Treasure
Allies

Chase’s phone started to explode with calls and texts, all wanting to know what had happened to his Mom. He answered when his oldest brother called. “Sawyer, what’s going on with Mom,” he asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing. Mom left earlier today, pissed off at Dad about something. We all felt her break the Pack bond. Rumors are flying rampant, Chase. Rumors about you and Coral, Dad, your mate too. It’s a mess, and I’m left in charge here. Nobody is talking to me.”

So, he gave him the highlights of the past few days, ending with the recent news of Coral’s arrest and the button-down threat they had given the Council. Sawyer asked a few questions along the way. By the end, he was shocked at how bad things had gone. “By the Goddess, what a mess.”

“You need to talk to Dad,” Chase said. “I’ve got my hands full with Coral and the Council, and he won’t talk to me anymore.”

“I’ll try, but he’s not answering his phone. Mom isn’t either.” Chase looked down at his phone; a new text had come in from Connie. “LUNA NYGAARD LEFT THE PACK, RAN OFF AS A ROGUE,’ he read. “Well, that answers that. I just got a text that Mom was so mad she rejected your pack and ran off. She’s a rogue now.”

“SHIT.” He yelled something to Carson, our middle brother, about taking over. “Look, I have to head up there and try and fix this before our whole Pack falls apart. I swear to Luna, if it comes down to which one to follow, Mom’s the only one that can hold our Pack together.”

“I don’t know what you are going to do. Dad’s so stubborn, and Mom must have been furious at him if she decided to quit the Pack to get away.”

“I’ve got some time to think. It’s a long drive.”

Chase thought about it. “You know, it might be time for a change of leadership. Dad’s like those men on the Council, so stubborn they won’t see the right thing when it’s right in front of them. Answer me this. Do you think I was right to protect Rori’s parents when Dad wanted them killed?”

He paused. “I don’t think you had a choice. Sure, It breaks a Council law, but when else have we had a werewolf raised by humans? The important thing is whether they will keep the secret, and they have a vested interest in her not being exposed.”

“That’s why you would be a good Alpha, Sawyer. Life isn’t always black and white these days, and you can’t just kill people who get in the way.” He gathered himself. “If Dad stays in charge, I’ll offer my Mom membership in our new Pack. Half of your Pack will leave to join us; you know that will happen. Dad will spiral downwards from the loss of mate and Pack. Or, you challenge our father, take over as Alpha, and replace a way to repair the damage.”

“He won’t give up easily.”

“I expect not, Sawyer, but you’ve been training for this for a century. You’re ready. I have to go, bro. You do what you have to do.”

“I will, Chase. Say hi to Rori for me. I can’t wait to meet her.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” He cut the call and looked down at his mate. She was hugging his side.

“I’m so sorry,” Rori told him as she looked up at him. “It’s all my fault. Your family is falling apart because I shifted in front of my parents.”

“I’m glad you did, my love.” She looked surprised. “Without that, you and your wolf might not have integrated, and you wouldn’t have called me. I wouldn’t have been able to get you alone and get you to love me, and I wouldn’t have you here right now. Everything else will work out. I have faith in that.”

Chase’s phone rang again, this time it was Connie. “Alpha, we are leaving in ten minutes for Seattle, the Alpha approved our transfer.”

“Excellent,” he said.

“He’s not happy about it, especially when he found out where we were going.”

“I expect not. What’s going on with my mother? I got your text.”

“She confronted Alpha Nygaard after Beta Coral went to the cells. Instead of apologizing, he doubled down, vowing to send warriors to arrest the two of you. She got cold as ice, then renounced her pack and ran off. Beta Carlson and some Enforcers are tracking her. The Alpha said if she causes any problems, he’ll put her in the next cell. Technically, she’s a rogue on Pack lands.”

“Only until she gets accepted into our Pack. Now, you guys drive safe and call when you get to my apartment. Do you have enough money?”

“Yes, Alpha. There is one more thing.” She paused briefly. “The Omegas had a meeting. They want to join your Pack.”

“Well, that’s great! How many of them?”

“All of them, sir.” He looked at the phone. “All twenty-seven want to join you. Look, we all need to get out of here, and you and Coral have had our loyalty since the first day you got here. Our Alpha didn’t even know our names.”

Chase looked at his mate, and she was nodding. “All right, but I don’t want them going to Seattle, and I don’t want them leaving the Pack until we are ready for them. The Alpha is going to flip out when they all show up to leave.” He had to laugh as he thought about it. “Our Pack lands are in northern Minnesota, so that’s where we will send them. We will talk in the morning.”

“Thank you, Alpha. We’re on our way.”

“Wait, Connie.” He listened to Rori, then smiled and passed on the message.

“I’ll make sure they take care of that in the morning when they bring breakfast out to the prisoner,” she said. “Anything you need, you let us know, and we’ll make sure it happens.”

“Thank you, Connie. Get some sleep while Sally drives; it’s a long drive to Seattle.” He hung up the phone and looked down at Rori. “What are we going to do with that?”

“Leverage,” she said. “They arrested Coral, thinking we wouldn’t release all that information over her detention, and they are right. It’s using artillery on a fly. This plan will give us enough to get her released, and teach them not to fuck with us.”

“I love you. Do you know that?”

“It’s all promises until you do, you know.” She snuggled into his side with a smile. The bond rewarded contact and continued to build. He knew it would get stronger each day, pulling them to complete the mating. “How much longer am I going to be bedridden?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll have you shift. That should help to accelerate things.”

“Good. We have so much to do. There’s one more call we need to make, Chase.”

“Who?”

“My grandfather. We need allies on the Council, love. They haven’t turned over my lands and accounts, and they haven’t formally recognized my Alpha claim. Without them, we don’t have the money or the territory to settle the Pack members we are taking on. He and my Uncle can push that.”

“I have his contact information on my phone. I spoke to him several times back when I was doing research.” He pulled it up. “Want to Skype him?”

“Please.” Chase pulled up the program on his phone and sent the call. He held the phone to show both of their faces as she lay with her head on his chest.

Charles answered quickly. “Chase? Oh my Luna, Charlotte, it’s you! Are you all right?”

“I’m going to be fine, Grandpa. I prefer Rori now, Rori King. I never knew about Charlotte, and I didn’t like Treasure.”

He started to cry. “You called me Grandpa.” He wiped away a tear. “I’ve missed you so much, Rori. I’m so sorry about everything. I never meant to scare you or make you think you were a prisoner here. We were going to explain things in the morning, but you were gone!”

“I wasn’t ready then. Chase explained everything, and he showed me the reports you gave to the Council.” They talked for a while, learning about each other, and talking about how she found her mate. “Are you happy for me, Grandpa?”

“I’m thrilled,” he said. “Chase is a good man, and replaceing your true mate so early is a real blessing from the Goddess. I’m a little disappointed, though, because I had hoped you would return to our lands and spend time with us.”

“I’m restoring the Arrowhead Pack,” Rori said. “I’m claiming my birthright; Chase will be Alpha with me, and his twin sister Coral is our Beta. We’ve already accepted in two members and sent a formal request for this to the Council, but they have not acted. Instead, they arrested our Beta and sent out warrants for us.”

“I will speak to your Uncle about that. I’m not the Alpha, so I don’t get Council alerts,” he said. “The recognition should be a formality as your paternity is known.”

“You would think so, but maybe it won’t be that easy,” Chase said. He explained what had happened with her father, the Council, and his old Pack.

Rori continued. “And that is why we need your help. I cannot travel yet due to my injuries, and we are in hiding with our human allies for protection. I am safe but have no advocate with the Council to push my demands forward. They’ve taken a hard line at the behest of Alpha Nygaard.”

“Rejecting your claim is an offense to my family and my Pack,” Charles said. “I will travel there immediately and make that clear.” His hand reached towards her on the screen. “I didn’t get a chance to see you grow up, Rori, but you are a remarkable young woman. I’m so proud you have accepted your wolf and your destiny.”

“Thank you, Grandpa. I’d love to visit again when things settle down.”

“You are always welcome on our lands. Now go, I have to pack and replace a flight.” Chase closed the call and turned out the light, and they both fell asleep quickly.

--

Colletta woke from her sleep when the morning sun shined onto her face. She opened her eyes and took a deep sniff, disappointed that her mate hadn’t come to apologize. He hadn’t even tried to link her, and he had closed the mate bond on his end. The silver prevented her from talking to Coral.

She stretched in the pine straw under the fallen log that was her shelter for the night, then crawled out and trotted behind a shrub. She relieved herself, then went down to the stream and took a long drink. She could smell her guards; they were stationed around her about fifty yards away. She needed answers, and she couldn’t talk in wolf form with the Bitterroot Pack. Walking to a rock, she shifted into human form. “Beta Carlson, can we talk?”

His black and grey wolf trotted down the hill to her side. He shifted and sat next to her on the rock, facing slightly away from her out of respect. “Luna Colletta,” he said with a nod.

“No more, I gave up my Pack and my title last night.”

“Yes, but you did not break the mate bond. As long as that exists, you are Luna.”

“Perhaps you are technically correct, but not right now. What is going on back at the Pack?”

“Chaos,” he said with a laugh. “Your daughter knows how to toss grenades; I’ll give her that. Those men don’t know what to think of her. The only one who can create more chaos is your son’s mate.” He laughed. “I think Coral has bigger balls than your husband. She walked into the room with the entire Council like she owned the place. They haven’t even recognized her Pack or Alpha yet, and she didn’t care.”

“Coral always has been dominant. I can’t wait to meet Rori, and feel the wolf she submitted to.”

“I can’t wait for her to replace her mate. He’s going to be something. Your daughter is special.”

“Thank you. Now, what is going to happen to Coral?”

“They are holding her for trial, and your mate is pushing hard for additional charges. They want Rori, and they want the files, and they’ll do anything to get it.” She sensed movement, and a sniff confirmed her suspicions. There were dozens of wolves approaching, and she could hear a vehicle.

“What is going on, Beta?”

“The Alpha wants you off his land, but safe. We’ve brought your SUV around to a logging road near our Pack border. I’m to escort you to the border and watch you drive away.”

She thought about it, and it made sense. She was a rogue on his lands. Her dominance challenged the Alpha, and with her estranged from her mate, it was a volatile situation. The mate bond could do weird things when stressed. The last thing Alpha Forrest needed was for something to happen to her on his land. “I’d rather run,” she said as she looked at the mountains ahead of her.

“It’s too dangerous; hunters and ranchers are in the woods, and the Alpha doesn’t want you harmed. Your clothes are in the front seat, along with the keys and your phone. Please, Luna, go someplace safe. Let my Alpha deal with your husband and your oldest son.”

“What about my boy?”

“Your son Sawyer will be at the Pack House by ten. He wants you off Pack lands as soon as possible, so you aren’t in between the two of them.”

She let her shoulders slump down. She’d been so focused on her daughter that she hadn’t thought much about her eldest boy. Sawyer coming was bad news; if he had found his mate, he would have already taken over the Pack. “He’s coming to challenge his father?”

“That’s what the Alpha thinks.” He got up and walked a few paces away. “Go ahead and shift, and I’ll lead you to the car.” He shifted and sat at the edge of the stream while Colletta shifted back into her wolf.

She followed him over the pass into the next valley, the other wolves staying well back from the two. At the end of the logging road was her car. She shifted, opening the door and pulling the summer dress over her body before putting on the shoes. “Thank you, Beta,” she said, and he yipped then turned back on the trail they had followed here. The keys were on the dash, and she started it up and watched the navigation screen boot up. She was about five miles from the town of Sula, well south of Missoula.

An hour later, after talking with Sawyer and calming him down, she was sitting in a diner eating a country breakfast and thinking about the next step. She couldn’t go home, and she wasn’t going to wait around the periphery of the Bitterroot Pack. She decided to place a call when she got back to her car; there were a few Packs out there who might accept her, but only one she wanted to join.