Missing Ch. 61-70

We were about fifty miles outside Duluth when she mentioned we'd have to get gas soon. "Are you hungry yet?"

"I could eat," she replied.

"Good. I know a place a few miles up." We exited in Barnum, filled our tanks at the gas station, then went next door to the Lazy Bear Grille. "Their wild blueberry pancakes are great, but they have burgers, too."

"It's always time for pancakes," she said as we walked in, "and pie." I got us a table with some privacy. We both ordered the big pancakes and bacon, and then the interrogation began. She talked just above a whisper so no other diners could hear us. "Why are you trying so hard to be my friend, Clyde?"

"It's not enough to want to be around someone so intelligent, accomplished, and dangerous?" She blushed but kept staring me down. "You got screwed over big time, Bonnie. The Council was wrong, and you paid the price."

"Wrong? How?"

"Let me count the ways. First off, they weren't honest with Leo at the Summit. The Council invited the Miesville Alphas to attend in good faith, then charged them with capital crimes. That's not our procedure. If there was a question about Leo's status, the Regional Chair should have brought in a Fixer to investigate and report. It would have taken me about an hour to figure out the real problem was another Alpha eager to get control of a Mantled Alpha female."

"Then they silvered and charged Adrienne."

"Plus Olivia and Vicki, at least until the Lunas found out. The second mistake was in how they handled faking Leo's death. If I had been in charge, I would have trusted Miesville enough to be in on the secret from the beginning. Letting them think Leo was dead was not just cruel; it was foolish."

"I went nuts."

"You weren't the only one. I was at Miesville just after you left, and it did a lot of damage. Then there was what the Council did to you."

"I attacked the Enforcers."

"You were loyal to your former Luna, and you did no permanent damage. The lashing was excessive. I admire how you handled yourself, but it was wrong. Finally, the Council screwed you over in the deal with the Coyotes. They should have held firm in demanding death for those who killed our wolves. Instead, they rolled over like scared puppies and made everyone get in line."

The food arrived, and Bonnie moaned in pleasure when she bit into the blueberry pancakes. My wolf wanted to hear that sound, loud and often. I was getting hard between Bonnie's scent and my wolf's visions of us making love. Her nose flared, and I could see a blush on her chest. Her wolf was feeling the same.

She took a long drink of ice water while I adjusted my package and continued talking. "And now I'm stuck under Alpha command. I'm going to find them, Clyde. And when I do?"

"You'll call me first," I replied.

"Why? You would stop me, as would my Pack and my Council."

"I would, but not for the same reasons." She sat back, staring into my eyes. "Let me ask you a few questions, Bonnie. If Sean's killers are arrested, tried, and sentenced to prison, will that be enough for you to find peace?"

She ate another bite before answering. "I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement, but I never felt the killers paid the price without death. I would move on, not because I was satisfied, but because I couldn't do anything else." She took another bite. "The two shooters will never be convicted because there is no evidence against them, and the police think they are already dead. The cook is involved, and I'd like to kill him myself, but life in prison would be acceptable."

It was an honest answer. "What if another wolf killed them?"

"I'd be mad I didn't get the chance, but I'd take it. Why?"

"Before I can help, I have to know if it is more important to get justice or revenge. If coyote blood on your teeth is the only option, Bonnie, I can't stop you or save you. You'll have to break Alpha command to get close to them, and you'll be a rogue before you can attack them. Every Pack Wolf in the country will be after you, and the Council will send everyone they have to destroy you. I can help you get justice without having to destroy yourself."

"How?"

"By being my partner. I've devoted my life to protecting Pack wolves and removing threats to our kind. I've given you all the information I have on coyotes. You have law enforcement contacts that I don't, plus you have the money and freedom to travel anywhere. I will be at the Council, heading up a task force to locate and track every were-coyote we can find. Inside and outside, Bonnie. Together, we can find them."

"And then what? The Council won't kill them, and you don't want me to do it either."

I smiled. "And that is where I can help you."

"How? You're under the same limitations I am!"

That is when I smiled wide. "I'm not under Alpha command, Bonnie." Her eyes got wide. "I was in the room for the negotiations, but they sent me to watch you before they announced it. Emily and I were out of range before Sanders commanded the Enforcers, and I wasn't present at Headquarters when he gave the command there. So, when we figure out where the three are, I can take care of our coyote problem."

Her mind was going through the possibilities. "If the Council or the Coyotes figure out you did it, they'll kill you, and you break the truce."

"That's the part you'll have to trust me about, Bonnie. I can get it done without it blowing back on either of us or the Council. I can't tell you how because you have to be innocent."

"But we will be working together to find his killers."

I nodded. "So what? The Council is ordering me to find all coyotes, and I'm assembling a team right now. If the Chairman wasn't afraid of you, and you wouldn't tell me to fuck off? I'd ask you to join the team. You're the kind of wolf I need. By investigating on your own and feeding information to me, you're doing everyone a favor."

She finished her pancakes before talking. "I work only with you?"

I handed her a burner phone. "This is programmed with the number for the burner I'm keeping. Completely untraceable."

"What do you get out of this, Clyde?"

"I see justice done, and I get you as a friend, Bonnie. I'll be retired soon, and I enjoy riding with you. I'd like that to continue."

She put the phone in her jacket, and I paid for the meal. We didn't talk business on the road, focusing on the scenery. The joy in her voice as we crested the hill and looked down on the Duluth harbor made the road trip worth it. The ride along the lake was a blast, especially along Old 61 along the lake. We went through the Silver Creek tunnel north of Two Harbors, and I told her we were getting close. "We have to turn off just before the entrance to the next tunnel," I told her. She dropped behind me, and I turned towards the lake along the private road.

"Where are we going?"

"My place." We followed the road down the hill, passing other homes until we arrived at the garage door I'd just opened. Bonnie had gotten a few glimpses of the lake through the trees, and she was practically bouncing as we shut down our bikes and the door closed again. "Come on," I said as I held out my hand to her.

Tingles shot up my arm as she placed her hand in mine. I opened the door to the kitchen, leaving the keys on the table. Bonnie stopped, her mouth open as she saw the views out the windows looking over Lake Superior. "Wow," she said as she walked to the sink.

"It's better from the living room," I promised. The home was two stories, with a peaked roof pointing towards the lake. The center was a cathedral ceiling, with fixed triangular windows and dormers up high and full-length picture windows on this level. The room had commanding views of the lake, the cliffs, and the uninhabited Encampment Island eight hundred feet offshore. Bonnie walked to the prow, where you could see the whole lakeshore. "It's even better from the office loft," I said.

A stairway led upstairs to a pair of rooms on either side, the lake sides of the loft open so you could see through the big windows or out the dormers. I kept an office on one side, while the other was a library. Bonnie almost ran upstairs, utterly in love with the home on the point of land sticking out into the big lake. She eventually looked away and came down, but the two-sided views from the master bedroom had her nose to the windows again. "This place is amazing," she said.

"Thank you. I love this place; it's on two acres of land, and the views are unparalleled. There's a fire pit partway down the hill, and there are small beaches on the lee sides of the cliffs and rocks. I come here when I need to be at peace again."

"I can't believe you own this! The parties must be incredible in the summer."

"No one knows I live here, Bonnie. You're the first person who wasn't in construction, delivery, or maintenance to step foot in this home in the last twenty years."

Her mouth dropped open again. "But this house is huge!"

"Five bedrooms, four baths, almost 3500 square feet. It's much too big for me, especially as I'm only here a few weeks each year."

"Then why did you buy it?"

I led her to the overstuffed couch and sat her down. "When my mate died, I threw myself into Enforcer training and developed my skills. Tracking down and eliminating wolves without leaving traces is exciting, but it wasn't enough. I started taking contracts for work in the human world." The news shocked her. "I'm not proud of what I did, but the money was good, and the hunt made me feel alive again. I think you understand how that is."

"I do."

"I adopted the identity of one of my victims, and I kept the money I earned apart from my Council income. I bought this house as an investment under that name, and I've kept the false identity up to date if I ever need to disappear quickly. Nothing leads back to my other life, and no one but you knows about this."

She looked out at the waves crashing into the rocky island. "Why bring me here?"

"You need a place to work where the world cannot find you, Bonnie. If the Alphas find out you are looking for the coyotes despite the Alpha command to stay clear of them, they will stop you. You have to disappear and reappear at random. I need your 'crazy Bonnie' routine to continue."

Her eyes flashed at the characterization. "Why?"

"The Council thinks you are self-destructive and a threat only to yourself. I need you to disappear for a week or two at a time, then show up at some biker bar and get in a fight, or show up on Youtube at a Kali dojo. Play the distraught widow, not the calculating investigator. It's the best way to divert attention from what we are doing."

"And when the coyotes die, no one thinks I had anything to do with it."

"That's the goal." I showed her the rest of the house before we took a walk together on the beach. Her hand felt good in mine as I helped her across the uneven ground. "I never get tired of the views," I told her.

"I believe it." We went back inside after an hour of exploring.

I set her up with everything she might need for the stay. I wrote down the security, computer, and wifi codes. I gave her the extra keys to the home, the pickup truck, and instructions for contacting me by secure email or videoconference. "Stay as long as you want, and come and go as you please. There's not much in the kitchen, so you'll have to go shopping tonight." I grabbed my motorcycle jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"Miesville, then back to Council Headquarters," I said. "I'll tell everyone that you decided you couldn't trust a Council Fixer after all, and you took off without me. No one will question that, and that word will make it back to the Council. It's another layer of deception for us."

She put her hand on my arm. "I don't want you to leave yet."

I cupped the side of her face, tingles going through my fingertips. Her head tilted into my hand, her lips parted, and her tongue flicked along them. I leaned down, giving her a chance to pull away, and she never did. Our lips touching sent pleasurable tingles through my body, and I heard the low moan I'd been hoping to hear. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling her body tight to mine, and our kiss deepened.

My wolf was coming out, and I could feel my teeth descending as my wolf prepared to mark his mate. I pulled back from the kiss as I fought for control.

Bonnie was struggling with it as well. "You're my mate," she whispered.

"Yes," I replied. "You are mine, and I want nothing more than to claim you as my own, but we can't. Neither of us could explain a mating bite, and if anyone found out, I'd be off the job. We have to put your vow first, Bonnie. I'll wait for you."

She looked thunderstruck and a little betrayed. "How long have you known?"

"Since Saint Raymond. You weren't ready then. You probably aren't ready now, but I had to kiss you." I let her go and opened the door to the garage. "Stay safe, Bonnie. I'll be in touch."

She pulled me down for another kiss, then let me go. "You stay safe as well, Fixer Lassiter. And thank you."

I drove away even as my wolf begged me to go back for her.

Ch. 65

Bonnie Woods' POV

Safe House North of Two Harbors, MN

The door closed, and I just stood there. My right index finger moved to my lips, which still tingled with the aftereffects of the kiss I'd laid on Clyde.

MATE.

I heard the garage door open and his Harley fire up, but I couldn't move. "You knew," I told my wolf.

"You weren't ready to know. You aren't ready now, but we are closer to being together forever."

Part of me wanted to scream in frustration, while the rest wanted to yell for Clyde to come back. In the end, I did neither. I moved to the window by the front door, watching him drive up the hill towards the highway. I watched for ten minutes, but he didn't return, so I went back to the kitchen. I took a glass out of the cabinet and opened the kitchen faucet. Nothing came out.

Of course. With no one living here and the thermostat at a minimum, the caretaker would drain all the piping. You wouldn't want water pipes bursting if the house froze.

I had things to do. I turned the thermostat in the main room up to seventy degrees. Going down to the utility room on the lower floor, I closed the drain on the well-water tank before closing the breaker for the pump. Water started filling the pipes and the water heater. I followed the directions to light the pilot and start that up. Finally, I went to each bathroom and the kitchen, running water through the faucets until they flushed clear.

I checked each of the bedrooms on the lower level, then walked out to the patio. The caretaker drained the six-person hot tub for the winter, but I figured out how to open the fill valves and turn on the pumps and heaters. I covered it up in anticipation of a long soak tonight. The gas grill still had a full tank of LP, so that was good to go after cleaning.

The house was dusty, so I decided to clean the areas I'd be using. I closed the doors to the extra bedrooms, moving my things into the master. After all, Clyde and I are mates, and he'd WANT me in his bed, right? My wolf agreed. His scent was the strongest there, and my wolf wanted that connection. My extra clothes went into the hamper or the closet. I'd have to buy more if I didn't want to do laundry every other day.

The house had a central vacuum system installed, so I took the time to air the rooms out, dust the furniture, and vacuum the floors. When I cleaned the kitchen, I realized how much shopping I'd need to do. The refrigerator was empty, save a Coke and a few beers. The freezer had some expired frozen dinners, while the cupboards held a few cans of vegetables and beans. Most concerning was the lack of coffee, though he did have a decent coffeemaker on the counter. I'd need another, maybe a Keurig, for the upstairs office.

I'd be here for weeks, so I'd need to stock the place up. He told me I could order stuff on Amazon under his fake name and have them delivered, but I didn't want to wait. I made a long grocery list, chicking for needed bathroom and cleaning supplies, and headed for the garage. The 2013 F-150 fired right up, and I was on my way to town.

We'd passed through Two Harbors on the way here, so I'd already spotted the grocery store and a pizza place. I ate first, sampling a couple of the local beers as well. Bent Paddle Brewing had some good stuff.

I spotted a coffee shop next door to the grocery store, so I stopped in and sampled a few. They were pretty good, so I bought five pounds of beans and an electric grinder. Coffee is always better that way.

I needed two carts at the grocery store, but no one batted an eye. The North Shore economy lived on mining and tourism, and we were at the start of the summer season. Stocking a summer home or cabin was as common as strangers in town. I paid cash, not wanting to leave a trail. I had almost ten thousand in cash for this road trip, and what wasn't in my purse was hidden in my jacket or motorcycle. I'd be fine, and I'd withdraw more in a town far from here when I needed it.

It was dark by the time I returned to our home. OUR home. I didn't have a mark, but he'd claimed me, and I would accept that claim when it was time. I smiled as I put the supplies away.

I went back to the bedroom and saw the burner phone flashing with a message. "FLIGHT IS LEAVING. I LOVE YOU." That was a surprise; I thought he'd be riding back. It did mean he left his motorcycle at Leo's place, so we could meet there and go riding again with no one the wiser. I smiled and sent a text back. "THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I WISH YOU WERE IN THE HOT TUB WITH ME TONIGHT." I took a quick shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and padded downstairs and out the back patio. I left all the lights off since my wolf vision had no trouble in the moonlight.

The setting was spectacular, with the moon reflected on the water and the waves crashing below. I eased myself into the hot, bubbly water and looked down the hill. The property was elevated about fifty feet above the lake. The grass yard sloped down past the fire pit to end at rock cliffs, sheer to the right and sloping down to the water on the left. The point the house sat on was basalt, a volcanic deposit from a billion years ago, hardened lava escaping from the Mid-Continent Rift. Later ice ages had glaciers carving out the bottom and leaving the lake behind. The result was the dramatic view before me of the largest freshwater lake in the world. It contained ten percent of the world's freshwater and averaged 483 feet in depth. Clyde mentioned that a few hundred yards out to the left, the water was already two hundred and fifty feet deep.

I relaxed into the jets, letting the warm water ease my aches from the riding and the day's activities. I thought back to my last time in one of these; I'd traded oral sex with a hot guy, but froze up before I could ride his cock. I was glad now because Clyde would be the second and the last man to make love to me.

I wondered what he was doing as my eyes closed and my hands wandered down my body. Did he fly back with my Alphas to Bangor? Or did he go to Boston, the closest major airport? He might be landing by now, but he'd have to catch a ride back to Council Headquarters. I could feel his hard cock straining against his jeans during our last kiss. How far away was he before that finally went away?

His body wasn't lean muscles as Sean's had been. He was a few inches taller, with broad shoulders and the bulging muscles of a strong Beta. I could imagine him lifting me with those arms, pinning me against the wall, and pounding me into a screaming orgasm with that thick cock I felt.

So I did imagine it. My left hand brushed and teased my nipples while the fingers on my right hand stroked my engorged labia and moved inside. I thought about all the places we could make love here at the house. The hot tub, of course. Clyde pounding me from behind while bent over the railing in the loft office. Cowgirl style by the picture windows, with the lights off and a thunderstorm rolling in off the lake. Clyde loses control and pulls my jeans down, taking me suddenly from behind as I lean against the rocks on the cliff below.