Abandoned Treasure Ch. 01-19

(Book 5 of the Treasure Series: Treasure, Buried Treasure, Claiming Treasure, Aztec Treasure, and Abandoned Treasure. Events in this book parallel those in previous books. This book can be read stand-alone, but you'd have spoilers for the other books. Enjoy!)

Warrior Trainee Nathan Storm's POV

Near Two Harbors, Minnesota

October 9, 2000

Sleep wasn't coming easy in the rear seat of the bus.

There are good reasons why the junior wolf in the pack is stuck sitting here. The noise from the rear diesel and the fumes are the worst here. Unlike the other seats, the back row doesn't recline. Finally, my spot is across from the bathroom door. Door slams and flushes are nearly constant. The odors are even worse. Sure, the bathroom vents outside, but that isn't enough. Put forty guys in a tour bus, feed them greasy food for nineteen hours, and you have a blast zone.

I sat up when Beta Miller sat by me, waiting for Bill to get off the shitter. "How are you holding up, Nathan?"

"I'm good, Beta. Nervous, but good." I barely qualified for this raid. I'd turned eighteen and qualified as a Warrior Trainee status last month. Today would be my first real fight, and I was nervous enough to have my stomach rolling.

"I'm putting you with Alpha Todd's guard. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. Don't do anything without direct, and then do exactly what he orders."

"What will I be doing?"

"Officially, you are guarding the Alpha's back. I don't expect much of a fight, though. Stay close and learn, boy. You've got decades before the Alpha trusts you with more."

He wasn't kidding. Some of the men on the bus had been Warriors for a hundred years. "I won't let you down, Beta."

The door opened, and Bill headed back to his seat. Beta Miller put his hand on my shoulder. "I know you won't, Nathan. You're just like your Dad when he was young." Dad was my hero. He died in a rockslide when I was fifteen. My Mom then killed herself to be with him.

I'd been living in the Pack House ever since, throwing myself into my training to hide the emptiness in my heart.

I used the bathroom as we drove north on Highway 61 towards the Arrowhead Pack land. "Shit before you fight, or you'll fight like shit," my trainers said.

The Alpha was in one of the 12-passenger vans in our convoy, along with two thirty-foot moving vans. Beta Miller handed out maps of the Arrowhead land, and the Alpha laid out the attack strategy. "We initiate the attack from the eastern boundary, running straight for the Pack compound with Alpha and Bravo groups. My group will go to the Alpha's home while the Beta group herds the rest into the Pack House. Charlie group comes in from the south, spreading wide to ensure none can escape. Delta group approaches from the back side of Arrowhead Lake, sweeping along the shore and forcing the defenders back to the Pack House. We don't expect many guards near the edge of the territory since we have the element of surprise. If you run into one of them, take them out quickly, and the rest of you keep going. We need to meet at the Pack House before they can rally a defense."

I'd be with Alpha group, running hard to keep up with Alpha Todd. I'm sure he'd want to take out the Alpha himself so he would have authority over any survivors.

"Rules of engagement, Alpha?"

"Kill all of the males and females beyond breeding age. We'll bring the females home with us." A few warriors were grinning at the potential for fresh young pussy in the slave quarters. "Once we have control of the Pack House, the trucks will enter to load the prisoners and the spoils of war. The drivers will be watching for cops and monitoring the police frequencies. If you hear the ABORT order, return to your vehicles immediately and drive away. Understood?"

"YES, ALPHA!"

"Make me proud, Warriors of Bitterroot Pack!"

My bus pulled off the county road and parked a few minutes later. Our trackers verified no humans were around, so we stripped and walked off the bus. We all shifted before forming our groups and waited for the Alpha's order.

"ATTACK!"

The Alpha ran hard for his target, with six of us struggling to keep up. Alphas were bigger and stronger than other wolves, and the first wolf we spotted turned and ran. Larry ran him down while we kept going.

As we charged into the clearing containing the Pack House and Alpha's Home, the Arrowhead Pack was in chaos. Alpha Todd charged directly at the Arrowhead Alpha as he desperately tried to rally a defense. The two crashed together, fur and blood flying in a brief and vicious fight. I made sure none of the Pack wolves could come to his rescue.

When Todd ripped his throat out, the Pack defenses fell apart. I heard a scream from inside his home, and I knew it was Luna Joanna as the mate bond broke.

Alpha Todd howled in triumph, then shifted and stood over the dead wolf. Around him, our warriors took down the defenders with skill and brutality, just like in our training.

"Nathan and Carl, go around the back and make sure she doesn't get away. She's pregnant, so she's got guns or silver."

I ran to the back door with Carl, who shifted and broke the window to get at the lock. "Not even bulletproof glass," he said. "Fucking Pack thinks no one can touch it."

We heard a shotgun going off inside. "Go," Carl said as he pulled the door open. I ran into the kitchen, my nails scraping on the linoleum floor as I turned for the living room. I saw Luna Joanna standing in the center of the room, shooting a twelve-gage out the open front door. I ran and leaped for her arm as she fired her third round. I grabbed her right elbow in my teeth and squeezed, crushing the bones as I bit down. My weight pulled her forward, and I scrambled away after we crashed to the floor. Her shotgun skidded in front of the door as the other wolves rushed in. Carl had shifted back and grabbed her left ankle while the two survivors from the doorway got her left arm and right calf.

Luna Joanna struggled where she lay face-down on the floor, but she couldn't escape what was coming.

"Hold her," Alpha Todd said from outside. He stepped over the dead wolves on the porch and looked down with disdain at the woman on the ground. Her chance to kill him was gone now. "Your mate is dead." She stopped struggling as she fought to push back her rage and sorrow. "Your Betas, your warriors as well. Your safe house is surrounded, and its defenders lay dead or dying on the grass outside it."

"You won't get away with this, Todd." She spit at his feet, and I growled at the disrespect.

"I warned your father what would happen if he turned down my proposal, and he should have known better. You refused me, but your daughter will not be able to. Where is she?"

"Fuck you."

My Alpha laughed. "A couple of years ago, that was the plan. Find her."

Carl and I shifted and searched the house while the other two controlled the Luna. I could smell her and the baby's scent upstairs, but no one was hiding there. "The kid isn't here, Alpha," Carl reported.

"The bloodline rights are to be mine, Luna. Turn over your daughter now, and I'll spare the ones in the safe room."

"Never. My family line is not going to mix with your craziness."

"Fine." He looked at the wolves holding her in place. "Nathan, go to the Pack Garage and bring back a gas can," he sent me. I ran for the door. "Break her arms and legs, then burn the house. The rest of you, with me. The truck should be here in a few minutes."

"MAY LUNA CURSE YOU AND YOUR LINE TO ETERNAL HELL!" I could hear the Arrowhead Luna screaming and the snap of bones as I reached the garage. I found a can by the riding mower and headed back.

"She will be mine." The Alpha walked out with his warriors, heading for the safe room and the Arrowhead women and children. I had my orders, so I started to spread the gasoline around on the furniture, floors, and drapes. I tossed the container into the kitchen and grabbed matches from the fireplace. "You never should have rejected him," I said as I looked at the doomed wolf.

"You never should follow an Alpha like that," she replied. She was dead as we crossed the line; I told myself that I was just the instrument. I lit the match and tossed it onto the carpet.

The fire quickly spread as I turned and headed for the front yard. A minute later, her screams finally stopped. I waited until the home started to collapse on itself. Thankfully, Alpha Todd had thought ahead, getting a burn permit for a bonfire. If anyone called 911 about the fire, we were covered. I walked off to join the others at the safe room entrance.

It took an hour to break through the door, only to find dead women and children inside. The Blessed One wasn't among them.

Alpha Todd was seething; none had escaped our wolves, but we didn't get what we came for. "Burn it all, load up, and get out of here."

I was one of the first on the bus, quickly dressing and taking my spot. As we drove away, the adrenaline crash hit. I started to shiver, and my breath got short. I closed my eyes as I did my breathing exercises until it passed, then tried to sleep.

It didn't go well.

My dreams were of Luna Joanna as she burned. I woke up to her screams, the smell of burnt flesh in my nose.

Chapter 2

Warrior Trainee Nathan Storm's POV

Fargo, North Dakota

Our bus only stopped for fuel overnight, and I only got off the bus once. Beta Miller sent me and two other junior warriors to McDonald's to pick up breakfast for everyone. I carried four big bags of breakfast sandwiches and burritos as we walked across the pavement of the truck stop. It was easier than the stacked trays of coffee and Cokes that the other two guys balanced.

The bags got passed back as we got back on the road, meaning the junior wolves got whatever was left. I looked at the sausage and egg biscuits in the bottom of the bag, frustrated the bacon ones didn't make it. I pulled one out and forced myself to eat.

I managed to choke one down before my stomach rolled. Thank Luna the bathroom was open, though it was fucking disgusting to have my face so close to the bowl as it came back up.

I wiped my face clean and collapsed back into my seat. Darryl looked back at me over the seat. "You all right, Nathan?"

"Rough night," I told him. Darryl was five years older than me, and was thrilled when I joined the men so he wouldn't be the junior woodchuck anymore. Of course, the next male who would come of age in Bitterroot was a weak Omega. I wouldn't get off the bottom for ten more years. "I'll be fine. I'll save these for later," I said as I washed the taste out of my mouth with a swig of Coke.

"At least you got in the shit last night. By the time my group reached the compound, the fighting was over."

"I wish I'd been with you," I said honestly.

"That bitch killed Jacobs and Conway. There might be more wolves on ice right now if you hadn't gotten to that shotgun from behind."

I closed my eyes, pushing down the nausea until it passed. I could almost taste Luna Joanna's blood. I took a deep breath, swallowed more Coke, and leaned against the headrest. "Armed or not, there's no honor in killing a pregnant female." I was doing my job and protecting the Pack and the Alpha when I took out the gun. My wolf and I were good with that. Tossing the match? That was the cause of my nightmares.

Darryl couldn't argue the point, so he sat down. He or someone who overheard our talk must have linked the Beta. A few minutes later, Miller was sitting next to me. He looked into my eyes and opened a private mind link. "Nothing prepares a man for his first kill," he started. "Mine was a rogue female. We'd picked up a trail south of Lewistown and tracked the male to a campsite in the woods. I was maybe a year older than you, full of piss and vinegar. The senior warrior wanted my teeth bloodied, so he and the others surrounded us and watched after the male was dead. She fought like a mad woman to protect her daughter."

"You won the fight, obviously."

"It didn't feel like a win. I outweighed that wolf by fifty pounds and was a trained warrior. I got a shoulder into her side, knocked her on her back, and got my jaws on her neck. She shifted to human form and submitted. She knew she would have no rank or privileges if we let her live, but she'd still have her child."

"You said she was your first kill."

"The larger group had killed one of our trackers, so the Alpha wanted them to be an example. The senior warrior ordered me to rip her throat out, and I did. We brought the baby home, and a mated pair adopted her." He put his hand on my knee. "We buried the woman and skinned the male. Parts of his pelt were hung from trees and fences in the area, and the other rogues moved on."

"How did you deal with it?"

Beta Miller let out a breath. "It took a few weeks before I realized the Alpha was right. As distasteful as it was, I followed my orders, and my actions helped end a rogue threat. I learned that I was a warrior, not an Alpha. I was a weapon to unleash on the enemy my leaders designated. I didn't have the luxury of picking my targets."

"Yeah." Even though it was over a hundred years ago, I could see the emotions in his eyes as he told the story. "Why me, Beta? Why did he make me kill the Luna? She was helpless before him."

"Every warrior's loyalty and obedience is tested someday, Nathan. The Alpha wanted to know, and now he does. You did well back there." He swiped one of my sandwiches from the bag and moved to his seat by the driver, leaving me to my thoughts.

I was able to eat my breakfast an hour later, then napped until lunch. We finally caught up to the Alpha in Bozeman; he'd flown on a private jet out of Duluth with two bodyguards this morning. Now that we were within range of his link, Alpha Todd gave us our orders. "No one is to speak of what happened in the last few days with anyone who did not participate in the raid. If asked, we were following up on reports of a group of rogues in the Gallatin Mountains. Our dead warriors perished as we wiped out the camp." I could feel the Alpha command settle into my mind. You couldn't violate it without breaking the Pack bond. A wolf capable of breaking Alpha command was a danger to everyone. They were hunted down and killed without mercy.

"Sir, what about the Council and the other Packs? Someone is bound to ask what happened in Arrowhead."

"I've taken care of that. Keep your mouths shut, and we will be fine."

Another wolf asked the obvious question. "Alpha, we didn't find the Blessed One. What do we do next?"

"We wait," the Alpha replied. "She might be with another Pack, perhaps Adirondack or Oxbow Lake. The Council and Alphas will be on edge after losing a Pack. Whoever has the child will keep her hidden. We bide our time, keep our ears open, and take advantage of the next opportunity. This raid was not in vain; the child must come of age before I can mate with her. With the Blessed One in Bitterroot, we will build the most powerful Pack in the world."

I forced myself to smile as our 'victorious' rogue hunting party returned to Pack lands. I joined the men who shifted and took the trail over the mountain to stretch their legs instead of riding the bus for another hour. I ran off my guilt, fear, and doubt on the steep trail.

The Bitterroot Pack turned out to welcome us back, and a feast awaited us in the dining hall. I was surprised to see Alpha William Nygaard at the head table with Alpha Todd. The two addressed the Pack, praising the Warriors for their successful rogue hunt. Honoring the dead would wait. "The services for our fallen warriors will be at moonrise tomorrow," Alpha Todd said. "Tonight, we celebrate!"

The Omegas and Pack slaves worked hard to keep the food and drink coming. Most of the mated pairs left the party around midnight, leaving the room before the party would rev up. "You're going to love this," Darryl told me from our table near the back. "You get sloppy seconds or thirds, but it's still a turn."

"Turn at what?"

"Watch."

The Omegas cleared the tables from the room, and the unmated ones and slaves returned naked with a dozen mattresses. After placing them around the room, the nervous women lined up before the two Alphas. Alpha Todd led Alpha Will down the line, allowing him the honor of first choice. He picked one of the younger slaves and pushed her onto the bed. Alpha Todd chose another, placing her on the other side. The women removed their clothes, sucked their big cocks, and screamed as the Alphas sheathed themselves in their unprepared sexes.

The rest of the Pack members in the room chose their partners by rank. Darryl watched for an opening while I shifted my weight nervously between my feet. "You a virgin?"

"Yes."

"Not after tonight." One of the Betas finished with his girl and headed for the bar. Darryl pulled me over, taking her mouth while I lost my cherry in the crying slave.

Chapter 3

Warrior Trainee Nathan Storm's POV

Bitterroot Pack House, Montana

"Damn, she was sweet," Darryl said as we left the room, his hand on my shoulder as we headed to our dorm room.

"Yeah," I replied, but my heart wasn't into it.

"That's the best thing about being a single warrior," he continued. "All the pussy you can want and none of the nagging."

"Is it always like this?"

"Pretty much," he said. "As long as you aren't under punishment, the slave quarters are open to anyone after eight at night."

"Not earlier?"

"They have work to do first," he replied as we reached our room. "You can't bring them back to the barracks, but you can reserve a private room in the slave area and keep one overnight. There are only six rooms, and it goes by Pack rank, so don't expect one on the weekend. You can fuck the others in the common room until ten unless the Alpha has a party organized like tonight."

I'd never heard of this before. I'd seen the girls working in the kitchen or around the Pack House, but I'd never known about the after-hours availability. "Why didn't I know about this earlier?"

"Alpha order," he replied. "Alpha Todd uses access to the slave women to reward his warriors, and you aren't a warrior until you've proven yourself in battle. Thanks to Arrowhead, you're in the club now. As long as you're not on restrictions, you have access. Of course, the senior wolves get the hotter women and best times, but you'll get your chances." Kill a pregnant Luna, and your reward is sex? It didn't sit well with me. I sat on my bunk, closing my eyes. My stomach was rolling, and I forced myself to keep it down until the nausea passed. "You all right, Nathan?"

"Just a little tired," I said. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed early. I've got morning patrol anyway."

"I go out in an hour, so I'll catch you later," he said.

"Have a good run." He took off while I tossed my clothes in the hamper and headed to the shower room. Junior wolves got the worst of everything, including assignments. If not for rules requiring a mix of ranks in each patrol, we'd be on nights forever.

Sleep didn't come easy for me. When I first shifted, my parents stressed the importance of my mate; no one else would compare to finding that woman the Goddess made just for me. The scent was locked into my mind, and my wolf sniffed every female, looking for a match. So far, nothing.

I couldn't escape the thought I'd cheated on her. I'd fucked another with no regard for her, and that didn't sit well with me.

What was worse was that this was no wayward romance. It wasn't consensual, and the vacant look in the captive woman's eyes as I took her? It haunted my thoughts as I tried to sleep.