Page 28 of Carmichael's Omega

When she comes for me, she almost collapses. I stand and catch her, smiling at her dazed expression while I wipe my mouth and chin.

"A bed," she croaks softly. "Can't we use a bed, Carmichael?" she mumbles.

I feel my smile grow. Her breath catches. She presses her palm to my cheek and smiles back at me. My breath hitches. I gently pull her panties back up, smooth her dress back down. It's wrinkled, her skin is flushed, and her eyes bright. She looks so passionate.

The ringing of my phone shatters the peace in the room like being shot in the heart. That high ring is reserved for only one wolf in my life.Mi papá.

I feel my smile freeze on my face. What am I doing? I disentangle the omega from my arms and give her a gentle nudge toward the door. "I have to take this call, Cassidy. Go home."

She turns and stumbles away, looking at me over her shoulder, twice, confused and flushed, before she gets to the door and slips outside.

"Papá."

"Mi hijo.You took care of the cartel?"mipapá'svoice is low and raspy. He speaks in such a low baritone that it almost sounds like a whisper. I think losingmamabroke more than his heart.

"Si,papá.Four humans, dead. I left them as a message in the desert." I sent him a text two weeks ago when it happened. Sometimes I wonder if he even checks his phone.

"Did Nico help?" he asks.

I hate to kill the hope in his voice. "No,papá.Nico... he wasn't feeling well that night."

He inhales. "I can't watchsu hermanodestroy himself like this."

I close my eyes and breath in slowly. The sweet scent of the omega overpowers the musty room. It makes my gut ache. "If mama were still alive-" I start to say.

"No! Don't blame your mama's death,mi hijo. We are the alphas of the LoboGris. We are strong. Your brother must be strong too,si?" his voice is stern, an alpha.

I swallow around the lump in my throat.Papástill can't talk aboutMama, even years later.

"Nico is strong,papá," I defend my brother. "But, it would be better ifMamawere still with us."

"Si," my father says, sounding defeated. "Lo siento, mi hijo. You don't know how sorry I am. You should have never been robbed of yourMama."

"Si, papá."

"When you come home next, make sure you come to see me, ey?"

"Si, papá."I knock down the burning rage in my gut. Mypapásuffers, still, the loss of his mate. Why did that omega kill her? Why did it have to happen?

"Goodbye, Carmichael."

"Talk to you later,Papá."

I text Holt and Rique to see if they want to ride. I need to clear my head.

How will I tell mypapáabout Cassidy?

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Mattie

When I press on the gas pedal of my '16 Hyundai, it hums and purrs like a luxury engine. I know I should have been suspicious when Teague readily agreed to give me a non-descript, boring car.I think it's bullet-proof. The glass is thick, and the door weighs more than usual. I could probably ram this into a tank and survive.

Cassie didn't take her car to school. She left it behind.

Gritting my teeth, I press a little harder. I still get passed on the highway by everyone driving anything faster than a tractor. I'm not the best driver, and I always let everyone else on the road have the right-of-way, so it's with a sense of relief that I see the exit to Cassie's campus. I follow the GPS to the parking lot for guests. It's busy on Saturdays. I have to circle the entrance twice before I can change lanes to park.

As I pull into the first open spot, I hear a blast of a motorcycle. Two pull into the parking lot and go roaring past me. I look in the rearview and catch a flash of ice-blue eyes. It sends a shiver of awareness down my spine. My wolf holds still, staring, but the eyes and the motorcycles are gone in the next instant.

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