Page 77 of Carmichael's Omega

I force my fingers to stay unclenched, the claws to remain sheathed. "To me, it is," I tell him bluntly.

He shakes his head and takes another drink. "They are unfeeling. Evil. They call usel nahual," he says bitterly, naming the ancient shape-shifting legends.

"When they're the monsters," I finish the thought quietly. I look at him, miPapá,my alpha. He is my hero. It hurts to think that he knew about the cartel's activities and never told me. Worse, did he hide the trafficking?

"Tell me about Lily," I ask him bluntly.

The reaction I was searching for when I asked about the cartel is what I see now. My father snarls, lips curled back over glinting canines. Eyes wild, fury making his body swell, he spins around, glass falling to the ground and shattering from hands clumsy with claws erupting.

"¿Que?" he snarls.

"Lily. The omega," I taunt him, meeting his furious gaze as I stand slowly.

"Yo soy tu padre. I am the Alpha. Don't say her name," he growls. "Where is this coming from, because Renee accused you of sleeping with an omega?¡Chale!"

"I graduate this May," I tell him casually. "I will be home more often, more responsible,no?"

He visibly regains his control. "Sí," he rasps out.

"I need to understand these things.¿Por qué?Why? Why did she attackmama?"

Mypadregives me an angry, vicious look. "An omega can't be placed in power,sí? Carmichael, I learned my lesson about females who lie. Don't get involved. Learn from my mistake," he says.

Lies and involvement? I take a step toward him, my alpha-wolf ready to fight, to kill, to commit patricide for answers.

"Did you cheat onmama? Did you have an affair?"

All of the anger drains from him, along with most of the color in his face. I feel my heart fall. Before he answers, I know. I know, and it fucking kills something inside me.

"Sí, hijo."

I suck in a pain-filled breath. "¿Por quéPapá?" I croak.

"I was not strong enough," he murmurs. "She was... beautiful. Sweet."

"Lily was?" I ask through gritted teeth.

"Sí."

Shoulders slumped, vision vacant, he shakes his head. "I am still paying for the mistake.Tu mama... tu mamapaid. I am going to bed,hijo. Make suretu hermanaand Hugh are settled in for the night."

He leaves, his shoes crunching carelessly through the glass shards on the floor.

Shaken, I walk out of his office, staring at his back as he disappears upstairs. I know I won't hear from him for days, maybe weeks.

I 'settle' my family by ordering them to stay in the fucking packhouse. I got the wrong answers fromPapá.I'm no closer to knowing about the Diamorte Cartel, but my head hurts with the confirmation thatmi padreis a cheater.

Rage is pouring off my body. My exhaustion is forgotten. My alpha-wolf is begging for blood. Not a problem. I have a special friend I need to visit.

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Licking my lips, I kneel next to theculero. Dylan. Anticipation thrums in my blood. He's stripped naked, tied to the rocks, in the middle of the desert, his back bowed in a painful position that puts constant pressure on his ribcage and cuts off part of his oxygen. Miles of open land stretch in every direction. After less than one day, his skin is already red and peeling from the sun. He'd do better on paws, but he's prevented from shifting by the silver in the chains.

It wasn't easy to decide whether I should torture him on paws or on feet. I was thinking of skinning his fur from his body, but I'm afraid it would kill him too quickly. Out here in the desert, I have all the time in the world to kill him slowly.

"Who the fuck are you?" he mumbles, blood on his lips. Having no water has scorched his throat, leaving his tongue swollen and his voice garbled.

"Cassidy's mate," I answer.

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