Aztec Treasure Ch. 61-70

He turned away from me, walking to the railing and looking over the water. "And you didn't tell me." I could hear his anger in his voice.

"If I told you what would happen, would you have let me?"

"No way in HELL! You're my mate, and you're my LIFE, Spider! I won't endanger you or our child for anything!" I let him be for a few minutes. When he started drinking his beer again, I got up and hugged him from behind. "I can't lose you. I won't survive it."

"I'm sorry I had to hide this from you, Vic. The Alphas agreed with me that this was the best way to handle it."

"I'll be having words with them too," Vic said as he shook with rage. It took a while to get him to sit down with me again. "Why would you go along with it?"

"Vic, what is our Pack rank?"

"Betas," he said.

"As Betas, what are our main responsibility?"

"To support the Alphas and protect the Pack."

"Exactly," I said. "We've been on the run before. We have money, false identities, and the support of the Council and all the Packs. Keep me out of sight, Vic. Keep me safe."

"I always will, my love. Right now, I've got to think," he said. I watched him walk down to the water as I went back inside.

Ch. 69

Maria Meztli's POV

Arrowhead Pack House

We kept the cable news on while Lance and I set up our new rooms in Roadkill and Possum's basement. The wall-to-wall coverage of arrests in the attack on Air Force One was long on speculation and short on facts. The Attorney General's office wasn't talking, but the stories kept coming. The CIA Headquarters at Langley looked like an FBI convention; news helicopters showed dozens of vehicles out front. Occasionally, the cameras would catch a man or woman in handcuffs as agents took them to the waiting transport van. Meanwhile, boxes of evidence and stacks of computers came out on carts before agents loaded them into the waiting cargo trucks.

It wasn't just the CIA headquarters. Reporters at the Pentagon caught video of FBI agents leading the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency out in handcuffs. Unconfirmed reports spoke of high-level arrests at the Justice Department, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Internal Revenue Service. "CONSPIRACY TO KILL THE PRESIDENT," the crawl read on the bottom of the screen.

Lance had just set down the box of shoes in our closet when Alpha Rori linked to us. "Change of plans. We need you two to stay away from Arrowhead for a few days. Somewhere remote."

"What about Maritza?"

"Bring her along. One of the nannies can help with her."

I looked over towards the television. "Does this sudden trip have anything to do with what we see on television?"

It was Chase this time. "There might be blowback on the Pack, and we don't want you around if that happens. Pick three or four people to go with you."

"And we can go anywhere, just away from Arrowhead?"

"You got it. Stay safe, use reloadable debit cards or cash, and keep your phones off except in emergencies. I'll contact your escort when it is safe to return."

"Understood, Alphas. I'll keep Maria safe," Lance promised. The Alphas ended the conversation, and he looked at me and shook his head. "Road trip?"

Perfect. "Great. We're taking the Harleys; if some of our escorts can ride, so much the better. We'll take a minivan as a support vehicle and for Maritza. I want to ride part of the Lake Superior tour and check out potential stops and overnights along the way."

I could tell he was thinking. "It's not a good idea to go into Canada right now."

"Backwards. We'll take the southern part through Wisconsin and Michigan."

It took him a minute to noodle on it. Country highways, lots of scenery, and romantic bed and breakfasts? He smiled. "That works. Start packing while I find some volunteers."

"Start upstairs," I told him. "Seriously, Lance. Possum and Roadkill would kill me if I left them behind on a trip like this."

We ended up with four more people by the time we rolled out of Arrowhead three hours later. Alpha Chase wanted at least two warriors with us, so Meghan Nichols was riding on the back of Tom's Road King. Brenda was along as the nanny to help with Maritza. I was shocked that the van drivers were Betas Rick and Teri. Our computer cases and luggage went into the minivan, filling the back. We'd all packed for a week away. "Why are you two going," I asked as they started the van.

"Alpha's orders," Rick replied.

"And I'm coming into my fertile time. I'm hoping Strange Bed Syndrome works," Meghan added.

I got an idea of how bad things were getting when I saw Rori and her twins leaving for Oxbow Lakes with her nanny and their guard. As we drove around the one-way road between Pack House and the homes, I could see the cars and vans driving away from Spider Monkey's house. "Frank Grimes is moving his shadow task force to an office building in Two Harbors, with the people moving into hotel rooms," Lance sent to me.

"Where are Spider and Vic? I haven't seen them for a few days."

"They had to go deep underground, Maria. They did a brave thing for us, and now she has a target on her back."

"That's why Rick and Teri are along? The hacking?"

"I don't get told everything, baby. They aren't coming back, not for a long time, if ever."

I started getting emotional; I hadn't known the Beta pair long, but they were good to me, and I counted her as a friend. "Are they going to be all right?"

"They have our Pack, the Council, and the Steel Ladies in their corner. That should be enough to keep them safe from the Cartel."

I had to blink my eyes to clear the tears. I thought about it as we drove out of the Pack grounds. I'd hidden for months on my own, and it was a challenge. Vic and Spider Monkey had hidden as well, after hacking the Sons. The difference was that Vic and Spidey had money and resources that I didn't have. They had friends who would take them in, more money than they could spend, and Spidey could cover their tracks.

The four motorcycles stayed in line, me in the three-spot, as we headed east. It was a beautiful spring day, and I had my jacket zipped down for now over my thermal undershirt and long-sleeved flannel. It would get a lot colder once we reached the lake.

We were almost to Highway 61 south of Two Harbors when I noticed the line of black SUV's coming our way at high speed. Six of them, followed by an FBI SWAT van and a panel truck. "You see those guys?"

"Teri is already on the phone to the security center," Rick sent back. "Frank said this might happen. It's why the Alphas wanted us out. We didn't expect it this quickly, though."

"Are they after Spider Monkey?"

"Yes," Rick confirmed. "Don't worry. They won't find anything."

I prayed to Tezcatlipoca that would be the case.

We turned towards Duluth and accelerated to speed; I took a spot next to Lance in the lane, figuring I could work on my riding skills. I loved how I had a "party line" with the whole group; it was a lot of fun talking about things while the wind whipped past. Teri wanted to know where we were going after we got to Duluth, which was way early to stop for the day.

"When I was going over the recommended tour with Spidey, we didn't know if the Apostle Islands were worth the extra riding time. They are only two and a half hours from Arrowhead, so maybe people would want to ride home instead? Or do it as a day trip another time? We'd have to stay nearby to catch the boat tours in the morning."

"Are we in any hurry to get anywhere?"

"I guess not. Can you get us tour reservations and hotel rooms?"

"I'll take care of it."

It was a fun afternoon ride, and we got to the Legendary Waters Resort and Casino late in the afternoon. After checking in, we ate dinner in the Sports Bar before getting our suits and heading for the pool area. Maritza had fun, but it was boring after spending time in Arrowhead's pool, and she didn't like wearing a suit. When she wore out, Brenda took her upstairs while the rest of us hit the hot tub. The spa extended outside onto the patio, so we ended up there watching the sun go down.

We had a two-room suite, and Brenda and Maritza were already asleep when we got back. Lance dried me gently during the shower before carrying me out and tossing me onto the bed. I squealed as he jumped on top of me, his hands holding my wrists above his head. I wrapped my legs around his waist as we kissed, moaning in pleasure as his attentions moved south of my tracking necklace. He teased my nipples and breasts until I begged him to take me. "I like making you squirm," he replied. He kissed his way down my stomach, making me laugh as he licked my belly button. He put my legs over his shoulder but held my hips down as I tried to raise my needy sex to his lips. "Patience."

He started kissing my thighs and blowing air over my labia as I desperately tried to get some tongue action. I put my hands on his head, forcing him down, and moaned as my kitty finally got its attention. "Oh yeah," I said as he licked me from bottom to top.

He froze. "Don't stop, PLEASE," I begged.

He took a sniff, then buried his nose into me and sniffed again. "How long has it been since your heat?"

"Two weeks. I was going to take a test in the morning," I replied.

He just smiled and went back to work. It wasn't long before the waves of pleasure crashed over me. He moved up to kiss me, muffling my scream as he slid his length into me in one pussy-stretching thrust. I wrapped my legs around his thighs, moving up to meet him with each thrust. After a few minutes of this, he rolled us over so I could ride him. I liked this position, as he could play with my tits while I bounced on his big dick. I came again after a few minutes of this, but he wasn't done with me yet. He pulled me onto my hands and knees then stuffed it into me from behind. I felt his knot forming, stretching my insides like a fist. It felt incredible as he kept pounding me with short, fast strokes. The aftershocks of the last orgasm didn't have a chance to go away before the next one crashed down on me. "LANCE!"

He pushed deep against my clenching sex, holding me in place as he went over with me. I came so hard I couldn't stay up, my chest and face dropping to the bed. When Lance finished firing, he guided me down until we were on our sides, both of us catching our breath. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Lance." I thought he was talking about Maritza, but his hand kept rubbing my belly. "What did you smell?"

"I think your heat took, but you can confirm it in the morning."

I fell asleep eventually, and as soon as I woke up, I ran to the bathroom and took the test. I distracted myself by brushing my teeth and doing my hair, but I kept glancing down. When my phone dinged, I looked for the plus sign.

It was faint, but it was there. According to the instructions, this was a positive test. Stunned, I took it in my hand and walked back out to the bed. "Lance?"

He looked at my shocked face, then down at the test. "We're having a baby, aren't we?"

I could only nod. My mate pulled me into the bed, wrapping me into his arms and kissing me deeply. "I guess we better get married soon," he said with a smile as he leaned back.

"I don't see a ring on this finger," I challenged.

"Details. I've got my mating scar on your neck."

We got dressed, and I looked up at Lance as we got to the door. "I don't want to tell anyone yet. It's still too early, and Doc hasn't confirmed it."

"I won't say a thing," he promised. We ate a big breakfast and headed down the road to the tour boat operator in Bayfield. We stayed inside for the tour due to the cold winds and spray, but we had to get out to see things a few times. The boat tour was a lot of fun. "What do you think? Add this to the tour or skip," I asked the group as we returned to our motorcycles.

"I'd do it, but it's a good optional activity," Possum said. "Since it is a day trip, if the weather has you behind schedule, you can always do it another time."

It was a good plan. We rode out of the parking lot for our next adventure.

Ch. 70

Maria Meztli's POV

Ashland, Wisconsin

The Lake Superior shoreline took us south until we reached the harbor town of Ashland. The Apostle Island tour had taken up a big chunk of the day, so we were stopping here for the night. In the Superior Tour, this would be where we would decide to go home or see the Apostles.

Our group pulled into the parking lot of the Deepwater Grille and South Shore Brewery. It was on my list of stops, and it smelled wonderful as we got off our bikes. We went inside, and Roadkill led everyone over to the brewpub side. "We're here!"

"My brother!" I recognized Bear and Howler, leaders of the Manchester Steel Brotherhood chapter, from their visit to Arrowhead. Both of them hugged me, with Howler telling me how good I looked in my cut. I got introduced to Vice-President Throttle and his old lady, Nutcracker, and finally Prospect Tim.

"What are you guys doing here," I asked as we sat down at the long table with them.

Howler was so excited to see us. "Possum said you were on a road trip, and we wanted in. We loaded up our sleds and rode here as quick as we could."

"You didn't ride?"

"It's almost a 24-hour drive. The guys did tanks, and I relaxed. I'd rather sleep in the third row of the Excursion than on the back of his Harley," Bear said.

"We're taking their truck and trailer back to New Hampshire, Maria," Rick said. "The Feds raided Arrowhead looking for Spider, and they are bound to look for us too. We're staying at Bear's place until things calm down. Since we aren't in the Club, no one will be looking for us there."

"So, we figured we could ride with you until you get to Sault Ste. Marie and head home from there," Bear finished. "We heard you aren't in any hurry, and that sounds good to us. Take the time and enjoy life."

"What about the Prospect," Lance asked.

"He gets to drive the minivan," Bear said. The poor prospect just rolled his eyes; getting into a biker club required all kinds of distasteful tasks. "You can put him on a plane when you get home."

The waitress came by to take drink orders; since I was the youngster in the group, I had a Coke while everyone else was sampling the South Shore Brewery beers. Bear ordered three kinds of chicken wings, stuffed mushrooms, cheese curds, and onion rings for appetizers. His appetite fit right in with the Pack.

"I have to ask," I said as I looked across at Nutcracker, the curvy blonde with ice-blue eyes.

"My road name?" I nodded. "I was on a charity ride in the White Mountains twelve years ago, me and some girlfriends, and we stopped at a bar." Throttle started rolling his eyes, so I knew this was good. "I was heading to the bathroom when someone bumped into me, almost knocking me down. Someone grabbed me just in time, but he grabbed my tits instead of my waist. I stood up, turned to the guy, and kneed him in the balls so hard it lifted him off his feet. He dropped to the floor and threw up on my shoes. I screamed that he was a 'fucking pervert' and ran for the bathroom. It took me ten minutes to get my boots and jeans cleaned up. I get outside, and Throttle is there with Howler. He apologizes for grabbing my tits, and I learn he wasn't the asshole who knocked me over. I forgave him, he bought me dinner, we went up to his room, and he's been grabbing my tits ever since."

I was laughing hard. "After that shot, he could still get it up?"

"Hell, no. Throttle could barely ride back. He was stuffing bags of frozen peas into his jeans at the Clubhouse, but the rest of him still worked."

Maritza loved the cheese curds and the kid's pizza while I tried the Lake Superior Whitefish dinner. The food was excellent, but the kid was falling asleep, and it was time for us to go. "Stay with them if you want," I told Lance. "I'll see you at the motel."

"We're going too," Rick said. "It's a good twenty-four hours of driving if you don't go into Canada, and I've got the first shift."

We said our goodnights, and the Betas made sure we made it into our rooms before they got back on the road. It was a short ride back to the family-owned motel, and it only took a minute to get our keys. We parked right outside the doors.

Brenda's room was next to ours, with a connecting door in between. "I can keep her with me if you want some private time," she told me.

"No, you should go have some fun, maybe meet some people," I told her. She just laughed at me. "I'll watch you guys until Lance is back, then I'm going to bed. All that greasy food is going to go right through me!"

Maritza didn't even wake up as I put her in her jammies and tucked her into the second bed in our room. I saw Brenda set a pistol on the bedside table; I didn't even know she had one. "All the nannies have their permits," she told me. "We protect the children, after all."

"Thank you." I took a shower, pulled on a sleep shirt, and was out like a light as soon as I put my head down. I didn't even wake when Lance came in.

I woke up to Maritza calling for me. I was in Lance's arms, and it was six in the morning. Brenda and I took Maritza out to play on the lawn as we watched the sun coming up. It was cold out but no wind yet, and we enjoyed the view of the lake right across the road from us. We crossed over to do some exploring along the lakeshore trail, then picked up some coffees at the Kwik Trip across the street. Lance woke up when we got back.

By eight, everyone was up. We had a big breakfast before the next leg, exploring a side trip to Copper Harbor. About a four-hour ride to the northeast, the round-trip around a long point sticking out into Lake Superior would be another optional destination. The detour promised good riding, a spa, and a potential place to stop for the night before heading home.

Our biker group was bigger by two now, and since the Manchester leadership outranked us, they led the way, single file. We took our time, enjoying the ride through the hills and small mountains. It led away from the lake, but there were plenty of smaller lakes that we passed. Lake Superior came back into view in the last hour of the ride, appearing through the trees to our left.

There wasn't a continuous road along Lake Superior, but some left and rejoined the main drag. We took one of these at Houghton, a fun ride that ended in Osceola. We stopped for lunch at the Michigan House Café and Brewpub. (Yes, there is a pattern here.) It was fun having no time pressure on our adventure, and we stayed there for almost two hours.

Farther to the northeast, we headed for Five Mile Point Road and ended up along a stretch of deserted lakeshore. We found a place to park and took some time to explore. Maritza was happy because we shifted, along with all the wolves in the group. The bikers watched us play and explore along the dunes and driftwood until Maritza was ready for her nap. The road took us past Eagle Harbor Lighthouse before reaching Copper Harbor. We could see the lighthouse across the water, but it was on private land.

We stopped for the night at the Mariner North Lodge, eating dinner at the restaurant. It was a little tight since they didn't have enough rooms, so Brenda stayed with us in our room with two queen beds. It didn't matter; we were so tired after the day we all slept hard.

The next day we continued the loop but on the south side of the point. It was a cold but scenic ride to the bottom of Keweenaw Bay. The road then led away from the lake through hardwood forests, so we made good time until we got to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Finally, we stopped for lunch at the Dunes Saloon & Lakeside Brewing Company in Grand Marais. Everyone was having a great time; other than the cold winds, the route was a blast to ride.