I noticed the chapter number but I thought the letter was wrong. Seems as if Buffy is acting the same way with men then Spike does with women (demon or human). I wonder what went wrong when Buffy still feels the pain because of Spike. But she expects him to be alive.
But the slayers are rouge indeed, not connected to the council. It's W&H to blame for them then. I don't think Spike and his team knows but I'm not sure.