Treasure Ch. 36-40

The next morning, Dr. Chase Nygaard tracked down his attending before morning rounds. "I want to release Miss King to her mother," he said. "She doesn't meet the requirements for a hold and I don't see the value of continued inpatient treatments. She can follow up with her doctors back home," he said.

Dr. Bach reviewed his notes and they discussed his plans. "I have to agree she isn't a danger, and with her medications she's stable. If I had her entire history when she came here, I might not have put her on the hold in the first place," he said. "Start the paperwork and I'll sign it."

"Yes Doctor." He went over to the computer and typed up discharge instructions, including the need to continue her drug therapy and follow up with her doctor. He brought it back, getting his signature, and immediately called the contact number he'd been given for her mother. She said they would be there in an hour, so he opened the door and found Rori still sleeping. "Miss King," he said as he shook her arm.

Rori smiled, she was having a wonderful dream and the feelings shooting up her arm just helped. Her wolf was forward, luxuriating in her mate's scent and touch. "Ooooh yeah," she let out with a low moan.

"Miss King, wake up please." She opened her eyes and looked up, a little surprised to see him. "You are being discharged this morning, your mother should be here in an hour. I thought you might want to shower and get ready."

She stretched, her tongue sticking out a little as he watched her. "I don't have clothes," she said.

"Your mother brought some last night thinking you might be coming home, I left them by the door," he said. "I'll be back with morning rounds and then when your Mom gets here, we'll go through your release paperwork." He walked back out the open door, secretly dreading what would happen next. He didn't want her out of his sight, but the longer she stayed her, the worse it was for her. He just hoped she and her Mom would trust him enough to stop the medication and seek him out.

Ninety minutes later, and he was wheeling her out to the curb as her Mother doted over her. "Thank you, Doctor," she said as they arrived at the car Nuke was driving for them.

"Call me if you have any questions," Chase said. Rori was standing by the door when he called her name; she looked at him and wondered what would happen now. Her inner voice, the one who said she was a wolf, basically wanted to pull him into the backseat and screw him in front of everyone. She was wondering why she felt like she could trust him, and why his advice was so different than the doctors she had seen before. He reached out to shake her hand, and she took it, the tingles and warmth traveling up her arm to her chest. "Trust her," he said.

"We'll see." She let his hand go and got in, and he closed the door before they pulled away. She looked back at him standing there, looking as lost and sad as she felt right now. How could this be? Why did she feel like leaving him was a mistake?

"Where are we going, Mom?"

"Back to the Clubhouse."

Her mouth dropped, that was about the LAST place she thought she'd be going. "What about the guys who were after me? They might see me."

Nuke just laughed. "We want them to. We've got groups from six different chapters up here now, all of whom came to help when you got taken. They're all leaving today."

"So? They can watch for me."

"You ever play three-card monte? Trust me, you'll be fine. It's a beautiful day and how long has it been since you've been on your motorcycle?"

"Three hundred and eight days. Not that I'm counting."

Roadkill snorted. "My God, I'd be going nuts if I was off a motorcycle that long."

"It wasn't by choice." With the morning traffic, it took an hour to get back to the Clubhouse. Security was tight, prospects and patches were visible behind the fences, and were all armed. A crowd was waiting for them when they stopped, and Rori was mobbed by her Steel Ladies as she got out. It took her a good ten minutes to make it into the Clubhouse, where a buffet breakfast was set up. She loaded her plate with scrambled eggs and biscuits and gravy, then went to sit down at an open spot.

"Rori, get your young ass up here," Mighty Elk said from the head table. Her Mom took her plate and set it at an open spot, as Rori was surrounded by the Old Ladies from six different clubs. "We meant to have this the day after you got back from Florida, but you had to go off on your own," she said. "I can't believe you ended up naked in an alley in Seattle and you didn't invite ONE of the Ladies to party with you." Everyone laughed, the circumstances of her disappearance and discovery were becoming Steel Brotherhood legend. An unarmed woman fighting her way out and escaping from a half-dozen armed men trying to kidnap her? They could respect that, and identify with waking up naked and not knowing what happened.

"I didn't expect the old guys to hang out, but I thought maybe Nuke would be able to hang with me," she said with a grin.

"No matter. Rori, you've become dear to us over the last two months, just as you have in every Chapter you've stayed at. We hate to see you move on, but you finally turned eighteen and now we can give you this." The other girls held out a Steel Ladies cut, showing her the patches on the back and turning it around she saw what they had picked for her road name.

"CANVAS? What kind of road name is that?"

"Simple," Mighty Elk said as she slipped the leather vest on. "When you set your sights on someone, they end up a painting on the wall or knocked on their ass in the ring." The crowd roared, she had done some art for the Chapter already, and more than a few men had ended up looking at the ceiling after sparring with her. She was small and fast, and deceptively strong. Her skills continued to improve, and some had talked to her being able to go pro in mixed martial arts.

Rori pulled the vest around in front as everyone stood and applauded. She'd waited so long for this, but the bylaws were fixed, no one under eighteen. She felt loved and accepted, and it was time to hug them all. By the time she got to her seat, her food had just been reheated by a prospect. "Congratulations, Canvas," he said as he set it back down.

At nine, they were heading out. Six clubs, six support vans and almost eighty riders were going to take a drive through the Cascades, circling Mount Rainier before the Renton club would return home. "Where am I going," she asked as she pulled on her riding gear in her empty room. The Ladies had packed her stuff already, leaving some in her saddlebags and the rest were already put in the support van. The Club had cleaned, tuned and topped off her Harley and it was waiting outside for her.

"Portland chapter," Possum said as she put on her gear. "I'm looking forward to the run, it's beautiful out here. So different with the hills and trees than Florida."

"You'll visit?"

"Of course, baby. We do need to finish our honeymoon, and Roadkill has a company to run, but the girls took care of that for us. You'll see." They left the room and went outside; the sound of Harley exhaust as they fired them up was intense. When everyone was ready, the Presidents led the way out, led by Wolfman and Mighty Elk. Willie and Colt rode next to him, since he was the Road Captain, responsible for planning and executing the Club run. The next five Presidents or VP's followed, then the officers from the clubs. Nuke motioned for Canvas to pull out next to him, and Roadkill and Possum were right behind her. They were tucked in the middle of the formation, with the six support vans trailing them all. They headed southeast on Highway 169, away from the city, and then onto the two-lane winding roads that were so much fun on a motorcycle.

They stopped for lunch in Greenwater, taking over a diner. Willie had made arrangements with them, so they were open and ready with a buffet spread for all the riders. An hour later, they were back on the road. "How are you doing, Canvas?" Nuke was still next to her, tasked to keep her safe.

"It's amazing," she said. "We're so close to the mountain, and the roads are so much fun!" She didn't have to yell, he had synced their Bluetooth communicators so they could talk during the drive.

"I wish it was safe to take you out alone, there are some amazing rides I know, and some great places I'd like to take you." He left it unsaid, he'd been hinting around his interest in her, and now that she was eighteen, asking her out might not end up with him in an unmarked grave. "Club runs are fun, but I love opening it up on these back roads."

"I'd love that," she said as she blushed a little. "So many things I want to sketch and paint."

He had made sure she had his number in her new phone, and he assured her he might be able to see her again soon. "Portland isn't far away," he said.

She was nervous from his attentions, it didn't feel right somehow. Her gut was telling her no, but she didn't say anything to him.

They entered the National Forest, and the ride became slower as they caught up to traffic. "Get ready, we're making the change up here," Nuke said. Riders had gone ahead to block oncoming traffic, while others dropped back to make sure no one got too close. Rori and Roadkill pulled over to the side as one of the vans pulled in front of them, then stopped. The back door opened, and a ramp was pushed out. Rori drove forward and the Prospect inside helped her push the Harley into the back. As she tied it down, Roadkill was pushing his in. A minute later the doors were closed, and the formation started moving again. Nobody would be able to see the change, as they didn't let any cars get close enough to see them.

She sat on pillows in the back, her stuff from her was stacked on one side. Roadkill was riding shotgun while she sat behind the driver's seat with her Mom. Things were tight with the two motorcycles and her stuff. "Welcome to the Portland Chapter, I'm Slick," the prospect who was driving said. "Keep your head down, we're going to break the formation when we get to 123."

"What do you mean?"

"We've got six clubs, right? The Renton and Vancouver chapters are going to turn around and head back on 410. The Moscow and Butte chapters will head up to the pass and out east, while the Portland and Sacramento chapters keep going south. Since we've got you hidden like a ball under a cup, anyone trying to follow us won't know which of the three groups to go with. Even if they guess right, we'll have stragglers to keep them back, and the Sacramento chapter will break off later. Willie and Colt's idea, it's fucking genius if you asked me. Nobody's going to be able to track you, you just disappeared."

It went just as he said; the big formation broke into three smaller ones, then the Sacramento chapter broke off. As they exited the National Park on the southwest side of Mount Rainier, they suddenly turned onto a gravel drive and disappeared into the woods. "What's going on?"

"Another surprise," he said. "Let's say they didn't follow us, they just watch our clubhouses. You're staying here for three days, it's a cabin owned by a Club member. I'll pick you up and bring you back after everything has cooled off." We had stopped in front of a log home, it looked cozy and warm. "Food's already stocked, and there are rifles and pistols in the gun safe," he said as he handed them a piece of paper with the combo on it and the key. "Get out. Canvas, take your saddlebags, the rest of your stuff will go to your room."

They piled out and he left, joining the road only two minutes after they had turned off. "Nice place," Roadkill said as he walked to the porch. The metal roof overhung a large front porch with a hanging seat and rustic chairs. Inside was just as nice; there was a large master bedroom, a smaller guest room upstairs, and a big fireplace. She pulled out her phone, no bars. "This place is remote, isn't it," she said.

"It's very nice of them." Possum walked into the kitchen and checked the fridge, grabbing them each a beer. There was a note on the kitchen table, it had a map of the property and showed where it backed up to the National Park. There were hiking trails not too far away, and Rori was glad she had boots and sneakers available. They settled in, eating steaks and au gratin potatoes for dinner, then they walked the property before sitting on the porch to watch the sun set over the hills. "This place is as nice as our place in the Keys," she said. "Different, but just as romantic." She started snuggling in to his chest, her hand going under his shirt.

"I'm going to my room, you guys have a good night," she said as she hugged both of them goodnight. She could smell how aroused her Mom was, and the last thing she wanted was to be around her as she banged her Old Man. She went up to her room, unpacking the few things she had in her saddlebag, and opened the window to let some fresh air in.

In the distance, a wolf howled. She was filled with sadness and longing, her mind going back to the handsome doctor. She had her medication along, but she left it in the bag. For some reason, she trusted him, and she didn't want the side effects.

He had told her she wasn't crazy, that she was like him. She closed the window and laid on the bed, thinking of what he might mean as she sketched a scene from the day in her book. She felt a little homesick, which was funny since she was with her Mom now. "We should be with our mate," the voice said.

"There are other men out there," she said. "Nuke likes me."

"He is not ours," it said. She could hear her Mom moaning her pleasure and the squeaking of the bed in the other room. Giving up on the drawing, she took a quick shower and started a playlist on her phone. With any luck, they'd stop screwing after a few hours and she'd get some sleep.

Ch. 37

Dr. Chase Nygaard walked out of the hospital into the parking lot, moving past the smokers to the far side where he could have some privacy. He pulled out his phone, returning the call he'd missed earlier while working with a patient. "Doctor Phillips, it's Chase," he said to his mentor from his time at the Bitterroot Pack.

"Chase, thank you for calling me back. Just a minute." He listened as he closed a door and sat down in his chair again. "How is your residency going?"

"Hour 15 of 25, I'm running on caffeine now," he said. "What's going on?"

"The Council knows that Rori King is under a 72-hour hold at your hospital, yet you haven't reported it."

"I cannot break patient confidentiality, even for the Council," he replied defensively. "I am in the human world here in my residency, I have to play by human rules."

"I'm sure the Councilman sees that differently, and I'm sure he's taking that up with your father already." Chase tensed, he didn't like where this was going one bit. She was his MATE, they had no right to interfere with the one who was HIS. His wolf was in agreement. "The Council needs questions answered by you. I am to report back on her mental state, on whether she presents a danger to our kind."

"The Council should just leave her alone," Chase replied. "Four times now they have traumatized her with their ill-considered attempts to capture her. This time she could have DIED. I spoke to my sister, she told me what happened. She isn't suicidal, she's frightened, and you all are making it worse." He let a breath out, he was still mad about her leap onto the truck, even though he hadn't spoken to her about it. "As to her mental state, it's better than I expected. She's lucid, charming, and protective of her Club and her mother. She's not a threat to us at all."

"What about the drugs? Do you see evidence of the long-term effects of them on her wolf?"

"Yes, and that is why I told her to stop taking them. Her wolf is present, she can hear and communicate with her, but she's spent years believing the wolf was a mental illness and not what she is. She has to build up trust, not just with me but with herself. That's the real challenge for her, and I hope to hell she comes back to me for help on that. She needs to unify with her wolf sooner rather than later."

There was a pause on the line. "What did you mean by 'comes back to me' just now?"

"She's gone, I released her this morning."

He heard the phone drop, then get picked back up. "What the fuck, Chase? She's on a 72-hour hold! The Council should have been notified first!"

"And my diagnosis was that the hold was not needed, and she didn't agree to inpatient treatment. Leaving her in this hospital when she doesn't need it is harmful to her, and I don't work for the Council."

"I see," he said. "Enjoy the rest of your shift, Dr. Nygaard. I'm sure your father will be in touch with you soon."

The phone went dead, and he scrolled to a new contact and called it. "Chase? What did you do this time?"

"My job, apparently. Not that the Council cares about that." He closed his eyes, thankful he could at least talk to his twin sister about things like he always had. "Dad getting an earful?"

"He's been in his office most of the morning, and he's in a foul mood," she replied. "How are you doing?"

"I'm struggling, sis. I released her this morning, she left with her mother and stepfather."

Coral knew how hard that must have been for him, watching his mate leave him. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm scared, nervous, worried... I'm a mess. I won't be able to relax until I have her back with me, but I can't force her to stay with me either."

"You're stronger than I could be," Coral said. "When are you coming home?"

"I need to get some sleep before I drive. I'll get up early tomorrow morning and be there before lunch," he said. "Can you let Mom and Dad know? He's going to chew my scruff something fierce after what I just told Dr. Phillips, but I can't think of that now."

"I will. Your mate is a special wolf, Chase, and she's lucky to have you as her mate. She will come back to you, the bond is strong enough for you both. I love you, Chase."

"I love you too, Coral. Rest up and heal." He closed the phone and went inside. He got text messages over the remainder of his shift, but none were from Rori so he ignored them. His father and the Council could wait, he had other priorities in his life.

He showered and went to bed as soon as he got to his apartment, sleeping from eight at night until five in the morning. Packing quickly, he attached his bag to the back of his Harley and was on the road before the morning rush could start. He loved the drive; their Pack lands were beautiful, tucked up against the mountains, far from human towns and hiking trails. They were about twenty miles east of Mount Rainier in the Cascade Range, between the Park and Bumping Lake. He smiled as he left the human world behind and entered his own. He might be in trouble, but he could see happiness in his future. It would be hard going, but she was worth it.

-

Rori woke up with the rising sun, her east-facing window letting the light hit her face in her small bed. She yawned, thankful that she had gotten any sleep the last night, because she doubted if her Mom did.

She got dressed and went downstairs, finding a bottle of orange juice in the fridge and taking it outside with a blanket. Curling into the hanging chair, she closed her eyes and let her senses out. The pit in her stomach hadn't gone away, and the juice didn't help. "What is wrong with me," she thought.

"We left our mate," the voice said. "I need his wolf, as do you. Being away from him hurts us."

She thought about it for a while; she'd watched werewolf movies, even read some stories, but it all seemed so fake. "You told me I'm a werewolf. Prove it."