70

Council Fixer Clyde Lassiter's POV

Black Bear Inn, Bangor, Maine

My wolf was going nuts on me. Alpha Anthony texted me last night after Bonnie's retirement party. Bonnie took my note from him, but she was drunk and might not call me until she'd slept it off. I was a little disappointed her wolf was still hiding me from her human side; it's not like Bonnie could miss my scent. If she knew I was her mate, she wouldn't be able to stay away.

My mate was out there, and she wanted nothing to do with me. She was like a wild animal, frightened and skittish, lashing out with her teeth and claws when cornered. My human side stressed patience and humility, while my wolf wanted to subdue and force her to accept that her place was at my side. Every hour Bonnie refused to talk to me was proof that my wolf was right.

I couldn't sleep at three in the morning, so I headed out. I walked into the Bangor City Forest, a natural area just west of the hotel. I got in a hard run, circling the area three times without being seen, and it was enough to settle my wolf down until I could sleep again.

It was three-thirty now, and I was still sitting in my hotel room. A baseball game was on the television, a pizza box from lunch was in the garbage, and my bags were packed and ready to go at a moment's notice. I looked at my phone, tossed it on the pillow, and then it started to ring. I snatched it back up, letting out my breath when I saw it was Alpha Anthony. "Lassiter," I answered.

"Bonnie is gone," he said as my heart dropped to my stomach. "She left on her motorcycle a few hours ago, saying she was running some errands. Bonnie wasn't home when her mom got off work. She found a note goodbye, car keys, and her will in her room."

"Has she broken the Pack Bond?"

"No, but she's too far to link. Her phone goes straight to voice mail, probably turned off like last time."

"Did you..."

"No tracker. Bonnie would check."

Shit. "Any idea where Bonnie is going?"

He let out a breath. "I'm hoping that Bonnie is taking some time off to travel the country and get her mind right. I can't guarantee that, though. The other possibilities are more concerning."

I thought about it for a few seconds. "If Bonnie is going after the coyotes, she'd have to break command first. I'll warn the Council she may be heading their way."

"Heading west doesn't mean she's attacking the Council," Anthony said evenly. "Don't put motives on her that she hasn't evidenced."

"It's a precaution, that's all." I had to know one more thing. "Did she read my note?"

"She tore it in half and threw it away. Good luck finding her, Clyde. Let me know if I can help."

Dammit. "I will, Alpha." I ended the call, grabbed my things, and headed for the car. I made some phone calls along the way, the first to the Security Center at Council Headquarters. I explained the situation but minimized the danger when asked if they were authorized to take her out. "Look, I don't know if she's heading your way, and it's not illegal to visit Council Headquarters. She's still Pack, and she's done nothing against our laws. IF she breaks our laws? THEN we will deal with her in strict compliance with the law. That is our oath and our duty."

"Understood, Fixer. I'll double patrols and post extra guards at the entrances."

"Do that. Tracker Woods is hanging out at biker bars and staying at motels, so send a few Enforcers out to those in the area. If anyone spots her, notify me immediately. I'll be there in about five hours."

"I'll keep you posted." I hung up and started calling Alphas in the Northeast. I didn't expect Bonnie to show up in their territories, but they might run across her. I reiterated that the Council did not have a detainment order on her, but it wouldn't help. If they captured her, she wouldn't escape without a beating.

Once I finished with those calls, I called the one person I could trust about this. "Luna Adrienne? It's Clyde."

"Hang on a minute." I heard a door close and music play. "Did you talk to her yet?"

"No. Bonnie even tore up the note I sent."

"It's going to take time, Clyde. Seven months isn't enough to recover from the loss when the Council blocks her revenge on the people who killed him. While she associates you with the Council, her ears and eyes are closed to you."

"I need to talk to her before she destroys her future," I replied.

"Then pick your side." My heart sank into my stomach. "Think about it from her perspective. If she accepted you tonight, how would that work? Would she move in with you? Would she support your work at the Council? Hell, would she agree to join the Council Pack and take Chairman Sanders as her Alpha?"

The thought was ludicrous. Even if Bonnie submitted to him, Sanders would never accept her. "She'd kill him first," I concluded.

"Or she'd die trying. You have to change your life to be in hers, Clyde. Show her by your actions that you love her because she won't listen to your words. Your human side has to prove himself before your wolf has a chance."

I would have to quit my job, which brought up another problem. "If I quit now, Chairman Sanders will assign another Fixer to the case. The others won't hesitate to take her out. I've been able to hold back the Enforcers and other Packs for now. Without me, she'll be in more danger."

"Bonnie can take care of herself. Her behavior can be self-destructive because she needs to risk death to feel alive again. Riding fast and fighting bikers will replace the thrill she used to get in her job. I was the same way for a while after I lost my mate. It took me years before I stopped thinking about death."

"But she has me," I protested.

"If she lives long enough. Clyde, if you want your happily ever after, you'll have to help her move on. You need to help her find and kill the bastards who shot Sean without getting killed or going rogue."

"I have to help her break Alpha command and get away with it?"

She let out a chuckle. "THAT is what you have to figure out." My mind was spinning. "I can tell you where Bonnie will be on Saturday if you want to try again."

"Where?"

"This might be your only chance to get her alone, Clyde. You better figure out how you're going to convince her."

"I will. Where?"

"My home. Leo is hosting a Packwarming Pool Party at ten on Saturday. It's going to be huge! Miesville invited a dozen nearby Packs, plus Chairman Wolfe. We expect close to five hundred people to show up. If that isn't enough, Sharkbait talked us into having a barbecue competition as part of the festivities."

"I take it she wants ribs?" That little girl loved her barbecue.

"We've got almost thirty teams competing for prizes in ribs, brisket, chicken, and pork butt. The other Alphas donated the prize money and the meat. Some are bringing RVs or tents in on Friday to get an early start."

"And Bonnie will be there?"

"She wouldn't say no to Sharkbait, and Bonnie's planning to compete," Adrienne replied. "Maybe you could help her rub her butt?"

"I'll be there. I'll use Chairman Wolfe's presence to get Sanders to assign me to it." I thanked her and hung up.

I was feeling better as I approached the Vermont border, and I hit the button on the steering wheel when I got a call. "Lassiter."

"Sir, it's Jason Lash. I found Woods."

"Where?"

"The Langdon Street Tavern in Montpelier. She's with some bikers, all humans, and she didn't like that I was there."

I bet. Montpelier was over two hours north of the Council Headquarters, so Bonnie wasn't heading for trouble. "Leave her alone. Take up station near Interstate 89; if she heads south, follow her and report. As long as she stays away from Headquarters, she's not a threat."

"You don't want me to follow her?"

"She's a champion tracker, boy. Sending you to follow her would be stupid." I hung up, then pulled over to set my navigation system to head to Langdon Street.

She was gone when I arrived.

Ch. 62

Bonnie Woods' POV

Sugarbush Resort, Vermont

My nightmare had so freaked me out that I couldn't get back to sleep. The first sun of the morning was coming over the mountains, so I got up carefully and used the bathroom. Salty was sleeping soundly, his face buried in my pillow. I walked out, uncaring of my nudity after living with wolves my whole life.

I used his Keurig to make a cup of coffee, then went out onto the deck. Getting the hot tub going again was easy, and I sank into the warm water with a low moan. I moved until the jet was centered on my lower back while I sipped my brew.

As the sun rose, I relaxed into the water and closed my eyes. My mind returned to the dream from last night, and I tried to figure out what it meant. My wolf wasn't helping a bit, so I was left to analyze her behavior. She'd appreciated the strength and cunning of Clyde's wolf and was more than happy to offer herself up. Was she that horny for some puppy pounding? I hadn't looked at another wolf since his death, and she wasn't interested in Salty or the other men I'd been around.

I thought back to the Council announcement and how Clyde had manhandled me then. My wolf hadn't fought against him then, either.

Thinking about his strong arms wrapped around me, I didn't notice a hand was sliding down my body to my sex. I felt myself open up as I remembered his scent and the feel of his body behind mine. My finger slid through my labia and started to penetrate my sex.

"NO!" My hand jerked away, and my eyes opened in shock. What the fuck was going on with me?

I stood up and went to get out, just as Salty opened the sliding door. He froze, looking at my body with lust in his eyes. "Wow. You're more beautiful than I remembered."

"Good morning," I said as he walked over and set his mug down. He leaned in and kissed me, and I reciprocated. He tossed his robe aside, and I backed up to let him get in. He sat down and pulled me into his lap, his arms around my waist and my back laid against his chest. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Nightmares happen, Bonnie. I'm glad you came out here. When you weren't in bed, I worried you had left without saying goodbye."

"I do have to go."

"Where?" He gestured towards the woods. "Everything you need is right here. We're both retired now. Take some time with me. I hope we can find something together." I could feel him hardening, his length pressed against the crack of my ass. One hand moved up to squeeze a tit while the other moved down to my sex. His hands began to explore my willing body. I was already horny, and my low moan only encouraged him. I closed my eyes, and Clyde's face appeared in my mind. I froze, then jumped off his lap and stood in the middle of the tub. "Bonnie?"

"I have to go," I told him. I didn't know why, but the Fixer ruined another part of my life.

"Take a shower and change," he told me. "I'll get breakfast going."

"Fine." I brought my saddlebags in from the garage and took a quick shower before dressing in clean clothes. I put my riding leathers back on and repacked, tossing the bags over my shoulder. "That smells good," I said as I walked past the kitchen. I got my Harley ready, then sat at the table as he set a breakfast sandwich in front of me. It looked perfect; toasted English muffin, bacon, cheese, and a perfectly round scrambled egg layer. I looked at it before taking a bite. "How do you get this so perfect? Mine always fall apart."

"I use round cookie cutters in the pan for the egg," Salty said as he put together another one. "Want this one too?"

"You should eat."

"Bonnie, you look like you can't wait to leave, and I've learned not to fight that. Something scared you this morning, and it wasn't me, was it?"

I felt sorry for him; he'd done nothing wrong. I was the one who got cold feet. "No. It's something from my past that I can't get over just yet." That was mostly true.

"I'd like it if you would leave me your contact information. I'd like to see you again when you're ready for more."

"I don't have a phone, and I don't know when I'll be around. Hell, I don't know if I'll ever be ready. As a retired Detective, I'm sure I can find you when I am."

He wrote his name, address, and phone number down on a small piece of paper. "Call me if you need a riding partner."

He kissed me again, but I didn't have any passion left for him this time. I went out to start my bike. Salty handed me another sandwich wrapped in a napkin and a double coffee in a travel mug. "Ride safe, Bonnie."

I patted his cheek. "You didn't do anything wrong, Salty. You are right; we would be good together." I left him watching me as I pulled away.

I ate the sandwich at stoplights, making my way to Interstate 89 towards the Canadian border. As a retired LEO, I could carry my pistol anywhere in the USA, but that didn't extend to Canada. I'd left my 1911 in my room at my parent's house. That didn't mean I was unarmed! I'd strapped a pair of hard maple fighting sticks with cloth tape wrapped on one end to the frame of my Harley. My other weapon was special to me; it was Sean's Yarborough knife, presented to him when he graduated as a Green Beret. The seven-inch fighting knife was engraved with his name and sat in a sheath on my belt. Fixed knives were legal, so I had no issues crossing the border.

I made it to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters by eleven. I was meeting one of their detectives for lunch, a meeting I'd cashed a few favors in to set up. I showed my identification at the desk and had to leave my knife behind before getting my visitor's pass. Inspector Sylvie Massie led me back to her office and closed the door. "Thank you for seeing me," I told her.

"I probably shouldn't, but you deserve to know," she said. Over the next hour, she laid out the current status of the investigation into the drug lab found outside Quebec City. "The ballistics tests are conclusive, Bonnie. The two dead Sicarios we found were your husband's killers."

"Do we know who they were?"

She showed me the files she'd gotten from the DEA. Both men had been hardened killers with warrants in Mexico. Both entered Canada illegally. "No one will miss them."

"And the Chemist?"

"He either escaped the attack, or the other Cartel gunmen took him. A good chemist is too valuable to kill."

I knew the whole 'rival cartel' thing was a myth, and I was happy it held up. "Has he started cooking again?"

"We don't think so. We are still finding some in busts, but the supply is drying up. Most of it is back to the low-grade crap we're used to."

"What about the rival Cartel? Any information on them?"

"They were professionals, in and out with no clues. They carried AR-15-style weapons, left no fingerprints on the brass, and nothing we could track down. Any vehicle tracks got washed away in the rain long before our detectives arrived." She closed the folders up and put them back in her drawer. "I hope this gives you some closure, Bonnie. I can't imagine what this has been like for you."

"Thank you." I took her to lunch, then continued west. From Montreal, I drove along the north shore of Lake Ontario to Toronto. I found a hotel in Little Italy and walked to the Bar Stray. I expected a dive from the motorcycle at the entrance, but it was more Lawyer Harley than Biker Harley. Still, the pool table was free, the food was good, and I was within staggering distance of my room.

The night was not without drama. One of the yuppie types got hammered and started hitting on the waitress. When the owner asked her to stop, he backhanded her to the floor.

Five seconds later, I had that little pussy crying out for mercy on the floor. I'd walked up behind him, kicked him in the nuts, then grabbed his right wrist in a lock behind his back. I tripped him as I spun him down, ending with my knee on his shoulders and his arm twisted behind his back until his arm snapped. His buddy thought about helping out, but I had my knife pointed at him before he could take another step. At least he wasn't a stupid drunk; he put his hands up and backed off. The local police arrived a few minutes later and took us out to the cars. I gave my statement while he went to the hospital.

"Thanks, Bonnie," the owner said after the police left. "You handled that well."

"I was in Law Enforcement, so I'm used to busting up bar fights," I said evasively. "Does this kind of stuff happen often?"

"It's spring, and some guys think buying a Harley makes them a badass biker or something."

"I know what you mean. The average Harley buyer is a married guy in his fifties, with an income above a hundred thousand a year," I said. "The young ones are all wearing racing leathers and driving crotch rockets."

"Your drinks are on the house, Bonnie." I closed the place, then headed back to my hotel room. I drove back into the United States the next day, crossing central Michigan to Muskegon. I had enough time to get dinner before the ferry to Milwaukee left at 4:45 PM.

Instead of getting frustrated by Chicago traffic, I relaxed and watched the lake speed by me for the next two hours. Milwaukee was a great biker town, and I had a great time playing pool and drinking at a bar near my motel.

On Friday, I drove across Wisconsin until I reached the Miesville Pack. I got a warm welcome, as the Pack appreciated all I had done in protecting their Luna. Here, my whip marks were a badge of honor. I had just put the kickstand down in the motorcycle parking area when I heard the shrieks of two young girls. "BONNIE!"

I dropped to a knee just in time to catch Sharkbait and Amy in my arms. "Hey, kiddos."

"Come on! Mommy said you are staying with me!"

"You've got the foldout couch in our apartment," Olivia said as she walked up. "Girls, help her carry her things." I handed Amy my helmet and Sharkbait my backpack, then took the saddlebags myself. After dinner, I went to bed before the kids did. I had to be up at three in the morning to get the coals going and start the brisket.

I borrowed two of Leo's Big Green Eggs with digital temperature control, fired with hardwood charcoal, and soaked cherrywood or hickory chips. Since he was running the contest, Leo wasn't competing. When Luna Adrienne invited me, she offered help. My minions brought me my breakfast at six in the morning. "Morning, Sharkbait! Morning, Amy!"

Sharkbait yawned, not at all a morning wolf. "Morning. When do we make ribs??"

"Not until ten. I've got the brisket in this cooker and the pork butts there." I had a nice area in the front yard with a canopy, lawn chairs, and a prep table. We polished off our biscuits and gravy and talked strategy.

Cars kept arriving, and most of the other teams were cooking away. I visited a few but stayed close to my spot. At nine-thirty, the girls and I set up a prep line. I washed the ribs, trimmed excess fat, and removed the membrane. Amy shook my secret rub onto the ribs while Sharkbait rubbed the spices into the meat. I was covering the racks with saran wrap when I sensed the threat. I looked over, confirming it was him. "What the f... I mean, what are you doing here, Fixer Lassiter?"

"Cooking ribs," he said as he set the box on the table at the station next to mine. I looked over to Luna Adrienne. She looked away from greeting our guests and smiled.

It's not being paranoid when everyone IS out to get you.

Ch. 63

Council Fixer Clyde Lassiter's POV

Montpelier, Vermont

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Bonnie Woods didn't head south towards the Council after all. One of our people in Customs and Border Patrol notified me that she crossed the Canadian border at the Blackpool border crossing. I let Alpha Francois Gallaudet of Saint Raymond know she'd entered his country, just in case she headed his way. "It's not likely, because Bonnie is smart enough to understand the decision to release the coyotes came from above your level."