Page 103 of Carmichael's Omega

"Any news?" I ask him.

"My oldest brother," he winks, "says the 'little dead shit' is deeply entrenched in the Cartel. His words, not mine," Devel clarifies with a wry grin.

I nod, sucking in a breath of the cigarette in my hand before blowing out the smoke into the desert night.

"We followed the female," Devel sneers the word, his own hands shaking around the bottle of Coke he's holding, "to a small town just over the border.Passiflora."

I snort in derision, "sí, of course. A shithole named for a flower."

The front door to the bar creaks open. Laughter spills out, but it's unlike what I'm used to. It's innocent and fun, giggles of females and chuckles of males. It's completely absent of drunkenness or desperation. It's surreal to hear, coming from a shitty bar in the middle of nowhere. The LaNu females have invaded my bar.Chale, what did thosependejosat Alpha-Ups call them? The Moos?Sí, I think that was it.

The scent of a freshly-showered Rique makes a growl rise in the back of my throat. No matter how much Old Spice my Beta scrubs on his skin, I can still scent the witch underneath.Pendejohas jeopardized the entire plan because he can't keep his damn teeth to himself.

I grunt as Rique greets us with a happy, stupid grin on his face.

"Jefe, Devel, are we moving on the Cartel?" my friend has an eager light in his eyes. Rique is the calm, level-headed one of the two of us, but he loves a good fight.

"Sí, tomorrow night," I answer. "And you can't go, youpinchependejo, because you reek of witch."

"Carm-" Rique begins to protest.

"No, Güey," I interrupt. "I don't know how to tell you this, Rique, butmi padremay be involved,sí? We can't let the LoboGris know you are Mated to a witch. Mated at all," I amend.

Rique sits back in his chair, going pale under his swarthy skin, swearing under his breath. "Carm..." he chokes out, shaking his head.

"You didn't know. I didn't tell you," I take the responsibility from his shoulders. I couldn't tell him. I can barely face reality myself. I keep hoping that it isn't true, thatPapadoesn't have connections to the Diamorte.

His face darkens. "You know Miranda rescues females? The Diamorte Cartel is involved with trafficking, and still, you didn't tell me."

I rub my eyes, saying nothing. I went to help Rhet and his new family in the north because I couldn't handle all this shit. I still can't. All these years, I've been fighting the Cartel, chasing them off LoboGris land, and my alpha andpadremay have been sabotaging the efforts the entire time. My wolf scratches my gut. We were cowards. We are cowards. Enough with that. We are alpha. No more sulking.

Devel rolls the Coke bottle in his hands. "Leilani came from the Carabona Pack. Did I tell you? The Diamorte Cartel is standing between the Carabona and us."

"Is that why you're so eager to drive thesebastardosinto the ground? So that Leilani can visit her pack?" Rique asks.

Devel snorts and takes a drink. "Hell, no. Leilani... she was sold to the Cartel. Sold. By someone in her pack. My brother... he told me that she told him once that it was her mate. He's been trying to get to them for years. Years. But... she won't tell us who her mate is."

So, the Beta can't succeed at something. It makes me even more determined to end the Cartel.

I clap him on the shoulder. "We'll find him," I give him the promise of an Alpha. I mean it. I didn't want another family, but with my omega mates, it seems I have one. I take another drag of the cigarette.

"What's bothering you so badly,Jefe?" José wanders over, nude and ready to shift, eyes locked on Rique.

Rique shakes his head, staying mute. He leans back in the rickety metal chair he's sitting in, lifting the front legs off the ground.

My mates are bothering me, I think. What I say outloud is, "Lily was part of the Carabona, too." My wolf growls at the mention of the omega who killedMama. I don't even know why I brought her up.

"Carm..." Rique says my name slowly. The chair comes back down with a thud.

"Her parents came to our pack when she was a pup. I remember her telling me about it. They came as servants. Slaves. We didn't have any other omegas. The Carabona do sell wolves." I stand, both males eyeing me warily.

The other wolves are silent, watchful.

"What is wrong with my mates? Why are they so cold with each other?" It's the most critical question on my mind. More important than Nico,Papa, the Cartel. I want my mates to be happy, and they aren't.

"They're afraid you'll reject them. I told you this, Carmichael. Maybe they're afraid you'll choose one of them over the other," Rique snaps impatiently.

"I can't do that," I tell him. I can't. I can't hurt Mattie. I know that to my bones. Cassidy... my mind still tells me that she can't be trusted. My heart loves her more than my own life. More than my pack.

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