Treasure

The snap of a branch jolted Chase awake from his slumber. His knot has receded and they had separated as they slept, and he moved his head over her shoulder as he sought out the source of the noise. He scented the air. “Humans,” he thought. He nuzzled her chin, pushing until she stirred and started to stretch on the bed of grass they were on. “We have to go, there are people on the trail,” he said.

“Now?” He got to his feet, watching her get up and stretch herself out. He could feel her soreness through the bond, not just her leg but her core as well. “That was amazing,” she said. “Can we do it again?”

“When we get back to the RV, and in human form with a bed under us this time,” he said as he shook the leaves off his fur. “Follow me, they are on their way down to the river, we have to loop around them.” They moved through the trees, trying to stay hidden from the man and woman walking down the trail. They were almost back when what they heard made them both freeze.

“Frank, look! Two wolves, right there. ”Her whisper may as well have been a shout to their wolf hearing. “They are beautiful, such coloration. Take the shot, it would look great on our wall.”

“Don’t move, dear. I can get a good shot before they get spooked.” He opened a case he was carrying and reached inside for something.

Sunlight glinted off the glass, spurring them to action. “Run,” Chase said as he placed himself between Rori and the threat. They took off through the trees, running back up the hill as fast as her body could handle. He heard the clicks and relaxed a little but didn’t let up. Their wolves were much larger than normal wolves, and they didn’t like to be photographed. He was just glad it was a camera and not a gun; it was hunting season, and all they needed was one guy taking a potshot at a wolf.

They were out of sight before they got back to where his clothes were hidden, and he quickly shifted and dressed. They were lucky; no other cars were in the lot, and he opened the RV and let her in. She jumped up on the bed and immediately shifted. “That was close,” she said.

He came over and kissed her. “Get dressed, I’m getting us out of here before they come back to their car,” he said. He was back on the road, and she grabbed some waters and snacks out of the refrigerator before coming to sit with him in the passenger seat. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but good. Mom was right, it was painful at first but soon it was anything but,” she said. She smiled as she leaned back and took a drink; the bond between them hummed with love and she was so happy she felt like she might burst. Everything she had dreamed of as a child, everything she feared she would never have as a teen, it all paled in comparison to the reality of the mate bond. “Do you think I got pregnant? I don’t feel any different.”

“It’s too early, it takes a week or so for your wolf to know,” he said. “Females of our kind can go for decades with no success, so don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen. I love you,” he said.

The phone rang, and he answered it with the hands free. “Chase, it’s Mom,” they heard over the speakers.

“Mom!” Rori’s voice was a little bit of a shock to Colletta, as was what she called her. It was a first for her, to have a son mated and gain a daughter.

“Oh, Rori, I’m so happy for you two,” she said. “You completed the mating? My son made it good for you?”

“We did, and he was wonderful. I made him work for it, though,” she said with a laugh.

“Good, that boy needs to be challenged,” she laughed back.

“Mom, we’re moving again, but it will be two days before we get there. I’m avoiding interstates and Pack lands since they sent out the warrant.” He paused for a moment, looking at his mate. “How did the visit with the Oxbow Lake pack go?”

“Very well, they are solidly on our side,” she said. “They made it very clear they are Rori’s family, and they will always be there for her.”

“That’s good,” Chase said. “We need allies now more than ever.”

“They invited us to stay with them, Chase. They invited all our Pack, and I think we should accept.” She outlined their concerns over being on unclaimed territory, and the possibility people might be waiting for them. “They can’t wait to meet her, and they have room for us.”

“What do you think, honey?” Chase looked over at Rori, who had tears running down her face.

“Family,” she said. “I agree, I’d love to spend some time with them.”

“All right, I’ll let the others know to go to Oxbow instead of Two Harbors. Thank the Alphas for us,” he said.

“I will. Stay off the main roads, and call when you are close. Stay safe, Chase. All this is for naught if the Council catches you.”

”I will.”

“Oh, one more thing. Patty? She found her mate as soon as we arrived. They won’t come out for a few days, but the whole Pack is thrilled for them.” They talked for a few more minutes before he ended the call, then Rori spent the next half hour contacting the others.

Later that evening, Sawyer Nygaard was running hard through the woods of the Oxbow Lake Pack with the Beta and some of the warriors. He and Coral had driven straight through, arriving in the middle of the afternoon, and he was restless. He didn’t like not having a Pack, and he worried about his youngest brother and his mate as they tried to make it to safety. Right now the only link he had was the family one.

After hearing about Patty, he was hoping that somehow he or Coral would be next to find their mates, but it was not to be. The Oxbow Lake Pack welcomed them warmly, and three of the Omegas traveling in the large group had found their mates on arrival. Patty had emerged with her new mate, Walter, but the four pairs quickly disappeared back into their rooms. The rest of them enjoyed the dinner and the party while he was left with a bunch of nervous energy.

Coral had been with their Mom since they arrived; she was still healing from the attack as they left the Bitterroot Pack and needed rest. He had barely slept, driving through the night before catching a quick nap, then doing research on Council laws until they arrived. He had so many things on his mind that he begged for a hard run to calm him down. It didn’t take long for him to find volunteers, and only the Beta wasn’t struggling to keep up the pace he ran at. The Pack territory was beautiful in the moonlight, full of lakes, pines and deer.

“Sawyer, you need to come back to the Pack House. Charles just called, he will be here in twenty minutes and he has Ron Carlson with him.”

“On my way,” he said. He was looking forward to seeing the Beta again, they had a lot to talk about when it came to the Council and their workings. The Beta must have gotten the same message, because they changed course and took a well-used trail heading back. The group thundered down the hard-packed trail, none of them willing to concede their place as they raced home.

In the end, it was him and the Beta, and Sawyer pulled ahead for good in the last hundred yards. He jumped up the length of the stairs, shifting midair and landing gracefully on the front porch in human form. Grabbing his clothes from the chair, he quickly pulled on shorts and a T-shirt as the others started to trickle in. “Good race,” he said to the Beta, who was on his side still in wolf form, struggling for breath.

“Eww, you’re all sweaty,” his Mom said as she came out. “Go take a shower and change into something decent before they get here.” He knew better than to argue with Mom, so he kissed her and ran up to the room he’d been given. The car had arrived as he was dressing, and he hurried down the stairs as the guests were introduced.

The smell hit him like a truck as he opened the front door. “MATE,” his wolf said as he surged forward. He blinked his eyes, searching for her, the one who would complete him, the one who would be at his side as his Luna.

She was beautiful. Tall and athletic, she was standing at the end of the line next to the man who must be Charles. The right thing to do would be to walk down, introduce himself and scent her neck, but his wolf wouldn’t wait. He’d waited a hundred and fourteen years for this moment, and he didn’t want to wait another second.

He leaped off the porch and made a beeline for her. She had scented him as well, and was looking for the source. Their eyes locked as he came closer, and her wolf surged forward to meet his. Both of their eyes were dark with want and lust as they came together.

The others recognized what is going on and got out of the way. Ashley leaped up into the taller man’s arms and her nose pressed into his neck, taking a deep sniff as Sawyer did the same. Neither could believe what was happening, but they didn’t argue. They kissed deeply as he held her off the ground with her legs wrapped around his hips. When they finally broke apart, he smiled at her. “What is your name, beautiful?”

“Ashley, Ashley Madden. You’re Sawyer Nygaard, Chase’s older brother. I saw you at the hearing.”

“I am.” He kissed her again before setting her down. The man next to her introduced himself as Charles, Rori’s grandfather from the Adirondack Pack. “There’s someone I can’t wait to introduce you to,” he said with a smile. Leading her over, he kept his hand around her slim waist as they stopped in front of the striking older woman. “Mom, this is Ashley Madden, my mate.”

Ashley started to say something, but Mom had already leaped forward and embraced her in a hug as she cried in happiness. “Oh this is such a wonderful day! Welcome to the family, Ashley.” Letting her breathe, she stood back and held her shoulders. “Wow, you’re a special one. Well worth the long wait, I’d say.”

She looked up at her mate, who looked to be in his mid-thirties in human age. “Just how old are you, Sawyer?”

“One hundred and thirty-two,” he said. “Not a day of which will compare to every day from this moment on with you by my side,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her again.

“My boy is smooth,” Colletta said as the others gathered around to congratulate them. “Take her away, I’ll have some food left outside your room,” she told him. “Congratulations, Ashley, we’ll talk in the morning.”

“Thank you, Mom,” she said with a big smile. She was overjoyed, it was a true blessing to find her mate so early in her life, even if he was practically ancient. He was strong and handsome and soon would be a Pack Alpha, everything she could have hoped for in a mate.

“I will inform Alpha Martin of your mating,” Charles said.

One of the Omegas had already picked up her bag, and Sawyer took it from her. He picked her up in his strong arms, carrying her inside as she buried her face in his shoulder. He took the stairs two at a time and practically ran down to his room before opening the door. He set her back on the chair then set her gently on the bed before going back to close and lock the door. “My wolf wants to mate you now, but I won’t ever do something you’re not ready for,” he told her as he turned back and knelt between her legs.

“My wolf doesn’t need to wait, she wants you now,” she said. Keeping her eyes on him, she pulled her blouse over her head, tossing it to the chair before doing the same with her blue lace bra. Sawyer pulled his own shirt off, and they looked at each other as the smell of her arousal built. “Mark me,” she said.

He pulled her to his chest, delighting in the tingles that it created on their bare skin. His teeth shifted slightly, and he moved her hair aside before moving down to kiss the spot he had picked. “Are you sure?”

“Make me yours,” she purred, and that was all it took. He opened his mouth and bit down, causing her to gasp in pain as he broke the skin. The pain quickly changed to pleasure as the mate bond snapped into place between them, and as soon as his teeth released, she bit him back. They each licked the wounds, allowing them to scab over as their souls merged together.

The connection made the heat in her sex boil over, she wanted him, and she wanted him now. He felt and smelled her need and was more than happy to help. Laying her back onto the sheets, he smiled like the predator he was as he pulled off her jeans and underwear. He quickly divested himself of his own clothing and moved over her to kiss her deeply. She wrapped her legs around his muscled ass, pulling him close as her weeping sex craved what only he could give her. He kissed her, one hand running down her side and cupping her firm young breast, causing her to gasp when he pinched her erect nipple. “Have you ever…”

“No,” she said. Knowing he had to be gentle, he pushed back his wolf’s insistence on taking her now in favor of a gentler approach. He moved slowly down, kissing her neck and the new mark, which caused her sex to clench in need for him. Her hands went down, hoping to pull him into her, but he was already sliding down to take a nipple in his mouth. He savored the feel and taste of them, shifting his attention back and forth as she ran her hands across the hard planes of his back. It felt so good, she didn’t want it to stop.

She was disappointed when he slid down again, kissing her flat stomach on the way to her needy sex. She was highly aroused, her lips swollen, her clit exposed and reaching for him as he kissed and licked around everything but where she needed him. He settled between her legs, inhaling the scent of the one made just for him, and looked up her body to her eyes. She was lost in the sensations of the moment; her eyes black with lust, her breath quickened. “Please…”

Her moan and the need he felt through the bond caused him to extend his tongue, and the tingles of the contact caused her to gasp. He licked slowly up between her labia, circling her clit before going back down again. He did this a few times before changing things up, pushing his tongue in and wiggling it around before continuing. She wound her fingers in his hair, trying to move him to where she needed his touch so badly, but her was stronger. His big hands held her hips still as he continued to drive her crazy with his tongue.

She begged, she pleaded, she moaned the sweetest of tunes as he played her to her first orgasm of the night. “Oh… OH SAWYER,” she screamed as her back arched and she started to spasm in pleasure. He used his tongue just enough to extend it, then quickly pushed her to a second. This time exhausted her, and she begged him to take her.

He kissed his way back up, his hips moving her legs apart as he positioned his throbbing member at her entrance. She was moving her head side to side, her eyes closed, when he stopped. “Look at me,” he said. “I want to see your eyes, love.” She stopped and looked at him as he pushed slowly, inexorably into her virginal canal, stretching her and causing her eyes to widen in pain and shock. He paused, knowing this next part would be even more to take. “Relax, the pain will fade quickly,” he said. When he felt her relax, he pushed forward and buried most of his length inside her in a single push.

“SAWYER,” she yelled, her eyes misting over as the pain reached her. Sawyer was not a small man, and he held still while she adjusted to his girth. It was only when she started to relax again that he moved, slowly out and slowly back in, taking a few minutes until his whole length was seated inside her. “I’m so full,” she said as she clung to him with her arms.

“So tight, so perfect,” he said as he started to move again. Now that the pain had been replaced by pleasure, she urged him to move faster, reaching her third orgasm shortly after. He held back, wanting to finish with her as he moved her until she was on her hands and knees. Grabbing her hips, he started to pound his prodigious length into her willing channel as she moaned and screamed her pleasure to the room. He was close, so close. Moving a hand around, he started to rub her clit in time with his thrusts as she arched her back. “COME FOR ME,” he said as he pinched her clit and buried himself deep in her.

“AAAAAAAH!” She came hard, clenching down on him as he started to shoot his seed deep into her. Her arms failed her, and Sawyer held her waist up as their orgasms washed over them. His own legs gave out, and he held her tight as he rolled to the bed, keeping himself inside her as they caught their breath.

They didn’t say anything for a while, they didn’t need to. Their bond was strong, and love and satisfaction throbbed across it as they caught their breath. He softened and fell out, a flood of their fluids and her blood being released. He kissed her shoulder and got up, getting a towel and a wet cloth to clean her up. By the time he was done, she was sleeping, completely exhausted from everything.

He cleaned himself before laying next to her on the bed, rolling her into his side and holding her close. He smiled as he thought about how lucky he was to have found such a mate. One thing was bugging him. “Mom?”

“I didn’t think I’d hear from you until morning,” she replied teasingly.

“She’s sleeping,” he said. “Mom, one thing bugs me. Why is she so much younger than I am? Was I always destined to wait so long for her?”

“Luna works in strange ways, Sawyer. Maybe your fate needed you to walk alone before you found her. Maybe there was someone else, but she died before she could find you and her wolf was given to another. We don’t know, we just have faith that a mate is out there, and we will find them if we are patient and diligent to search. Why, are you disappointed you have a strong and beautiful woman in your bed?”

“Not at all, Mom. I’m happy, really happy. Ashley is amazing and is perfect for me.”

“Then it’s all worth it, isn’t it.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He kissed her head, then laid back on the pillow. When she woke up, they’d shift and complete the mating in wolf form. He sent a prayer of thanks towards the moon and fell into a contented slumber.