Page 69 of Carmichael's Omega

After we all eat and watch five House Hunters International episodes, Mattie and I curl up together on his bed to sleep. Gio wishes us goodnight before leaving for training.

"Keep everything locked, OK?" he says softly. "Goodnight."

"'Night, Gio," I murmur with my head pillowed on Mattie's chest.

"You OK, Bee?" Mattie asks me quietly after Gio leaves.

"I miss him."

"I know, honey," he kisses the top of my head. "Is he coming back soon?"

"I think so," I murmur sleepily. I hope so.

I drift to sleep listening to Mattie's heartbeat under my ear.

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Carmichael

Readiness tingles in my fingertips. I slap Rhet on the back, another congratulation. "I'll let you know when I arrive," I tell him.

I pat Inuit on the back, too. "This will all be yours one day,sí? Take care of it," I tell him.

He nods, as solemn as ever. I hope his mate can make him smile one day.

Shifting to paws, I run southeast. I decided I can't wait for the other packs in the area to sort their shit. I'll go on paws over the Canadian-American border since I didn't cross legally in the first place. I punched Ezra in the face when he made a joke about that.Pendejo.

I run at a fast clip. I'm eager to get back to Cassidy. She has only a month left in the semester, and I want to make sure she doesn't think she's going back to ClearHowl for the summer. Rique's last conversation plays in my mind over and over, a broken record. I need to hold my mate in my arms.

I'm almost at the border when I see her. Snarling furiously, I skid to a halt just inches from the face of the palest female I've ever seen. Maybe she's albino?

"Hello, Alpha," she says quietly.

Unnerved, I shift back to feet. My fingers curl into claws at my sides. I'm ready to lung, prepared to fight out of the trap that has been sprung. She reeks of the forest, of power and dark magic. "Bruja," I spit out.

She smiles faintly. "Yes," she agrees, "I am a witch. I need your help."

"My help?" I snarl. Cassidy is waiting for me. "Why would I help you?" I pace back and forth in front of thebruja. My alpha-wolf twitches with urgency. We need to be with her.

"For a favor," She says. "A favor for a favor."

"What do I need from a witch?"

She smiles. "Help, Alpha."

"And you need what from me?" my wolf is caught, his attention on this odd female. The need to run is there, but there is something else, an instinct that tells him that she is not a threat, to us at least.

"I need you to save a female wolf," she says simply. "By killing our coven leader.

I choke on a laugh. "No mames, bruja." I look around at the forest, heavy, expectant. "Do you smoke some extra strong shit up here?" I ask her.

A faint, derisive smile curls her lips. "Crude," she comments, "but you love your omega mate, correct?"

My alpha-wolf snarls. "What do you know about my female?" I ask her. I flex my fingers, getting ready to attack her.

Her smile grows. "I know that your mate is Omega. Your mate in danger."

Instantly I forget about the witch. My wolf and I tense, ready to sprint south until our hearts burst from the effort.

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