Treasure

Chase held tightly to Rori’s hand as they walked into the Pack Clinic across the yard from the Oxbow Lake packhouse. “Nervous,” he asked her as they took a seat in the waiting room.

“A little. It’s our first babies,” she said. Her hand reached down to her stomach, she didn’t show yet, but they could hear the heartbeats. The blood test they had run when her wolf declared herself pregnant had a higher than usual level of HCG, and they had an ultrasound at their appointment before Thanksgiving. The image showed two amniotic sacs, meaning they were having fraternal twins. It was a rarity for wolves to have multiples, especially for Alpha pairs. Everyone was thrilled when they learned.

“Are we late,” Coral said as she walked into the waiting room with Keith’s arm around her waist.

“Nope, Doc hasn’t called us yet. How’s the morning sickness,” Rori asked.

“Better, but I’ll be glad when it’s over.” Coral’s wolf had refused to shift just a week after Rori’s, and they were Baby Buddies now. She was only having a single baby, but Coral and Keith were over the moon with excitement. The happiest person had to be Colletta; she now had two daughters pregnant and high hopes for the third. Momma C was already making plans to come to Minnesota in the spring to be with them.

Today was the last day to get their well-baby checks from Doctor Olson before they left for Florida for the wedding. True to their word, Possum had teamed up with Three Tequila to put together a Club wedding for Rori and Chase at the Orlando club on the 23rd of December. “Chase, is everything set for the trip?”

“It’s under control,” he said. They had flights and hotel rooms for everyone in their small Pack, except the three who didn’t want to travel. Alpha Michael and Luna Margaret were coming on the same flight. Colletta was flying in with Sawyer and Ashley, while Carson was flying in on his own. The guests included her friends from all the Clubs she had stayed with while in hiding. Rori was looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Doctor Olson poked his head out into the room. “Why don’t you all come back to the exam room, and we’ll get this over with,” he said. He checked Coral’s pregnancy first. The baby was almost eight weeks old and hitting all its marks. He printed the ultrasound photo, then had her switch places with Rori. Her ultrasound was normal. He talked to them about their prenatal care and diet, morning sickness, and what was safe to do. “Training is fine; running, weights, swimming, even light sparring, but no blows to the abdomen, and no falls.”

“What about sex,” Keith said.

“Same rules there,” he told them. “The babies are still small and very well protected. As their pregnancy progresses, you may have to adjust positions for her comfort, but if it isn’t hurting her, it’s fine.” It was easier for the male with the mate bond, as he could feel any pain or discomfort without her having to say anything.

“Great,” she said as he picked a squealing Coral up and carried her towards the door. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“KEITH!!! Put me down!”

Rori just laughed at her Beta’s predicament, until she realized the Doctor was picking up his stuff and Chase’s wolf was forward. “Oh no, if you think…”

Chase grabbed her and carried her out bridal style. “We only have a little more time before we have to leave for the airport, and I’m not wasting another second of it,” he said as he walked out of the clinic with her.

“I’m already pregnant, so it’s not like you’re going to accomplish anything by taking me to bed now,” she said as she relaxed into his broad chest.

“Well, I’m goal-oriented. Maybe you just need to set a target for me.” He brought them into the Pack House and took the stairs two at a time before getting to their room. Setting her on the bed, he quickly pulled her clothes off before crawling over her and kissing her deeply.

“A goal, huh? Six orgasms in the next hour ought to do it.”

He pulled back and looked at her. “Six? I don’t know if I can recover that fast, but I’ll give it a shot, love.”

“For ME, you big lug!” She reached down and unbuckled his belt and jeans; if he was to meet his goal, they needed to get busy.

Orlando, the Next Morning

Jenny was waiting near the airport baggage claim with her parents and Donna, still dressed in her Air Force Academy dress blue uniform. Her parents, Craig and Debbie, had arrived from Minnesota the day before to help Donna with last-minute preparations for the wedding. Jenny’s presence was going to be a surprise; she hadn’t seen her best friend since Donna’s wedding. They arranged it so Jenny could fly to Orlando from the Academy after finishing her last final exam, and stay for a few days before they returned to Minnesota for a late Christmas. Nobody seemed to mind that they were in the seventy-degree weather instead of the cold and snow back home. “She’s going to freak out when she sees me,” Jenny said as she bounced excitedly.

“Shouldn’t be long now, she just texted to say they were at the gate,” Donna replied. The Alphas had talked about how to explain they were coming down with a group of twenty-six from Minnesota. The cover story was Chase, in his training as a psychiatrist, volunteered time with a charity that worked with abused women. In lieu of wedding gifts, donations paid for the women to come on the trip. It explained how they all knew Chase and Rori, and it also warned the Club and everyone else that they were dealing with issues.

The hotel had sent four courtesy vans to meet the large group, and they were waiting outside when the group started to come out the doors. Jenny saw Rori’s red hair next to the tall and handsome older man. Rori screamed and ran for her when she saw who was here. The two hugged each other, the taller Jenny being picked off her feet by the smaller but deceptively strong Rori. “OH MY GOD, you’re here!”

“Of course! I couldn’t miss my best friend’s wedding!”

The two hugged again, then Rori turned and pulled the big guy forward. “Chase Nygaard, this is Jenny Anderson, my best friend from Minnesota. Jenny, this is my fiancé, Chase.”

Chase held out a hand, but Jenny pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for arranging for me to come down here, Chase! We got her good,” she said.

“She needed a maid of honor, and I hear you don’t mind biker parties,” he said with a smile. “We’ll talk later. I need to help everyone get their stuff out to the buses.” He kissed Rori, then walked over with the women to the baggage claim. Donna had already organized carts to load the luggage on.

“You look fantastic,” Rori said. “Are you enjoying the Academy?”

“No one loves the first year,” she said with a laugh, “but I’m doing all right. I made the Varsity Women’s Soccer team, but I’m a backup. I’m more worried about passing my Chemistry than soccer right now, though.” The two caught up as the carts filled with luggage. “Wow, your Mom wasn’t kidding, you’ve got a huge group with you.”

“They’re all nice people. Hey Coral!” She called her Beta over. Coral was holding hands with a big handsome guy. “Coral, Keith, this is my friend Jenny. Jenny, Coral is my fiance’s twin sister, and Keith is her husband. They are going to live in the house next to us on the lake.”

They made small talk before they had to return to get more of their luggage, then they all moved to the shuttles for the thirty-minute ride to their hotel. “I can’t wait to get out of this uniform and into a swimsuit,” Jenny said. “Did you bring any hot guys with you I didn’t see?”

“No, but you’ll see some of the guys who were at the wedding. I’m sure you’ll have no shortage of attention.” Jenny had gotten plenty of phone numbers that weekend.

“Have you looked around? Your group looks like a modeling convention. They’re all toned and tall and beautiful.” Rori snorted a little; some of the women were older than Jenny’s Grandparents. Werewolf metabolism and genetics did keep them looking young and beautiful, and those who looked for male attention would find it.

They arrived at the hotel, where Roadkill was ready. As they got off the shuttles, he was handing out keys to the rooms. All the girls doubled up, and Jenny was staying with Rori until the wedding.

The two went up to their room, a deluxe suite with two queen beds, a sauna and jacuzzi, and a deck overlooking the big pool. “Want to hit the pool for a bit before lunch? There will be a barbecue and party at the Club this afternoon to welcome everyone,” Rori said. “The wedding is tomorrow night, and tomorrow we’ll be at the spa getting pampered. Today we can party. There’s going to be a huge turnout at the Club.”

The two joined a bunch of the other girls and the few guys at the pool. They watched Chase and Keith walk away in their board shorts to get towels and drinks, and Jenny pulled Rori close. “Shit, girl, you’re tapping THAT? Holy fuck!”

She grinned and nodded. “Chase is a Doctor. He’s going to complete his residency and become a psychiatrist.”

“You’re happy?”

“You have no idea. I know it seems sudden, but we love each other, and he’s so good to me. He’s going to be a great father to our twins.”

She watched as Jenny’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “Pregnant? TWINS??” Rori nodded and put a hand over her belly; there was just the start of a bump. “When? How?”

“I think you just saw how, and I’m due in early July.” She looked over to where they were coming back with fruity drinks, towels over their muscled shoulders. “I know it’s a lot, but I’m happy. Truly happy.” Chase returned and handed them each a drink before setting his on the table. They soaked in the sun and watched the women they were with swimming. “This was a good idea bringing them here,” she told Chase as they watched hand in hand.

After a few hours, they had to return to their rooms. About a third of their Pack wasn’t ready for strange men, so that group went to Disneyworld instead. The rest joined them on the hotel shuttle, which brought them to the Orlando chapter of the Steel Brotherhood. “Wow,” Jenny said as they pulled up. “It’s PACKED!”

The Clubhouse was so full the Harleys lined the street for two blocks, leaving the parking lot and yard open for the event. They could smell the barbecue as soon as they got off, and hundreds of people were milling around as loud music played. “TEQUILA,” Rori screamed as her friend picked her up and hugged her tight. The girls all got off, looking around nervously, but the Ladies had a plan for the skittish women. One of them came up to each and offered to show them around. Twenty minutes later, they had settled in and were having fun. Jenny had hit it off with Smoke, the young black man who was a member of the Manchester, New Hampshire chapter. He was fighting his way up the MMA ranks as a middleweight, and they were watching his last fight on his phone.

That made it easier to mingle, and they did. Every officer from every Club she had stayed at had come for her wedding. She loved seeing her Steel Ladies. Even the Southeast Region President and the National President were here. Rori went from one hug to another, and Chase felt like he was meeting a few dozen overprotective fathers. “They love you, Rori,” he said after yet another warning that he’d be dead if he hurt her.

“I love them too. They’re family.”

Three Tequila grabbed Rori and pulled the two of them towards a stage where the band had just finished their set. The Chapter, Regional, and National Presidents and their Ladies were standing there. Rori got pulled towards the microphone, where Mongo wrapped his arm around her. “Attention please,” Mongo said, and it took a few moments for everyone to quiet down. “Tomorrow, we were planning to celebrate Canvas’s wedding, but a problem has cropped up that calls everything into doubt.”

Rori looked at him in shock, then looked at her Mom. “You told him?”

She shook her head. “It’s kind of obvious with you standing there.”

Mongo just shook his head as he grabbed Chase by the back of the neck and pulled him to the front. “Canvas here has demonstrated her love and loyalty to the Club as a Steel Lady. It just doesn’t seem right that she’d be marrying a guy from outside the Club, even if she loves the big guy. I’d be pissed if he didn’t ride, but he does. He’s demonstrated loyalty, toughness, and friendship to the Steel Brotherhood over the past few months. He’s been Prospecting our club without even knowing it.” Chase and Rori stared at him as Three Tequila came out with a cut. “Our bylaws allow for patching in a member without a normal Prospecting process if circumstances dictate, and the Club President and Regional President agree. Doc here has met those, and it is with great pleasure that I patch him into the Steel Brotherhood as a Nomad.” The crowd erupted in cheers, as Rori and Three Tequila put the cut on him. “We decided to patch him as a Nomad because they are going to live way the fuck up in frozen Minnesota and there isn’t a Club there… yet. Roadkill said he’d keep an eye on him during the summers, at least.”

The cut looked good on him, and he picked Rori up and kissed her hard as the crowd went wild. He looked at the name embroidered in it. “Frame?”

“Yeah,” Mongo said. “It’s important, and you have to have one, but nobody travels to see a Frame. They all want to see Canvas.”

“You fuckers,” he laughed. The band started back up, and Chase got mobbed by the rest of the Club. The party went all afternoon and into the night, and by the time Rori got back to her room, she barely had the energy to shower and go to bed.

Rori woke up a little past nine when the door opened, and Jenny stumbled in. “Holy shit, Jenny, what did he do to your neck?”

She flopped on to the bed with a big smile on her face. “More like what didn’t Smoke didn’t do to me, girl,” she said as she pulled the pillow over her face. “We left the party after dinner, and I rode on his bike to Cocoa Beach. We had such a great time, Rori.”

“I can tell, but we better find you a shirt that covers you up for the wedding before your parents turn Smoke into vapors,” she laughed. “Come on, shower time. We’re meeting the rest of the wedding party at brunch downstairs in half an hour.” The day went by quickly as the ladies were massaged, waxed, and made up. Returning to their rooms, they dressed biker style for the wedding- jean shorts, boots, Harley T-shirts tied under their breasts, and for the Steel Ladies, their cuts. Rori got to add a white veil, and they were off.

The biker wedding was in front of the Clubhouse. A double line of Harleys facing the center formed the aisle, and at the far end, the Preacher stood with Chase. Rori had panicked when she realized they didn’t have a bike since his motorcycle was in Oxbow, and hers was still in Vegas. Last night when she asked, Mom surprised them. Her parents gave them a new 2018 Harley-Davidson Street Glide as a wedding present so they “would be able to ride when you come south to visit,” Roadkill said.

Rori watched as her bridesmaids walked out; Howler, Mighty Elk, Three Tequila, Coral, and Ashley were followed by maid-of-honor Jenny. The groomsmen, Mongo, Bear, Wolfman, Carson, and best man Sawyer were already waiting. Possum was already seated, and Roadkill looked at her as they stood by the clubhouse doors. “You ready, Canvas?”

“I’m ready, Dad.” They walked out and into the aisle of Harleys. As they passed each pair, they fired up and revved until they reached the front. It was deafening. On a signal from Preacher, all the engines cut off, and everyone turned towards the front.

Rori wouldn’t remember much of the ceremony. The waterworks had started in the aisle, and she focused on Chase and his eyes. They got through the vows, exchanged rings, and got introduced to the club as “Frame and Canvas, Member and Old Lady,” to loud cheers. She got on the new Harley behind him and held on as he accelerated down the aisle. The Club members followed, taking a thirty-minute ride before returning to the clubhouse for the reception.

At the party, Rori turned red when Tequila asked her about when they planned on having children. “Ummm…. It’s a little too late for family planning,” Rori said.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant, T. Twins. Eight weeks along.”

She stared at Rori, then glared at Chase, then looked back to Rori. “You better tell everyone before I do. Frame, you’re lucky you’re married, or you’d be getting a beatdown right now.”

Chase stood up and asked everyone to be quiet. “Thank you all for coming and for making our wedding a memorable one. As you know, we’re building our home in Northern Minnesota, and I hope to see you up there this summer because we’ll need the help with the diapers and feedings.”

“WE’RE HAVING TWINS,” Rori yelled as the crowd went nuts.