Claiming Treasure

Heather’s POV

Private Jet over Central Washington State

Turbulence woke me from my sleep, and the pain in my hip and ribs made sure I couldn’t return to the land of nod. I pressed the button to raise my seat up. Carson’s bulky frame was relaxed as he looked out the window. He didn’t look like a wolf, he looked normal; well, if a ‘normal’ person had muscles like a linebacker, and a face like a god. I stared at him while his big hands worked the keyboard of a laptop. I couldn’t reconcile the kind man who had carried me out of the room with the oversized, scary-looking wolf who took me away. My head was trying to accept that almost everyone I had met since Orlando was a werewolf. If that wasn’t enough, my babies were going to grow up to be like them. He must have sensed me and looked up. “Hi,” I said, at a loss for words after it all.

He looked up and smiled at me. “I’m sorry you didn’t rest better.” I raised my eyebrow; how did he know that? “Your breathing would change, and you were groaning in your sleep. My Pack Doctor will meet us at the Yakima Airport. He knows of your injuries and will treat you on the way to my home.”

“There’s not much you can do for broken ribs,” I said. “And I can’t take painkillers pregnant.”

“He knows of that as well. You will like him. He treated Rori after the bear attack.” I hadn’t heard that story, so he told me of Rori’s past, her shift to a wolf, and the problems that came about when her parents found out she wasn’t human. “Rori knows what you are going through, Heather. She sends her love and apologizes for not protecting you better while on her Pack land.”

It was all so bizarre. The red-haired dynamo was in charge of over fifty werewolves! Their Pack was in plain sight on a Northern Minnesota lakeshore, masquerading as a timeshare resort. “Am I going to become like her parents? A trusted person?”

“Trusted Agent, and no,” he said. “The Council must approve those, and Rori’s pack has more Trusted Agents now than the rest of the Packs combined. Many Alphas believe that any human with knowledge of us is a risk, so they don’t grant it easily. Even Frank Grimes, who has done so much for us and our kind, has not been granted that status yet.”

“Why not?”

“Rori and Chase are accused of allowing him to learn our secret, even though it was my mother who shifted when the Sons attacked the Arrowhead Alpha house. They pled guilty in January, but the Alphas could not agree on punishment. All the Alphas of the world are coming to form a new jury, starting the day after tomorrow. That is why there were so many people in the dining hall; everyone was celebrating Greg’s mating to Tatiana. The Baronsky Pack Alphas, three members of the Werewolf Council, and a half-dozen Alphas had arrived early. As I said, you sure know how to make an entrance.”

I snorted, which caused a sharp pain in my ribs. I breathed through it as I looked out at the lights below; we were flying over open country, there weren’t many. “Was this a better entrance than crashing into the Brotherhood clubhouse in Orlando with four bikers on my ass?”

He laughed a little. “I saw the video; it’s a tough call. This one was off the scale for awkward reunions, wouldn’t you say?”

I nodded, thinking of how many people saw my dreams squashed like a bug on a windshield. No wonder they didn’t say anything while it was happening. My life was a mess, and no one could look away from the train wreck it had become. “What now,” I finally asked.

“There are specific clauses in the law I want to invoke to protect you. Before I can grant it, you must ask for my protection while on my Pack’s land. Do you know what asylum is?”

“Yes, it’s like when you let someone into your country when they are fleeing something in their old country. If sent back home, the person would be in danger.”

He closed his laptop and put it in a bag by his feet. “Exactly. Werewolf law has the same construct, although rarely invoked. A wolf fleeing a bad situation that enters another Pack’s territory can request asylum from that Pack’s Alpha. If granted, the person gains the protection of the Pack, and the Alpha they left must respect it. If they want the person back, there is a legal process they have to follow with the Council. The Council will hold a hearing, where they must show cause for voiding the asylum claim. The person and the Alpha gets to respond, and all of this can take months. The person remains in the asylum Pack until the Council decides the matter. If the Council decides in the wolf’s favor, they shift allegiance to the new Pack and become a full member.” He paused for a moment, letting me catch up. “With you, it’s a little more complicated. Werewolf law does not apply to you as a human, but it would apply to your babies. I would be granting asylum to your twins, technically, and you would be along for the ride.”

Hearings? Council? “It seems like a mess. Wouldn’t I be better off on my own? I have money and friends. I could go to any Brotherhood chapter and get protection.”

“You could, but that would leave me in a bad position,” he said. “I removed you from a situation where you should have been apprehended or killed, and I ignored the explicit direction of the Council members there to return you. If you leave, I have no defense for my actions. I will be tried and found guilty.” My stomach flipped; he couldn’t suffer because of me! “The only legal way I can protect you now is through the asylum process. My brother Sawyer confirmed that to me while we were running away. I could be stripped of my Pack, imprisoned, even killed for what I did.”

I looked in his eyes and saw the fear and pain in them. It hit me then just how much he had risked for me. “Why would you do this?”

He reached over and took my hand. “I reacted without thinking to get you out of there because I didn’t want you to end up dead,” he said. “Then I realized that I HAD to save you. My wolf agreed with me; we would not allow anyone to hurt you again.”

“Your wolf is separate from you?”

“Kind of. Our wolves are part of us, but different? It’s hard to explain. We have been together since I was seventeen. He is more instinctual than me; he wants to hunt and protect.”

“Your wolf doesn’t want his mate?” Everything I had heard thus far said the mating drive was the important thing, more than love. Greg had proven that to me.

“He did. Our mate rejected us, and she died not long after. There is no happily ever after for me.” He looked out the window, unable to show me his face as he fought back the emotions. My heart went out to him, and we didn’t talk as we landed at the airfield in Yakima.

He carried me out of the plane, one of his men carried his luggage to the big cargo van waiting for us. A man who looked to be in his sixties waited at the bottom of the stairs next to a gurney. “Really?”

“You’re injured, and it makes it easier for him to treat you,” he said. “Doc Myers, may I introduce Heather Rhodes,” he said as he laid me on the gurney.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am. How are you feeling?”

“Sore, and it hurts to breathe deep,” I said. The two strapped me in, then rolled me to the back of the cargo van. As the gurney slid inside, I saw what the plain white exterior hid. The cargo van was a rolling ambulance! Doc climbed in next to me as Carson went to the passenger seat.

He slid a curtain across, hiding me from the men in the front. “I’ll need to examine you, and for that, I’ll need to remove some of your clothing. You’ll have privacy.”

“Thank you.” By the time we turned out of the airport, I had an IV in place, and the painkiller was starting to hit. “This is safe for the baby?”

“Yes, and it will make this next part more comfortable for you.” He helped me sit up and remove my shirts before he inspected my chest. “You were jumped on?”

“Yes, and landed on a table.” I winced in pain as his fingers sought the breaks, then he used a portable ultrasound to check the areas.

“I’ll get X-rays later, but this isn’t as bad as I thought. Your lungs are full, but two ribs have been fractured and remain in place. I’m going to apply ice to help with the swelling; you’ll need to ice the area for fifteen minutes an hour while awake. I’m prescribing you anti-inflammatory drugs for the next two weeks.” He helped me put my T-shirt back on, then had me lay back so he could check my hip. Taking my jeans down and rolling to my side exposed the bruised area, but he didn’t feel anything else. “Ice and rest will help the bruising. I’ll show you some exercises tomorrow for both your injuries.”

“How long will I be out of commission, Doc?”

“It will take three to four weeks for your ribs to heal enough you can take deep breaths without pain. The hip, maybe two weeks. You can do as much as you are comfortable doing. Now, let’s check the twins, shall we?” He rolled me onto my back, leaving my jeans down, and spread the gel on my belly. “You are fifteen weeks along?”

“Yes,” I said. I watched the screen as the two amniotic sacs came into view, and heard the rapid heartbeats. Doc moved it around as I watched my babies move, tears streaming down my face.

“They’re doing fine. We’ll continue your prenatal care after I check on you tomorrow.” He wiped the gel off, then got out two bags of ice from a cooler near the front. “Carson told me of your injuries, so I came prepared.”

I sucked in my breath as the cold packs hit my skin, then he covered me with a blanket. “How long until we arrive?”

“It’s about another hour,” he said. “Our Pack lands are well up in the mountain, with only one winding road heading to it. It’s quite isolated, our valley.” I saw his eyes lose focus, then he smiled. “I will see you in the morning, Miss Rhodes. Someone else wishes to sit with you.”

He moved the curtain aside, and Carson’s large form somehow squeezed through the tight space before Doc took the passenger seat. “The babies are fine,” I said with a nervous smile.

“You did well to protect them. Tatiana admitted she was trying to harm them.”

“She’s still alive?” I’d hit her with one forty-caliber round at close range.

“Yes, thanks to Chase. He was able to stop the bleeding and repair the damage to her shoulder.”

“You’ve talked to him?”

“I got an email from Sawyer filling me in on the shitshow we left behind. Trust me, we’re both better off here, even though I have to go back soon.”

“Go back?” All I could imagine was him getting thrown in jail for me. “Why?”

“I’m still an Alpha, and Chase and Rori are still on trial. Now, we just crossed onto Cascade Pack lands, so it is time. I won’t force you to stay here, Heather. If you want to leave, I’ll drive you to the airport and buy you a ticket.”

“But, you will get in trouble,” I said.

He nodded. “And I won’t be able to protect you. Nothing short of war will get to you on my land. I swore to you I would keep you safe, but only if that is what you want.”

This man was behaving like I had dreamed Greg would be, and I could sense the truth in his words. “I want to be here,” I said.

“Then say the words. ‘I, Heather Rhodes, request asylum in the Cascade Pack for my unborn children.’” I repeated the words before he smiled at me. “I, Carson Nygaard, Alpha of the Cascade Pack, grant your asylum and the protection of my Pack.” He leaned over and kissed me gently on the forehead. “It’s time to remove the ice packs,” he said. “May I?”

“Yes,” I said. Carson moved the blanket back, his eyes flashing as he pulled the ice away and saw the bruised skin. He put the ice back in the cooler, then pulled my shirt down and jeans up before covering me with the blanket again. I could see how angry he was, not at me, but at himself for letting me get hurt. It wasn’t his fault, I thought to myself. Carson had saved me, he’d been nothing but a friend. “Carson?”

“Yes?”

“Can I ride on your wolf again?”

He broke out into a wide grin. “We would both love that,” he said. “We can ride snowmobiles too. There are some beautiful trails on my land.”

I looked forward, catching a glimpse of the snow-covered trees along the road. “I wish I could see where we were going.”

“She can sit up if you help her,” Doc said from the front.

He started to unbuckle the straps, then helped me sit up and move to the front of the gurney next to the chair he was sitting in. His land WAS beautiful; the moon made the snow-covered mountains glow. He told me about his Pack as we drove further on the mountain road. “Oh my God, is that all yours,” I asked as we turned and a village came into view. Dominated in the center by a large log structure on the top of a hill, surrounded by dozens of smaller log buildings and homes, it looked like a Christmas card.

“The big building is the Pack House. It’s a lot like Rori’s, in that it has dining and meeting facilities, offices, and recreational facilities. The wing you see on the right side is the residence area for Pack leadership.”

The place was HUGE, at least three stories plus a basement, with steep rooflines. The foundation looked like river stones, extending up to the first floor, then logs for the next two. It was T-shaped, and I could see the third wing extending out the back away from the parking lot in the center. “Where is your room?”

“The Alpha quarters and guest rooms are on the top floor on the right side,” he said.

“They must be HUGE!”

“They are too big for me, to be honest. I’ve been Alpha for over a year, and I still sleep in the room I grew up in. I keep thinking that Mom and Frank will decide to come back to her Pack and take over again.”

“They’d take it from you?”

“If I asked, I guess. I’m not doing well, Heather. I never thought I would be Alpha, that was going to be Sawyer’s job. A Pack deserves a Luna, and I couldn’t give that to them.”

“Couldn’t you mate another?”

“And take away another man’s fated mate? I couldn’t do that either. Only a few people know what happened, and they are keeping my private life private. It doesn’t stop Mom from trying to get me to meet every unmated she-wolf she can put in my path.”

“Poor guy, all those hot women constantly parading in front of your eyes.” I felt jealous, somehow.

“Tedium, knowing nothing will result from it,” he said. We pulled up in front of the house, and he helped me out as the back doors opened. The air was clean and crisp. Carson offered me his arm, and I slowly made my way up the stairs and into the Pack House.

The entry area was three stories high, with staircases on each side. I froze as I saw over fifty people lining the room, all bowing their heads as we came in. “Welcome home, Alpha Carson,” a man as they walked forward to greet us. He was almost as big as Carson, and his wife was tall and athletic-looking.

“Thank you, Beta Carl Striker, Beta Angelina, may I introduce Heather Rhodes. Carl and Angelina are my Lead Betas and are in charge in my absence. Cascade Pack, I have granted Heather Rhodes asylum, and promised her the protection of our Pack,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

“We are at your service, Miss Rhodes,” he said as he bowed his head to me.

“Please, call me Heather,” I said as I held out my hand. He took it, bringing it up to his nose, then his wife did the same. “I look forward to meeting you all, but right now, I need to get off my feet.” My hip was stiff, and standing was uncomfortable.

“Of course,” Angelina said. “Come on then. I will get you settled while the Alpha deals with what he must.” Carson nodded, and she led me to the side where I found an elevator. “I thought stairs might be a bit much with your injuries.”

“You know?”

“We all know. Nice moves, by the way. There aren’t many humans who could put a Petrovsky down, and you did it twice.” The door opened as I looked at her in shock. “One of the Arrowhead pack members took cellphone video. Alpha Rori encrypted it and forwarded it to Carl. You’ve had some training?”

I nodded. “I was a state Judo champion, but the last three months, I’ve been training with Warriors Brent and Laura on Krav Maga and Mixed Martial Arts. I’ve also been training with knives and pistols, but you saw that.”

“I did. Your draw time to a shot on center mass was one point four seconds, not bad at all.” The door opened into a hallway, the railing overlooking the open vestibule. We walked to an open door, revealing a nicely-decorated guest bedroom. “Alpha Carson’s room is across the hall, and our rooms are the next one down on the left,” she said as we walked in. “I’ll have some food brought up. Is there anything else you need?”

“Help me get these clothes off?” She helped me to strip down and get in the shower. I let the warm water cascade over my face as she went to find clothes, promising they would have my size in their storeroom. I let my emotions out as the water washed my tears away.

Greg was over, and I needed to move on. I had to live if only to provide a home for my babies.

I heard a knock, and Angelina came back in with a stack of clothes. “How are you doing?”

“I can’t raise my arms to do my hair,” I said.

“Hang on.” Thirty seconds later, she was in the shower with me and working the shampoo into my hair. “It’s going to be all right. Our Alpha has claimed you, and that makes you one of us now.”

“It’s going to take some getting used to,” I said.

“All you need to do is rest up and take things one day at a time. We’re all excited about your pregnancy; we haven’t had pups in the Pack for five years now. Twins will be such a blessing.”

“Do you have children?”

“No, not yet. We’ve been mated for forty-two years now, and I’ve never taken.”

“Wait, how old are you?” She looked to be in her late twenties.

“I’m seventy, and Carl is eighty-two,” she said.

“Wait a minute! How old is Carson then?”

“He didn’t tell you?” She giggled a little before her eyes glazed over, which Carson explained happened when they were mind linking. “He said it was all right to tell you as long as I told you how old Sawyer is too. He’s eighty-seven, and Sawyer is a hundred and thirty-two.”

My mind couldn’t handle that, and she grabbed me to keep me from losing my balance. “It’s all right. Werewolves can live to be over four centuries old. Carl and I are still young mates. Waiting fifty or more years between children is common for us, hence the lack of pups now.”

The shower over, she helped dry me off and put on a soft T-shirt, underwear, and flannel sleep pants before leaving. I finished in the bathroom as Carson knocked on the door. “Hi,” I said as I let him in.

“I have to return to Arrowhead now. I’ll be back in a few days.”

I nodded as a tear formed in my eye. Moving forward, I lightly hugged him around the waist. His arms came down on my back, gently returning the embrace. “Stay safe,” I said.

“You too, Heather.” His hands moved up to cup my face, and I looked in his eyes as he moved his lips down until they gently brushed mine. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He left the room, leaving me standing there watching the door.