Page 168 of Carmichael's Omega

"That's not the only thing I need to tell you."

I go still. His eyes are intense, deadly serious. "Go on.¡Vamos!" I snap. He growls at the disrespect. We're alone in the desert. I quirk an eyebrow at him. "My omegas will be upset if you kill me,Jefe."

"Shut up, Punk," he huffs. "This is serious shit."

I sober up. Maybe others want to hurt my Cassidy. Or Mattie.Mierda.

"Two years after the Cartel almost took Cassie; she was almost abducted again." He swallows. "She was, actually."

"Was what?" I ask. My voice has suddenly gone hoarse. My alpha-wolf is pushing me again. Take my mates into the desert and find a den. Protect them. Feed them. Don't let anyone else near them.

"Taken. She was taken."

He lets me punch him. Takes the hit right on the chin. He shakes his head, recovering, flexing his jaw to realign it.

"How? No... No, tell me who," I snarl. The Beta wouldn't have made it easy for a kidnapper to reach my bunny.

"One of her friends. He grew obsessed. Wolves... even some humans... sometimes they get real fixated on the twins."

I just stare at him, dumbfounded. "Did he hurt her?"

"Didn't have the chance. Mattie found her and called us. She was only gone twenty minutes. The abductor... he didn't want to hurt her, yeah? Just wanted her." He pauses while I force my hands to unclench. "I killed him in front of her. She didn't speak for a week. Worst part? I found out later that when she went back to school, some of the little shit's friends bullied her. They blamed her for his obsession."

"Did you kill them, too?" I ask in complete seriousness.

The Beta's broken jaw clenches. "No. Cassie begged me not to."

"What are their names?" I ask casually.

He gives me a sharp, sardonic glance. "No can do, Punk. My rules are your rules, now. You kill some dumb pups and then deal with a heartbroken omega. Cassie didn't speak for a week from guilt, not because she was terrified of the abduction."

I seethe silently, closing my eyes, picturing my sweet bunny with her soft, caramel eyes.Sí, she would hate to see someone die. Even if they deserve it. I can't even hate the fucker who took her. Well, not too much. I hate him, but I sympathize. I understand being obsessed with Cassidy.

"Dylan. Our little fish. He was obsessed with Mattie,si? Is this because they are omega?"

"Yeah, probably."

I nod, opening my eyes to meet his gaze. "I will protect them,Jefe."

"Who protects them from you?" he asks, but not in a mean, nasty way. "From your pack? I saw the bodies, Punk. You and yours killed how many just yesterday?”

My jaw flexes. “I won’t let anyone hurt my mates.”

“You better learn to lie, Punk. Don’t let them see that lethality in the flesh, yeah?”

I nod in agreement. It will be fine. We’re going fishing, that’s all.

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"This is boring,sí?" Rique says in a bland monotone, so soft that his whisper doesn't carry past my ears.

I nod. It is boring. Alice, or Alicia, has been holed up in the home she used to share with Benito. It's one of many hidey-holes the couple has used over the last decades. This one reminds me of Papa's hacienda in remoteness and luxury. It's only twenty minutes from the rest of the pack, but in the low hills and dry scrub brush, it's out-of-sight-out-of-mind. Perfect for aputalike Alice.

We are waiting for Diego to make contact. He walked inside over an hour ago, and we've seen nothing of him or Alice since.

"I see..." We all tense and look at the house. "Never mind," Rique grunts as he settles back down.

I force my muscles to relax again. The flash of movement was just a cloud moving across the bright sun in the glare of the windows. Nothing more than that.

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