Page 60 of Carmichael's Omega

I look desperately at the machine's controls. My bottom is killing me slowly. How do you shut this thing off?

"Alpha Alex is great," I tell her, nodding enthusiastically to let her know I'm serious. "Teague is... he's..." I really can't lie, "he's my brother-by-mating."

Adriana's head whips to me, her face paling. My bottom has officially killed me. I'm dead. Maybe that's why I ask her, "how are you doing?"

A second later, I feel my feet hit the edge of the step instead of clearing it. I slip, falling toward the machine accompanied by Adriana's shriek of panic.

Strong arms grab me in mid-air and snatch me back just as my face is inches from the rubberized treads. I look up to meet a dark, furious gaze. The male erupts in rapid-fire Spanish that makes Adriana step down from her machine, cringing.

"Sorry. Holt, right?" I ask. "I'm sorry. Thank you."

"Let her go," Alize snaps as she rushes over.

"What were you thinking?" Holt places my feet on the floor and grabs both my forearms to shake me. "Carm told me that you're clumsy,si? Did you want to kill yourself?"

I start to cry. All three of them freeze. "Sorry! I'm not crying because of... oh goddess! My bottom iskillingme!"

Alize laughs, but the two LoboGris wolves still look slightly panicked. Gently, Alize extracts me from Holt's grip and leads me, limping, to a bench. "OK, Superwoman. Sit here. Stretch your gluts."

"How?" I ask. Alize tilts the bench, and I squeak. Then, the lovely pull in my bottom makes me sigh. "Oh, that's so much better," I moan.

"Carmichael is going to murder us,no?Leave us dead in the desert. Eyes and ears cut off.Esto es un desmadre. ¡Chale!"

Holt falls silent as two more males walk in. Rique and José stare at me. I groan again as Alize moves the bench and has me switch legs. "This is wonderful," I sigh, "I could stay here all day," I murmur with another soft moan.

"Clear all thesependejosfrom the gym," I hear Rique giving orders. "This is what happens when I'm late," he mutters. "It's too early in the morning, Cassidy."

"For what?" I murmur.

"For you to give erections to the entire gym," Alize says in her precise, wry tone.

I almost fall off of the bench. Regaining my feet with Alize's laughing help, I look around frantically. The gym is empty of everyone else. It's just the LoboGris wolves, Alize, and me. José walks back from locking the doors, smirking. "I guess this is now Lobo time, ey?"

"I'm going to stretch my bottom again," I announce.

The three males turn on their heels and leave for other parts of the gym. I look at a laughing Alize and Adriana and ask, "what?"

Adriana, to my surprise, is the one who steps up and whispers the double-entendre in my ear. I feel my face flush. Oh.

Oh. Smiling, I pick up my phone and text Carm.

Cassie - I was thinking of stretching my bottom for you

There's no answer. He's probably busy. I smile. I can't wait for him to read my text. Serves him right for telling Holt that I'm clumsy.

---

Carmichael

"Again," I order, eyes narrowed on Ezra as he does pushups. "Again. Hold your stomach tighter,sí? Clench your ass together."

"Don't stare at my ass," Ezra grumbles.

I ignore him. Ezra is the weakest link here. A half-feral wolf, but not necessarily a strong one. Despite that, he's working hard. These wolves are inspiring. Their world is burning around their ears, but they have a plan to fix it.

"Roll and do fifty crunches. Support your neck. Then you're done for the day."

I leave Ezra to it and walk over to where my cousin is doing pull-ups in the barn door.

---