Claiming Treasure Ch. 06-10

Heather was my niece, and we'd grown close after they moved to Florida six years ago. Now I was her only family, and I had to be there for her. She needed to know people were in her corner. "I'm going to freshen up, love. Get things ready?"

When I came out, he had poured a travel mug of coffee for me and had turned down the covers. I tucked in next to him on the pile of pillows as we watched the whole thing. There were a few places we had to back up and listen again before we caught what was happening. The execution? Brutal, but after hearing what he had done, I thought the werewolves had it right.

When it was over, and the Council gave their decision, I was watching Carson on the split-screen. You couldn't fake the emotions he showed when they announced he was going to have to turn her over in a year. "He won't do it," I said. "He loves her."

"She doesn't love him, not yet anyway." He turned off the television, then the light on the bedside table. Sliding down, I moved until I tucked into his side, my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead, then laid back on the pillow. "Goodnight, my love," he whispered.

"Goodnight." I closed my eyes, but my head was still spinning. Even in my exhaustion, sleep didn't come easily.

I woke to a knocking on the door. "Ma'am? It's Allison."

I blinked, seeing the sun shining through the blinds, I wondered what time it was. "Come in."

She poked her head in, smiling as she saw us bundled together under the blankets. "The final statements are next in the trial of the Arrowhead Alphas, and then it goes to the jury. It starts in fifty-two minutes; I thought you might want to have breakfast and watch it with the rest of our Pack. We've got the broadcast set up in the dining hall."

"Is Heather awake?"

"I woke her up first."

"Good." I felt Mongo get out of the bed, and he walked naked to the bathroom. She didn't bat an eye, not even glancing at his morning wood. I shook my head, not being used to the casual nudity that werewolves found normal. "Do you have a moment?"

"Certainly, ma'am."

"Three Tequila, please. Ma'am makes me feel old," I said. I walked over to the dresser and pulled out some underwear, then put on jeans and a long-sleeved Harley shirt. "What does the Pack think about Heather?"

"I can't speak for them or the Alphas," she said.

"What do YOU think?"

"I think she's a badass," she said like a fangirl.

"Really? Our Heather is good at judo, but she's young."

"You haven't seen the video?"

"What video," Mongo said from behind the partially-open bathroom door.

"I'll be back," she said. Mongo dressed by the time she returned, and she put the memory drive into the television. "This was at the mating party for Greg and Tatiana," she said.

We watched as the happy couple accepted congratulations from the Alphas before Tatiana left the room with some of the other ladies. Heather couldn't express how awkward the whole scene was, but I was proud of the way she handled him. She stood her ground, taking down an angry Tatiana, then shooting her wolf when she attacked in her fur. I watched the pandemonium erupt as Greg tackled Heather into the table before Carson took her from the room.

"I'm going to skin his ass slowly," Mongo said with a growl.

"See? Total badass," Allison said. "Slapped the shit out of that no-good baby daddy and his jealous mate."

"She got her ribs broken," Mongo said.

"She's a human, she's fragile, but she's fierce. Greg is far stronger than her, and he could break her in half, but she wasn't afraid of him. And Tatiana? Her father is a Head Warrior in Russia. She's been learning how to fight since she learned how to walk, and Heather put her down TWICE in under ten seconds."

"Second time was with a gun," I said.

"So? It's not like she could shift when Tatiana did. Going after a human in our fur, that's a bitch move. I'm nothing for rank, an Omega who cleans the house. Most people wouldn't notice me, but she talked to me and helped me with my duties. She's a good person, and will be a good Luna for us."

"You believe Carson's wolf chose her as his mate?"

She nodded. "We don't lie about that. Mates are sacred; if his wolf has claimed her, she's his mate."

"Huh." Heather came in, and we all went down to the dining hall for breakfast. As guests, the Betas had us sit at the main table with them, with Heather in the Alpha's chair in his absence. When it was time, the lights dimmed, and the projection screens around the room came to life.

"The trial of Alphas Rori King and Chase Nygaard is called to order," Chairman Coffey said. "The guilty plea remains in effect. The Defense and Prosecution will be allowed to make final statements before the jury decision on their punishment. Alpha Nygaard," he said as he gestured to the defense table.

"Abraham Lincoln once said, 'The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly.' And here we are. A human found out that we could turn into wolves, and for that, the Law demands that he die." Sawyer stood and walked towards the Alphas. "The Alphas refused, and now the Law wants them punished instead. They have admitted they violated the law, but they had reasons for this, and in this gray area is where true leadership is required."

I'd met Sawyer at Arrowhead before; he was a good man. I held Mongo's hand as he continued. "The Law didn't ask what he was doing when he discovered our secret. Frank Grimes was the one who saw the Jaguars come in off the frozen lake, and he was the one who spread the alarm. Frank Grimes armed himself and used his skills from decades in law enforcement to keep the attackers from reaching the Alphas and the Blessed Child. Frank Grimes fought to protect the Alphas and has the scars to show for it. Yet, what did Frank do next? Did he inform Law Enforcement of our secret? Did he demand to be let go?"

Everyone knew the answer. "No. Frank demonstrated true friendship and loyalty by providing sound advice on how to deal with the police investigation that COULD have exposed us. He came before the Council and the Alphas and helped us understand WHY we have to prepare for exposure in the coming years. Finally, he DID help us with his contacts in Government, ending the threat of an investigation that could have exposed us. He is trusted and loyal, yet the LAW would have him killed for it."

There was a murmuring in the audience, quickly stopped by the gavel. "Continue," the Chairman said.

"Frank is not the only example of loyalty among humans trusted by Alphas Chase and Rori. The oldest trusted agent, the Pack Lawyer, kept our secret for fifteen years when there wasn't a Pack to be loyal to. Rori's mother and stepfather kept the secret after Rori shifted, which was before she even knew about Pack laws regarding humans. They are Betas in the Pack now. The Steel Ladies who saw her shift while in hiding with them, before Rori even knew she was a wolf, they kept her secret. Over and over, the Arrowhead Alphas have chosen to honor those humans with the knowledge, and the Pack is better for it."

He paused for effect, taking a drink of water. "Just because a law exists does not mean it is right or moral. Laws allowed slavery, abuse, and forced matings to occur in Packs. Laws allowed men to wipe out a Pack for money and power. We have flawed laws, written by men long dead, and now overtaken by the technology and population. Do you not understand Frank's warning? It is no longer possible for us to react to potential discovery with execution. The bodies in the ground are the seeds of our destruction. So yes, they are guilty. They are guilty of returning the loyalty they have received. They are guilty of thinking long-term instead of reacting in haste. And finally, they are guilty of making hard decisions in the best interests of the Pack and of us all. The proper sentence is to do nothing, for they have done no wrong. The Defense rests."

I was practically squeezing his hand off towards the end, and a cheer rose up among the Pack as he finished.

Alpha Kirk rose in response. "Guilt is not an issue here. The Alphas knew the law; the Alphas admitted breaking the law, and they pled guilty to it. This attempt at jury nullification is laughable. They received multiple warnings, one from the Chairman personally, yet they continued to defy the Law and the Council to do what THEY wanted to do." He got up and walked in front of the Alphas. "If the Laws are unjust, we have the means to change it with a two-thirds majority of Alphas. Have the Arrowhead Alphas brought forth proposals to do so? Have they rallied support, pushed hearings, forced votes? Have they done the hard work of governing to modernize these laws? No. No, they've done none of this."

He pointed at the defendants and sneered. "Instead, they set themselves up to be ABOVE the law, and in the process, they endanger us all. Do not be fooled by a silver-tongued lawyer or talk of blessings. They are like a pup with his hand in the cookie jar, trying to change the subject to avoid a punishment that is both just and due. Give them the sentence they deserve. Remove them from the Alpha position, and incarcerate them for fifty years. Let them be examples to the next person who thinks to ignore our laws. The Prosecution rests."

"The Jury will remain sequestered until reaching a verdict. No mental communication is allowed during this time. The trial is in recess." With a gavel bang, it was over.

Ch. 10

Colletta Nygaard's POV

Richard Helgeson Airport, Two Harbors, Minnesota

I looked around as Carson's jet taxied to a halt near the terminal. Both of us were running a sleep deficit; we only got a few hours of sleep back home before we had to head to the Yakima airport. The jet had departed at four in the morning, and with the time change, we were landing just before nine on the North Shore of Lake Superior. "I hope we just turn around and go back," I told him. "Carson needs to get back there now that he can."

"He didn't look happy. He got a reprieve, that's all." The Council was letting Heather live, but only for a year. After the twins were born, she'd have precious little time before Carson would have to hand her over to be executed or die himself.

"I will not let them take my son or his mate," I said with a low growl. "If the Council isn't changed..."

"Then, we'll change it for them." He took my hand. "One way or another, we will bring the Packs into the modern world." I squeezed his hand back, loving the tingles that ran up my arm when I touched my mate. The change Frank made from human to werewolf, though painful, had huge benefits. He was stronger, faster, and had the energy and stamina of a man half his age now. I suspected he would age slowly from now on like werewolves do, but we didn't know for sure. He was a wonder in bed now, making me a very satisfied, and very tired, she-wolf. It was no wonder I slept the whole flight.

The pilots had shut the engines down, and one came back to open the door. We only had one small bag that Frank carried as he followed me down the stairs. "Luna Colletta," Beta Vic said with a bow of his head. "Frank. Welcome back." Vic showed submission to Frank based on his mating with me, a former Luna, and because he recognized Frank's wolf was more dominant. Vic was an experienced fighter, but he wasn't better than Frank. His law enforcement training and the power of his wolf made for a deadly combination.

"Thank you, Beta. Let's get home before the Council wonders where you are," I said.

He drove us back to the Arrowhead Pack, but by a different route. Spider Monkey, his pregnant human wife, had purchased a home three houses away from the far side of Arrowhead lakeshore. We drove around the far side of the lake before pulling into his garage. His F150 Extended Cab pickup had just turned off when Spider came running out of the kitchen into the garage to greet him. "Hi baby," she said as she leaped into his arms.

I smiled as the newlyweds as I got out of the back seat with Frank holding my hand. Vic set the tiny woman down, and she embraced me. "Vic said you needed to crash here with all the people at Arrowhead," she said. "We're happy to host you."

"Thank you, Spider. How is the baby?"

She moved her hand over her belly, which wasn't showing a noticeable bump yet. "So far, so good. My obstetrician is keeping an eye on me, but she made me give up COFFEE! How fair is that?"

"You have to do what is best for the baby, no matter how much you miss it," I said. "It's worth everything you have to go through." I leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Just make sure he knows how much you're suffering, so he takes care of you and gives you lots of back and foot rubs," I said with a smile.

"Honey, can you get them settled into the guest room? I have to get back to work."

"Of course. When will you be done?"

"It's going to be a long day for me, baby, but the conference will be over soon. I'll text you when I know more." He leaned down and gave her a deep kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

He got back in his truck as we followed Spider inside her new home. "I love the view from your kitchen," I said as we entered the open-plan kitchen and dining area. Large picture windows looked east onto the lake, filling the room with natural light.

"Thank you. We're slowly getting things the way we want them, room by room. It's going to be a great place to bring up our family, and it's so close to his work. Would you like some coffee or breakfast?'

I shook my head; we were getting close to trial time. "We've barely slept, Spider. I think if you show us our room, we'll catch up on our sleep until this afternoon."

"All right, it's this way." The large ranch-style home had the master at the end of the hall, with two bedrooms on each side along the way. She opened the door of the one on the far right, a queen-sized bed, nicely furnished with an attached bathroom. "There are extra blankets and pillows in the closet, and towels are in this cabinet," she said as Frank set our bag down.

"Thank you for everything," I said.

"I'll be down the hall on the other side in my office getting some work done. If you need anything, poke your head in and get my attention. Yelling won't work as I normally have my headphones on," she said as she closed the door and left us alone.

"I'll set up the laptop while you shower," he said. I used the bathroom first, coming out in a towel. "One thing I love about Spider Monkey is that she likes having EVERYTHING wired. High-speed internet jack and the television HD connection available on the same wall jack." The courtroom was already up on the television, with people filing into the room. "If we keep the volume down low, it won't disturb her."

With our werewolf hearing, we didn't need it loud. Frank took a quick shower and joined me in bed as we watched the trial.

Spider Monkey's POV

I'd known Colletta for over a year, having met her at Club get-togethers here at Arrowhead. Seeing her now with a man on her arm, I could see she was living again. The loss of her husband had hit her hard.

I smiled as I left the two lovebirds alone in the room. Rori had complained once about the noise coming from their bedroom after one of their visits. She said Frank had enough stamina to go for hours, and her Mom was very vocal during sex. Chase just turned red because his MOM was getting more action than he was! It was funny listening to HER complain, as she and Chase were the same way when they started out together. Still, I figured there was going to be some moaning and banging going on before sleep, so I went into my office and closed the door.

My office was my computer center and hacking center. I had two servers in the closet; one was for 'legal' use, the other for stuff that wasn't so legal. I had paid extra for the best fiber-optic connection and internet I could get, with separate feeds for each server. An L-shaped desk dominated the room, with four big LED monitors on top and two bigger screens on the walls. The window was blacked out and insulated to prevent laser surveillance, and that wasn't all. The walls, floors, and ceiling were lined with aluminum mesh, connected together and grounded to make a Faraday cage. The mesh prevented any electronic signals from getting in or out, the combination making the room surveillance proof. The rest had bookshelves and a print center on the back wall. All of the equipment was state-of-the-art thanks to the bag of money I'd received for my help in the Sons warehouse takedown.

I booted up the screens and settled in, putting on my headset microphone. It felt like an Eagles day, so I started "Hotel California" playing as the computers went through their diagnostic and monitoring routines. The security check on my clean system alarmed, warning me of a new computer accessing the server. I clicked on the warning to see what was going on; it was streaming from a website. "Those kinky old people are watching PORN," was my first thought. A few more keystrokes and I was piggybacking the feed onto my screen.

It was a big room, filling with people, and tables were elevated across the front along with two tables below them, then a gap until you got to the audience. I was about to click off of it when the cameras focused on a grim Chase and Rori walking in with Sawyer at their side, moving to one of the tables in front and sitting down.

I moved the feed to the wall monitor, turning on the audio on my headphones. With the big display, I could recognize others I'd seen at Arrowhead. I could see Tina, Ron's wife, sitting in the front row next to Coral's husband, Keith Sexson.

Then the camera shifted to a side door, which Vic was opening, and a line of people walked in. I recognized a few of them; Carson, Ashley, and Coral were together. The rest I hadn't seen. The audience was standing as they walked in and took their seats, then the big old guy in the center banged a gavel. "Be seated," he said. "The trial of Alphas Rori King and Chase Nygaard is called to order. The defendants previously pled GUILTY to charges of revealing our werewolf nature to humans in violation of Pack law, failing to kill the human immediately to protect our secret, and intentionally violating a Werewolf Council order. The Alphas on the jury have deliberated and determined the punishment. Defendants, please rise." I watched as Sawyer stood next to Chase and Rori behind the table; the man at the other table looked smug. "Alpha Blackledge, what says the jury?"

"The jury sentences Alphas Rori King and Chase Nygaard to time served, and admonishes them to focus on changing laws they find unjust rather than breaking them."

There was chaos in the courtroom with the verdict. Most of the crowd was cheering, while many sitting on the right side were screaming in outrage. The judge banged his gavel, and suddenly the audience shut up and sat down. "This trial is adjourned. The defendants are free to go." He didn't look happy as he said it, and the room stood while he and the men by his side walked out the side door. Some of the others from the front table, all looking pissed off, walked after him, but Chase's family and some others stayed behind.

I watched as well-wishers surrounded the couple, and they accepted the handshakes and hugs with big smiles. Taking off the headphones, I tried to get my head around what I had just seen.

Werewolves.

Alphas.

Council.

Secrets.

Dead humans.

All those people I knew at Arrowhead? They were all werewolves, or they wouldn't be in that room.

And Vic was in the middle of it.

Vic was a werewolf too.

My hand moved down to my belly, feeling for the barely-there bump.

I was married to a werewolf and having his baby.