Page 136 of Carmichael's Omega

We play a little more until Mattie, and I are tired enough to be dragging. I lay down, curled up with my brother, and rest a little.

I feel the shift nearby, rippling through my consciousness. A hand strokes my head. "Can you watch them while I run a bit? Then, we'll switch," I hear Nico say. "Omegas? You will stay here with Alize,sí?"

I open one eye and lick Nico's hand, then slam it shut before I get too good of a view of his ding-a-ling swinging in the breeze.

Nico leaves, and Mattie and I snooze while Alize circles us protectively. At one point, she goes alert. Mattie and I both lift our heads, feeling the concern rolling off of our alpha female. She settles back down a few minutes later, and we relax until Nico comes back.

He takes over for Alize, and she runs into the desert. Panting, Nico comes to lie down next to us. I start cleaning Mattie's ears, fussing over his fur until it's all standing up on end.

The sun drips and melts in the sky, slowly sinking lower and lower. I lift my head as the first streaks of orange and pink appear. Where is Alize?

Nico is also worried, on his paws, pacing. Occasionally he emits a low growl as if the concern has peaked his adrenaline too high. Mattie and stand, peering into the desert that stretches for mile upon open mile. There's no sign of Alize, but the sun is setting, and the shadows are deepening.

The alpha female is just a dot, at first. Nico spots it first, turning on his heels as his hackles rise and his ears prick upward.

Alize comes sprinting up, her eyes dilated, foam at the corners of her mouth. Her sides are heaving, and without any doubt, I know that we are in severe and deadly trouble.

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Matthew

We run. I concentrate as hard as I can to keep Cassie next to me, terrified that she'll be whisked away by whatever is hunting us and disappear forever. I don't know what we're running from, but both Alize and Nico seem determined to get us away from whoever or whatever it is.

With a movement that is so sudden, my head spins; Nico and Alize are herding Cassie and me into a tiny hole under a rock formation. Cassie balks for a split second when she sees the tight space, but Alize's strong, large alpha wolf shoves hard, hard, into the cave.

I go in next, huddling close to Cassie in the back, as Nico and Alize shift back to feet.

"What is it, Alize?" Nico growls out through his pants.

Alize can barely breathe. She probably ran twice as much as the rest of us. "Lo-Lobo-Gris," she gasps out.

Nico huffs, "¡Chale!"

"W-worse," Alize says. "Al-al-pha. Others," she heaves out.

Nico goes still and closes his eyes. "Here?Mi papa esta aqui? He doesn't ever go anywhere near Caluna," he finishes weakly. "The city, maybe.Diosa," he gasps.

"Maybe... he's look-looking for you," she pants.

"Or Carm," Nico supplies. "Did they see or scent you?"

Alize's face grows dim. The last rays of daylight cast her face in low, red light, making her look demonic. I shiver, but I'm happy she's here, between me and the mouth of this cave.

"I ca-n't be sure," she says, her breathing settling. "But if I could scent them..."

"Thenmi papacould scent you," Nico finishes grimly.

He looks back over his shoulder at us. Gently he strokes Cassie's ear, then mine. "I'll go out and lead him away," he says.

"It won't work. They caught my scent."

Nico swallows. "You have to come with me, Alize."

Her protest is immediate, but Nico shushes her. "If they are looking for you, then we can't lead them to two omegas. With me, you'll be safe, and Papá won't look for them."

"They scent of the Alphason," Alize hisses.

"That's why we both have to go and distract them. They can't find them. If it's the wolves, I think they are... we have to make sure they don't find Mattie and Cassie. We have to."

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