Missing Ch. 51-60

I was dismissed, so I left the group to their business. I gathered my team together near the front door and briefed them on their duties. It wasn't long before I got the communication that the car was on the way in.

Emily was out front with the Omegas, while I stayed near the door to protect the back of the welcoming committee. They were dominant wolves, and wouldn't want to appear weak by having me too close.

"Everyone stay alert. If she's going after the Council Chairman, she will do it now." My team acknowledged my order from their hidden positions. I had one man just inside the door, and one at each end of the long deck in front of the Pack House. Emily and I would be the first to respond, while my guy inside pulled the Council members to safety.

The car stopped, and Alpha Leo got out. He was as big and dangerous-looking as I remember, a Mantled Alpha in his prime. Mated life had been good to him; he'd put some serious weight and muscle on since meeting his Luna. He opened the door for her, and she stepped into view. She was an iron fist inside a velvet glove, able to beat you with words or teeth as the situation required.

As they moved towards the stairs, the back doors opened. I recognized Bonnie's red hair, and then the breeze brought me her scent.

I almost fell to my knees when it hit me.

It was the most amazing scent I'd sensed in more than a quarter century, and my wolf recognized it immediately. "MATE MATE MATE!" It was like he was spinning around in my head. I pushed him down, needing to focus on my job right now.

Bonnie Woods was my second chance mate, and my orders were to kill her if she lost control. Luna had it in for me, I'm sure.

I focused on Bonnie as Alpha Leo did his introductions. She looked tired, and I could see her wolf fighting against command. I didn't blame her; the man who ordered those ten lashings was only a few feet away. I stayed in the shadows, watching as she pushed her instincts back.

Despite it all, she was more beautiful in person than in photographs. She carried herself with the quiet confidence of a seasoned warrior, both aware and dismissive of those around her. She stays in place, her eyes moving around. She meets my eyes, but moves to the next person immediately.

She can't miss my scent, not from this distance. My wolf is reaching out for hers, and getting nothing back. It hits me like a thunderbolt; she's my mate, but she's not ready to BE my mate. Luna is gifting me with this knowledge so I can protect her until she is ready for me.

And I would protect her.

"You all right, Boss?"

"I'm fine. Stay alert." I stayed in place while the Alpha and Chairmen went inside. Bonnie waited as the Omegas grabbed luggage and escorted first the Alpha pair, then her parents to their rooms. "You're up, Emily."

This next part would be interesting. Bonnie didn't blow up when Emily introduced herself as a Council Enforcer, nor did she react to me beyond a nod to me as she passed. There was no reaction to my scent, so I went back inside.

Emily kept me up to date on the Bonnie situation. Once she was sleeping, I left one Enforcer on duty and sent the rest to bed. I tried, but my mind was divided against itself. My wolf wanted to go to her room, take her in my arms, and kiss her until she accepted us.

I tried to explain that she'd probably shank us before we got tongue.

My body wanted her. I'd not been this hard and horny in decades. I wanted to be deep inside her, making love until dawn.

I referred my dick to what I'd told my wolf. If I whipped him out, she'd lop him off.

My head knew this was a mess that could go bad in so many ways. I considered briefly coming clean and telling the Chairman that Bonnie was my mate. I quickly dismissed the thought, knowing Sanders would take me off the detail and send me far away. He'd replace me with another Fixer, one who wouldn't hesitate to kill her. No, I couldn't tell anyone yet, not if I was going to be here to protect her.

My mind concluded that I'd have to follow my orders while protecting her from herself. As long as I could keep her from going prompt stupid, we both might get out of this weekend alive. I fell asleep to that.

I was roused from my sleep by Emily. "Boss, Bonnie is awake and getting dressed."

"Let her go. After she leaves, follow her. I'll alert the guards in the Alpha Wing in case she goes after the Council."

A minute later, Jim reported she'd walked out the back of the Pack House and was headed towards the woods. "Follow her at a distance, and don't lose her," I ordered. I alerted the guards at the prison when she started their way. I had to laugh at Jim, he couldn't keep up with the fleet-footed tracker as she ran the trail.

I was betting her wolf was restless, and wanted to run. I talked to the duty security member from Saint-Raymond, requesting their fastest wolf. Thankfully, she didn't challenge the prison guards, and the young Pack Tracker was thrilled to run with Bonnie. I stayed up until she returned to the Pack House, and Emily reported she was asleep again.

By that time, it was too late for me to go back to sleep. I ate breakfast as soon as it opened up. By the time Bonnie was eating, I was in the security room, working on my third cup of coffee. when the call came in from the sentries at the entrance to the Pack Road. "Sir, we have a problem. A were-coyote just showed up, a white handkerchief tied to his car antenna."

"A WHAT?"

"Coyote. His name is Harold Pembroke, age sixty-four, license says he lives in a Toronto suburb. He stopped his car, got out, and requested an audience with the Werewolf Council. What do we do?"

"Search him. I'll send a team out to retrieve him. Is there anyone else out there?"

"Nobody," the sentry replied. "He's unarmed, all he had on him was keys, wallet, and a jump drive."

"Sit tight, we'll be with you soon." I woke the Council Chair and filled him in on what was happening. He was curious enough to agree to the meeting, and ordered me to bring him in.

I gathered a team, and three vehicles drove towards the gate. When I arrived, Harold was sitting on a chair, smoking a cigarette and laughing with the guards. "Mr. Pembroke, I'm..."

"Council Fixer Clyde Lassiter." He stood up and held out a hand. "Can't say it's a pleasure to meet you after all you've done against my people, but thank you for not killing me on sight. You're good at that."

"I'm just doing my job, sir. The Chairman sent me to bring you to him."

He nodded. "I need to speak to the entire Council, if you'd be good enough to arrange it. I think it would be best if I spent as little time here as possible."

I sent the word ahead to the Chairman, then searched Harold again before putting him with me in the back of an SUV. Our group drove straight to the Pack House, stopping outside a door leading directly into the Alpha Wing. I wasn't taking any chances with security; six of us surrounded the were-coyote, while I sent others to reinforce the border and the prison. If this was a distraction while others went to break the prisoners out, we'd be ready.

The Council was waiting in the conference room when we walked in, joined by Counselor Randall Albertson and Host Alpha Francois Gallaudet. "Gentlemen, may I introduce Harold Pembroke." I introduced each of the people in the room; none of them rose or offered a hand. I moved to stand against the wall, directly behind the were-coyote.

Chairman Sanders started it off. "What brings you here, Mr. Pembroke? Are you here to watch your people's execution?"

"Hardly, Mr. Sanders. I'm here to retrieve my people."

Several of the Chairs laughed, but Sanders glare at them stopped it. "The prisoners killed two Pack Wolves in cold blood. Their trial and execution is going to happen. If you wish to observe, we might entertain that. Releasing them is out of the question."

Harold waved his hand at that. "Everything in life is negotiable, Mr. Chairman. Yes, those people killed your people. The man standing behind me has killed five of my people in the last decade. All told, you Pack Wolves have killed dozens of my kind since those men died. No one has clean hands here, but we have lost far more than you, and the proportion of our population affected is far higher."

"You have nothing to negotiate with, Mr. Pembroke. Our Packs are actively looking for your kind, and we will eventually wipe you out."

It was Harold's turn to laugh. "Even among our wild brethren, coyotes are a tough kill. Yes, the wolf packs are bigger and stronger, and drive them out of their lands. Coyotes are smart, and better suited to living on the periphery than you are. Our kind understands that adaptation is better than confrontation." He turned to look at me. "Mr. Lassiter, can you give them the flash drive you took from me earlier. They need to see what is on it."

I handed the drive to Alpha Gallaudet. He opened up a laptop and turned it on. "The drive might have a virus on it," I warned.

"This laptop isn't connected to a network. We only use it for presentations," he replied. He turned on the 80" monitor on the wall, then inserted the memory stick into the side. "What am I looking for?"

"Bring up the spreadsheet named Werewolf," Harold replied.

He did, and jaws dropped throughout the room. "WHAT IS THIS," the Chairman roared.

"It's death for your kind," Harold said. "You like to think you are hidden from sight, but we've gathered quite a bit of information on you. On this spreadsheet are the names and locations of all North American and some European Packs. The next sheets are broken down by Pack; known membership, addresses, jobs, phone numbers, everything we could find. Our people are quite good at ferreting out information."

The implications were settling in. "What do you intend to do with this information," Counselor Albertson asked.

"That all depends on how you respond to my offer," Harold replied. "My people are tired of the attacks, and of living as second-class were-citizens in these lands we share. My offer is simple. We sign an agreement this morning establishing a peace treaty between Werewolves and Were-Coyotes. Attacks on both sides stop immediately, and I take the prisoners with me. We agree to respect your persons and your borders, and you accept ours. In the future, any issues between our species are resolved by the Werewolf Council and the Were-Coyote Association President. Right now that is me."

"And if we don't agree," Chairman Sanders asked.

"Then this information is released to the Department of Homeland Security, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, local law enforcement, and the press. Included in this drive are evidence of murders committed by werewolves, video of werewolves changing forms, and other crimes committed by the Packs. That includes missing persons who can be tied to the Packs."

"This is insanity," Chairman Wolfe said. "If the humans learn of our kind, they will learn of yours as well!"

Harold sat back, his hands resting on the table. "That is true, but this is where our weakness is also our strength, and your strength is your weakness. You gather in large groups on remote parcels of land, and only partially integrate into the surrounding communities. That makes you more vulnerable to military and law enforcement. On the other hand, our groups are small and mobile. We don't claim portions of land, and we can move quickly when things get too hot. As we speak, every Were-Coyote in the land is moving to hidden locations until this blows over. Your people will be imprisoned and die by the thousands as we help the Governments take you out. Or, you do what I ask, sign the treaty we make together this morning, and I leave with my people. Life goes on as it has, but without the conflict of the past years."

No one said anything for a minute or so. Chairman Sanders broke the silence. "Alpha Gallaudet, Fixer Lassiter, please take Mr. Pembroke into the Alpha's office while we discuss his offer."

"Yes, sir," I replied. I followed the two through the door and guarded the prisoner while the Council deliberated. Despite the early hour, Alpha Gallaudet poured himself a whiskey and downed it. Harold and I declined the offer, though I wanted one.

My thoughts were interrupted when Chairman Sanders ordered the prisoners to be retrieved and brought to the Pack House. I gave the orders to the Enforcers while waiting to be called back in.

It didn't take long. The Coyotes had us over the barrel, and they knew it. When we came back in, it only took ten minutes to put the agreement on paper and get it signed. I escorted Harold outside, where we met the prisoner transport vehicle. We returned them to their car at the Pack Entrance, and I watched them drive away.

This was going to break a fragile Bonnie, but there was nothing I could do about it.

The Council called the Alphas in to break the news to them. I was back in the Pack Dining Room in time for the news to break. I was ready, and when Bonnie stood up, I grabbed her and lifted her up so she wouldn't attack the Council Chairman.

She was struggling like a wildcat at first, but my wolf didn't care. He had his mate in his arms, and the tingles felt wonderful. Bonnie could have broken free, but she didn't. Maybe she saw the Enforcers with their silver chains and shackles coming. Maybe she realized that attacking them was futile.

Or maybe her wolf recognized her mate and settled down.

I had my face in her neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of a pissed-off she-wolf. "Don't do it," I whispered into her ear. "Don't give them the fucking excuse they need to kill you."

She calmed enough for me to set her down. Luna Adrienne and Luna Pamela were at her side, and a furious Alpha Leo was coming on fast. "We need to get her out of here," I told them. "The prisoners are already gone. She needs to go before she loses control."

"George, go get the car. Anthony, you and Pamela stay behind and deal with the fallout. You'll have to bring our things home." He stared at me, not liking me having his friend in my arms. "Fixer, you can let her go. I've got her."

I didn't have a choice, not unless I was willing to declare we were mates to the entire Werewolf world. It wasn't the right time, and she wasn't ready for me. I let her go, and Alpha Leo scooped her up. She was breaking down, and they understood how dangerous the situation was. I could only watch as they surrounded her and took her out the emergency exit from the room, staying far away from the Council members.

"Lassiter, you follow her and make sure she leaves. Don't take your eyes off her until she's safely back at Baxter. If she shows any signs of breaking command, shoot her dead. I'll deal with the fallout."

"Yes, Mr. Chairman." I got Emily's attention; she'd already packed our things in my car, anticipating leaving immediately after the executions finished. She ran off to get it while I fired off instructions to the ones remaining.

My wolf was whining as we pulled out of the parking lot, shortly after Alpha Leo and his passengers left. He'd been unable to connect with her, and it was hard not to take her behavior as a rejection. "We have to be patient with her," I told myself.

I'd waited decades for a second chance. I could wait a little longer.

Ch. 54

Bonnie Woods' POV

Saint Raymond Pack Lands, Quebec, Canada

The shock was wearing off by the time Leo sat me in the back seat of our car. Adrienne was on the other side, and George took off as soon as Sally had her door closed. I started to struggle against Leo as Adrienne attempted to buckle me in. "NO, I need to get back there," I told them.

Leo's arms weren't letting me go. "Calm down, Bonnie. Nothing good will come from you getting out of this car right now."

With Luna Adrienne on the other side, I was going nowhere. Struggling would get me hurt, and I didn't want to hurt them. They weren't the ones whose blood I wanted on my teeth.

We were nearly to the front gate by the time I settled down. "Where are we going?"

"Straight home," Dad told me.

Luna Adrienne reached into her purse. "If you can't behave, we'll tranquilize you. Then we'll have to wait until you wake up before we can cross the border. I'd prefer to get home at a reasonable time so we can brief the Pack on what has happened today."

"They let them go," I whispered. "We had them locked up. I smelled them all in the Pack prison, smelled their fear as they waited for death, only to have it taken away from me. Why? Leo, why would they do that to me?"

He took my thin hand in his big one. "It's nothing personal, Bonnie. The Council did what they thought was best for the good of the species."

I laughed. "What was BEST? The GOOD of the species? THEY KILLED MY SEAN!" I started to struggle again, ending up with Leo's arms around me. Damn, that guy was strong. I could barely expand my lungs to get a breath; any harder, and he'd be breaking my ribs. I calmed down again, taking deep breaths when he let me go. "I don't understand this. How could they let them go after everything we've done to find them?"

"The Council was put in an impossible position, Bonnie. This morning, a representative of the Were-Coyote people arrived to speak with them. The Coyotes are tired of our attacks on them, and they brought a nuclear weapon into the fight. The Council had to take the peace offer they brought, or we'd all be destroyed."

My anger rose again, like I was riding over a series of hills. Every time Leo calmed me down, something else would spin me up. "Peace? With those murderous bastards? How can we have PEACE when they are working for the fucking CARTEL?"

"Bonnie, I need you to listen to me without freaking out every four sentences," Leo said calmly. "The first thing you need to know is that everything was done and settled before any of us found out about it. I'm not happy about that, but I can see why. We have a Council structure for a reason; when the Were-Coyotes came to parlay, they had the authority to negotiate for us all."

"Fucking Council."

"We're not big fans either," Adrienne said. "Now, listen and don't interrupt."

Leo laid out what the Council told them about the events of the morning. "If we didn't agree, life as we know it would cease to exist. Humans aren't ready to hear about werewolves, Bonnie. They will freak the hell out as soon as those videos are released. They won't care that we've lived here for centuries alongside them, that we are their friend and coworkers. All they will see is the animals we can become, and that scares them on a primal level. What do you think happens next?"

It wasn't a logical stretch. "They kill or imprison us."

"Exactly. After Pearl Harbor, it took less than ten weeks for the President to issue an executive order for the internment of the Japanese. It didn't matter that they were US citizens, or that they'd never broken our laws. The fear was enough to send a hundred and twenty thousand people into prison camps for the duration of the war. People turned in neighbors, the government confiscated their homes and businesses, and for what? Not one incidence of sabotage was ever uncovered."

Adrienne piled on. "Bonnie, the Were-Coyotes were giving over detailed information on the Packs; locations, names, and businesses. It wouldn't take much time at all to round us all up. The best case after that would be internment camps! Worst case? How would you like it if Sharkbait and her friends ended up in a secure government facility, a lab rat for scientists trying to turn them into weapons?"

"They can't do that. We're US citizens, we have constitutional rights!"

"So did the Japanese," Leo replied.

Fuck. He was right; people would be so afraid of the wolves that if the Government didn't do it, the people would. It wouldn't be pitchforks and torches, but it would be pickup trucks and hunting rifles. "And with all of our names, we can't just disappear."