Aztec Treasure
Visiting Hours

Maria (Meztli) Skollson’s POV

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

The accident had cast a pall over the riders, and breakfast was a subdued affair. Lance had sent a prospect to Wal-Mart last night to buy a wheelchair for me. I had my leg straight and a bag of ice on it while we ate the breakfast buffet.

We kept to our plan for the day, though I’d be going with a small group to the hospital. Most of the group was taking a day ride with Roadkill leading. Even Rori was going; one of the old ladies went on the boat tour instead, leaving a spot for Rori in a sidecar. Rori had a pair of goggles and a bandana, and they put pillows and netting inside to keep her in place. It was her first time on a motorcycle in months, and she was thrilled.

The riders would backtrack north to Hayden before taking the windy 556 road northeast through the Aubinadong-Nushatongani Rivers Provincial Park. Once they reached 129, they’d take that south until they hit the Trans-Canada Highway 17 again on the north side of Lake Huron. Lunch would be there in Thessalon, sampling the famous pizza at Sinton’s Tavern and Restaurant. They’d then head west, detouring for a two-hour loop around Saint Joseph Island. When done, they would cross the border into the United States. A short ride to the west would let them join the rest of us at the Bay Mills Resort and Casino.

It promised to be a great ride, and I was disappointed I couldn’t make it. “You should visit Lana, and I have to get my Harley fixed,” Lance told me. They’d already transferred both wrecked bikes onto a trailer, and a prospect would drive him to the Harley dealer in Mackinaw City. The damage wasn’t too bad; he’d need a new mirror, front wheel, and fender. “They should be able to get it repaired enough to complete the trip by tomorrow since they are common parts. It could have been worse, but your body did a great job keeping the chrome and paint from getting all scratched up,” he said with a smile. I glared at him. “Too early?”

“Until I can ride again, yes,” I said. I had hopes that I could get back on the bike in a few days. I could ride with my left arm in a sling, so it was a matter of how long until the swelling in my knee went down enough to sit comfortably. Until then, I’d stay with Maritza in the Alpha’s RV.

Most others would be taking a morning-long boat tour of the canals and the lock and dam. Lunch would be on the rooftop of Outspoken Brewing overlooking the canals. I expected some would stay there all afternoon, while others would go shopping or head to the museums. I’d left the afternoon open on purpose.

I watched from the hotel entrance with Maritza as Lance headed out with the prospect, then the riders and support vehicles took off the other way. The thirty or so people going on the boat tour gathered together. They left the RVs parked for the day, using motorcycles or the support cars and SUVs for the short drive to the marina.

That left us with Chase’s RV, James, Brent, Laura, Possum, Three Tequila, and all the kids.

James was a nervous wreck; he hadn’t slept well, and he couldn’t let his wolf out in the city. Sawyer had put Alpha command on his wolf, preventing him from shifting, but that just made him pace back and forth. No Pack member doubted that Lana was his mate, but he still had to convince Lana. James was planning to stay all day at the hospital and get a local hotel room if she wasn’t released today. When she could travel, he had the number for the jet service to get them back to Arrowhead.

Coral and Ashley took advantage of the slow day to ride in the day loop with their mates, and I’d sent Heather and the three nannies on the boat tour and shopping expedition. They’d missed out on a lot of activities, and I wanted them to have some fun with the adults for a while.

Possum volunteered to drive the RV while Three Tequila fussed over the little ones and me. When done at the hospital, we’d get lunch and head to Bellevue Park. It was on the water so we could watch boats go by, and it had a few kid-friendly playgrounds.

Since everyone else was gone, Possum drove us up to the hospital early. James ran inside to get us registered while we waited in the parking lot for visiting hours to begin. He came back out, reporting that they only allowed two visitors in the room at a time, and he wasn’t leaving.

“She was guarding me, so I should go in,” I told Possum. “Her replacement is probably there with her.”

Brent looked at Laura. “I’ll escort Maria in and out while you guard the kids.”

“That works,” Laura replied. “Keep the link open.”

“Take your time, Maria. We’ll watch cartoons and play until lunchtime,” Possum replied. I told Maritza I’d be back soon and gave her a big hug.

James helped me out and into the wheelchair Brent was holding. He pushed me across the parking lot and inside to the elevator to her floor. He stopped at the waiting room on the floor and let James take over. “Just have James poke his head out when you’re ready to go,” Brent said.

Lana turned off the television when the door opened and gave us a weak smile. It was clear she was in pain. “Hey, guys.”

James wheeled me next to the bed, then went around to the other side and sat down. He took her hand in his, the contact calming his wolf, who didn’t like his mate suffering. “How do you feel,” he said as he stared into her eyes.

“Everything hurts, especially my head and neck. Faceplanting on the road isn’t fun,” she replied.

“Can’t they give you anything for the pain?”

“Not with the concussion. I landed headfirst; if not for the helmet, I’d be dead.” James did NOT like that comment and had to close his eyes to push his wolf back. “I owe you guys my life.”

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” James told her.

“You kept me calm and safe,” she replied.

I was the third wheel in this conversation, but that was all right. I could see the effects of the mating pull in Lana’s face; his touch calmed her and took away some of the pain. Finally, she turned back to me, taking in the sling and the knee brace. “How bad are you?”

“I’ll be fine in a few weeks,” I told her. “It’s a good thing we are all ATGATT riders.” That stood for ‘all the gear all the time,’ meaning we wore full protective leathers and helmets whenever riding. I would have left half the skin on my leg behind if I’d been wearing jeans. “I’m blaming it all on you.”

Her eyes got wide. “What?”

“I spent hours trying to figure out if I was cursed or unlucky before I figured it out. Think about it. We had a long double line of Harleys stretching as far as you can see, with a single bright white sauerkraut burner in the middle. You looked like a RUBBIE,” which was a derogatory term for a Rich Urban Biker, “and even the drunk guy figured that was the weak spot.”

“I LOVE my Beemer! It rides like a dream and has smooth torque, unlike those old-fashioned rattletraps you guys overpay for.”

The teasing broke the tension away. We both recognized how lucky we were to survive; our bodies would heal, and insurance would cover the damage to our rides.

James told her he was done with the tour and would make sure she got home safely. When she objected, he shut her up by leaning over and kissing her until she couldn’t think straight. “You are the most important thing in my life, Lana. Let me take care of you.”

It was a beautiful moment, right up until Laura’s mental yell slammed into my head like a flying carp on the river. “GUN! HELP!”

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