Page 43 of Carmichael's Omega

I swallow the bitter spit in my mouth.¡Chale!What is Holt saying?

Rique is on his feet a second before Holt's words register. He goes pale under the tan.

"Is Dee your mate?" José asks in a hushed voice.

Holt's face turns red, and his eyes flash black. "Sí. And she's human." He turns and walks away, bitterness in each step.

José takes off after his younger brother. "Adios," he mutters.

Rique turns to me with eyes shining in pain. "All of us,Jefe? Is LoboGris cursed?"

My alpha-wolf is howling in sympathy for his packmates, his friends, his brothers. I hide it, like always. "Maybe you should ask your witch."

"Shut up, Carm!" he snarls.

"She's using you," I snap at him. "You kill wolves for her, and you don't even know why, Rique."

Rique goes still. His shoulders tense up, and his jaw clenches. "You know why I can't say 'no' to her."

"She's not Maria, Rique," I say to him as gently as I can. It comes out sharp and cruel, anyway. I suck at this shit.

"My wolf is feral,loco, Carm. Miranda keeps the crazy at bay."

"So your heart can break?" I snarl at him. Motherfucker. I sound like aputo.

Rique stands, his body jerking, chest heaving. Blinking, he stares up at the sky. "She owns it. It's her fucking toy."

I bite back the moan. Why did Rique have to put it that way? "She doesn't want a wolf."

Rique looks at me. His eyes are a little red and glassy. "You didn't want an omega, Carm. Tell me the truth, do you want to give away our luna?"

I punch him hard enough to send him stumbling backward five feet. Two dumb blondechicasscream as he nearly barrels into them. Hunched over from the blow, Rique looks at me and growls.

I take a step and stop. Cameras are being held up, pointed in our direction. I scowl at one of the blondechicas. She's over her fear, filming away, the bitch.

I can't let Cassidy see me beat the shit out of Rique. She'll worry about thependejo,and then I would have to kill him.

"Sorry, Rique," I tell him. His eyes widen comically as he straightens his body. He looks around and sees the avid attention we have.

"It's alright, Carm," he replies calmly.

I toss my cigarette to the ground, ignoring the huff of displeasure from the other blonde chica. I can't be perfect. "Let's go," I mutter.

We both stalk away, the humans falling out of our path.

"You want to run or ride,Jefe?"

"Neither," I snap.

"Why you in such a mood, Carm?" Rique asks me.

"Got a call," I tell him abruptly. "From Rhet."

"Your cousin up north? Didn't thatpendejomove to Canada?" Rique asks in surprise.

"Si. Something is happening up north. Problems. I leave tonight." I heave a breath. "Watch her for me?" I ask him.

He nods. "You know I will," he says. "How long you think you'll be?" Rique asks me, his eyes dark with concern.

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