Missing Ch. 51-60

Leo nodded. "Not anymore. With the internet, facial recognition technology, and social media, it's not realistic to move an entire Pack somewhere else. When you have to leave your job, your home, and your land behind, how do you rebuild elsewhere? It would be catastrophic. The Coyotes planned this, so they'd already moved their people into hiding. Without any time to prepare, we may lose eighty or more percent of our population. That is the disaster the Council was facing if we didn't make the deal."

I didn't say anything for a few minutes as they let it all sink in. Finally, I asked the question. "I'm going to be placed under Alpha command on this, aren't I?"

Leo nodded. "All Alphas will be giving an Alpha command to their Packs as soon as they return home. Were-Coyotes are strictly off-limits. They respect our Pack boundaries, we respect their homes and businesses. Any attack by a Pack wolf on a were-coyote could result in the entire agreement falling apart."

"And somehow this agreement requires us to leave killers alone?"

"Law enforcement can still deal with them if they are found, and that doesn't violate the treaty. As for the Packs? Yes, it strictly prohibits us from attacking any of them. We've killed dozens of were-coyotes. They've killed a handful of Pack wolves. The agreement keeps both sides from acting against the other."

I looked out the window. "And if I go after them myself?"

Leo looked in my eyes. "Bonnie, we love you, and we hate that you have gone through so much pain. I wish I could give you the justice you want, but I can't. If you break Alpha command, if you go after these coyotes on your own, you're threatening me, my Pack, and every other Pack. You'll be a dangerous rogue, and it will be the duty of every Pack wolf to stop you at any cost. I wouldn't like it, but I'd do it to protect my people. Please, Bonnie. I'm begging you. Don't make us put you down."

I looked in his eyes and knew he was telling the truth.

I'd never felt so alone in my life. Even when I was growing up as an orphan, I felt like the Pack was there for me.

Not anymore.

I was emotionally exhausted, and I didn't feel like drawing comfort from the minders on each side of me. I leaned my head back, closed, my eyes, and thought about things. I was nearly asleep a half-hour later when George spoke up. "We've got a tail. Black SUV, three cars back. I made some random turns, and it's following us."

I opened my eyes and turned in my seat. We were in Quebec City, near the bridge. "And I'm not armed," I griped. As a sworn law enforcement agent, I could still carry a pistol anywhere in the United States. That didn't extend to Canada, so I'd left it at home. "I don't suppose we have anything hidden?"

"Only a knife and a baseball bat," Leo said. "It's in the back with a couple gloves and a ball. Keep going, George. Don't try to lose them. If they are still with us when we hit the hills on the US side, here is what we will do."

He laid out the plan as we drove towards the border. Leo wanted to take them on, but I objected. "My job is to protect the Luna," I told them. "If it goes south, George can get you out of here while I disable the vehicle."

"We don't know who they are after," George argued.

"Leo and Adrienne are the high-value targets here, Dad. You get them out of here, and I'll take care of myself." My stuff was still back at the Pack except my passport, phone, and a thousand dollars in emergency cash in the case. I'd be fine.

Our tail stayed well back from us, and followed us through the border. When we were alone on the rural mountain roads, George accelerated as soon as we were out of their sight. He found a pull-off spot, and I bailed. I went back twenty yards, taking cover in a drain culvert next to the road. George put his hazard lights on, while Leo stepped out and opened the hood. He had the bat hidden on the front bumper.

"They are in sight now, Bonnie," George told me.

"If they drive past and wait for us to catch up, I'll hop back in and we'll turn around. By the time they figure out we're not coming, we'll be on an alternate route. If they stop, I'm assuming hostile."

"Wait for my signal," he replied.

I heard two cars pass and a bigger one approach. "Stay down, they are slowing down and signaling. Looks like they are stopping to help."

"I'm ready for them."

I heard the crunch of gravel as they passed me, stopping behind Leo's car. "They're getting out. Be ready to move."

I had the knife in my hand, ready to puncture a tire and run into the woods. I'd shift when I was out of sight and wait for Alpha Anthony and Luna Pamela to pick me up.

The passenger door opened, and a familiar scent blew my way.

Those fuckers.

I put my knife back in the scabbard, knowing Leo wouldn't want me attacking the Council's pet Fixer. "It's Fixer Lassiter. Come on out, Bonnie."

I scrambled up from the ditch as Leo was walking back to talk to them. He sensed me coming and turned around. "Bonnie."

"Get the fuck out of my way, Fixer." He looked hurt as I pushed past him. A shock passed between us when I touched his arm, and he grabbed my hand. "Can we talk?"

I shook my hand free. "I've got nothing to say to YOU, or any other asshole sent from the Council. Pass along a message for me. Tell the Chairman, 'Thanks for nothing, and leave me the hell alone. The next Council babysitter I see is going to go back home in a bodybag.' Goodbye."

I looked back after we loaded back into our car. Clyde was standing there, staring at me, and he looked like I'd just run over his puppy. I looked at Luna Adrienne, and she was staring at him too.

"Let's go," I said. "Get me away from these people before I do something you'll regret."

George drove us home without incident.

Ch. 55

Council Fixer Clyde Lassiter's POV

Highway 201, North of Moose River, Maine

My wolf howled at the rejection our mate had just given us.

"She didn't reject us," I told him as I stood frozen on the side of the road. "She didn't say the words. She didn't even acknowledge we were mates. It's too early; she hasn't moved on from her last mate yet." He whined and curled up in the back of my mind, his tail over his eyes to hide. "We will have her. I promise you that," I told him. I watched as my mate got back in the car, still furious at the Council and me.

I couldn't blame her. She had suffered much at their hands.

She glanced back once, her face filled with anger, and then they drove away.

"What is going on, Clyde?" Emily's send jarred me out of my frozen state.

"We need to give them more space," I replied. I walked back to our vehicle and got in, buckling up as we pulled back onto the road. "Bonnie is still on edge, as you saw. Thank Luna that we have her in-laws and an Alpha pair with her."

"Are we still following them?"

"Yes. Match speeds for now." I pulled out my phone; I had all the Pack Alpha numbers stored because of my Fixer duties. I sent Alpha Leo a text, and he responded a minute later. "They are going straight to Baxter Pack. My orders are to keep eyes on her, so we will."

"How can we drop back on these winding roads and still keep eyes on them?"

"I don't know. Keep your distance, but don't look like you are trying to keep your distance." She looked at me for more. "I don't know, drive casual!"

She snickered. "All right, Han Solo."

I shot her a look. "Hey, at least I was alive when that movie came out." I had to figure some things out and quickly. Keeping Bonnie safe was my priority now. The Chairman had ordered me to kill her if it looked like she was breaking Alpha command. I couldn't do that, but Emily had the same orders.

If I refused, someone else would kill her. The only solution was to calm her down and under command. "Maybe I should tell her to calm down," I muttered to myself.

That made Emily laugh. "When in the history of humanity has saying that to a furious woman EVER done the trick? You'd think you'd know better by now."

"Drive," I replied. I didn't say much for the rest of the drive, spending my time thinking. I was only beginning to realize how explosive this Bonnie situation is. My mate was barely holding it together right now.

She felt like she had been abandoned and betrayed by everyone she once trusted. She wasn't wrong.

I needed allies, and she needed a friend.

Adrienne Volkov's POV

"I hope she doesn't do anything stupid," I muttered as Bonnie climbed out of the ditch. I watched as she pushed past Fixer Lassiter, holding my breath when he grabbed her hand. Thankfully, she shook her hand free and only yelled at him. "I've got nothing to say to YOU or any other asshole sent from the Council. Pass along a message for me. Tell the Chairman, 'Thanks for nothing, and leave me the hell alone. The next Council babysitter I see is going to go back home in a bodybag.' Goodbye."

There was something else going on; Clyde looked crushed, not mad. He stared at her as she walked back to the car.

"Let's go," she said after motioning me to the center. "Get me away from these people before I do something you'll regret."

"Go," Leo said. We pulled back onto the road, leaving the two Enforcers behind. Bonnie was still mad, and she turned her head towards the window, refusing to look at us.

For the rest of the ride to Baxter, no one spoke. I leaned my head on Leo's shoulder and closed my eyes, thinking about what I had seen since the announcement. I could understand Bonnie's reactions; she had a single focus of getting revenge, and the Council had taken that away. It was perfectly reasonable for her to throw a tantrum and storm off.

What didn't make sense was her reaction to Clyde. He'd come up from behind her and grabbed her tight as soon as she started to react. Bonnie was an expert fighter, certainly a match for Clyde, but she didn't even try to break the hold. She calmed down as he talked to her and didn't lash out as he handed her to Leo.

And now, he grabs her hand, and she storms off, but that look of rejection on his face?

I smiled as I figured it out. I sent my suspicions to Leo over the link. "What should we do?"

"Nothing," Leo replied. "We don't get between mates, EVER. When Bonnie is ready, the two will work it out."

"It's a good match, but the Council will freak out. Clyde is the senior Fixer, while Bonnie is considered a threat, not just to the Council, but to our species."

"Then the Council cannot find out."

He was so right.

Bonnie Woods' POV

As soon as the car stopped in front of the Pack House, I had the door open. "I need some time alone," I told everyone as I took off for my room.

I knew what was coming. Alpha Anthony would arrive and call for an emergency Pack Meeting. At that meeting, he would issue an Alpha Command at the direction of the Council to leave the were-coyotes alone. I had to get out of here soon. If I hurried, I'd be far enough from link range that the Alphas couldn't order me to attend the meeting.

No meeting means no Alpha command, and my quest for revenge could continue.

Pulling out a backpack and a bag, I got ready quickly. I changed into my motorcycle leathers with jeans and layers of clothing underneath. The extra clothes went into a backpack I'd strap to the seat. Another bag held gear destined for my saddlebags; the rain suit, a lighter jacket, tennis shoes, and a tote with toiletries. I slid my Ed Brown Signature 1911 into the holster sewn into the right side of my leather jacket. Motorcycle riders kept their right hands on the throttle, so you drew your gun with the left. Extra magazines and my Sheriff's badge and identification went into the left inside pocket.

I checked my wallet held my driver's license, passport, credit and ATM cards, and a few thousand in cash. My Sheriff's pay and survivors pension were direct deposited, so I'd have plenty of money the Pack couldn't touch. Going to the safe, I took out a $10,000 bundle of hundreds and stashed that in another pocket. Paying cash would reduce the chances of being tracked, and the Council would send a Fixer after me.

The Chairman would probably send all of them. The most powerful werewolf in the hemisphere just got bent over the table and ass-fucked into submission by a were-coyote.

I wasn't going to give in like that. I would have my revenge; it was the only thing left that I cared about.

Grabbing the bags, I headed down to the garage without being seen. I stowed everything before straddling my Harley and starting it up. Roaring out of the garage, I ignored Sally's mental questioning of where I was going.

I was a quarter-mile from the highway when I saw Fixer Lassiter's car stopped at the Pack entry road. He was talking to Alpha Anthony, and both of them stared at me as I approached at speed. "All Baxter Pack wolves are to report IMMEDIATELY to the Pack House Dining Room for an emergency meeting. Any exceptions must be approved by me."

The Alpha command hit me like a fist. I slowed the bike to a stop. "Alpha, request permission to miss the meeting," I asked.

"You are the one wolf I NEED to be at the meeting, Bonnie. Request denied."

Dammit. I turned the motorcycle around and parked just outside the Pack House. Thirty minutes later, I got up to leave the meeting where our Alphas explained what happened at the Council and applied the Alpha Command. Fixer Lassiter and Enforcer Jones had watched the talk from the back, and they left after the Alpha gave his Command. "Bonnie," Alpha Anthony said as I turned to leave. Pamela, Leo, Adrienne, George, and Sally were all standing behind him.

"Yes, Alpha?"

"Where are you going?"

I had to think about how much I was willing to reveal. "Sir, I'm taking a vacation. I've got your command, but I can't be here now. I'm going riding; I'll be back when I can think straight again."

Luna Pamela reached out and touched the shoulder of my black leather jacket. "Running away won't solve your problems," she said quietly.

"Staying here and being reminded of them won't help either," I said.

"Check in with us once in a while, and don't hesitate to call on us if you need help. We're your family," Anthony said.

"Yes, but sometimes you need to get away from family and clear your head. May I be excused?"

"Ride safe," he said as he brought me into a hug. I froze, unwilling to return the gesture. When he let me go, I waved to my in-laws and went straight to my Harley. I fired it up and left as quickly as I could.

Fixer Lassiter tried to follow, but I knew the roads and had one of the fastest production Harleys ever made. I lost him in minutes.

Ch. 56

Bonnie Woods' POV

Near Bangor, Maine

I knew as soon as I disappeared, Fixer Lassiter would be calling the Packs along I-95, looking for help in tracking me down. I understood; he had his job, and I had mine.

Actually, I didn't have a job. I was officially on vacation with the Sheriff's Department now, waiting for the day I'd come back to sign all the paperwork and retire. I'd been relieved of Pack duties after Sean's death, and I guess I was on vacation from them, too. I had a few months free to do whatever I wanted to do.

They would expect me to head for Interstate 95 and get away from Baxter as quickly as possible. I wasn't playing that game. I had nothing but time, and I had nowhere to be. I crossed under the interstate and headed for Route 1 along the coast, catching it near Stockton Springs.

I wasn't worried about running into other Packs along the coast; land values were too high for a Pack to have room to run. The Downeast Lakes Pack was near the international border, and Clyde would ask them to watch the border crossings for me. I wasn't going anywhere near them. Heading south on Route 1, I'd been driving for a few hours when I saw the sign for Kittery.

Someone had killed my kidnappers for me, but that wasn't satisfying. I had an idea, and no one would suspect why I was here.

I stopped at a filling station to top off after a long ride. After a long drive, I never left my bike with less than a full gas tank. If I needed to escape in a hurry, I'd have plenty of gas.

I went inside to prepay for the gas with cash, then started filling the small tank. When I finished, I took a minute to inspect my motorcycle for any damage or mechanical issues. I was wiping it down when I discovered the small plastic box attached with a magnet to the bottom of the gas tank. The small antenna belied its purpose; it was a tracking device.

My Alpha was keeping tabs on me.

I removed the device and casually walked past the minivan from Massachusetts towards the door. I palmed the transmitter, casually placing it inside the rear wheel well as I passed by.

My stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten lunch when I checked into the Water Street Inn just after four in the afternoon. I intentionally avoided the chain hotels, as their reservation systems are easy to search. You'd have to call the owner and ask in a mom-and-pop place like this. I'd told him I was getting out of an abusive relationship and needed to disappear, so he wouldn't tell anyone I was here.

I left my bags in the room with my leather chaps; the rest of my outfit would be fine tonight. I walked out the place's front door, not wanting to drink and drive tonight.

I expected to do a LOT of drinking.

My first stop was Warren's Lobster House, a seafood place near the water. I started with fried calamari and a Stoneface DDH India Pale Ale. I followed that with two baked lobster tails, paired with a Stoneface Rye IPA. Yes, it was a lot of food, but I was hungry. I'd also learned from my time in Maine that lobster tails were like Chinese food; you'd feel full for thirty minutes, then you'd be hungry again. I ate and watched the river, knowing the next place wouldn't start hopping until after seven. I had time to polish off four more beers and a New York Strip steak and cheesecake before it was time to go.

My booted feet carried me along the sidewalk past the hotel I'd stayed at while undercover. I remembered the precise spot where the men jumped out and grabbed me. Shivering a little at how close I'd come to dying that night, I walked on.

The Full Throttle Nightclub was busy on a Saturday night. The big bouncer at the door gave me a double-take. "Destiny?"

"Not anymore. I'm Bonnie, Bonnie Woods." I held my hand out for him to shake. "You heard I was undercover?"

"Kind of hard not to when the cops are coming down hard on the Clubs after they kidnapped you. Are you sure you want to go in there? The place is filling up, and they don't like you."

"I'll be fine." He pulled out the wand, and I pulled out my badge. "Don't worry about that, Steve. I don't plan to shoot anyone tonight. Ass-kickings are another thing, but I'll make sure to take them out back."

He shook his head as he waved me in. The loud music, the smells of sweat and stale beer, and gyrating women on stage were all familiar to me. I walked to the bar, where the owner was watching me. "The fuck are you doing here?"

"Getting drunk until I can't speak. Give me one Bourbon, one Scotch, and one beer."

"Your funeral." He set the drinks on the bar, and I handed over a hundred-dollar bill. "Get me a few rolls of quarters? I feel like playing some pool."

I felt like every biker in the place was watching me as I carried my drinks back to an empty pool table. I set them on a table by the wall and went to find a pool cue that wasn't crooked. I found a worn-out two-piece cue stick someone probably left behind that wasn't too warped. I kept my jacket on, not wanting to leave my gun unattended in this place. I'd dropped the balls and was racking them up when I sensed someone approaching. "What the hell are you doing here, Deputy Woods?"