Page 137 of Carmichael's Omega

I whine. I want to shift back to feet, to yell at them to stay. That Carm's family and pack are dangerous, but I'm too exhausted to shift. My omega-wolf is lying on his side, taking in gulps of air so large that his entire stomach and chest are heaving.

"Don't move. No matter what, sí? If we don't come back, wait until morning, then go straight back to Caluna and call everyone to come to you."

I whimper. Cassie is quaking, licking Nico's hand as if to beg him to stay with us.

"Be safe, omegas, please?" Nico whispers.

A half-heartbeat later, they are out, shifting back onto paws and running away into the dusk.

I curl on top of Cassie, and we wait, shivering, as the night falls. I don't know how much time passes before I see the moon rising into the sky, higher and higher. I haven't been paying attention to the moon's phases, so I have no idea when it is at its zenith tonight.

I concentrate on Cassie, checking her closely as she lays in the dark, shivering as adrenaline crashes. She's not bleeding, thank the goddess. A run like that could make her miscarry her pup. I keep nosing her, and she lets me, needing the comfort of an omega herself, for once.

I hear the long howl and choke on my heartbeat. It's close. So close. I pray with all my might that it's Alize's wolf. Nico's wolf. But I know better. Why would they make that sort of noise?

Four wolves walk into the moonlight. Two approach our hiding spot with complete assurance. I see them coming, watch my life flash before my eyes. I get ready to fight, to defend my sister with my last dying breath.

An enormous wolf snaps his canines at the two wolves. They halt, turning to him, hackles raised. The largest peels his lip back from his canines, threatening them without words. One of the wolves backs off and joins the fourth, but the other postures his own violence. I can feel the malice in that wolf from forty feet away. They clash, a brief battle of dominance, but the largest quickly seems to win. He snarls, and postures and the three other wolves slink into the night.

I can see my breath in the air. The temperature of the desert has fallen at least ten degrees. The fog drifts in front of my nose. For a moment, the approach of that large male is shrouded in mystery.

He shifts back at the entrance to the cave. I trap my whine in my throat. He looks like Carmichael, like Nico, the same face but with dark brown eyes.

I snarl weakly.

"Shh, pup," he murmurs. "An omega, ey? Who do you belong to,chulito?"

I growl, snapping my teeth and forcing Cassie deeper into the cave. I step on her paw, and she yelps in pain.

The giant wolf's eyes focus on my twin hiding behind me.

"A female?" he says in a hushed voice as if he's stunned. He inhales and seems to freeze. I do, too; my eyes fixed on this predator who could easily kill us both.

"Come out, omega," he holds his hand out to me.

I snap, nearly taking off his fingers, but he withdraws his hand too quickly. All of Teague's lessons race through my head, but the most important is the one on replay.

Fient, then flee. Run as fast as you can, Mattie.

We're trapped. We tried running, but Teague never told us what to do if that wasn't an option. Most likely, because he knew we would lose that fight.

"Easy, pup," the large wolf says, his voice darkening. He moves so quickly I can't prepare.

I do lose. He hits me, and everything goes dark.

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Cassidy

I go crazy on him. That's right. Feel my mama-wrath, Carm's not-nice father.

I don't care that he's an alpha. I don't care that he hates omegas and has every reason to. All I know is that he hurt Mattie and is a threat to my pup.

"Shh,mamita," he croons. He pulls Mattie from the cave as I follow, barking and snapping and biting at him... uselessly. He just fends me off with almost no effort, then goes to grab me. I duck, and he follows, backing me right into the deepest corner of the cave again.

Strong arms wrap around me, hands that I can't escape no matter how hard I twist and turn and snap my jaws at him.

"Mamita, you will hurt the pup,sí?" he says sternly.

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