't you,brother?"

"I didn't know he would ever hurt you," Diego says stiffly.

Leilani's smile doesn't grow any less bitter. "He already had hurt me before he tried to annihilate me. He rejected me before I ever shifted. You knew he was going to reject me and did nothing. Was that not supposed to hurt? What makes you think I believe you now?"

"He can't hurt you anymore," Diego says. "He's dead. And you are the rightful Luna of the Carabona."

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42 - Alicia

Carmichael

The Beta and Devel both move seamlessly. From one heartbeat to the next, Devel is strung up tightly between the two males. His limp arms are dangling in the chains.

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