Love's Baggage

LOVE ’S BAGGAGE

…After changing into regular clothes, Bandit grabbed his keys and headed out. He didn’t live far from the bar, so it was only a matter of a few minutes to arrive. As he pulled into the parking lot, he saw all of his families’ vehicles, plus Nick’s car as well. Why the hell were they all there? Had news come about Pavel and Jess? Or maybe the book had been found. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. His family sat at several tables, chatting amongst themselves. He spotted Nick, Gryphon, and Marvus sitting by themselves in a corner. Rover gestured to the table where Savannah held court. Roman and Allen sat at the table with her. Max had disappeared at some point during the drama of finding the book. The brothers stuck around, unsure and reclusive. Bandit had been right to think Max wasn’t the twins’ father, but at least the man got them to a safe place before he left. Allen and Roman had come from a bad place, caught and used by non-preters. They stayed away from the pack for the most part, and Bandit couldn’t blame them. It would take more than a couple of months to learn to trust people, even other wolves. Bandit sniffed and his cock stiffened at the scent he detected under cigarette smoke and the musk of the other lycans around him. God, he loved how Allen smelled, but he stayed away from the slender wolf. Allen wasn’t ready for anything, and Bandit was pretty sure he wasn’t the right man for Allen. Bandit had seen things while he wandered the human world, things that sullied his memories. As horrible as Allen’s life had been, the other lycan gave off an air of innocence, and Bandit didn’t want to ruin that…

ALSO BY T. A. CHASE Air And Dreams Allergies Bastet Be The Air For You Bitter Creek’s Redemption Duncan’s World Embrace My Reflection Freaks In Love Kissed By God Lift Your Voice Nick Of Time Nowhere Diner: Finding Love Revealing The Past Seduced Seduced And Revealed Shades Of Dreams Soothe The Burn Under My Bed Voice For The Silent Why I Love Geeks Why I Love Waiters Wolf’s Survival

LOVE’S BAGGAGE BY T. A. CHASE

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

LOVE’S BAGGAGE AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2011 by T. A. Chase ISBN 978-1-61124-189-1 Cover Art © 2011 Trace Edward Zaber

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Thank you to everyone who emailed me and asked about Bandit. This story is for you.

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CHAPTER 1 Bandit grinned as he set the bowl of popcorn on his coffee table and went back to grab his beer from the refrigerator. He removed the cap and took a swig. Nothing like crisp, cold beer at the end of the day. Of course, it would be better if he had a date, but nothing to do about it. He flopped onto the couch and picked up the remote control. The entire weekend off and he didn’t have anything planned except watching movies. He growled as his phone rang. Snatching up the phone, he answered, “Yeah?” “I need you over at the Wolf Pack,” Savannah, his mother and pack alpha, ordered. He glanced at the popcorn and beer, along with the stack of movies sitting out. It really sucked having a marathon planned to 1

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beat his insomnia and having his mother order him away from it. “Why? Can’t you tell me whatever you want over the phone, Mom?” He cringed at the whine in his voice. Christ! He sounded like a puppy. “No, Bandit. I need you to come here.” He hated when she treated him like a real dog. He rolled his eyes. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, young man. I’m your mother and alpha. I’m commanding your presence at the bar.” “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Bandit hung up with a sigh. There were times when he hated being a part of a pack. He had to do as his alpha ordered, even if he didn’t want to go. After changing back into regular clothes, Bandit grabbed his keys and headed out. He didn’t live far from the bar, so it was only a matter of a few minutes to arrive. As he pulled into the parking lot, he saw all of his families’ vehicles, plus Nick’s car as well. Why the hell were they all there? Had news come about Pavel and Jess? Or maybe the book had been found. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. His family sat at several tables, chatting amongst themselves. He spotted Nick, Gryphon, and Marvus sitting by themselves in a corner. Rover gestured to the table where Savannah held court. Roman and Allen sat at the table with her. Max had disappeared at some point during the drama of finding the book. The brothers stuck around, unsure and reclusive. Bandit had been right to think Max wasn’t the twins’ father, but at least the man got them to a safe place before he left. Allen and Roman had come from a bad place, caught and used by non-preters. They stayed away from the pack for the most part, and Bandit couldn’t blame 2

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them. It would take more than a couple of months to learn to trust people, even other wolves. Bandit sniffed and his cock stiffened at the scent he detected under cigarette smoke and the musk of the other lycans around him. God, he loved how Allen smelled, but he stayed away from the slender wolf. Allen wasn’t ready for anything, and Bandit was pretty sure he wasn’t the right man for Allen. Bandit had seen things while he wandered the human world, things that sullied his memories. As horrible as Allen’s life had been, the other lycan gave off an air of innocence, and Bandit didn’t want to ruin that. He dropped into the chair next to his mom. “All right, I’m here. What was so important you had to drag my ass out tonight?” Rover brought a beer over for him. He nodded his thanks before taking a sip. Savannah leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry to interrupt your movie marathon, honey, but this is important for all of us.” Her gaze skipped to Allen before coming back to him. “All right.” Bandit glanced over at Nick and Gryphon. “Has there been any news about your friends?” Spike, Bandit’s oldest sister, joined them and shook her head. “No, and I’m beginning to worry. There haven’t been any new encounters with Grime and his group either. Whoever took the book must not have given it to him yet.” “Or Grime hasn’t figured out how to use the spells. Either one is good for us. It gives us time to plan,” Nick spoke from where he sat. Everyone nodded. Bandit took another sip and looked at his mother. Something in her expression warned him he probably wasn’t gong to like what she had to say. 3

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“Treat it like a Band-aid, Mom. It’ll hurt less if you come right out and say whatever it is you want to tell me.” Her eyes narrowed at his tone, but she let it slide. Spike growled softly, and Bandit dipped his head in apology. “I need you to escort Allen and Roman back to their home territory.” Bandit bit back his instinctive refusal. “Why me?” Okay, it wasn’t as self-assured as he wished it to be. Yet it was a legitimate question. “Rover would be a better choice,” he pointed out. Savannah shook her head. “Rover needs to stay here. Spike and I are going to the conclave to talk to the other preters. They have to know what’s going on. Marvus is settling in with Jess’s pack. He said he’d let us know when he finds anything. Nick and Gryphon are leaving to go to the High Council. Maybe they can talk some sense in the old bastards. Rover’s needed to run the pack while we’re gone.” He leaned closer. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but our pack isn’t that big. The others can run things without supervision for a while. Maybe Spot and Lassie could go. I’d suggest Patches, but she actually has a job outside the bar, so that wouldn’t work out.” He wanted to suggest anyone else to get the attention off himself. Bandit knew he was a good Beta, but he’d never be a leader. Savannah held up her hand to keep him from suggesting someone else. “Don’t waste your breath, Bandit. I’m not going to change my mind. You, Roman, and Allen leave tomorrow morning.” “Why is it important for them to go home now? We’re in the middle of a crisis, and you want them to play old home week.” Bandit shook his head. “Seems to me it’d be safer if we stuck 4

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around here until this trouble with Grime is taken care of.” Roman shoved away from the table and stood. He glared at Bandit. “We don’t need an escort. My brother and I are capable of getting home without help.” Bandit grinned. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, man. I don’t have a problem going.” Well, that was a lie. He did have a big problem being sent off on a silly trip while things were bad around home, but it appeared he didn’t really have any choice in the matter. He would do as his alpha told him. “It’s not like I’m doing a lot of stuff around here. I just don’t understand why it’s necessary for us to go right now.” “Because I think we can learn more about Grime’s plans if you visit Allen’s home,” Savannah said. “Their pack was the first to encounter Grime and his wretched humans.” “And we might not be greeted with open arms by our pack,” Allen interjected, his blue eyes dulled with sad memories. “Did they kick you out?” Lassie sat next to Allen, resting her hand on his arm. Bandit fought the need to drag Allen away from her. Allen was his and no one got to touch him except for Bandit. He looked away, catching the amused wink Lou shot Rover. Damn, he didn’t need his brothers teasing him about Allen. Paybacks were hell and, after the hard time he gave Lou, he was sure his youngest brother was waiting to get him back. “I was banished. Roman chose to leave the pack to be with me.” Roman snorted. “I wasn’t going to abandon my brother. We’re twins and it would be like living without my other half.” Bandit understood how Roman felt. If something happened to 5

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Patches, Bandit’s twin, he wouldn’t be the same. “Why’d they kick you out, Allen? It doesn’t make sense.” Spike looked as puzzled as Bandit felt. Allen swallowed and looked at Roman, who shrugged. Without considering his actions, Bandit reached over and took Allen’s hands in his. When the smaller man met his gaze, Bandit smiled. “You’re a member of our pack now, and no matter what you did, you aren’t getting kicked out.” He didn’t have to look at his mom to know she agreed with him. Allen squeezed his hands, and Bandit wanted to grin with pride. “I was banished for being gay, and since I wouldn’t challenge my father or the alpha, I didn’t have a choice.” Silence swept through the room, building layer upon layer, until Bandit could almost feel the weight of it bearing down on his shoulders. He didn’t let go of Allen’s hands, not even when Allen tugged, trying to get free. “It was an excuse,” Roman commented. “Why?” Spike asked. “He abused my mother and Roman constantly. He never touched me because he knew I could defeat him in a fight. Yet he never understood I didn’t want his position or even to be alpha.” Allen looked down at the table. “He feared Allen, and the fear led him to convince the alpha to get rid of Allen. The alpha used the excuse of Allen being gay to do it.” Roman snarled. Bandit studied Allen and, finally, for the first time, he actually saw Allen as a lycan in his own right, not just as the man Bandit wanted to fuck. The indefinable aura Bandit noticed around his mother and older siblings hung over Allen, bright enough to make 6

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Bandit want to bare his throat and submit to the slender man. No big deal, since Bandit didn’t have an alpha bone in his body. “You don’t want to be pack leader?” Spike shot the question at Allen. Bandit caught the incredulous expressions on his mom and Spike’s faces. He laughed, drawing surprised glances from everyone. “Not everyone wants to be in charge, even if they have the power to be,” he commented. “Don’t look at Allen like he’s crazy.” Allen shot him a grateful look. Roman still didn’t look like he appreciated Bandit’s support of his brother. Bandit grinned at him, unconcerned about Roman’s disapproval. “How were you captured by the non-preters for their circus?” Rover asked. “Oh, we weren’t captured. Our father actually convinced our alpha to sell us to the freak show.” Roman sounded so matter-offact about the betrayal. “You’re fucking kidding me, right? The fuckers sold you, and you want to go back?” Bandit shot to his feet, hands clenched. “We need to go back.” Roman faced off against Bandit. “We have to check on our mother and siblings.” “Fucking call them. Why risk getting the shit kicked out of you again? Or, hell, maybe the bastards will sell you again? Only this time it won’t be to a circus. It’ll be to Grime and his bunch of psychotic maniacs, who’ll torture you and shit before slitting your throats and leaving you to bleed to death.” Bandit had never felt such fear and anger. Who knew Allen had gotten under his skin so quickly? Because it was Allen he was worried about, not Roman. He didn’t want Roman to be hurt either. 7

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He wasn’t that big of an asshole, but something whispered he’d lose his shit if Allen ended up injured or captured. “Bandit, sit down,” Savannah ordered. “You have no say in this. Roman and Allen already decided to go. Plans have been made.” “Then why the hell did you have me come here? If my opinion wasn’t going to be considered, what did it matter if you told me or not?” Bandit gestured to Lou. “Hell, Lou could’ve packed my bags for me and you could’ve told me a minute before we left.” “Bandit.” Spike’s tone held a warning. “You have nothing to add to the discussion,” Savannah added, ignoring Bandit’s shocked growl. “Rover over-ruled me when I said we’d tell you tomorrow before you left.” Bandit glanced around the bar. The members of his family wouldn’t meet his gaze. Those who weren’t part of his pack watched the drama with sympathy. “That’s right. I’ve always been the screw-up. The one who never takes anything seriously. Seems to me I’m the only one who spent time in the human world without support from my pack.” He turned and head toward the door. “Sorry. I thought you might have a little more respect for me by now. Guess I was wrong.” “Bandit Canis, you don’t have my permission to leave.” His mother’s voice held all her alpha power. He paused at the entrance to the bar, but didn’t turn to look at any of them. “I don’t care. You and Spike can follow me into the parking lot. We can change and you can force me to submit to your superior strength, but it’s not going to change how I feel. At this moment, I don’t respect any of you and I’m not really sure how much I like all of you.” Stunned silence filled the bar. No one had ever spoken to 8

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Savannah like that, and Bandit knew, under lycan law, she was well within her rights to punish him. “We’ll meet at your house at eight tomorrow morning.” Allen broke the quiet, his voice soft, but commanding. “We’d like to use your truck, if it’s possible. We’ll pay for gas.” “Of course you’ll use Bandit’s vehicle.” Spike regained use of her voice. Bandit tensed, but Allen spoke again. “No. It’s Bandit’s decision on whether we use it or not. You’ve taken too many choices away from him. He should have the right to say no.” Allen hesitated for a minute before continuing. “Actually, Bandit, you have the choice not to go with us at all. I won’t force you to do something you don’t want to do. I know this is an inconvenience to you.” “We’ll pay for gas? When did we decide this?” Roman sounded exasperated. “Yes, we will. This is an expense Bandit didn’t plan on having. We need to pull our own weight during this trip, Roman.” “Now, Allen, we don’t expect you to pay. You’re part of our pack.” Savannah’s tone held annoyance. Bandit still didn’t turn around. His mother probably expected him to decline Allen’s offer, but he didn’t give a shit. “I’ll be ready.” He left, got in his truck, and drove to his house. When he got home, he tossed the popcorn and put the DVDs away. He packed a bag before brushing his teeth and going to bed. As Bandit stared up at his ceiling, he contemplated the journey ahead of him. It might be interesting to travel with Allen. They could get to know each other without the prejudice of his family coloring their relationship. Something told him Roman would fight 9

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their relationship every step of the way. Bandit snorted. Of course, it would only matter if Allen liked him as well. Rolling onto his side, he punched the pillow and sighed. It wasn’t worth worrying about at the moment. He needed to sleep. *

*

*

“Bandit’s right.” Allen turned to look at Ray, Lou’s human partner. The man usually stayed out of pack business. Non-preters had held Roman and Allen captive along with abusing them, but Ray never forced his presence on them, and Allen had come to like the human. “What are you talking about?” Spike glared at Ray. Ray looked at Lou, who nodded. “You don’t take him seriously. You treat him like the annoying younger brother who has never grown up.” “Maybe if he acted like an adult, we’d treat him as such.” Savannah shook her head. “I think you’re wrong there. Sure, he’s a smart ass and obnoxious at times, but when you need him, he’s there.” Ray grabbed Lou’s hand. Allen could tell the human was nervous about speaking up for Bandit in front of the pack. “Not true. He ran away from the pack for two years. He’s only been back for eight months now.” “Did any of you ask him why he left?” Nick joined the conversation. Allen jumped, having forgotten the avatars and the vampire were still there. “Because he couldn’t have his way.” Savannah stood, bringing 10

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the meeting to a close. “I don’t wish to discuss this anymore. Bandit is accompanying Roman and Allen back to their home territory.” “I’ll go with them.” Everyone’s attention swung back to the door where a tall, redhaired man stood. Allen didn’t give ground as the man advanced. The stranger was a strong wolf, but he wasn’t as powerful as Allen. “Who are you?” Savannah demanded. “I’m Gianni Valten.” Both Allen and Roman gasped, moving closer together. How had Gianni found them? When no one from their pack came to help them after they were sold, they figured all the pack members were fine with their sale. The Canis pack sensed their fear and closed ranks around them. Savannah and Spike were in the front with the others encircling them. Nick, Marvus, and Gryphon stayed in the background, but they appeared ready to help if needed. Gianni dropped to one knee and bowed his head. Savannah glanced back at Allen, and he stepped forward, Roman beside him. “I’m sorry it took me so long to find you. We were told you chose to leave the pack and we were forbidden to look for you.” Gianni snarled. “It was only in the last year we discovered you were turned over to the non-preters. I followed every lead until finally someone told me the Canis pack might know where to find you.” Allen looked at his brother and surprise rocked him. Roman stared at Gianni like a diabetic would look at a chocolate cake— lust and need mixed with a helping of knowing it wouldn’t be good for him. “Get up, Gianni. You don’t need to kneel before me. I’m not 11

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your alpha. I’m not even a member of your pack anymore.” Gianni stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Allen noticed how Gianni’s gaze kept wandering over to Roman. He gave a small smile. The trip was going to be lots of fun since it looked like Gianni reciprocated Roman’s feelings. “You are my alpha, Allen. I recognized your power long ago. Don’t you remember when I swore my oath to you?” Allen laughed. “We were ten, and I thought you were playing.” “A lycan doesn’t play with his oath,” Gianni reminded him. “When you disappeared, I asked everyone about you, but no one except Kinsey and your father would give me an answer.” Allen held out his hand, and Gianni grabbed it, yanking him forward into a quick hug. He let the big man squish him for a moment before breaking free and gesturing to the nearest table. “Let’s sit and talk.” He thought about something and turned to Rover. “Is it all right if we stay here? Or do you want to close and go home for the night?” Rover chuckled. “I live behind the bar. If I get tired, I’ll give you the key and let you lock up. It’s not open to customers, so we’re good. What would you like to drink?” “I’ll have a Corona,” Gianni said. “I just want water.” Allen didn’t drink. He hadn’t liked not having control over his actions and too much alcohol caused problems for him. “Corona’s fine with me.” Roman sat and rested his elbows on the table, staring at Gianni from under his lashes. Gianni waited until Allen sat before pulling out a chair and swinging it around. He laid his arms on the back of the chair and glanced at the others. “So you’re the Canis pack?” 12

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Savannah nodded and didn’t seem bothered by Gianni’s lack of submission toward her. Maybe she thought Allen would keep him in line, and she was right. Allen might not want to be alpha of any pack, but he wouldn’t let anyone disrespect the woman who opened her pack to his brother and him without any questions. “I thank you for taking Allen and Roman in when they needed it.” Gianni bowed his head to her, and Savannah returned the gesture. “You’re welcome. Now come on, everyone. We’ll leave them to discuss things. Rover, take care and I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow night. We’ll go over what needs to be done while Spike and I are gone.” “Yes, ma’am.” Rover nodded before herding everyone else out of the bar. He locked the door behind them. “I’ll be balancing books in the back office if you need me. Just knock on the door when you get ready to leave.” “Thanks, Rover.” Allen accepted the drinks the lycan handed them. “You stood up for Bandit, and I appreciate it. It might seem like we don’t respect him, and while it’s true for Mom and Spike, it’s not true for me. I have a lot of respect for my brother. He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s gone through a lot of shit he’s never told any of us about.” Allen shrugged slightly. “At times, I think I know where he’s coming from. He’s seen things the rest of you haven’t, and it’s changed him in ways he doesn’t want you to know about. Also, he doesn’t want it touching you.” Rover nodded. “That’s Bandit for you. Always trying to protect the rest of us. Even though he isn’t an alpha, he has the right mentality.” 13

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Rover squeezed Allen’s shoulder in gratitude and wandered off behind the bar and down the hallway. Allen waited until he heard the door shut before meeting Gianni’s gaze. “Why are you here now?” “I told you. It’s taken me this long to finally track you down. It’s like I’ve been chasing after ghosts at times. I’d arrive in a town and be told you left two days earlier. I was beginning to lose hope of ever finding you.” Allen tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Who told you to come to Canis territory?” Gianni closed his eyes like he was conjuring up the image of his informant in his mind. “He was an older man, with dark hair and dark eyes. A wolf like us, but he’d been injured, so he was moving slow. Told me to come to the Wolf Pack bar and ask for Savannah. He said she would know how to get in touch with you.” “Max,” Roman exclaimed. “Did he look all right?” Gianni shrugged. “He moved slow, but was healing fine, I guess. He definitely wasn’t letting the wounds stop him. When I ran into him, Max was fighting two non-preters over a half-breed wolf. The half-breed had been beaten pretty badly, but Max wasn’t going to let the humans finish him off. I joined in, not wanting to see either of my fellow wolves killed. After we won, I helped get the injured wolf to Max’s truck. He asked what I was doing in town, and I explained who I was looking for. He gave me directions here and the rest is history.” Allen and Roman shared a glance. “I wonder what Max does for a living. Maybe it’s like some kind of lycan underground railroad. Getting the ones in danger out of harm’s way or something like that,” Roman speculated. Gianni caught the last part of it. “Were you guys in trouble? 14

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You didn’t just leave?” “No. Our father convinced Kinsey to sell us to some nonpreters who owned a freak show. We were prisoners there for ten years, until Max broke us out. He was taking us somewhere when humans attacked us to kill us. Ended up here and the rest is, as you said, history. The Canis pack is involved with some serious shit, so we’re going to do what we can to help them.” “And that involves you both going back home?” Gianni grimaced. “I have to tell you guys, the pack has gone downhill since you left. Alpha Kinsey’s completely lost his mind, and your father is really in charge now, directing Kinsey’s every decision. We know any order Kinsey gives comes from your father. He makes money by getting Kinsey to force pack members to fight to the death, while non-preters watch and bet on us. I’ve never understood why your father just didn’t challenge your uncle and become alpha.” “Because my father isn’t alpha material. He likes to lead from the background.” Allen sneered. Roman gagged. “That’s terrible. No one thought to stop them?” “None of us are as powerful as they are. Only Allen could’ve done it and he wasn’t there anymore. It’s one of the reasons why I was sent looking for you. The rest of the pack wants you back. They want you to challenge the alpha and take over.” Gianni grinned. “You can’t be worse than the bastard we have now.” Allen held up his hands in protest. “I don’t want to be alpha. I have no interest in leading a pack.” “Sometimes you have no choice in the matter, Allen. Sometimes fate chooses your destiny for you and you’re stuck with it.” They looked up to see Marvus standing there. 15

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“How did you get in?” Gianni looked at the closed door. “I didn’t see you come in.” “Do you really think I need to use a door?” Marvus chuckled. “I’m here to tell you, Allen. Fate has plans for you, and your destiny is intertwined with all that’s going on. You have to go back to your pack and take over.” “Who are you?” Gianni frowned. “He’s an avatar, Gianni, and when he speaks, I have to listen. This is going to suck. Bandit’s going to freak when he hears we’re going to challenge for a pack.” Allen didn’t look forward to asking Bandit if he would help take over another pack.

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CHAPTER 2 Bandit tossed his bag in the back of his truck and went back to sit on the front steps of his porch. He sipped from his mug, absorbing the caffeine in his coffee. He barely tipped his head when Lou and Ray showed up, joining him on the porch. “You do realize we tried to convince Mother not to do this without talking to you first, but she wouldn’t listen to Rover or me.” Lou bumped his shoulder against Bandit’s. “You’re a pain in the ass, Bandit, but you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. You should know everything about this trip.” He tilted his head, gazing at his youngest brother from the corner of his eye. “What do you mean I should know everything about this trip? Is there something I don’t know? Something that might get us into trouble if I didn’t know?” 17

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Lou shook his head. “Not that I know of, but they don’t tell me anything either.” “You’re right. We’re like mushrooms. They keep us in the dark and feed us shit.” Bandit went back to sipping his coffee. “There’s coffee in the kitchen if you’re interested. Is everyone going to show up to see us off? Or only Mom and Spike?” Ray wandered into Bandit’s house, and Lou shrugged. “I’m not sure. I wanted to let you know I’ll keep an eye on your house while you’re gone. Make sure nothing happens and keep it clean.” He looked over his front lawn at the bright flowers he’d chosen so carefully blooming along the walkway. “Thanks, Lou. I appreciate it. I don’t know how long this is going to take. I’m hoping it won’t be a big deal. I’ll get them there, and they’ll find out if their family’s okay or if they need to stay.” “If they stay, will you stay as well?” Lou stared out into the driveway. “Why would I?” Bandit frowned. Lou frowned. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s how you look at Allen. I know you like him.” Bandit snorted. “I want to fuck him, Lou. That’s not a strong enough reason for me to stay in his pack instead of coming back home. Anyway, I think they consider us to be their pack now.” “What if they find a reason to stay there? What if Allen ends up challenging the alpha and takes control of the pack?” “Have you heard something?” Bandit finally looked Lou in the eye. “Tell me what you know.” Lou grinned. “I don’t know anything, Bandit. I’m just saying what if. You can’t know for sure what’s going to happen in the future. You should be prepared for anything.” 18

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Before Bandit could answer, Spike’s car pulled into the driveway. He watched as Spike and Savannah climbed from it. Allen and Roman joined them, along with a red-haired stranger. Bandit stood, a growl low in his throat as the stranger took Allen’s elbow and led him up the walkway. He started to lunge forward, needing to jerk Allen away from whoever the lycan was. Lou grabbed him and shook his head to warn Bandit not to do anything. Instead, Bandit glanced down at his watch and said, “Right on time. My bag’s already in the truck. Why don’t we get yours in there? I hope you have directions because no one’s seen fit to tell me where we’re going.” The unknown lycan snarled and stood in front of Allen. “You don’t talk to him like that.” Bandit raised his eyebrows and met the lycan’s gaze. “I don’t know who you are, but considering I’m being ordered to do this and no one asked if I wanted to go, I’ll talk to him however I want.” Allen started to say something, but Bandit shook his head. He held out his hand to the stranger. “I’m Bandit Canis. Who are you?” “Gianni Valten.” They shook hands, and Bandit didn’t try to dominate Gianni. No point in trying to prove who was stronger. Bandit could tell he was more dominant than Gianni, but he didn’t care. After they let go, Bandit turned to Allen. “Where are your bags? We’ll get them put away and head out. Oh, if you’re interested in coffee, there’s some made in the kitchen. There are also some travel mugs.” “I have them here.” Ray stepped from the house, carrying four of them. “I heard an extra voice, so I brought another one.” 19

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“Thank you,” Allen said as he took one. Bandit followed Gianni to Spike’s car and grabbed a bag. “You’re from their pack. What are you doing here?” “I came looking for them. I’ve been looking for them since I found out what really happened to them. It’s only been within the last couple of months I started getting recent sightings. Then I ran into Max in a town about an hour or two away from here. He told me to come here and ask the Canis pack about Allen and Roman.” “Are you always this chatty?” Bandit hoped not because it was going to be a long trip if he was. “Are you usually this big an asshole?” Gianni met his gaze with frankness. Bandit thought for a moment and nodded. “Yes, but I promise to try and not take my annoyance with my family out on Allen. I can’t promise I won’t be an ass to you or Roman.” “What makes Allen special?” Turning with the bag in his hand, Bandit’s gaze landed on Allen, standing next to the truck chatting with Ray. “Have you seen him?” “Hmmm… I think I know.” Bandit didn’t care if Gianni realized how much he liked Allen. It wasn’t like Bandit was going to seduce the man. Gianni headed over to the vehicle and Bandit went with him. They tossed the bags into the back, and Bandit looked at his mother. “I’ll give you a call when we stop for the night, Mother.” “Listen to them, Bandit. You don’t know anything about the pack you’re going to visit.” Savannah patted his cheek. “Yes, Mom.” He didn’t like being treated like a pup, but it wasn’t worth pissing her off by protesting. He gestured for the other three men 20

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to climb in. “Let’s get going, gentlemen. We can stop for breakfast along the way.” He slid behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition. Roman and Gianni sat in the back, while Allen took the passenger seat. The slender lycan reached over and gripped Bandit’s hand before he could put the truck into drive. He met Allen’s gaze with a questioning look. “I want to thank you for doing this. I know you’ll say you didn’t have a choice and you have to do what your alpha tells you, but you did. It would have made your mother angry, but I’m sure you’ve made her mad before. You could’ve turned your back on this trip.” Bandit didn’t think about his actions. He reached out and rubbed his thumb over Allen’s chin. “If it was just your brother going back home, I probably would’ve said screw him and dug in my heels about going.” “Hey,” Roman protested. Bandit ignored him, keeping his eyes on Allen. “I’m doing this for you because you need to have people at your back you can trust. I hope you know you can trust me, no matter what I might say or do. I wouldn’t leave you hanging.” Allen nodded. “I know and thank you for being there. I’m afraid things have gotten more complicated than when we told you last night.” “Really?” Bandit smiled and settled back in his seat. “Why am I not surprised? Well, let’s get started, and you can either tell me on the way or when we stop for something to eat.” “Maybe I should tell you right now. In case you decide you don’t want to go.” Allen wrung his hands. 21

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Bandit laughed and glanced in the rearview mirror. Spike had pulled her car out from behind the truck, but both she and Savannah stood there in the front yard, watching them. “You don’t understand I have no real choice in the matter. I’m going with you, and nothing you say will change it. I might not be happy about what you tell me, but if I don’t want to get my ass kicked by those two ladies out there, I do what I’m told.” Gianni grunted. “I don’t blame you. Those women are scary.” “You have no idea.” Bandit put the truck in drive and pulled out. He waved at his family as he drove by. “How far away are we going?” “It’ll take us two days to get there.” Allen eased back in his seat and sipped his coffee. “If you’re not going to back out of this, maybe we’ll talk about everything when we stop for the night.” “Sounds like a great idea to me.” He shot a look in the rearview mirror at the two wolves in the back seat. “Are you two hungry or can you wait for lunch?” “Go through the drive thru and we’ll grab some fast food,” Roman suggested. “I’d like to get home as soon as possible.” “Works for me,” Gianni agreed. It was a consensus and Bandit went to the nearest fast food restaurant. After getting breakfast for them, he paused. “Which direction, gentlemen?” “Turn left and head to the highway. When you get there, go north.” So they were heading north for a little while anyway. He nodded and turned. He didn’t really care about not knowing where they were headed. It was how he wandered when he left the pack a couple of years ago. At the time, it didn’t seem to matter where he went or how he ended up. He just needed to be gone. 22

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No one seemed inclined to talk, so he poked Allen with his finger to get his attention. “You can be Captain Audio for our road trip here.” Bandit pushed the display screen on the dashboard and pointed at the music icon. “You touch that button and it’ll bring up my entire play list. I’m not picky about my music, so play whatever you feel like.” Allen grinned and started scrolling through the songs. “You might regret that,” Roman commented from the back. “Why?” “My brother has a weird obsession with eighties hair bands. If you have any of that music on there, we’ll be listening to it.” “It’s not weird. Some of them were really good.” Allen pouted slightly. Bandit winked at Allen. “Don’t worry. Go to the playlist button. Hit it and it’ll bring up all the different play lists I’ve set up. There’s a list for everyone.” “Woot!” Allen pumped his fist in the air when he saw the 80s list. “Here we go.” “Ugh.” Roman groaned. Gianni and Bandit shared a smile in the mirror. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad a trip. He got on the highway and set the cruise, listening to the three men arguing the finer points of Bon Jovi versus Poison. *

*

*

Five hours later, he pulled into the parking lot of a chain restaurant. Allen and Roman had fallen asleep about hour into their journey. Gianni didn’t try to start a conversation, which Bandit 23

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appreciated. Even with a large travel mug full of coffee, Bandit still wasn’t much of a morning person. When the truck ceased moving, Allen and Roman woke up. They stretched and looked around. Bandit tried not to ogle Allen’s lithe body. Shit! He shifted in his seat, thinking about saggy boobs and wrinkly skin… anything to make his erection deflate. The others climbed out and stood waiting for him. Gianni caught his eye with an understanding smirk. Damn it, he didn’t want anyone to know how attractive he found Allen. Of course, it was too late for that since Roman had spotted Bandit’s desire for his brother early on in their acquaintance. “Let’s grab something to eat. After which, one of you can drive for a while. My back’s getting stiff.” “Getting old, are you?” Gianni punched him in the arm. “Not as old as you, I bet.” He chuckled before grimacing as his back muscles twitched. “Just an old injury.” “Sounds rough.” Gianni shrugged. “If you trust me, I’ll drive. I know where we’re going.” “Fine with me.” He held open the door and allowed the other three to go in before him. They got a booth and settled in. After giving the waiter their drink orders, he looked each one in the eye. “Have any of you spent much time out in the human world?” Roman snarled. “Our time was mostly spent behind bars in the fucking freak show.” “I’ve only be in human towns long enough to find evidence of the brothers. I didn’t spend a lot of time in them. Why?” Gianni frowned. “I spent most of two years in the city, living as a human, not a wolf.” 24

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Bandit fell silent as the waiter approached. Drinks were delivered and food orders taken. He allowed the young man to get beyond earshot before he continued. “If we’re going to be out in the human world for a while, we have to make sure not to do anything suspicious. We don’t want Grime and his fucking band of crazies trying to grab us. With as many as he has, I don’t think the four of us would survive.” Gianni looked ready to argue, but Allen spoke up. “You’re right. We don’t have the power to fight off Grime, plus if you end up hurt, your mother will skin me alive, Bandit. And it won’t matter if I’m more powerful than she is.” Allen shuddered. Bandit laughed. “Yeah, she’s pretty scary. I’ve never seen anyone meet her without worrying about her taking his balls. Spike isn’t much kinder.” “What’s going to happen when your mother isn’t able to run the pack anymore?” Roman asked. “Spike will take over the pack, and the girls will stay. Rover’s going to be leaving some time soon. Probably after this whole thing with Grime and the non-preters is done. He’s too alpha to stay and let someone else make the decisions for him.” Bandit leaned back to let the waiter set his food in front of him. His stomach grumbled as he inhaled the delicious scents of his lunch. He picked up the burger and started eating, watching as the others did the same. Being a lycan had its advantages. He could eat as much as he wanted because he metabolized food far quicker than normal humans. “But don’t you or your other brothers want your own packs?” Gianni inquired. Bandit shook his head. “None of us are alpha enough to lead 25

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our own packs. We’re happy being betas or just members of the pack. I know, for sure, Lou isn’t interested in leading a pack. He’d be hassled for having a human mate.” Gianni nodded in agreement. “Most of the packs don’t like non-preters, and their dislike has gotten worse since this whole ‘destroy preternaturals’ campaign.” “Roman and I have more reason than most to hate humans, but I have to say, I like Ray. He’s a pretty nice guy,” Allen interjected. “He is, and I’ve given them both a lot of shit since they’ve gotten together, but I don’t think Lou could find another person more perfect for him.” Bandit smiled as he remembered some of the things he’d done to jerk Lou around. “Ray stood up for you last night.” Allen dipped a fry in some ketchup before meeting Bandit’s gaze. “Really?” Bandit rested his arm on the back of the booth, studying Allen. “Why would he do that?” “Not sure. Just told your mother the way they treated you wasn’t right. They should respect you more.” Allen ate another fry. “I think he’s right.” Bandit shook his head. “No.” All three of them looked at him in surprise, and he grimaced. “I know I haven’t acted like an adult since I’ve come home. Mostly I do everything I can to irritate them, but at times, I can’t take it. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived out in the world and not in a pack for so long. I don’t accept authority as easily as I once did.” Bandit closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Allen reached over and tapped his arm. He opened his eyes and met Allen’s gaze. “Why not? It’s genetically coded in us to obey our alphas or those more powerful than us. How do you get away with 26

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subverting her authority?” Bandit snorted. “I’m not subverting her authority. No one in the pack listens to me anyway. It’s just I’ve seen too many people use their power for evil and, while my mother isn’t evil, I have seen her throw her weight around to get us to do what she wants. It’s not how I want to live.” “But alphas must do whatever they have to do for the entire pack. Sometimes it isn’t popular or necessarily a good thing, but they do it to keep the whole group safe,” Roman pointed out. “It’s what they say to keep everyone in line, but most of the time, it’s just to serve the alpha. I don’t trust most of them any farther than I can throw them.” Bandit sighed and signaled the waiter. “Let’s get out of here. Time to get back on the road.” He’d effectively ended the conversation, and none of them seemed inclined to start it up again. He didn’t want to talk about what he’d seen while he was away from the pack. The cruelty of people, not only humans to other humans, but other lycan to each other had shocked him. He was no longer innocent. “Hey, Gianni, here you go.” He tossed the red-haired lycan his keys and climbed in the back. Allen joined him, while Roman took the passenger seat. They seemed to be pairing off, and while Bandit liked the idea of Allen wanting to spend more time with him, he wasn’t sure if it was a good one. “I’m trying to give them time together,” Allen whispered in his ear as they pulled out of the parking lot. He turned and pressed his lips to Allen’s ear. “Why?” “I think they like each other.” Allen’s blue eyes twinkled. “Isn’t that pretty quick? Didn’t they just meet last night?” Bandit paused and realized something. “I never asked who the hell 27

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Gianni is.” “No, you didn’t. I think, since you were too concerned about leaving as soon as possible, you didn’t stop to wonder where Gianni came from.” Allen eased closer into Bandit’s personal space. “Something’s telling me you knew Gianni before last night.” And the knowledge didn’t make him happy. Allen nodded, his blond curls brushing over Bandit’s cheek. “Yeah. He’s from our original pack.” “No fucking way.” Bandit reared back and growled. Gianni slid to a stop on the side of the road and slammed the truck into park. He turned back to glare at Bandit. “What the fuck has you all in a tizzy?” Bandit shot from the truck and started pacing along the highway’s edge, ignoring the cars zipping past him. Allen, Roman and Gianni joined him, but stayed out of his way. “You make a decision to go back to your home pack, and he suddenly turns up. He’s a member of the pack that sold your asses to a human freak show. A pack that had no concern for you and your lives.” Bandit waved his hands around as his annoyance grew. “That doesn’t seem even the slightly bit convenient to you?” Gianni stood straight and snarled at Bandit. “I had nothing to do with what happened to Roman and Allen. I’ve been searching for them for a year now.” “Yeah… right. Sorry if I don’t believe you.” Bandit gritted his teeth. “Who are you to question my motives?” Gianni stalked toward Bandit. “Who am I? Obviously, I’m the only one of the entire freaking pack who’s thinking straight. Who cares if you’re from their pack? 28

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You say you’ve been searching for them, but how do we know that? How do we know you’re interested in helping them?” Bandit stood his ground. It might be another instance of him getting his butt kicked, but he would take the punishment. Why hadn’t anyone else seen how suspicious Gianni’s arrival looked? Christ! Was he the only one with doubts about the lycan’s true reason for being here? Gianni growled and drew back his fist, causing to Bandit brace himself. After living with Rover and Spike as older siblings, he could take a punch. “Stop it, both of you.” Allen’s command burned between them. Bandit didn’t move, even though he wanted to expose his throat in submission to Allen. He wouldn’t do it because it would leave him vulnerable to an attack from Gianni. The other lycan shook his head, but backed down, letting his hand drop to his side. “I know you’re trying to be the voice of reason amongst us, Bandit, but we trust him. Gianni’s never done anything to make us doubt him.” “Of course, he hasn’t. You’ve just met up with him after how many years?” Bandit shrugged. “Fine with me, if you chose to believe him. I’ll be happy to follow your example.” “Good. Can we get moving? I don’t want to stand on the side of the road for the rest of the day.” Allen turned and headed back to the truck. It seemed the leader of their happy little pack was done discussing anything. Bandit glanced at Gianni, who glared at him. He took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m sure you’re going to keep being angry with me because of my little episode here. I’m fine with that, and you being pissed off at me really doesn’t bother me one way or the other. I’ll 29

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try to be nice to you, but realize I don’t trust you. Not one little bit.” Bandit stuck his hands in his pocket. “You’ll have to prove yourself to me, even if Allen and Roman seem to think you walk on water.” Gianni stopped and kept his gaze on the twins in the truck. Bandit stood beside him, and Bandit’s heart skipped a beat when Allen met his gaze through the window and smiled at him. “I’m sorry my pride got the better of me for a moment there. I’m not used to anyone questioning my motives, but standing here and looking at them, I understand why you did it.” Gianni inhaled deeply. “I know you’re more interested in keeping Allen safe, while I’d lay down my life for Roman. Maybe we can use those protective instincts to help us find a way to work together. You don’t know me, but my word is good and I swear I’m here to help them, not hurt them.” “If you promise not to hit me, I’ll promise to keep my opinions to myself until I’m proven wrong or right.” Gianni nodded. “Deal.” Bandit gestured toward the truck. “Let’s get going or they’ll probably leave us behind, and all my lycan instincts are telling me they’re going to need us on this trip.” “You don’t know the half of it, my friend.” He shot Gianni a glance. “Is the half of it going to be something I don’t really want to know?” “Probably, considering how you reacted to finding out I just showed up last night.” Gianni look at him. “Oh, Max said to tell you hi, and to thank you for helping him last time he needed it.” Bandit held up his hand. “I don’t talk about Max and anything I might have done for him. Not around anyone.” “All right. I get it, and that must be why Max told me to talk to 30

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you alone about him.” “Yeah.” Roman leaned over and honked the horn. “I guess they’re getting restless. Let’s go and see if we can keep them safe from the world.” Gianni lead the way. “I don’t think it’s possible,” Bandit whispered, before opening the door and sliding in next to Allen.

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CHAPTER 3 Allen flopped back on the bed with a sigh. Riding in the truck for ten hours stiffened every muscle in his body, but did nothing for the one part he wanted stiff. Roman walked in, and Allen looked at him. “Bandit wants to know if we want to go grab dinner, or just order a pizza and have it delivered.” Allen scrubbed his hand over his face and grunted. “Considering the surprise we’re about to drop on him, I think it’s best if we eat in tonight.” “Yeah. A good idea, since we don’t want him going ballistic in the middle of a family restaurant.” Roman turned back to the door. “I’ll go tell him what we want on our pizza. Why don’t you take a shower and change your clothes? We’ll talk after we’ve eaten.” 32

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“Gianni won’t say anything to Bandit?” Roman shook his head. “No. This whole trip is on your shoulders, brother. I wouldn’t be in your shoes for all the gold in the world.” “Thanks,” he muttered, as Roman left the room again. Allen decided his brother had a good idea. He wanted to rinse off the grime of riding in a vehicle all day. Plus he never got tired of having hot water to wash with and tended to take long showers or baths whenever possible. Having been held in a cage for years made him appreciate his little freedoms. He’d just finished dressing when Roman opened the door and peeked around it. “Pizza’s here.” “I’m coming.” He slid on his socks before padding out into the hall and over to Gianni and Bandit’s room. The pair had surprised him by agreeing to share a room together. Allen had figured Bandit wouldn’t trust Gianni not to slit his throat during the night. But Bandit simply had said it would make Gianni and him feel better to share a room, instead of splitting up the brothers. Bandit was right because Allen didn’t like sleeping alone. He’d finally learned to sleep in his own bed instead of sharing a bed with Roman, but he enjoyed the comfort of someone nearby. He wrinkled his nose. Bandit might be attracted to him, but once the lycan discovered all of Allen’s neuroses, he was going to run for the hills, and Allen wouldn’t blame him if he did. No mature man wants a lover who’s afraid of the dark and can’t sleep by himself. Gianni and Roman sat on one bed with a pizza box open between them. Bandit sat on the other bed. Allen looked around 33

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and spied a chair. He had a choice; either sit with Bandit on the bed or act like he was indifferent to the man and sit on the chair. Allen debated for a moment before taking a seat on the bed. He took a discreet breath and Bandit’s lust-inducing scent filled his nostrils. His erection caused him to shift on the bed, trying to find a way to sit where Bandit wouldn’t notice the tent in his sweat pants. A soft chuckle brought his attention to Bandit, who winked at him. Allen relaxed and grabbed a piece of pizza from the box. He should have known Bandit wouldn’t make a big deal about Allen’s attraction. Hell, if Roman hadn’t played chaperon most of the time, Bandit and Allen would be lovers by now. He knew he came off shy and inexperienced, which he was, but something about Bandit pulled him like the moon circling the earth. One of these days they were going to crash into each other, and Allen couldn’t wait. They ate in silence, and Bandit didn’t seem inclined to ask about what their plan was when they got to pack territory. Finally, the pizza disappeared and Gianni took the empty boxes out to the dumpster. Bandit leaned back against the pillows and looked at them. “Tell me what I really don’t want to know.” Allen frowned and looked at Roman for encouragement. His brother nodded, letting him know it would be okay. Allen wasn’t sure about that, but he did know Bandit wouldn’t leave them. He might be pissed off when Allen told him, and Allen couldn’t blame him for that. Yet Bandit took his role as protector seriously and since he didn’t trust Gianni, he wouldn’t leave Allen and Roman alone with the other lycan. Gianni returned and settled on the bed with Roman. All eyes were on Allen and he cleared his throat. 34

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“It appears we’re going back to my pack to take it over.” Bandit didn’t move, though Allen saw his hands clench for a moment. “Oh, we are? When was this decided? And why are we taking it over when you don’t want to lead a pack?” Allen breathed deep and spread his hands. “Good question. We talked about it last night after Gianni appeared and he told us what was going on in the pack.” “Ah… after Gianni told you about the pack.” Bandit nodded his head. “What’s going on with the pack?” Allen opened his mouth to tell him, but Bandit held up his hand. “No. I want Gianni to tell me. In the end, he has the most to lose if we chose not to go on with this coup.” Both Allen and Roman protested about not going on. Bandit ignored them, his gaze pinned on Gianni like he challenged the older lycan to tell the truth. In any other situation, Bandit’s direct gaze would result in a fight. Yet Allen sensed Gianni understood what Bandit was doing and accepted the fact Bandit wouldn’t back down. “It seems the alpha’s plan to sell Roman and Allen to the nonpreters was just the beginning. He’s gone completely insane. He brings humans in and makes them fight to the death for the amusement of the pack. Also, he invites other local packs to come for the entertainment. He’s even put pack members in the fight circles.” Gianni growled low in his throat, and Allen wondered who’d died in the circles to make Gianni so angry. “How long has this been going on?” Bandit’s eyes narrowed in thought. “Since shortly after Roman and Allen disappeared, so about ten 35

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years or so.” Gianni looked at the twins. “Your father is in charge of the fights. Sometimes he pits lycans against non-preters and we know what happens then.” “Yet I’m thinking one human survived the circle and disappeared before Roman and Allen’s father could kill him,” Bandit muttered. Gianni tilted his head. “How did you know that?” “We’ve been trying to figure out what caused Grime to go on a rampage against preternaturals. None of the different species remembers having a run-in with him, yet the fight circles your alpha put together would explain it.” Bandit stood and paced in the cramped space of the hotel room. “It would explain why he chose Spike to flirt with. He knew about lycans, and even when we try not to, we give off certain signals to those who know what they’re looking for.” “It would explain the scar on his face as well,” Roman pointed out. “Yeah.” Bandit whirled and gestured to Gianni. “Keep talking. We need to know everything there is to know about your pack and what the fuck is going on there.” Gianni nodded. “It seems to be the practice to sell or get rid of anyone who argues with the alpha or the beta. The other thing I’ve noticed lately is some pack members have disappeared without a trace, though there are whispers of them being taken by nonpreters. They never come back.” Allen grunted. “It’s the practice of Grime and his men to capture preternaturals and torture them before killing them. They are searching for a way to get rid of us once and for all. Some friends of ours discovered a book holding spells that could be used to achieve those goals, but, unfortunately, someone stole it from 36

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them before they could hide it.” “Shit. Does Grime have it?” “We’re not sure who took it, except it was a preternatural. Just one none of us have ever dealt with. Rover, Bandit’s brother, says he’s never smelled one like it before. Grime might have it, but not know how to use it. Or the person who took it hasn’t given it to him yet. Either way, we’re in limbo while we try to plan our next move.” Bandit stopped moving after Allen finished explaining. He shook his head. “We can’t worry about that at the moment. We haven’t heard anything from Grime lately, and now you’re planning to head back to your pack, the very pack where we figure Grime was injured. I’m afraid it might not be as simple as just taking over the pack, Gianni. We might be fighting non-preters and lycan alike. Shit, four against I don’t know how many are very sucky odds, guys.” “That’s true.” Gianni glanced between them. “Isn’t there anybody we can call for back-up?” “My pack can’t help. We’re not that big and we’re caught up in trying to find the stupid book.” Bandit shoved a hand through his hair. “I’ll call my mother. She might have contacts out in this area who can help us.” A knock on the door startled them, and they stared at it for a moment. Another knock got them moving. Bandit gestured for Allen and Roman to move into the corner of the room, while Gianni went to answer the door. “Who is it?” he said in a low voice. “Max sent me.” Even though Allen was supposed to be in charge of their little coup, it was Bandit who Gianni looked at for permission to open 37

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the door. Allen didn’t mind abdicating leadership to Bandit. He wasn’t really meant to be a leader, and Allen knew it. Bandit wasn’t an alpha, but he did have the personality to keep people in line, which Allen didn’t. Bandit nodded, after making sure he stood between Allen and whoever was on the other side of the door. Gianni opened it and their jaws dropped. Standing in the doorway was the biggest creature they’d ever seen. He stood at least six-seven and he had to duck to get into the room. He turned sideways to fit through the door, and Gianni took a step back. “Holy fuck! What the hell are you?” Bandit looked the man up and down. Allen knew the stranger in front of them wasn’t human. He breathed deeply and the faint scent of sulfur hit his nose. He snarled, baring his teeth at the creature. “He’s a demon,” he blurted out. Bandit stiffened, but didn’t back down. Allen rested his hand between Bandit’s shoulder blades, letting him know he was there, watching his back. Roman’s growl mingled with Gianni’s and they all tensed for an attack. The demon held up his enormous hands in a harmless gesture. “I’m not here to hurt you. Max really did send me. He thought you could use some help. He said you were going up against some bad dudes without any backup.” His grin revealed pointed eyeteeth and a forked tongue. Shuddering, Allen took a step closer to Bandit, who reached around and patted Allen’s hip. “What’s your name?” Narrowed red eyes studied Bandit, making Allen think the demon wouldn’t answer Bandit. Everyone in the preternatural 38

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world knew a demon’s name held power beyond measure, and knowing the demon’s true name gave a person great power over him. “His name is Ba’el, and mine is Raze. We really are here to help you. This non-preter, Grime, is a danger to all of us, not just lycans and vampires.” A slender purple-haired man stepped from behind the demon with a smile. Allen inhaled and a subtle scent of frankincense filled his nose. “You’re an angel?” Shock rocketed through Allen. He’d never thought he’d see an angel and demon together. Raze grinned with a slight wry tip to his lips. “Well, I guess technically now that Ba’el and I are together, I’m one of the fallen.” “You don’t look like a fallen angel,” Allen pointed out. “I know. Thank God for that, right? I mean those guys look nasty. I’m hoping I’ll keep my youthful figure for several centuries at least,” Raze joked before looking back at Gianni. “You might want to shut the door. Ba’el does make an impression and we want to keep a low profile at the moment.” Gianni did as the angel said, but Bandit still didn’t move from in front of Allen. “How do we know for sure Max sent you?” “First of all, do you really think Grime would use preternaturals to do his dirty work?” Ba’el sneered. Allen tipped his head. The demon had a point there. “Second of all, he told us to give you this.” Raze held out a small, circular object, and Bandit took it from him. Allen looked over Bandit’s shoulder at the peculiar coin. Imprinted on one side was a wolf’s head and, when Bandit flipped 39

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it over, Allen saw the impression of a five-pointed star. Bandit stared down at it for a moment before nodding. “All right. Thanks for coming, guys. I guess Max had a vision or something.” “Nah. He told us to go to Canis pack territory and wait for you all to head out on your little adventure. We were to follow you and make contact with you when we thought it right.” Ba’el nudged Raze with his shoulder. “I was all for not making our presence known until necessary, but the dude here decided we all needed to talk, so we can make some plans.” Allen stepped out from behind Bandit and looked up at the lycan, who nodded. Turning back to the newcomers, he held out his hand. “I’m Allen, and this is Roman, my twin brother. We’re on our way to take over our home pack.” Ba’el chuckled, but stayed silent. Allen got the impression the big guy didn’t say much. “Well, nothing like dreaming big, I say.” Raze blinked. “Max didn’t say we’d be taking part in a coup. Awesome. I always wanted to be part of a rebellion.” “Come and sit down. You’re more than welcome to join our merry band of rabble-rousers.” Allen pointed toward one of the beds. “I don’t think the chair will stand up under your weight.” The demon shrugged. “Not much in this world does.” “Ba’el is considered small for a demon. Can you imagine what the others of his family look like? Totally scary, I bet. I wouldn’t really know. We’re kind of outcasts, you know. Not many angels and demons like each other.” Raze flopped onto the bed, babbling as he went. Allen and Roman sat on the other bed, while Bandit leaned 40

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against the dresser and Gianni took the only chair in the room. “So what’s the game plan?” Raze looked at each of them, his violet eyes gleaming with interest. “We don’t have one. We were still discussing things when you knocked.” Allen folded his hands in his lap. “How far are we from your pack’s territory?” Bandit asked. Allen shook his head. “I’m not sure. It’s been over ten years since I’ve been there.” Roman scratched his chin. “We were drugged when we left the pack. We have no idea really. Just that we need to go north.” Bandit looked at Gianni. “You know. How far away are we?” “Another four hours due north. We’ll hit the city first, then after driving through, we’ll run into pack land.” Bandit thought for a few minutes, and everyone kept as quiet as possible, which was a big feat for Raze. Allen saw him start to fidget and Ba’el reaching out to take his hand in his. What an odd pairing, but Allen guessed everyone had a person out there who was a perfect match. He peered at Bandit through his eyelashes. Could Bandit be his match? The piece to complete his puzzle? Ever since Allen first laid eyes on the lycan, he’d known they were connected in some way. The white blond hair, so much like Allen’s, except with the odd splash of brown on one side. Bright brown eyes gleamed with intelligence, and if anyone could think up a plan to keep them safe, Bandit would be the right one for the job. Bandit clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “All right. Here’s the first thing we’re going to do. Is the city large enough for us to slip in unnoticed?” Gianni nodded. “All of us except Gigantor here. At least Raze will blend in with the club crowd with his purple hair.” 41

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Ba’el rolled his eyes. “I can make myself appear smaller than I really am. It just takes a lot of energy, so I only do it in emergencies.” “Then use it to get into the city. Once there, I’m sure there’ll be places you can stay where you won’t be noticed at all. Demons always have hiding spots in non-preter places.” “True. I have a friend who’ll hide me if it comes to that.” Ba’el grimaced. “Though I don’t want to owe him anything.” “We’ll see what we can do.” Bandit flipped the coin in his hand. “This might get us some help once we’re there. I want you all to hide out while I do some reconnaissance.” “No. You can’t risk it, Bandit. What if you get caught by Grime or by the pack to fight in their circle?” Allen shook his head. “I can’t let you take the biggest risk like that.” Bandit crouched in front of him and cupped his face with his hand. “Honey, I’m the only one who can do it. Everyone knows you, Roman, and Gianni. It might have been ten years since they last saw you, but I’m pretty sure you haven’t changed that much.” He wanted to protest and try to convince Bandit he shouldn’t do that. “He’s right, Allen. Bandit might be the only one who could get close enough to find out information we’ll need to take the pack.” Roman squeezed Allen’s shoulder. “I mean not even Raze would be able to do it. With those eyes and that hair, he’d stand out in a normal crowd.” Bandit leaned forward and pressed his lips to Allen’s. Allen closed his eyes, absorbing every sensation, texture, and taste of Bandit’s mouth. The kiss was over much too soon. Bandit eased back, and Allen touched his fingers to his lips. “I have to do this, and I know you’ll come to save me if I get in 42

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trouble. All of you will be there for me. This is the only way we can have a fair warning of what’s going on. Even in the short time Gianni’s been away, things could’ve changed.” Bandit was right, though Allen didn’t want to admit it. He sighed. “Fine. I guess I don’t have a choice.” “That’s where you’re wrong, Allen.” Bandit lifted his chin so their eyes met. “You always have a choice. You can choose to turn around and go back. You can let your old pack rot in a hell of their own making.” “I can’t do that.” “I know, and that’s what makes you who you are.” Bandit grinned before standing and turning to look at the others. “That’s the first step of our plan. Once I know more, we can formulate a better idea of how Allen can go about challenging the alpha for position of pack leader.” Allen shuddered. “I don’t want to do that.” “No one really does. Well, any sane person doesn’t want to do it because it usually means killing someone.” Raze pursed his lips. “It’s one of the reasons why Ba’el is an outcast.” The demon nodded. “I wouldn’t fight my older brother for his position in the Horde.” All the stories Allen heard of demon hordes were they were far more violent than lycan packs. They were constantly fighting amongst themselves to establish a hierarchy, and usually it meant the weaker ones had to die. Allen didn’t like the idea of living like that. He studied the large demon, and Ba’el smiled at him. Even with jagged shark teeth, Ba’el gave off a gentle aura. It was probably a good thing he’d found Raze because something told Allen the angel could handle his own in a fight and wouldn’t be afraid to hurt people. 43

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“I need to call my mother and update her on what’s happened so far. Also, I need to let her know we think Grime is hunting Allen’s pack.” Bandit held up his cell phone before leaving the room. Allen looked at Raze and Ba’el. “What do you help Max do exactly?” Ba’el’s eyes widened, and Raze whistled loudly. “You do know the whistling isn’t going to make me forget the question? Max seems to be pretty connected, and the coin you gave Bandit was enough to make him trust you.” Allen pointed toward the door. “Has Bandit helped Max out before?” Raze dropped his gaze to the floor. “I can’t say what the lycan might have done with Max. We just met the old wolf a few months ago and we’ve helped him a time or two when he needed our special talents.” “Help him with what? I’ve thought Max was more than just a random lycan who decided to save us as he passed us by. I never understood why he didn’t just walk away from us,” Roman commented from where he sat on the bed. Ba’el zipped his lips and mimed throwing away the key. Raze licked his lips and hemmed and hawed for a few minutes before clicking his tongue against his teeth. “We can’t tell you about any of it. We promised not to say anything. You’ll have to ask Bandit how he knows Max.” Raze stood and gestured for Ba’el to follow him. “We’re going back to our room and we’ll see you all at breakfast.” Allen stared at the far wall, thinking about everything and ignoring the whispered conversation between Roman and Gianni. He shook off his meditation only when Roman grabbed his duffle bag. 44

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“Where are you going?” “Change of sleeping arrangements, brother.” Roman grinned at him. “What? What do you mean?” Allen clenched his hands. Roman sat next to him on the bed, resting his hand on Allen’s leg. “Listen, I haven’t been the best brother I could’ve been for you. I know you’re really attracted to Bandit and I’ve stood in the way because I didn’t want to see you get hurt.” Allen wanted to protest and point out Bandit would never hurt him, but he realized he couldn’t say it. No one could really promise not to hurt another person. They could do it unintentionally. He settled for nodding his understanding. “But I got to thinking, we’re heading into a situation that’s gotten far more dangerous than we originally thought it would. I mean, hell, when we left the Canis territory, we just thought we were going to take over our old pack, and while it would have been difficult, we’d have the support of most of the rest of the pack.” Roman shook his head. “Now it looks like we’re going to have to deal with Grime and his crazy non-preters, too, and unlike lycans, we have no way of knowing how they’re going to react, besides fighting us.” Eying Roman, Allen said, “Are you saying I should sleep with Bandit because I don’t know what’s going to happen and we could all die, so I should enjoy the time I have?” “Right.” Gianni spoke up from where he stood next to the door. “And what will you two be doing?” He peered at his brother with a sly smile. Roman blushed, and Gianni chuckled. “I don’t think it’s any of your business what we’ll be doing. Just like it’s none of ours what you and Bandit do. We were just 45

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trying to help.” Roman looked flustered. Allen bumped his shoulder against Roman’s. “I was teasing. Thanks. I appreciate the thoughtfulness, even though it helps you both out as well. We should probably see how Bandit feels about it before we make the final decision.” As if on cue, a knock sounded on the door, and Gianni opened it to find Bandit on the other side. The lycan glanced around the room and his gaze landed on Roman holding his duffle bag. “Going somewhere?” “Yeah. You and I are switching rooms.” Roman patted Allen’s leg and stood. Bandit’s eyebrows shot up. “We are?” “Yep. If you’re okay with it.” Roman headed for the hallway. Bandit looked at Allen. “Are you okay with it?” Allen’s face burned, and he couldn’t believe he was blushing. Christ! While he might be a little inexperienced, he’d had sex before. It wasn’t like he was a virgin or anything. “Allen?” Blinking, he met Bandit’s gaze and nodded. “I’m fine with it.” “Okay. I’ll go grab my bag then.” Bandit left with Roman and Gianni. Allen fidgeted and wandered the room, straightening things that didn’t need to be moved. He wasn’t sure what would happen when Bandit returned. He knew the lycan desired him, but he hoped it was more than lust fueling Bandit’s attraction.

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CHAPTER 4 Bandit said goodnight to Gianni and Roman before heading back to Allen’s room. He stood in front of the door with sweaty palms, trying to work up the courage to knock. Stupid really since it wasn’t the first time he’d slept with a man he liked. He rolled his eyes. Here he was, assuming this whole changing rooms thing was a plot to get him in bed with Allen. Maybe the man just wanted to go to sleep and not fuck. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. No point in standing out in the hall looking like a complete idiot. Allen opened it with a shaky smile on his face. Bandit didn’t want Allen to feel nervous or worried about what could happen between them. He pushed forward, making Allen give ground until Bandit could shut the door behind him. He dropped his bag to the 47

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floor and reached out for Allen. After grasping the man’s arms, he pulled him forward, bringing their lips together. Allen gasped, and Bandit took advantage by invading Allen’s mouth with his tongue. He stroked along Allen’s teeth, absorbing the moans and shudders Allen made. Only when his lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen did Bandit break their kiss. He encircled the younger man’s waist and hugged him close. They stood, breathing in each other, and Bandit smoothed his hand down Allen’s back. “You know, nothing has to happen tonight,” he whispered in Allen’s ear, enjoying how Allen shivered. “I’m more than willing to hold you and let everything progress at its own speed, no matter what Roman and Gianni think.” Allen pushed away from him and moved over to the bed. Bandit watched him sit and bite his bottom lip. “It’s not that I don’t want to have sex with you,” Allen said. “It feels a little rushed, you know.” Bandit joined Allen on the bed and took one of Allen’s hands in his. He stared at Allen’s profile, since the other lycan studied the floor instead of looking at him. “I know it does, but you do understand we’d have wound up in bed together eventually. I really like you, Allen, and I really want you as well.” Bandit chuckled. “Hell, everyone can tell how much I want you.” Allen snorted. “I can, and I’m usually oblivious to things like that.” “Right. Subtlety isn’t my specialty. I’m more the sledgehammer type of guy. Anyway, I’m fine if you want to wait a while longer. We don’t have to do anything tonight, or even tomorrow night.” 48

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“Roman said our mission has gotten a lot more dangerous. Instead of simply challenging for the pack, we’re probably going to have to deal with Grime.” Bandit growled. “Grime should be put out of his misery. He’s been nothing but trouble since he’s appeared on the scene.” “Yet if what you think about Grime being forced into the fight circle is right, he might have a very good reason to want to see all preternaturals gone,” Allen interjected. Shaking his head, Bandit disagreed. “He might have been hurt by lycans, but that doesn’t give him the right to destroy all of us. He needs to find the pack that hurt him and get his revenge on them. The rest of us didn’t have anything to do with what happened to him.” Allen leaned against Bandit and nuzzled his chin. “I know, and the scary thing is my old pack is the one that hurt him. Even if I take over the alpha position, it’s not going to stop him from coming after us.” “Sweetheart, we have a target on our back either way. Maybe by you taking over the pack, you’ll help save them. If it’s too dangerous here, we can always move them closer to my pack. There’s plenty of territory around us, and as long as you respect my mom, I’m sure she wouldn’t hassle you too much.” Bandit watched as Allen seemed to be thinking about it. He smiled to himself and pushed to his feet. “I’m going to get ready for bed. Nothing needs to be decided tonight, Allen. We can figure it all out tomorrow or when the time comes.” He went into the bathroom and took care of getting ready for bed. Bandit dug through his shaving kit to find a condom and some lube. He didn’t know if anything would happen between them, but 49

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he wanted to be ready. When he came out, the lights were off, and Allen was in bed. He stood, unsure of his welcome if he was to climb in bed with Allen. “You can join me,” Allen said, sitting up and leaning against the pillows. “You should know I don’t sleep well. I toss and turn, and sometimes I wake up screaming. I usually share a bed with Roman because we’ve found out having him in the same bed as me helps me.” After tugging off his T-shirt, Bandit let it fall to the floor before crawling under the blankets. He dropped the stuff he carried on the nightstand. He wrapped his arms around Allen and breathed deeply of the man’s musky scent. “Don’t worry. I haven’t slept an entire night since I left my pack two years ago.” Allen snuggled closer. “I guess we both have too many memories and no way of really getting rid of them.” Bandit shrugged, resting his chin on the top of Allen’s head, while staring at the wall across from them. “I’m not sure I want them to go away. They make me who I am today, and while to my family’s thinking I’m an asshole most of the time, I still know my experiences make me, me.” He snorted. Well, that was as clear as mud. “I know what you mean. At times, I wish I’d never had to go through the experience of being sold and held captive in a carnival side show, but I think it’s given me a better understanding of how people can feel trapped and what kind of emotions they go through when they do.” Allen sighed. “I wish Roman hadn’t gone through it with me.” Bandit brushed a kiss over Allen’s temple. “Honey, your brother doesn’t want to be anywhere else except at your side.” 50

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Allen leaned back slightly and looked at Bandit, his doubtful expression bringing a smile to Bandit’s face. “Okay. At the moment, he doesn’t want to be here. He wants to be beside Gianni, and I say all the more power to him.” “I didn’t realize there was anything between them. Roman always seemed more partial to women than men, but maybe it’s just Gianni he likes. I don’t know. We never talked about the pack once we were sold. It hurt too much to think of everything we’d lost.” Allen fell silent, and Bandit figured he was thinking about his family. Nothing but heartache rested in those thoughts. “I talked to my mom,” he mentioned. “How is everyone?” “She wasn’t happy to hear Grime is more than likely targeting your pack for revenge.” Bandit drew Allen even closer. He hated the idea of Allen in danger from the psychotic nonpreter. Grime had proven he would go to any length necessary to achieve his goal. Killing Allen would be a drop in the bucket for the man. “What about the others’ assignments?” Bandit grimaced as he thought about the rest of the news his mother gave him. It wasn’t good. “Marvus has checked out some of the sickest lycans in Jess’s pack, but he hasn’t determined anything new aside from what they already know.” Allen hesitated before saying, “It is parvo, right?” “Yes, but some kind of mutant strain that’s killing lycans left and right. Some do survive, but they’re not the same mentally as they were before the illness. I think Grime is using biological weapons against us, as well as all the other things he’s doing to 51

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us.” Bandit sighed. “Nick and Gryphon have arrived at the High Council, but they’re being stonewalled.” “They knew it would happen,” Allen reminded him. Bandit nodded. “Yeah, they did, but what the High Council doesn’t know is that Nick’s spirit guide isn’t going to tolerate such disrespect for much longer. Serpens will force his way into the High Council’s chamber, and they will hear what Nick has to say.” Avatars were rare in the preternatural world and to have one whom all the gods protect is even more rare. The council members wouldn’t know what hit them once Nick got going. Bandit smiled at the thought of all those stodgy elders dealing with someone like Nick. Good thing the former human had Gryphon and Serpens to keep an eye on him. “What about Jess and Pavel? Has anything new been discovered about where they might be?” Allen stroked his hands over Bandit’s chest. “It worries me that we haven’t heard anything more from them. Nick couldn’t get in touch with Jess before we left. I hope it means something other than they’re dead.” Bandit tried to focus on their conversation instead of how he enjoyed Allen’s hands on his body. “We need to have hope. Both Jess and Pavel are strong and they’ll find a way to free themselves from Grime’s clutches. If not, then we’ll end up going after them.” He meant what he said. Nick and Gryphon had become a part of the pack, even with Gryphon being a vampire. Jess and Pavel were their best friends, which meant even though they hadn’t spent much time with the Canis pack, they were considered members as well. Savannah would do everything in her power to bring them home, and when they did come back, hopefully they wouldn’t be too scarred by what had happened to them. The touch of Allen’s fingers on Bandit’s stomach brought his 52

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attention back to the man in his arms and his growing erection. He rolled until Allen lay on his back, looking up at Bandit. He leaned down and kissed Allen, who tensed slightly, but didn’t push him away. Their arms tangled and their legs entwined as they kissed, discovering how each other tasted. Bandit loved the way Allen felt against him as he pressed his body into Allen’s. He slid his hands down Allen’s back to grasp his butt. Massaging the firm muscles drew another moan from Allen, and Bandit trailed his finger down Allen’s crease to rub over his hole. Allen tilted his ass, silently begging for more. Bandit eased away and pressed kisses along Allen’s throat to his chest, where he teased and sucked on Allen’s nipples. “Oh, please. More.” Allen undulated beneath Bandit, trying to get him to move where he wanted, but Bandit was going to progress at his own pace. He brought the fingers of one of his hands up to Allen’s mouth and pressed them in. “Get them good and wet,” he ordered. Allen nodded and opened, swirling his tongue around Bandit’s fingers before letting them in. While Allen made sure Bandit’s fingers were taken care of, Bandit slipped farther down and licked a line along the underside of Allen’s shaft. When he thought his fingers were wet enough, Bandit removed them from Allen’s mouth and began playing with Allen’s hole again. He caressed Allen once before slowly invading the man’s opening. Bandit wrapped his lips around the head of Allen’s cock and swallowed him down. “Oh, my God!” Allen cried out, hands gripping the sheets beside them. 53

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Bandit kept going until Allen hit the back of his throat, then he began working Allen the best he could with both his mouth and his fingers. Allen shuddered and cried out with each thrust. Bandit kept Allen relaxed while stretching him. A tap to the side of his head had him looking up. Allen met his gaze and smiled. “I’m close. I don’t want to come until you’re inside me.” Bandit hummed, and Allen trembled. He let Allen’s cock slide from his mouth and placed a quick kiss on the slick head. After grabbing the foil packet, he tore it open and pulled the rubber out. As he rolled it down over his erection, he couldn’t help but think how weird it was to be using one with Allen. As lycans, they couldn’t catch human diseases, but he was so used to using protection when he slept with human lovers, he didn’t think about it. Allen stared at him, and Bandit decided he’d talk to him about that later. He squirted some lube on his palm and coated his cock with it. Allen reached down and pulled his legs up and out, exposing himself. “Come on, Bandit. I don’t want to wait any longer.” Grinning, Bandit positioned his body over Allen’s and began to sink into Allen’s hot inner passage an inch at a time. Their gazes connected and froze together as he filled Allen’s ass until he couldn’t go any farther. He paused for a moment, letting Allen get used to him being inside him. A slight relaxation in Allen’s body gave Bandit the clue it was time to move. He pulled almost all the way out before plunging back in, speeding up with each thrust until he pounded into his lover. Allen reached up and braced his hands on the headboard, so he didn’t bang his head against it as Bandit fucked him. Bandit drove them both closer and closer to the edge. He used 54

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more force than he usually did. Since Allen was a lycan like Bandit, he didn’t have to worry he’d hurt him with his superior strength. With non-preters, Bandit always had to be careful, and it took some of the shine from sex for him. He wrapped one of his hands around Allen’s cock, letting the power of his thrusts stroke Allen’s heated flesh through the ring of his fingers. Allen closed his eyes and groaned. “So close, Bandit. I’m gonna come,” Allen warned him. “Go ahead, love. I’ve got you,” Bandit promised, and deep in his heart, he knew the words were true. Allen had invaded every atom of Bandit’s mind and soul. Allen threw back his head and cried out. Bandit continued moving fast, shoving Allen straight over the edge into his climax. A few seconds later, Bandit followed him, adding his own howl to the sounds filling the room. Hot liquid spilled over his hand and his own cum flooded the condom. They trembled together, coming down from their pleasure slowly. Bandit eased out of Allen and rolled onto his back, making sure to keep one hand on Allen’s stomach. As his breathing steadied, he climbed to his feet and wandered to the bathroom. He got rid of the condom and cleaned up before wetting a washcloth and going back to clean up Allen. Bandit tossed the cloth back toward the bathroom and joined Allen in bed again. He curled around Allen, drawing the man back against him. Allen sighed, entwining their fingers while they drifted in the darkness. “Why did you leave your pack?” Allen’s question came out of nowhere, but Bandit realized he should have guessed his lover would ask at some point. He didn’t really want to talk about it, but no matter how much he would have 55

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preferred never to talk about it, he had to be truthful about his past. He slipped out of bed again and went to stare out the window. The parking lot was shadow-covered with pools of light splashing in even intervals from the street lamps. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Allen said, letting him off the hook. Bandit shook his head. “No. It’s something I should tell you. I’m not proud of what I did, and it’s why I left.” “Did you kill someone?” He shot a look over his shoulder at Allen, who was sitting up in bed, covers pooled around his waist. “No. I wouldn’t have left if I did. Killing wouldn’t have affected my pride.” Bandit clenched his hands. Why was he letting it affect him so much? It was over two years ago, and it wasn’t like he’d really done anything wrong. Yet it was one more thing his family would use to make him feel useless or stupid. Christ, one would think he was the youngest instead of Lou. Yes, some of his actions were childish, and maybe his pack had the right to think of him as silly and foolish. He often played the clown or the smart ass because, well, every family had to have one and none of the others seemed to be stepping up for the role. Plus it was part of his personality not to take things quite as seriously as others did. “So what did you do?” Allen’s curiosity showed in his question. “I fell in love with my sister’s husband.” Silence greeted his confession, and finally he couldn’t take it anymore. He turned to look at Allen. His lover sat there, frowning. Bandit rolled his eyes and heaved a mental sigh. He should have known it wouldn’t be easy to explain why he left. 56

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“You fell in love with Darren?” “Yes. Before he and Patches got together, he’d come to the bar. We got to be friends.” Bandit turned back to the window and ran his hand through his hair. “Stupid really, considering I knew he was straight, but I couldn’t help it. It’s so stereotypical as well. Gay guy falls for straight guy.” “Does Patches know you love her husband?” Something in Allen’s tone made Bandit whirl around to stare at him. “I’m not still in love with him. That’s why I ended up coming home. Well, that and the fact I missed everyone. I wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire while working in the city. The best I ever did was when I helped Max with a couple runaways.” “But Patches and Darren married long before you ran away. Why did you wait so long to take off?” “I thought I could handle it, but slowly it got to be too much. So I left before I made a complete ass of myself.” Bandit shrugged. “Does anyone else know?” “Lassie might have guessed, but she wouldn’t say anything to anyone else. I think the others just thought I was being my usual idiotic self. No one’s really asked me why I went, and I haven’t seen the point in enlightening them. By the time I got back, I was over Darren. I could see him with Patches and not feel like my heart was being ripped out of my chest.” Allen climbed out of bed and walked over to him. Bandit met his lover’s eyes and lifted the corner of his mouth with a slight smile. “I know it seems like a crazy idea for me to run away, but I didn’t want to do anything to upset the rest of the pack. I was extremely jealous of Patches and her relationship with Darren, 57

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because I knew there wasn’t ever a chance for us.” He paused for a moment. “Darren never guessed how I felt about him either, and I hope he never does. I don’t want to ruin the friendship I have with him, or make Patches feel bad.” Allen reached out and cradled Bandit’s face in his hands. He brought their lips together. Bandit rested his hands on Allen’s hips, but didn’t try anything beyond the kiss. When they broke apart, he looked at Allen. “I know. It’s a stupid reason to run away from your pack, but I was so confused at the time, and it seemed like the only way to make things better for me. Also, I was acting crazy, and I know my mother was starting to get fed up with my antics.” Bandit dropped his gaze to stare at Allen’s chest. “In the end, I think it was a good thing to be away from them. I learned to rely on myself and not expect them to always have my back.” “I don’t think it was stupid. You obviously had problems you needed to work out on your own, plus you didn’t want to hurt Patches. We both know it would have bothered her to know you loved her husband, even if she said it wouldn’t.” Bandit nodded. Patches was the quiet one of the pack, but she tended to be more sensitive than the rest. It was the main reason why he’d decided to leave, instead of hanging around and acting like a complete jackass around the couple. “I love my niece and nephew, and Darren and Patches really are perfect for each other.” He looked back up to meet Allen’s steady gaze again. “I’m happy I came home. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met you.” A smile danced around the edges of Allen’s lips. “As shitty as my life has been up until now, I have to admit in a way I’m glad for everything that’s happened to me. All the crap has led to the 58

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moment I met you.” Bandit kissed Allen again, invading the other lycan’s mouth with his tongue. Allen wound his arms around Bandit’s shoulders, crushing their bodies tightly together. Bandit slid his hands down to grasp Allen’s butt, lifting Allen up so he could wrap his legs around Bandit’s waist. They stumbled to the bed, and Bandit dropped on it, making sure he fell on his back. He didn’t want to hurt Allen. Allen straddled him and grabbed the bottle of lube from where it’d been forgotten under one of the pillows. Bandit moaned as Allen squirted slick all over his cock. “I want you to fuck me,” Allen said. Bandit held the base of his erection and watched as Allen slowly lowered himself on to it. Thank the Gods, Allen was still stretched from their last time. He sank right in without any pause. Allen leaned forward, braced his hands on Bandit’s chest, and began to move. Reaching up, Bandit clasped Allen’s hips and thrust up with each downward plunge from Allen. Soon the sound of skin against skin filled the room, along with the smell of sex. Bandit gritted his teeth as his climax swelled within him. He didn’t want to come yet. He wanted Allen to find his pleasure first before he let go. He peeled one hand from Allen’s waist and surrounded Allen’s cock with his fingers. “Gods, that’s perfect.” Allen’s head dropped back and his eyes closed as he rode Bandit. Bandit urged Allen to move faster, and he felt the slender man swell in his hand. “Bandit, I’m going to come,” Allen warned. With a grunt, Bandit buried himself deep and came, knowing it 59

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would push Allen over the edge. Hot cum covered his hand and stomach as he milked Allen for every drop. Allen shuddered and cried out, while Bandit growled low in his throat as he flooded Allen with his own seed. Allen collapsed on top of him, and Bandit encircled him with one arm while holding the other hand away from them. He drifted, breathing in Allen’s scent and realizing just how much Allen had come to mean to him. Any feelings he might have had for Darren were minuscule compared to how he felt for Allen. He’d always known it would be this way. Love would hit him with a sledgehammer blow, not sneak up slow and steady. At least the lasting kind of love would be like quicksilver and passionate. It would knock him off his feet when he least expected it. Sighing, Allen climbed off him and offered a hand. “Let’s clean up quick and go to bed. I get the feeling the others are going to want to leave early in the morning. We do need to get all this stuff taken care of and head back home to your house.” “Do you have a feeling things are going to come to a head soon?” Bandit let Allen pull him off the bed. They wandered into the bathroom, where Allen turned on the shower, and Bandit rested his hip against the sink. He admired the tight, round curve of Allen’s ass. “Yes, I do. It’s like a heavy weight is on my chest, and I have this irrational urge to turn around and go back to your pack. Like whatever’s coming is going to hit your family and the others first.” Allen shot a frown over his shoulder at Bandit. “I hope Nick and Gryphon have some luck with the High Council.” “So do I, but if they don’t, we’ll do what we need to do to fix this problem before Grime goes too far and destroys us all.” He put his hand on the small of Allen’s back and eased them 60

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both under the cascade of warm water. Now wasn’t the time to discuss all the problems of their world. They needed to rest before they met Max again. Things were probably going to be getting worse before too long, and Bandit wanted to spend as much quiet time as he could with Allen. Good memories and all that.

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CHAPTER 5 A knock on the door woke them up the next morning. Stretching, Bandit groaned as Allen rolled out of bed and grabbed his jeans from the floor. Bandit leered as his lover tugged his pants on before answering the door. “What the fuck do you want?” Raze’s eyebrows shot up at Allen’s greeting. He glanced over at the big demon standing next to him. “Well, he must not be a morning person. We’ll have to remember that.” Allen flipped him the finger and wandered over to the bathroom. Bandit waited until the door shut and water started running. He slipped from the bed and dug around his bag for clean underwear and jeans. “Umm… do you want us to turn around or leave the room 62

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while you get dressed?” He glanced up to meet Raze’s rather surprised gaze. Bandit grinned and winked at the angel before shaking his head. Ba’el slung a heavy arm over Raze’s shoulder, laughing as he smiled at Bandit. “I thought you knew lycans, Raze. They have no modesty and rather shamefully parade around nude a lot.” Ba’el shook his head and tsked. “O-o-okay.” Raze rolled his eyes before shrugging out from under Ba’el’s arm and going to sit on the bed. “Gianni and Roman are up and moving as well. We’ll be able to get out of here soon. We’ll probably want to stop for breakfast along the way.” Bandit eyed both of them. “Why are you so eager to be heading out? Have you heard something?” “If you want to take your time, that’s fine. Ba’el and I need to be in the city by tonight at the very latest. It has to do with our other work.” Raze held up his hand. “I can’t tell you anything about it, not even with you helping Max out from time to time.” After pulling on a T-shirt, Bandit ran his hands through his hair and tossed his dirty clothes in his bag. “You don’t have to tell me anything about what you do for Max. It’s best if I don’t know. Plausible deniability is always good. As long as what you’re doing doesn’t effective our mission, I’m fine not knowing.” Allen emerged from the bathroom and trudged over to find a shirt to wear. Bandit ducked around him into the other room, brushed his teeth and took a piss. Silence reigned in the main room while Allen repacked his bag. Bandit chuckled as he came out and wrapped an arm around Allen, nuzzling the sensitive spot behind Allen’s ear. Allen shuddered, but didn’t say anything. “You really aren’t a morning person, are you?” Bandit asked as 63

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they went into the hallway, where Gianni and Roman were just stepping out of their room. “You didn’t let him get enough sleep last night,” Roman commented as they made their way down to the lobby and checked out. Allen blushed, and Bandit glared at Roman, who shrugged. “I’m just making an observation. He’s only this grumpy when he didn’t get much sleep.” Roman grinned and bumped his brother’s hip with his. “Got lucky last night, huh?” “Roman,” Allen warned with a low growl. His brother shut up, but Bandit chuckled to himself. Allen reminded him of Lassie, who wasn’t a morning person either. She’d snap and snarl at everyone until she had her first cup of coffee. Bandit rested his hand at the small of Allen’s back and guided him to the truck. Raze gestured over to a black truck a few parking spots down. It had huge tires on it and it towered over Bandit’s vehicle. “We’ll follow you. There’s an IHOP right before the highway. We’ll stop there for breakfast and see about formulating a slightly better plan.” “Why am I not surprised that truck’s yours?” Bandit smirked at Ba’el. “Actually, it’s mine. Ba’el stands out all on his own. He doesn’t need a big truck to prove anything.” Raze wiggled his eyebrows at Allen, who blushed, causing all of them to burst out laughing. Allen flipped them all off and climbed into the back seat of Bandit’s truck. He curled up and went to sleep almost immediately. They tossed their bags in the vehicles and pulled out of the parking lot. Gianni sat up front with Bandit, giving him directions 64

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to the IHOP. Once they got there, Bandit sent the others in while he woke up Allen. He reached out and stroked his finger over the curve of Allen’s cheek. “Honey, time to wake up. We’re at IHOP and you should probably eat something for breakfast. At least get some coffee in you.” Allen mumbled, but he opened his eyes to stare at Bandit. A gentle smile graced the younger lycan’s lips, and Bandit couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and brushed a kiss over Allen’s mouth. “Let’s go, you two,” Ba’el bellowed from the door of the restaurant. “I’m hungry like a wolf, so get a move on.” “Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to agree to let those guys hang with us,” Bandit muttered. Allen chuckled. “It’s okay. They don’t mean anything by it. Just teasing. You should be used to that by now.” Bandit and Allen strolled into the restaurant and sat with the others. After ordering, they relaxed. Each had the premonition this would be their last moment of peace for a while once they reach the city. “You’re right. With as many brothers and sisters as I’ve got, I should be used to being teased all the time.” Bandit fidgeted with his silverware. “Of course, I think I do most of the teasing in our pack. At least, I know I’m the one always getting yelled at for it.” “I’ve always wondered what it’s like being a part of a family or pack. Ba’el has tried to explain what it’s like, but I don’t think a horde is anywhere what a pack or family would be like.” Raze whispered a touch over his demon’s arm. Bandit looked at Ba’el and wondered what spell the demon had cast to change the shape of his teeth and the color of his eyes. 65

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There wasn’t anything he could do about his sheer size, but most people wouldn’t think anything about it for long after he left. “True. Hordes tend to be all about the individual’s position in the hierarchy. Demons aren’t known to help each other out much. While in packs, position is important, but really we help each other out for the good of the pack, instead of for what it can get us separately,” Roman spoke up. Allen leaned against Bandit and drank his coffee. He didn’t seem inclined to join in their discussion. Bandit didn’t force him to talk. The whole mission was going to be harder on Allen than the rest of them. Allen was the one who would be challenging the alpha and something told Bandit the old alpha didn’t fight fair. “Are non-preter families the same way as a pack or coven?” Gianni asked from where he sat next to Roman. “I’ve never spent much time around humans, so I don’t know.” For some reason, they looked at Bandit. He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee while trying to think of what to say. “I spent two years in a human city. There weren’t many preters around, so I hung out with humans. To be honest, I think they’re not as caught up in the idea of pack as the be all and end all of their existence. My pack might see me as a pain in the ass and, at times, would prefer to send me as far away as possible, but I know they have my back if I ever need them.” He paused as the waitress came over and refilled all their cups. Bandit poured in some cream and sugar, stirring it for a minute. “Humans don’t seem as concerned about blood being the defining element binding them together. For a lot of them, it’s not necessarily who you’re related to, but people you trust. A lot of human families are packs by choice, not because they share a bloodline.” 66

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Raze hummed softly. “It’s strange because you would think humans would be the least of us to form bonds outside their family units. They are inherently selfish and individualistic. Yet of all the humanoid creatures of this world, they are the ones who form the tightest bonds among the least likeliest of pairings.” Ba’el grunted. “I have been intrigued by them for centuries, but I stay away from them. They don’t like my kind any more than they like the rest of you. Raze is the only one they’d greet with open arms.” “Not anymore.” Raze grimaced and shoved his empty plate away from him. “Angels as a lot are snobbish and arrogant. We are God’s warriors, right? So that makes us so much better than every other creature out there, even humans, whom God loves. Yet I had the nerve to look at Ba’el and see a being like me with feelings and thoughts. Now I’m hunted by my own kind for believing a nonangel could be as awesome as a heavenly creature.” Bandit rested his elbows on the table and looked at the others. “What I’m afraid of is this war Grime has declared on all preternaturals will cause some of our brethren to attack any human, even those who don’t know we exist and haven’t done any harm to us.” Allen laid a hand on Bandit’s arm and squeezed. “That’s one of my worries as well. A full-scale inter-species war could be around the corner if we don’t stop Grime. While I have the sick feeling lycans might have started it by doing something to him, Bandit is right. He should’ve gone after the pack that hurt him, and not after every preternatural in the world. Grime shouldn’t be looking for a way to destroy all of us.” “Revenge can twist even the strongest soul. I’ve seen it happen.” Ba’el frowned and sadness crept into the demon’s eyes. 67

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What was he seeing in his memories? Did past events haunt him like things did Bandit when he let his walls down? Bandit wouldn’t ask since it wasn’t any of his business and he would have to share his own issues. Bandit didn’t like talking about his past and what he’d done while living in the city. He’d survived and ultimately living was the important thing. “We should head out. We’ll get to the city by sundown, if we grab fast food on the way for lunch.” Gianni stood, signaling the end of the peaceful morning. Bandit tossed enough money on the table to cover his meal and a tip. A quick stop at the restroom and they were on their way. For some strange reason, seeing Raze’s giant ass truck in his rearview mirror eased him in a way he hadn’t thought possible. *

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When they stopped for a quick lunch, Gianni took over driving, while Bandit dozed in the back seat with Allen. Six hours later, the lights of the city shone on the horizon and Bandit reached over to nudge Allen. Gianni slowed down, letting Raze take the lead. The angel knew a place for them all to crash for a few days while Bandit went out to do some information gathering, and Raze and Ba’el did whatever they needed to do for Max or whoever pulled their strings. They’d timed their arrival for after sunset. It would be easier to get from the vehicles to whatever building would be their home base for the rest of their time in Allen’s pack’s territory. Raze promised it was on the edge of the city, so it also would be easy to get away if they needed to run. Once they hit the outskirts of Denver, Raze kept making turns 68

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like he was trying to lose anyone who might have been tailing them. Bandit hadn’t seen anyone, but Raze and Ba’el had been doing the secret shit for a long time, and Bandit figured it didn’t hurt to be careful. Finally, full dark had fallen and they were in the worse part of Denver, where there were more abandoned buildings than occupied ones. Raze pulled to a stop in front of a large warehouse and honked his horn. A minute later, the garage door started going up, and Raze pulled in when it finished opening. Gianni drove Bandit’s truck into the enormous empty space right behind Raze. Bandit wasn’t sure what he expected, but seeing Max and a group of people waiting for them really wasn’t it. Allen and Roman piled out of the truck and raced to Max, giving the older lycan hugs. Max patted them on their backs before quickly breaking away. “Grab your bags and come on up. We’ll talk after you’ve settled.” Max gestured to a pale girl, who smelled like blood, and a dark-skinned man. “Rhonda and Malik will show you to your rooms. Then one of them will escort you to the meeting room.” Allen seemed shocked at the cool greeting from Max, and Bandit took his hand. Rhonda approached them. “Allen and Roman, it’s good to see you again.” “You, too, Rhonda. I’m glad to see you weren’t hurt too badly.” Roman bowed his head to the female vampire. “Nothing a little blood and some time in the dark couldn’t fix. I’ll take you and your friends to your rooms. Malik, escort the angel and demon to their room.” “Yes, ma’am.” The dark-skinned man gathered Raze and Ba’el with a glance and they headed off to the right. 69

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“We’re going up these stairs and to the left.” Rhonda led the way. “What is Malik?” Bandit whispered to Allen. “I don’t know. I’ve never met him.” “Malik is a lion shifter from Somalia. He’s in the city trying to raise money to buy food for the people there,” Rhonda informed them as they climbed the stairs. “This mission you’re on must be pretty important for Max to send Raze and Ba’el out to find you.” She turned left at the top of the stairs and continued down a long, narrow hallway. “We think it might have the potential to be,” Bandit hedged. He didn’t know Rhonda, so he didn’t trust her. It didn’t matter that she worked with Max. Bandit didn’t give his trust easily. It wasn’t like he completely accepted Raze, Ba’el, and Gianni as part of his inner circle, but his instincts told him they could be trusted with Allen’s safety. Nothing screamed for Rhonda, and Bandit wasn’t going to make the mistake of trusting her too soon. “Max must as well if he’s sending out the heavy hitters with you. The angel and demon usually only work the super serious shit.” She halted in front of a set of iron doors. Tugging a key from her pocket, she unlocked them before handing it to Allen. “There are only two keys to these doors. You have one, and Max has the other. To enter another’s room without permission from the occupant or Max is against the rules.” They nodded, and Rhonda led them into the suite. She flicked on a switch and light flooded the cavernous room. “This is your living room. There’s a bedroom off each side, plus a bathroom through there.” Rhonda pointed to a smaller black door. “Once you’re settled and have changed, push this button and 70

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someone will come to escort you to the meeting room.” “All right.” Bandit watched as Rhonda closed the door behind her. He met the others’ gazes and raised his hands in an I-don’tknow kind of gesture. “I feel like I stepped into a Bond movie or something like that.” He moved toward the left bedroom. “Allen and I will take this room. I want to wash up before we see what all the secrecy is about.” “Sounds good to me,” Roman agreed, and they went their separate ways. *

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An hour later, the foursome reconvened in the living room, ready to find out what the hell was going on. “Push the button, Gianni,” Bandit ordered. Almost immediately after Gianni did, a knock sounded on the door. Bandit opened it to see Malik standing in the hallway. The lion shifter didn’t say anything, just turned and started heading back toward the stairway. Allen locked their suite door, and they rushed to follow the man. No one spoke as Malik led them on a winding trail through the warehouse. While he didn’t see anyone, Bandit could feel eyes studying them. Did they work for Max, but didn’t want to be seen? Or had Max helped them and they were in hiding? Bandit didn’t glance around, not wanting to scare anyone. He knew some of what Max’s organization did, but there were certain aspects and branches he knew nothing about and didn’t want to know. It was safer for him that way. “Here they are,” Malik announced as he pushed open a door. 71

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Bandit made sure he was in front of Allen when they walked in the room, and he noticed Gianni did the same with Roman. They entered to find Max, Raze, and Ba’el sitting at a large conference table with Rhonda. Malik took his seat next to her. “Come in and sit down. We need to talk before you head out on your own little adventure.” Max waved them to some empty seats on the other side of the table. Raze and Ba’el nodded to them, but didn’t move from their places at one end. It was like negotiations between two competing companies. They sat down, and Max looked at Allen and Roman. “You boys look good. I knew the right thing to do was take you to the Canis pack. Savannah’s a hard bitch, but she’s good people.” Max glanced over at Bandit. “Good to see you again, Bandit.” “Max.” “I’m sure you gentlemen would like something to eat, and as soon as we’re finished talking here, I’ll have Raze take you to the eating area.” “How big is this place?” Gianni spoke up, his gaze burning into Max. Max shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. We’re always finding new rooms and digging out the basement even more. It’s not important to what you’re doing here.” Gianni let the non-answer slide, and Bandit was glad for that. He didn’t want to get confrontational right at the beginning. Max knew things and his knowledge might help them. “From what I understand, you’re coming back to challenge the alpha of your pack. You were coming back anyway, even after I specifically told you never to do so.” Max studied Allen and Roman. “We wanted to come back and check on our mother and other 72

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siblings. They were really young when we were sold.” Roman spoke for both brothers. “When did the crazy idea to challenge for the alpha position pop into your heads?” Max glanced between the brothers with an inquiring gaze. “Remember what I said would happen if you did so.” Roman started to open his mouth, but Allen beat him to it. “I made the decision when Gianni came and told us about all the things that happened since we left.” Allen held up his hand to keep Max from saying anything else. “It was my decision, Max. No one’s forcing me to do it… I’m choosing to take my rightful place in the pack.” “Right. Well, to be honest, I don’t really care one way or the other about what happens to your pack. Gianni is right that something does need to be done about the alpha. He’s going bat shit crazy. I was going to send a couple of my guys over to deal with Kinsey and Stephan, your father, but there’s no one to fill the vacuum when they’re dead. We can’t have a leaderless pack.” Bandit narrowed his eyes and studied Max. What was the older lycan playing at? Just a few minutes ago, he’d been acting pissed off because Allen was considering challenging the alpha. Now he acted like it didn’t matter because he’d been thinking about sending someone after him. “Who are you to send out kill squads?” Bandit looked around at the others sitting at the table with them. “Because that’s what you’re talking about.” Max waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter who I am, Bandit.” “Bullshit.” Bandit shot to his feet and slammed his hand on the table. He leaned over and met Max’s eyes. He saw them widened slightly. 73

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Staring Max directly in the eyes wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but he didn’t care. The only group who got to blow him off was his pack. No one else got to treat him like he didn’t matter. “It does matter to me who you are, Max, because I’m responsible for this mission. I’m not going to let anything happen to Allen or Roman, and that means if you don’t tell me what’s going on right now, we’re leaving, and their pack can rot in hell for all I care.” Bandit didn’t blink. He wouldn’t back down from any of them. He meant what he said. If Max didn’t tell him everything, Bandit was taking Allen and Roman back to Canis pack territory, even if it meant he had to tie them both up and toss them in the backseat of his truck. His entire purpose in living right now was to keep his mate alive and unharmed. Allen being stronger than him had no effect at all on Bandit’s emotions. “Really? I’d think Allen and Roman would have something to say about that.” The patronization in Max’s voice grated on Bandit’s nerves. “We do have something say about it, and we stand with Bandit.” Allen rested his hand on Bandit’s shoulder. “If you don’t explain what the fuck is going on here, Max, we’ll leave, and you can deal with whatever it is on your own.” “Yes. As much as I’d like my pack saved from the bastard destroying it, I won’t have Allen used in some sort of secret agenda.” Gianni stood up as well, throwing his lot in with Bandit and Allen. Max leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. “Well, it does appear all the pups have grown up.” Bandit growled low in his throat and he knew his eyes were changing by the way Max straightened in his seat. Malik and 74

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Rhonda tensed, but Raze and Ba’el stayed relaxed where they sat. He still wasn’t completely sure which side those two would land on and he didn’t want to fight either of them, but he would if it meant keeping Allen safe. The stare-off would have lasted as long as Max wanted, if Raze hadn’t spoken up. “All right, Max. Stop the ‘big cock on the walk’ act. Just tell them what’s going on. It’s not like they’re going to blab about it to anyone.” The angel rolled his eyes. “God, I hate pissing matches.” Ba’el chuckled. “If it comes to being stubborn, I’m putting my money on Bandit. Not that I know him well, but I know the look of a determined man.” If looks could kill, Ba’el would be dead from the glare Max sent him. Not that much could kill the demon. Bandit appreciated the slight support and nodded at Ba’el to let him know. Ba’el shrugged, but the corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile. “Fine. Sit down and I’ll explain. Of course, you won’t repeat anything I tell you,” Max conceded. “Dude, you didn’t have to add that last part. I’m pretty sure they have no interest in running to the news and letting them know what’s going on in the shadows.” Raze tipped his chair up on its back legs and put his hands behind his head. Bandit sat, along with Allen and Gianni. Roman had stayed quiet, but Bandit figured he would have done whatever his brother wanted, then argued about it later. He looked at Max and gestured for the lycan to start. “Okay. You’ve done work for me before, Bandit, so you have a small idea of what I do. Yet it’s not all of it. I’m part of an underground organization of preternaturals. We’re fighting Grime and his bunch of crazies, but we’re working on another problem as 75

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well.” “Which is?” Max hesitated and, for the first time, he seemed unsure. Bandit didn’t say anything more to encourage him. He’d helped Max move some preternaturals who were in danger, just like Allen and Roman. He’d escorted them to different cities, and it was during those trips he’d seen some nasty shit. The crap humans did to each other amazed him, yet preternaturals weren’t exempt from such terrible behavior. If they were, Max wouldn’t be needed. “The High Council has been moving farther and farther away from the people they’re supposed to be protecting.” “Of course they have. They’re some of the oldest of the preternaturals and don’t live amongst us anymore. They have no real idea of what the world is like now.” Bandit shrugged. “That’s not surprising to us.” Max shook his head. “It’s more than that, Bandit. I’m afraid they might even be thinking of helping Grime get rid of us.” Shock rippled through the others in the room. Bandit stared at Max for a moment before shaking himself. “You’re kidding, right? Why would they help Grime? They’d end up dying with the rest of us.” “Dying? What do you mean?” Rhonda sat up and glared at Bandit. Bandit looked at Max who waved his hand for Bandit answer her. “Grime tried to find a book with spells in it. One spell in particular, which could destroy all preternaturals if Grime figures out how to use it. Some friends of ours went and found the book. It seems the High Council knew about it and did all they could to hide it from the non-preters.” 76

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“Understandable,” Malik muttered. “Right. Our friends got their hands on it and brought it back. It was going to be destroyed, so we wouldn’t have to worry about it getting into Grime’s hands, but unfortunately, it was stolen before it could be turned to ashes.” Bandit shoved his hand through his hair. “Since the High Council knew the spell existed in the first place, why would they be helping Grime find it or not stop him from killing us?” “I think they don’t really understand how grave the situation is. Also, it could simply be because of their age; they think they are invincible.” Max stared at the table in front of him. “I’m still not clear on why they’d help Grime. The elders don’t like non-preters. It doesn’t make any sense.” Allen spoke up, a frown marring his forehead. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens when Nick and Gryphon get to the council headquarters. Maybe we’re all wrong about their involvement or lack of involvement.” Max glanced up and pursed his lips. “We help preters who have nowhere else to turn. Whether it’s to free them from humans who use their abilities for their own gain or abusive relationships. I’m the head of an underground preternatural coalition. We’re doing our best to help our fellow preters the council seems to ignore.” “At least someone’s looking out for them,” Raze commented. His violet eyes blazed with anger for a moment. “There’s not much help out there for your kind, especially when they have to hide who/what they are to keep the non-preters from killing or capturing them.” Bandit nodded. “I figured you ran an underground railroad, but I wanted to hear it directly from you. Raze is right. We won’t say a word to anyone else. If you need our help for anything, you know 77

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how to get a hold of us.” “Thank you all.” Max met each individual’s gaze. Then he looked back at Bandit. “What is your plan to deal with the Dow pack and their alpha?”

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CHAPTER 6 Allen met Bandit’s gaze, and when his lover nodded, Allen stood up. Bandit sat, letting Allen take over. Allen hid his smile at Bandit’s attitude. He understood why Bandit needed to stand between Allen and any danger. But he appreciated the fact Bandit didn’t have a problem letting Allen take the lead on their mission. “I’m going back to the Dow pack to challenge Kinsey, the alpha, for leadership. After my father and he sold Roman and me, I understand things have gone downhill very quickly. Gianni found us at the Canis pack and told us what’s been going on.” Max and the others grimaced. “So you know about the Dow pack?” Roman asked. “We’ve been hearing rumors coming from that area for a while now, but we’ve never been able to get anyone in to see whether 79

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they were true or not. And no one’s talking either. It’s like they fear Kinsey more than anything we might do to them. Also, they don’t trust us to keep them safe.” Max tapped the table. “Rhonda, can you go retrieve the file we have on the Dow pack?” “Yes, sir.” The vampire stood and left the room. “I wish we could’ve done something to help them, but I don’t have anyone in my group strong enough to challenge an alpha. At least, not a lycan strong enough.” “That’s why I went off looking for Allen. We all knew the reason Kinsey got rid of him was because Allen was stronger and probably would have challenged him eventually.” Gianni’s disgust for his alpha was evident in his words. Allen held up his hand. “Actually, I might not have challenged him at all. If things never got as bad as they are now, I wouldn’t have. I have no real interest in leading a pack.” “Even though you’re one of the more powerful lycans I’ve seen in a long time?” Max questioned. “Yes. I might be powerful, but I don’t really have any urge to lead. I like being in the background.” Allen shrugged. “What can I say? I’m not really alpha material.” “Doesn’t matter. There aren’t a lot of Dow pack members left. Kinsey’s either sold them or gotten them killed in that stupid fighting ring he started up. The man’s completely insane.” Max got a thoughtful expression on his face. “After you win the challenge, you might want to consider joining another pack. There are several small ones who might be interested in gaining more members.” Allen saw the look Max shot Bandit, and Allen could see where Max was going. It was a possibility. He’d have to discuss it with Bandit first, then approach Savannah, but if she didn’t have a problem, he’d join his with the Canis pack without hesitation. They 80

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were a small, but very powerful pack that had allies in different preter species, plus two avatars. Savannah wouldn’t have a problem leading them all, and his pack would be safe from an insane alpha and beta. Bandit’s eyebrows lowered, but Allen could almost see the wheels turning in his lover’s head. He’d let Bandit think on it, and they could discuss the best way to approach Savannah with the proposition. “What we plan on doing is sending Bandit into the area around the pack’s territory. He’ll do some recon for us, and after we know for sure what’s going on, we’ll make the plans to go in and challenge Kinsey.” Rhonda returned with a folder, which she set in front of Allen. He smiled at her, and she nodded. “That’s all the information we have on your pack, Allen. It might help, but I doubt it.” Max scrubbed his hand over his head. “I think you have a good idea about sending Bandit in. He’s not a known agent of mine, plus he’s stronger than most of my lycans. He’ll be able to pull off being a lone wolf, looking for a place to crash for a while. I have a motorcycle you can use. Someone might recognize your truck.” Bandit agreed to the change in transportation. “You should head out tonight. No point in waiting and taking a chance of someone seeing you around with our men.” “I agree.” Bandit pushed to his feet. “Allen, while Bandit is out looking around, I think it would be a good idea if I showed you a few fighting moves.” Raze wrinkled his nose. “You’ve never fought before, and I know Kinsey isn’t going to fight fair. Ba’el and I can teach you a few things. It won’t be a lot because we don’t have the time, but still, who knows? 81

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Something we show you might save your life.” Allen checked with Bandit, and his lover grinned. “Sounds like a good plan.” Bandit leaned closer to Allen and whispered, “Hell, getting to watch those two together, even if it’s just fighting, could be close to a religious experience, if you get my drift.” Allen blushed, and Bandit winked at the demon and angel, who, Allen was sure, overheard what Bandit had said to him. “Okay. Let’s leave the rest of the planning until Bandit gets back.” Max stood and the meeting ended. Max gestured for Bandit to follow him downstairs to the large open first floor where there were several vehicles parked. Allen started to go with them, but Raze touched his arm before he hit the stairs. “We’ll teach you what we can in the short time we have.” Raze glanced over at Ba’el. “Like I said, it won’t be much, but sometimes a little knowledge can help you out.” “I’m willing to learn. I’ve never fought before, not even while we were captive. It was easier just to do as I was told, instead of enduring the pain.” Allen rubbed his palms on his jeans. “I’ll be honest and admit I’m not sure how good I’m going to be at this whole challenge thing.” Raze patted his shoulder. “You’ll be fine. From watching a few lycan fights, it looks like most of it is instinct. Your wolf knows what to do and he’ll figure out a way to win, if you let him have control. Don’t fight him, and you should be just fine.” Allen wasn’t sure about any of it, but he accepted Raze’s reassurance any way. “Let’s go and say good-bye to your guy.” Ba’el touched his shoulder and pointed down toward the first floor. 82

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They got there in time to see Max hand Bandit a helmet. Bandit hung it from the handlebars, then reached out to grab Allen. He dragged him closer and brushed a kiss over his lips. “I care about you, you know that, right?” Allen nodded, biting his lip to keep it from trembling. For some reason, he didn’t want Bandit to leave. His doubt didn’t come from being scared for himself, but he feared something would happen to Bandit, and Allen wouldn’t be there to keep his lover safe. Silly really, since Bandit was more than capable of taking care of himself. “I care about you, too,” he muttered. I love you, he wanted to shout, but it wasn’t the right time. He didn’t want to expose his heart in front of everyone. There would be time when all of this shit was over and then he could confess how much he loved Bandit. Bandit kissed Allen before climbing on the motorcycle Max provided. He put his helmet on and glanced at them. “I’ll be careful, and call you day after tomorrow with what I’ve learned. We’ll meet up and make our next plan then.” “Okay. Good luck, man.” Raze clapped Bandit on the shoulder. The angel herded the others away, leaving Bandit and Allen alone. Allen stared at Bandit, unhappy with him going solo on this part of the mission. “I’ll be careful and make sure no one discovers who I am. You have to promise to listen to Raze and Ba’el. They’ll help teach you to fight and get ready for the challenge.” Allen nodded. “All right. I’ll be waiting for your phone call.” Bandit flipped the visor down and started the bike. He waved once and took off down the street. 83

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*

*

*

Allen paced, fighting the urge to wring his hands or punch something. Christ! Why hasn’t Bandit called? It was going on eleven the night he was supposed to check in. No one had heard from him. Every instinct in Allen had screamed something had happened to his lover, yet no one had believed him, until Raze spoke up and forced Max to listen to Allen. Max had sent Malik and Rhonda out to see if anyone had heard anything. They weren’t back yet. A commotion downstairs caught Allen’s attention and he dashed to the railing in time to see Malik wheel Bandit’s bike in. Fear shot through Allen’s body. Where the hell was Bandit? He practically flew down the stairs and raced over to Malik. The others joined him. “Where is he?” Allen clenched his hands to keep from grabbing the lion shifter and shaking him. Malik looked unhappy. “We don’t know. We found his bike about a mile from your pack’s territory. Rhonda talked to a few of a folks who live around the area. They remember seeing Bandit arrive, but none of them saw him leave.” “They were nervous and scared, like talking to me could get them in trouble.” Rhonda appeared in the doorway. “I’m not sure they’d have told us if they did know where Bandit was. We tracked him for a little ways through the forest, but his trail disappears right before the pack boundary.” Allen threw back his head and howled in rage. How could this have happened? How could his lover disappear without any sign? “I don’t want to be the one to tell Savannah her son is missing,” Roman muttered. 84

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“We’ll worry about telling her later.” Max stalked in. “First, we have to figure out where Bandit is. If we find him and get him back, we won’t have to bother the Canis alpha.” “You’re just scared of her,” Roman joked. “Damn right.” Max shuddered. “She and Spike scare the shit out of me.” “Let’s get back to the important issue. How do we find Bandit? No one knows where he went. If Grime has him, no one knows where the bastard keeps his prisoners,” Malik pointed. “You’re wrong.” Everyone swung around to face Allen. His canines were extended, as were his claws. Allen knew his eyes had changed as well. Being angry had caused his wolf to fight for freedom. It wanted to go and kill someone for letting his mate be captured. “Allen, are you okay?” Roman approached him carefully. “No, I’m not okay. I’m angry at people who think they can kidnap someone without getting in trouble for it. There are people who know where Bandit is. I guarantee Kinsey and my father have an idea, and I’m going to force them to tell us where he is.” “I’m not sure you’re ready to challenge Kinsey,” Max hedged. “Fuck you, Max. Do you know where they might have taken Bandit?” Allen glared at the older lycan. “No. We haven’t been able to find a clue about where Grime’s keeping his captives.” Max seemed annoyed about their inability to find Grime’s lair. “I’ll get the information as soon as I defeat Kinsey. My patience is at an end.” “I think Bandit’s been rubbing off on you, Allen,” Raze joked. The angel looked at Max. “Allen’s as ready as he’ll ever be. I can’t do anymore unless I fight his battle for him.” 85

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Allen shook his head. “My wolf knows what he has to do. I’m leaving right now. Who’s coming with me?” Roman and Gianni stepped up. Ba’el shook his head. “I’d really stand out, and we don’t want that.” Raze shrugged. “I’ll come. I have a feeling Kinsey won’t fight fair, which means someone needs to watch your back.” “Thanks.” Allen turned to leave. “We’ll be waiting for the call. The minute you get the information, let us know and we’ll go get him,” Max said. “Fine.” Outside, Allen gave Gianni the keys to Bandit’s truck. “You drive us. They’ll let us in if they see you behind the wheel. I don’t care if they see me or not. Most of them won’t recognize me or Roman.” “Yes, sir.” They climbed into the truck, and Gianni pulled away from the curb. Raze and Roman were in the back. “Thanks for coming with us, Raze.” Allen glanced back at the angel. Raze smiled. “When they see you brought an angel, they might be less likely to mess with you.” “No one but Kinsey and Stephan will try to mess with you,” Gianni predicted. “I don’t think anyone will be happy to see us, even if they hate their leaders.” Allen shook his head. “I’m sure they’ll think we’re interlopers coming to take over.” “You are.” Raze raised his eyebrows when they shot him matching glares. “It’s the truth. It doesn’t matter if your intentions are good or not. You’re still strangers barging in to fix what’s wrong.” 86

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Gianni looked like he wanted to argue, but Allen spoke first. “Raze is right, and I’m not going in there thinking they’ll welcome me with open arms.” The angel squeezed Allen’s shoulder. “Just remember why you’re doing this. It’s not to straighten out the pack. You’re going to defeat the bastard and get your lover back. That’s why you’re there, and it’s the most important thing.” Allen nodded and looked out of the truck window as they left the city, heading for pack land. He spared one final thought for Bandit, planning on what he would say when they saw each other again. When they passed into pack territory, he let his mind calm and settle into what he would do when he challenged Kinsey. He went through all the moves Raze had taught him. Allen knew he wasn’t experienced enough to survive without getting injured, but he didn’t care, as long as he found out where Bandit was being held. Gianni pulled in front of a dilapidated building, and they climbed out. They gathered together with Gianni in the lead and Raze standing in back, though the angel couldn’t blend into the background if he tried. Someone peered out through the curtains of one of the windows, and Gianni raised his hand. “They’ll let Kinsey know we’re here, and trust me, he’ll be out here, ready for a fight.” Allen breathed deeply and the odd scent he associated with Raze filled his nose. No matter what happened, Raze would find Bandit. Allen trusted the angel to do whatever he had to do to accomplish that goal. “What the fuck are you doing back here, Gianni? I told you when you left, I didn’t want to see your face around here again.” 87

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Kinsey stalked from the building. Allen managed to keep his shock from showing on his face. Where had the robust, healthy alpha gone? All of Allen’s memories featured an alpha who scared the shit out of him. Seeing Kinsey in person after ten years surprised Allen. There was nothing left of what had given the lycan authority over Allen. Maybe Allen had grown into his own powers, and they cast Kinsey’s abilities into a poor light. “I don’t care what you said, Kinsey. You’re no longer my alpha. I’ve sworn allegiance to someone far more powerful than you.” Gianni smirked at Kinsey. “Who the fuck would be stupid enough to take you into his pack?” Kinsey sneered. “That would be me.” Allen stepped forward, and Gianni yielded to him. Kinsey looked him over, and Allen saw the second the lycan realized who Allen was. “How the hell are you still alive?” Kinsey blurted out. “By the grace of the gods and help from friends.” Allen took another step forward. He could tell Kinsey fought the urge to submit, and, in that second, Allen knew he could win the challenge. He moved closer and grinned. Raze’s soft chuckle reached his ears, and Allen understood he did the right thing. “Alpha Kinsey, I formally challenge you for the leadership of the Dow pack.” Allen’s voice was strong and confident. Kinsey blinked and his mouth dropped open. Allen could tell he’d surprised the alpha. “You’re no longer a member of this pack, Allen, so you have no right to challenge Alpha Kinsey.” 88

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Allen’s father shot from the building to stand beside Kinsey. Again, Allen was struck by how pathetic the older lycans looked. All their power and the fear they used to inspire in their pack must have gone to their heads. They must have believed no one would ever have the courage to stand up to them. They went soft. “I’m a pack member, even though you sold me and Roman because you were scared of me.” Allen gestured over at his brother. “Trust me… we never planned on coming back here, but you left us no choice.” “And besides, he’s perfectly within his rights to challenge you. Lycan law states anyone who wishes can challenge for an alpha position in any pack.” Raze spoke up from where he stood. “Who the hell are you?” Stephan glared at Raze. “He’s the impartial observer, Father. Raze is here to make sure no one interferes during the challenge.” Kinsey snorted. “Do you really think he’s going to be able to stop anyone?” Allen gestured for Raze to move closer. The angel grinned and strolled right up to Kinsey. “Take a deep breath, Kinsey. I think you can figure out why Raze can keep this fight fair,” Allen ordered the other lycan. Kinsey’s nostrils flared and fear flashed in his eyes. “A fucking angel,” he whispered. “Yes, and I have no qualms about using brute force, if need be.” Raze bared his teeth, a clear sign of aggression to any lycan. Kinsey chose to ignore it, another sign of his cowardice in Allen’s eyes. While it was true Raze could destroy all of them without breaking a sweat, Allen would never have backed down if he were alpha, when he knew the whole pack was watching. And that behavior of Kinsey’s was what would help Allen win the 89

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challenge. “It’s nice of you to bring friends, boy. They can cart your body away after I kill you.” Allen ignored the bragging. He folded his arms over his chest and studied Kinsey and his father. “Before we go to the ring, I have something to ask. You can answer me now and save yourselves pain, or you can blow me off.” He met their glares with a steady gaze. “But I’ll get my answer one way or another.” The steel in his voice warned them he told the truth. “Ask. We’ll decide whether we’ll tell you anything.” Allen wanted to slap the smirk off Stephan’s face, but he restrained himself. He had a feeling he would end up having to fight his father as well because the lycan would never submit to him. “Where’s Grime’s lair?” They covered their surprise well, but Allen caught the widening of their eyes and quickly inhaled breath. They knew something, and Allen would get the knowledge from them. He wouldn’t stop until he did because it wasn’t just the pack’s future in danger; it was Bandit’s life at stake, too. He wouldn’t allow his lover to suffer, if he didn’t have to. “Have no idea what you’re talking about. Who’s Grime? Why would you be looking for the non-preter?” Kinsey shrugged. Allen rolled his eyes while Raze snorted. Really? How stupid were these two? “I hate to point this out, but if you don’t know who Grime is, how do you know he’s a non-preter?” Allen shook his head. “I swear it’s amazing you two have lived as long as you have. Thank the gods Roman and I got our intelligence from our mother.” 90

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“Bitch wasn’t good for anything except whelping pups,” Stephan grumbled. Before he even fully formed the thought, Allen leapt across the space between him and the man whose sperm created him. With a snarl curling his lip, Allen grabbed his father by the throat and jerked him forward. Fear darkened Stephan’s eyes, and Allen felt a thrill of power surge through him. Making one of those who’d haunted his nightmares scared showed Allen wasn’t the same weak pup he’d been when they sold him all those years ago. He let the tips of his claws score the flesh underneath his hand. He snapped his teeth together inches away from his father’s face while shaking him. “You’ll never speak about our mother again. If you do, I’ll rip your tongue out.” “Allen.” Raze’s voice broke through his anger. Allen glanced over at the angel, who raised his eyebrows in warning. A low grunt of disgust escaped Allen’s throat as he tossed Stephan from him. The older lycan fell at Kinsey’s feet with a gasp. “You aren’t worth wasting my energy on. I’ll deal with you when I’m done with Kinsey.” Allen met Kinsey’s glare. “Are you ready? Let’s get this over with. I have other more important things to do, and you’re becoming a waste of space.” He turned his back on the alpha and headed back to the truck. If the challenge ring was in the same place, they would have to drive there. “Allen, watch it.” Roman’s cry warned him. Whirling around, he caught sight of a wolf-shaped blur rushing toward him. He dodged out of the way as Kinsey flashed past him. He growled low. 91

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“You want to fight with dishonor, Kinsey. That’s fine with me. We’ll fight here, and everyone will know what a vile creature you are.” Raze stepped forward as Kinsey skidded to a stop and turned around, readying to strike again. He held up his hand and somehow froze the alpha where he stood. The angel’s violet eyes flashed in anger. “This is a challenge, and not only will the winner be the new alpha of the Dow pack, the loser will lose his life. There will be no mercy.” Raze looked at Allen. “Do you agree to this, Allen Dow?” Allen nodded. “Yes. No mercy.” “Alpha Kinsey?” Kinsey snarled his agreement. Allen stared at his former alpha and let the shift overtake him. He knew for some, like Roman, the change was painful and difficult, but the only time Allen had ever felt pain was the first time he shifted. Now his wolf took over without his human nature fighting it. His vision went black for a few seconds and he was glad Raze held Kinsey because it was at this point in the transformation when Allen was the most vulnerable, and Kinsey could cause a great deal of damage in those moments. When he could see again, he shook his head and stretched a little, getting used to having four paws and a tail. He glanced around and spied Gianni and Roman standing next to Allen’s father, keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn’t try to join in the battle. There were others emerging from the building, but Allen couldn’t spare a thought for them. He needed to focus all his energy on the fight about to be joined. Somehow, he understood getting the information about Grime from Kinsey and Stephan was the only way he’d find Bandit. 92

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With a nod, he signaled his readiness to Raze. The angel pinned Kinsey with a scathing glance. “You will fight honorably from here on out. If you don’t, and I declare it, I will step in and kill you where you stand. Your blood will water this ground and your disgrace will be made known to all the packs.” Kinsey sniffed, but nodded. Raze’s proclamation meant nothing to Kinsey. It was obvious the alpha didn’t believe he’d ever lose to Allen, yet there was a hint of nervousness in his movements. Allen didn’t allow any of his doubts out. If he began to think he couldn’t win, he had to shove those thoughts deep inside. Lost of confidence would only result in injury. Raze released Kinsey and stepped back, clearing the way for the two wolves. They circled one another, looking for a weak spot or loss of concentration. Allen stayed patient. One of the things Raze told him was to let his opponent make the first move. Never be impatient. That’s when you’ll make mistakes. While Allen wanted to know where Grime kept his prisoners and get to Bandit as soon as possible, he also knew he could easily be killed if he let his attention slide away from the fight. Kinsey crouched closer to the ground, and Allen braced himself. The attack would be coming any minute. With a vicious howl, Kinsey leapt across the dirt, and instead of going to meet him, Allen swerved to the side. Kinsey slid past him, and Allen turned to follow. He swiped his paw along Kinsey’s left side, leaving claw marks and a shower of blood. The first wound went to Allen, and in that moment, he accepted the fact he would win, becoming alpha of a pack he didn’t even want. Kinsey’s age and the fact he’d let himself get soft because of his power showed in his slowness to react to any of Allen’s 93

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attacks. Sure, the alpha got in some shots, and Allen had at least one broken rib and some bite marks along his sides, but nothing compared to the deep wounds Allen left on Kinsey. As Kinsey’s blood slowly flowed from his body, the older lycan grew clumsy. When he tripped over a small dip in the ground, Allen went in for the kill. He bulled Kinsey over, forcing the injured wolf on its side. He leaned down and sank his teeth into Kinsey’s throat. A howl was all the warning Allen got before he was bowled over by another wolf. Pain shot through his entire body as he slammed into the hard dirt. His lungs burned as he struggled to fill them with air. He wiggled and shifted, somehow managing to avoid any serious damage. “Enough.” Bright lights flashed and the wolf pinning Allen down disappeared. When Allen could see again, he climbed to his feet and shook off the pain. He lifted his head and spied the second wolf splayed out with Raze standing over it, his eyes blazing with fury. Allen whined low in his throat, and the angel glanced at him. “Take care of Kinsey. I’ll deal with Stephan. Don’t worry. I’ll get the information we need, even if I have to strip his mind for it.” Allen shivered inside, finally realizing just how dangerous Raze was. The angel hid his true nature under his glib smiles and gorgeous looks. Raze was an angel not afraid to use force to get what he wanted and completely willing to accept the consequences of his actions. Grunting, Allen moved past Raze and his father to where Kinsey struggled to get off the ground. Without thought or worry, Allen took the wolf down and calmly tore out his throat. He spit the gory flesh out and shifted until he stood over the dying man. 94

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“No mercy. You started it by jumping me, and now I’ve finished it by killing you. The gods will decide your true punishment when you face them.” Allen watched as the light died in Kinsey’s eyes and the wet, gurgling sound faded away. He turned when a scream ripped through the night. Raze dropped Allen’s father’s limp body to the ground. The angel’s grin caused a shiver to run down Allen’s spine. “I know where the lair is,” Raze said. “Good. Go and save Bandit. Roman, Gianni and I will take care of the pack and bodies. It’s all a formality anyway.” Allen staggered, and Roman encircled his waist, helping him to stand. Raze came over and hugged Allen. “We’ll find him and bring him back for you. I promise.” Allen rested his head on Raze’s shoulder for a moment, breathing in the frankincense and sulfur scent surrounding the angel. “I know you will. That’s why I’m not going with you.” “Aside from the fact you’re injured and would just slow us down.” “True.” He brushed a kiss over Raze’s cheek. “We’ll see you back at Max’s when you’re done.” Raze stepped back and, in a blink of an eye, he was gone. Allen took another deep breath before he eased away from Roman. He turned to his brother and flashed a tired grin. “Let’s gather everyone and get the ball rolling on moving the pack to Canis territory.” Roman and Gianni both nodded. With his first order, Allen felt the mantel of alpha fit comfortably over his shoulders.

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CHAPTER 7 Snarling, Bandit fought against the hands holding him. How the hell were these humans able to keep him captive without using silver or wolfsbane? He struggled, but it didn’t work. Christ! He was sore and sure he was bleeding in places. They’d snatched him when he stopped to double check his directions to the Dow territory. The humans jumped him and somehow subdued him. Bandit didn’t know where he was or what they wanted him for, but he knew it wasn’t good. Worse, he didn’t even know how long they’d had him. It could have been only an hour or two, or it could have been days. Somehow the non-preters had knocked him out, and he woke up only when they pulled up in front of the building. “Stop fighting us, wolf. You’re not going to get out alive. We 96

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have plans for you.” Bandit chuckled. “So you torture me and shit. Don’t matter. I’m not going to be here for long.” “No one’s coming to save you, dude. Just accept it.” Their little band of captive and kidnappers paused at a large door. One of the humans typed in a code and the door swung open. They dragged him, and he resisted all the way. The men shoved him into the brick walls and did all they could to hurt him. Something told him he was in the hands of Grime and his henchmen. His abuse was as effective as a blindfold because since he was so intent on not falling down or hitting his face into the wall, he had no idea how they got so far into the warren of hallways and corridors. He was lost and had no clue how to find his way out if he tried. One hard push in the back, and Bandit went to his knees. With his hands tied behind his back, he fell hard and winced as his knees cracked against the floor. One of the men kicked him in the ass, causing him to fall face first into the wall. The others gathered around, driving steel-toed boots into his ribs and back. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. Anger rolled inside him and instead of whining, he started to growl. “Stop it,” a new voice shouted. “You’re going to make him change, and we don’t want that.” The non-preters roughly grabbed his arms and forced him to his feet. He couldn’t stand up straight and his head rang. “Toss him in with the wolf we have in cell five.” “Yes, sir.” Bandit couldn’t get his vision to clear before they threw him into a cell. The clang of the door slamming shut jarred him enough 97

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to bring him out of his fog. He flexed his muscles, and for the first time, he could feel the rope give. He worked his wrists until blood flowed from the tortured flesh the rope cut into. As he fought to get free, he glanced around the darkened room. There was a faint light coming from somewhere, but it was enough with Bandit’s wolf eyes for him to see the figure curled in the corner across from him. Bandit grunted as he shredded the rope with one last hard jerk. He gagged as a foul scent filled his nostrils. Whatever else was in the room with him was probably dying. The figure in the corner twitched and lifted its head. Bandit gasped as the low light hit the man’s face and he recognized the lycan. “Jess.” Bandit stared at Jess. “Holy shit! I’d lost hope of ever seeing you again.” Jess didn’t say anything. Bandit moved closer, and Jess flinched away. Frowning, Bandit crouched next to the lycan and reached out. “Don’t touch me!” Jess’s voice sounded ravaged and harsh. It didn’t have anywhere near the strong, confident tone that he had before Grime grabbed him. “I want to help you, Jess.” “They chained me with silver. I couldn’t do anything to help him. I haven’t seen him in three days.” Jess jerked his head up and his crazed, bloodshot eyes met Bandit’s. “Do you know where he is?” “Where who is?” Bandit eased closer. “Pavel. They did something to him when they grabbed us. He never woke up, then they came and took him.” Tears welled in Jess’s eyes. “I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t.” 98

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Jess held out his wrists, and Bandit swallowed back the bile threatening to escape. The younger lycan’s wrists were weeping sores; blood-caked and dirty. The wounds explained the scent of rotting flesh Bandit had smelled when he was shoved into the cell. Even after shifting and healing, Jess would bear those scars for the rest of his life. Of course, from the defeated look of the lycan, Jess had more than physical scars to deal with. “Let me help you.” He grabbed the chain holding Jess to the wall. Hissing at the slight burn of his flesh, Bandit yanked as hard as he could. The chain gave a little, but didn’t break. Before he could try again, an enormous hand came over his shoulder and gripped the links above his hand. “I’ll do this. Silver has no effect on me.” Bandit jumped, but stepped aside to allow Ba’el to do the job. “Where the hell did you come from?” “Did you really think we wouldn’t come looking for you?” Ba’el winked at him and went back to studying the chains. “Where’s Raze?” Bandit asked as he knelt beside Jess. “He’s dealing with some bad guys down the hall.” Ba’el grunted and the chain shattered like glass instead of silver. “Rhonda and Malik are freeing the others.” “Pavel? Is one of them Pavel?” It was clear only Pavel mattered to Jess, since the lycan didn’t react to the sight of the demon dispatching the chains, collar, and cuffs with quick twists of his hands. “Don’t know. Wasn’t my job to check. I had to find Bandit here and make sure he got out okay, or Allen would skin me alive. Don’t know who Pavel is anyway.” Ba’el’s smile was gentle and 99

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less frightening than usual. “If he’s here, Malik and Rhonda will get him out.” Ba’el broke Jess free, and Bandit caught him when he fell. Jess was so weak and debilitated, he couldn’t move on his own. Bandit swept Jess up in his arms before nodding at Ba’el. “You lead the way. Have to admit I don’t mind being rescued by a demon. You’re practically indestructible.” The demon chuckled. “Glad I could be of service.” Bandit winced as he followed the demon into the hallway. His own injuries bothered him, but he could overlook them in light of Jess’s suffering. Also, he’d crawl over broken glass drenched in lemon juice to get back to Allen. He wanted to tell Allen how much he loved him and make love to the slender lycan all night long. Shouting came from down the corridor, and Ba’el stopped, making sure Bandit stayed behind him. A high-pitched screech ended in a wet gurgle. Someone ran closer to them, causing both Ba’el and Bandit to tense. Raze dashed around the corner and skidded to a halt a few feet away from them. The angel held two swords that gleamed wetly in the low lights. His grin flashed white in his blood-covered face. “Fancy meeting you all here,” Raze quipped. Bandit shifted Jess’s weight in his arms, and Raze looked at him over the demon’s shoulder. “Hey, man, good to see you.” His wild eyes widened at the sight of Jess’s battered body. “Shit!” “Yeah, kind of how I reacted when I saw him,” Bandit commented. Raze nodded. “We’ve got to get out of here. The place is rigged to blow. We’ll detonate as soon as we’re all clear. Rhonda and 100

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Malik have the others out in the vans.” Snarling, Ba’el reached out and yanked Raze to him. They shared a hard, urgent kiss, and Bandit’s cock hardened at the sight, though after a minute, he cleared his throat. “Sorry, guys, but now really isn’t the time for this,” he pointed out as they broke apart. Raze wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled. “You’re right. Let’s go. Hey, do you know the guy you’re carrying?” Ba’el led the way in the direction Raze had come from. Bandit followed, doing his best not to hit Jess against the wall. Raze brought up the rear, making sure no one came up behind them. “Yeah. This is my friend, Jess. Remember I mentioned a vampire and lycan were taken a couple weeks ago. We knew Grime had them, but we’d lost track of where they were.” Bandit sighed. “The bad news is Jess said the humans took Pavel a couple days ago. He doesn’t know where they took him.” “Maybe he’s with the others.” Bandit snorted at Raze’s optimism. Guess you could take the angel out of heaven, but couldn’t take the golden outlook out of the angel. Of course, Raze seemed more the avenging angel type, considering how well he used the twin blades he carried. They paused at an intersection of corridors. “Where’s the exit?” Bandit asked softly, resting against the wall. He wanted to put Jess down for a moment, but wasn’t sure if he should. Raze and Ba’el looked at each other for a few second before nodding. Ba’el headed to the right. “Stay here. Rest, because we don’t know how fast we might end up having to move to get out of here. We’ll check and see which way is the exit. Be right back.” 101

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Bandit set Jess on the floor and slid down the wall to join the injured man. “Heads up.” He put his hand up in time to catch the handgun Raze tossed him. “Safety’s on the right side. It’s got a full clip. You shouldn’t have any trouble with bad guys. I pretty much cleared this entire area, but we don’t know if they got the call out for re-enforcements or not.” “Thanks.” Bandit chambered a round as Raze disappeared down the left hand corridor. After the angel’s footsteps faded into quietness, Bandit found the silence oppressive. He listened to Jess’s labored breathing and thought about how happy Nick was going to be when they brought Jess home. “There’s someone who is going to be over the moon when you show up with us,” Bandit commented. “If Serpens and Gryphon hadn’t hounded him so much, I’m pretty sure Nick would have worried himself to death by now. Once he stopped being able to talk to you, he freaked out, sure you were dead. Gryphon had to talk him off the ledge a couple times, you know what I mean?” “Yeah, I know what you mean. Nick’s always been a little high-strung when it comes to his friends. Probably because he doesn’t have a lot of them.” Jess didn’t open his eyes. “Do you really think Pavel’s alive?” Bandit sighed and looked off into the shadows. “I’m not sure what you want me to tell you, Jess.” “Just be honest. I need someone to tell me the truth. I’ve only been held captive for a week and already I’m questioning everything I’ve been taught.” 102

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“I’m a glass half-empty type of guy, and my gut says no, Pavel isn’t alive. Grime isn’t known for being merciful. There’s a reason he’s been taking preternaturals, besides killing them in gruesome ways. We’re going to have to figure out what he wants.” “He’s experimenting to find out the best way to kill preternaturals. He must not have the book yet.” Bandit jerked his head around so fast he swore he got whiplash. The gun was up and pointed at the speaker before Bandit really got a good look at him. Raze stood there, hands in the air and a shiteating grin on his face. “Sorry about that, man. Forgot to walk heavy, so you’d hear me come up.” Bandit lowered the gun and shoved to his feet. Before he could pick Jess up, Raze had the injured lycan in his arms. “I’ve got him. Trust me; he won’t tire me out, and we need to be moving. Max wants this place in pieces within ten minutes. Ba’el’s watching the door for us. Let’s head out.” Taking the lead, Bandit kept the safety off, and his eyes peeled. He didn’t want to miss anything that might get them killed. He didn’t doubt Raze had been thorough in his dispatching of bad guys, but again Raze was right. They didn’t know if there were reenforcements coming. Coming around a corner, he spied Ba’el standing at a doorway. The demon gestured for them to come forward. They joined him at the entrance. “The vans are only about ten feet away. Rhonda and Malik have us covered. You two go first. I’ll bring up the rear.” Ba’el looked at Raze, and Bandit could tell he was biting back telling the angel to be careful. “I’ll be right behind you.” It was touching how protective Ba’el seemed to be of Raze, but 103

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funny as well, considering as an angel, Raze was about indestructible as Ba’el. The angel nodded and they bumped shoulders as they passed each other. Bandit glanced both ways before he ducked out of the building and dashed across the open ground. Someone opened the side door and he dove into the van, swinging around to grab Jess as Raze thrust him at him. Bandit scrambled back and settled on the floor, holding Jess tight. There weren’t any seats in the back of the van. The side door slammed shut and he looked up, noticing Ba’el and Raze weren’t with them. “Wait a minute. What about Raze and Ba’el?” “Don’t worry. The angel and demon will be fine. They don’t come with us. They’ll stay behind and blow the place, then disappear back to wherever corner of hell they came from.” Bandit glanced around to see a man sitting behind the wheel of the van. He was human, and Bandit immediately stiffened, wondering if he’d fallen into another trap. The human held up a hand. “I’m one of the good guys, man. I’m Max’s pick-up guy. We have to get out of here. I don’t want to be around when they blow the place.” The van started up with a low rumbling and the driver drove away. He didn’t speed or draw any more attention to himself than necessary. It helped that the building was set off the road in a corpse of trees, without neighboring houses or people to see them leave. Jess mumbled, and Bandit leaned forward trying to make out what the lycan was saying. “Is Pavel with us?” “No. There isn’t anyone else in this van except us.” Bandit wished he could tell Jess that Pavel was fine, but he wasn’t going 104

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to start lying to his friend. “I don’t know if he’s with the rest or not.” Jess fell silent, and Bandit did something he’d never done before. He prayed to all the gods, not just to the god of the lycans, but all of them, even the human God. He prayed Jess would survive what was done to him, or at least the physical wounds would heal without trouble. It would take years, if at all, for the memories of his torture to fade enough not to wake him up at night. Bandit prayed for Pavel, sending the vampire strength if he was still alive to hang on until they could free him. A muffled boom drifted through the walls of the van, and the human chuckled with evil delight. “One less torture chamber for Grime to run to.” “What did he do to you?” Bandit wasn’t sure he really wanted to know, but it passed the time while they headed back to the city. “Name’s Samuel. God, what hasn’t he done? I didn’t know you all existed until Grime asked me to join his group. I was a runaway and needed a place to stay. He offered a job and a room for help with some jobs. It wasn’t until I went on my first one that I figured out what he was doing.” Disgust colored every word Samuel spoke. Bandit was used to that tone when humans talked about preternaturals, not when they talked about each other. “What did he want you to do?” Samuel grunted. “He wanted me to seduce this girl. She was eighteen or so, and I was to convince her to come back to my place for some fun. I asked him what he wanted her for, and he laughed, saying she was a dirty wolf and deserved to die. I wasn’t sure what that meant and I refused. I might have had to sell myself on the streets, but I wasn’t going to do something that would hurt 105

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someone else, especially not a girl.” “Little did you know, the girl could probably take care of herself just fine,” Bandit commented. “True, but it wouldn’t have mattered when Grime grabbed her with all his men and the silver he has.” “Since you’re on our side, I’ll let you in on a little secret, which I’m surprised Grime hasn’t figured out yet. Not every lycan is affected by silver. For some of us, it’s simply just a burning sensation, but it doesn’t stop us from shifting, and it definitely doesn’t kill us.” Bandit looked at Jess, who had moved to lie on the floor with his head in Bandit’s lap. “There are some packs who have an allergy to silver, like Jess here. They are the ones who can die from silver, if they’re around it too much.” Samuel shook his head. “Grime doesn’t know that. He believes all the old legends about how to kill preternaturals, though I think he’s slowly starting to realize his ultimate goal might take a little longer to accomplish.” “How’d you get away from him?” “I refused to help take the girl, and Grime had his men beat the shit out of me. After that, I ran as far away as I could, all the way to the west coast, where I ran into Max. He introduced me to preternaturals and explained what Grime was trying to do. I’m not sure how he knew, since Grime seemed mostly based out of the city and east.” Bandit shrugged. “Something tells me Grime has his hands in a lot of gangs all around the country and world, apparently, considering Jess and Pavel were in England when his men grabbed them.” Samuel turned onto the highway. “Yeah. You’d be surprised how many people out there want to kill preternaturals, even though 106

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they don’t know anything about them. It’s that whole ‘if you’re different from me, you must be bad’ theory.” “Humans have always gone after those who are different. I think that’s why preternaturals have chosen to stay hidden for the most part.” Bandit studied Jess as the lycan mumbled. He brushed the hair away from Jess’s forehead. “I hope Max has someone who can help us with Jess.” “He has a witch doctor on call, and the doc will probably be there when we get back. Rhonda called to give Max a heads up about the condition of the preters we rescued, though your friend looks the worse of all of them.” A witch doctor was good, but Bandit wished Nick would be there waiting. He had a feeling the newest avatar would be able to help Jess far more than any witch doctor around, if only because they were best friends. “Why don’t you catch some sleep, man? It’ll be another hour or so before we get back to the safe house.” Samuel met Bandit’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “I’ve got it from here. The others are right in front of us. There are some blankets and pillows back there for you to use.” Bandit nodded and arranged everything to make the ride as comfortable as possible for Jess. When Bandit lay down, Jess snuggled close to him, and Bandit wasn’t sure if it was for warmth or because in Jess’s subconscious, he knew Bandit would keep him safe. It didn’t matter. All that did matter was they’d gotten one of their friends back and they wouldn’t stop until they got Pavel back as well. Closing his eyes, Bandit let the hum of the tires on the asphalt lull him to sleep. 107

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*

*

*

He woke up when the sound of the van’s engine ceased. Bandit grabbed the gun lying next to his head, positioned himself between Jess and the door, and waited. When the door slid open, he tensed. “Thank God, they got you back.” Allen peered in, and Bandit lowered the gun, easing out of the van before he swept Allen into his arms. He ignored his protesting muscles and wounds as he kissed Allen until his head spun from lack of oxygen. He set Allen down and rested his forehead against his lover’s. Bandit got lost in Allen’s eyes until someone shoved past him to get to Jess. “Who the hell is this?” Max growled as Bandit turned to watch Ba’el lift Jess from the van. “His name is Jess. He’s a lycan from a pack out east. Not sure exactly how he got here, but considering Grime’s group grabbed him in England, I’m saying he’s pretty well-traveled.” “Beaten to shit and back. What the hell happened?” Max gestured toward the warehouse. “Take him to the infirmary. Doc will check him out there.” “He’s severely allergic to silver, and Grime had him chained, cuffed, and collared with it. They tortured him as well, so he hasn’t been able to shift to heal either.” Bandit kept his arm wrapped around Allen’s waist, but followed Ba’el into the building. “Fucking humans. Always so interested in making us bleed,” Roman muttered as he joined them. “Wait. I need to know if there was a vampire named Pavel among the other preters you rescued,” Bandit asked, hoping with every fiber in him Pavel had been with the others. “No. There were a couple of vampires, but their names aren’t 108

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Pavel.” Rhonda stalked up to him. “Why are you asking about the vampires?” “Because Pavel and Jess were taken together, and they’re both friends of mine. Nick, the newest avatar, is Jess’s best friend, and Nick’s partner, Gryphon, is Pavel’s. It’s all very complicated and twisted, and hard to explain.” Bandit smiled slightly. “I’m pretty sure once Nick and Gryphon get done talking to the High Council, they’ll be flying here to see Jess for themselves.” “They’re on their way,” Roman informed them. “The High Council stonewalled them, and Serpens had enough. He told Nick they were to leave and come directly here. No one argues with the spirit guide, so they hopped a plane. They’ll be here in three hours.” “Shit, those old geezers really do have a death wish, don’t they? Ignoring an avatar? Not the smartest thing they’ve ever done,” Bandit muttered as they went into the infirmary. “We told you the members of the High Council look out for each other, not for their own species.” Max shrugged. “Not sure what we can do right now.” “What we’ll do is wait until Nick and Gryphon get here, then we’ll make sure Jess is okay. After that, we’ll call my mother and we’ll discuss what we’re going to do.” Bandit stopped for a second and turned to look at Allen. His lover seemed a little worse for wear, not nearly as bad as Bandit, but then if he had fought, he would have had time to shift, whereas Bandit hadn’t changed yet. “What the hell happened to you?” Allen grimaced. “You’re looking at the new alpha of the Dow pack.” “No fucking way. You challenged Kinsey? You weren’t 109

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supposed to do that until I got you more detailed information.” Bandit wanted to shake Allen. The look Allen shot him should have killed him. “Man, I was supposed to wait until you got me more information? We didn’t know where the hell you were. The only thing we did know was Grime probably had you, and Kinsey knew where the hell Grime was. So I did the only thing I could. I challenged Kinsey and I killed him.”

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CHAPTER 8 Bandit blinked, and his jaw dropped slightly. It wasn’t the fact of Allen killing Kinsey, but the matter-of-fact way his lover told him. Any sort of timidity Allen might have possessed seemed to have disappeared while Bandit was away. He grabbed Allen’s hands and studied him closer. “Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt too badly, did you?” Allen grinned. “A broken rib, some really deep scratches, and a few bites, but nothing a doctor and a shift couldn’t fix. Now I’m just bruised, and those will fade after a while.” Taking a deep breath, Bandit loosened his grip on Allen’s hands. His lover was an adult and an alpha. He could take care of himself without Bandit interfering. Knowing Allen was stronger than him—and didn’t need Bandit to take care of him—really 111

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didn’t bother Bandit. Allen loved him and needed him for emotion support more than anything else. “Great. I won’t have to go and beat the shit out of Raze, Roman, and Gianni for letting you go then.” Bandit winked to let Allen know he was joking. “I’d like to see you take Raze on. That angel is scary as hell.” Allen shuddered. Bandit agreed. He never thought angels would be quite as violent as Raze was. Not even fallen ones held such leashed strength. The fallen tended to lean toward the crazy side of the personality spectrum. “You’re the alpha of Dow pack now?” Allen nodded. “Have you met all your pack members? How did you find out where I was?” Bandit ducked when a loud boom came from the first floor of the warehouse. They rushed to the railing and glanced over. Nick and Gryphon stood in the middle of the empty room, arms wrapped around each other. Bandit shouted, bringing their attention up to him. Nick broke away from Gryphon and raced up the stairs. The blond embraced Bandit tightly. Allen growled low in his throat, and Bandit shook his head at his lover. “Thank you so much for rescuing Jess. As soon as Serpens realized what happened, he told me to flash us here.” Nick broke away and turned to hug Allen. “Thank you as well, Allen. I know you helped out.” Allen patted Nick on the back. “We couldn’t have left him there, Nick.” “Especially when we were blowing up the building.” Raze 112

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spoke from behind them. Gryphon joined them on the landing. He shook Bandit and Allen’s hands before sliding his arm around Nick’s waist. “Did you find Pavel as well?” “I’m sorry, Gryphon. Jess told me they took him a couple days ago, and he wasn’t with the others we freed.” Guilt welled in Bandit’s chest. Raze tapped Bandit on the shoulder. “Maybe your friends would like to see Jess. He’s in the infirmary. He’s not very lucid, but he’s awake and talking. Having you both around will probably help him relax. He’s still really worked up about Pavel.” Gryphon jerked as he got a clear look at Raze. The vampire’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. Nick clasped Gryphon’s hand and dragged him down the hall after Raze. Bandit and Allen glanced at each other. “Come with me. You can clean up before we debrief Max and the others.” Allen led the way to their room, where Bandit quickly washed up and changed his clothes. None of his injuries were serious enough for him to need to see a doctor, though he knew he would eventually have to stop and get checked out. Before they left their room, Bandit pulled Allen close and crashed their lips together. Allen buried his fingers in Bandit’s hair, opening to him with a sigh. Their tongues dueled and stroked, building a burning fire inside. Bandit wanted nothing more than to throw Allen on the bed, strip him naked, and fuck him until Allen cried out his name. “All right, you two. I know what you’re doing, even without seeing it. You can fuck later. Right now, we need to talk to Max about what happened.” Roman’s voice came through the door. 113

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With a reluctant grunt, Bandit stepped away from Allen. “He’s right. We need to get the debriefing done and then we can say hello the right way.” Allen wrinkled his nose in protest, but didn’t say anything as they left their room and joined Roman in the hallway. Luckily, Roman didn’t open his mouth, though the smirk he wore said he got a kick out of cock blocking them. Bandit leaned over and whispered in Allen’s ear, “You’re going to have to think up some kind of punishment for Roman. He’s enjoying our discomfort a little too much.” “I’ll think on it.” Allen smiled. They went to the conference room and squeezed into the crowed space. There were a lot more people there than two days ago when they planned the first step of their mission. Max waved them to empty chairs in the front. Allen and Bandit sat, while Roman stood against the wall with Gianni. “All right, everyone. First, I want to say good job. You executed the mission plans perfectly, and aside from a few minor injuries, no one was hurt. We rescued the captives and destroyed one of Grime’s facilities. Plus one of our operatives was able to download information from their computers before erasing them.” Max paced in front of them, hands clasped behind his back. “After glancing over the files, I’m afraid to say Grime is torturing our fellow preternaturals. He’s doing everything he can to figure out how to kill us. He’s not interested in the usual ways, though those are the most effective. He wants mass destruction of us.” “But why?” Rhonda spoke up from where she stood to the side. Allen stood. “I think I can answer that. After I killed Kinsey, the alpha of the Dow pack, I was able to obtain information from 114

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his beta, who also happened to be my father. Years ago, Kinsey started a gambling ring. He pitted lycan against humans and forced them to fight to the death in his cages. Grime and his brother were two of the humans Kinsey grabbed.” “God damn,” Bandit muttered under his breath. “Even though he was severely injured, Grime managed to survive his fight and escaped. Unfortunately, Grime’s brother didn’t and, from what we could figure out, died in Grime’s arms. Grime vowed to get revenge on lycans and other preternaturals. He didn’t seem interested in only going after the ones who hurt him. He wants to wipe all of us off the face of the earth. He believes we are abominations in the eyes of his God.” Max nodded. “From what we’ve gathered before this, we knew Grime had a personal axe to grind with lycans especially, but he didn’t discriminate against any of us. He wants us gone, and somehow he has obtained the means of doing so.” “Not yet.” Bandit stood. “The book was stolen, but we’re not sure if Grime has gotten his hands on it yet or not. If he has, he doesn’t have the ability to cast the spell, which is why we’re still here. The other possibility is whoever took the book isn’t interested in giving it to Grime either.” Max stopped pacing and turned to look at Allen. “You’re now the new alpha of the Dow pack. What are you going to do?” “We’re abandoning our territory and going to join the Canis pack. I’ve already talked to Savannah, and she’s willing to accept our fealty in exchange for a safe place for us to live. There are only about twenty of the Dow pack left, and none of them ever supported Kinsey or my father.” “You said you talked to Savannah and she was fine with this?” 115

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Max studied Allen. “Yes. Also, she wants to meet with you. She’s not entirely happy with the way you disappeared. I think if you talk to her about what your true mission is, she’ll be able to help you. The vampire, Gryphon, has connections with several covens that have offered to help in any way. Nick is a new avatar, and while he’s still learning his powers, he is a sign the gods will support us in our quest to survive.” Allen looked at Bandit. After sharing a glance with Allen, Bandit faced the people behind him. He did his best to meet each individual’s gaze. He tried to project calm and strength. Bandit wanted to take Allen’s hand in his because some instinct deep in his soul told him there were preters in the room who wouldn’t survive the upcoming battle, and he was afraid Allen might be one of them. “Listen to me. What the elders of the High Council don’t seem to understand—or maybe they don’t care about—is this is a battle for our very existence. Grime isn’t going to be happy with just killing some of us. He wants to exterminate us, wipe us from this world.” Bandit took a deep breath. “I plan on fighting with everything in me to live. I won’t let him and his crazy followers destroy me without taking out as many of them as I can.” Allen slid his hand into Bandit’s and squeezed. Bandit met his lover’s clear gaze with his heart in his own. Allen’s smile held understanding and his eyes showed his love for Bandit. He looked back at the others, seeing Roman and Gianni holding hands as well. Raze and Ba’el stood in the shadows, and the demon acknowledged Bandit’s silent question with a quick nod. Gryphon had joined them at some point. He moved to stand beside Bandit. “There are a great many preternaturals who will stand and fight, who won’t go ‘gently into that good night,’ as the poet said. 116

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My partner Nick and I are throwing our hat in with Bandit and his pack.” Gryphon clapped a hand to Bandit’s shoulder. Bandit swept the room, and while there was fear in everyone’s eyes, there was also determination. Max moved to stand next to them as well. “Any of my operatives who don’t want to participate in this battle, you can leave without any hard feelings. We all understand the enormity of what we’re facing, but we can’t roll over and die. No matter what your species is, none of us is submissive enough to let Grime have what he wants without a fight. I’m going to travel with Bandit and Allen to the Canis pack territory. I’m leaving Rhonda and Malik in charge here.” “Savannah is waiting, along with the heads of several covens. As we get farther along in our plans, we’ll start including other preters and keep trying to convince the High Council of the danger.” Allen glanced over at Bandit. “We’ll be heading out tomorrow morning. We all need to rest after tonight’s operation.” “Right. You’re dismissed, and we’ll talk more after the meeting with Savannah.” Everyone filtered out, until only the original group remained. Gryphon took a step back when he noticed Ba’el for the first time. Bandit grinned. “Don’t worry, Gryphon. Raze has the demon pretty tamed.” Ba’el snarled and took a swing at him. Bandit dodged out of the way with a laugh. The others watched with indulgent smiles. “I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting an angel or a demon. I didn’t think your kind deigned to have anything to do with us or non-preters.” Gryphon eyed the couple with curiosity. “Most of our kinds don’t, but as you can see, neither Ba’el nor I are particularly normal examples of our species.” Raze nudged 117

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Ba’el with his shoulder. “True, because I’ve never seen an angel hang out with a demon.” Gryphon chuckled. “Oh, we do more than hang out,” Ba’el commented. Before the conversation could get worse, Bandit spoke up. “Okay. Are you coming with us?” He couldn’t help the hopeful feeling he had at the thought of the pair joining in their fight. Ba’el brought Raze close to his side and nodded. “Yes, we are. Nothing Grime does will destroy us because we were made by the non-preter God, but that doesn’t mean we’ll sit by and watch you leave this earth. We all have a place here and a reason for being. Grime has allowed his pain and rage to corrupt his mind.” Ba’el frowned. “His judgment will be harsh in the end.” Bandit looked around at the men who had become his friends, and even more than that, they were family. He would die for each one, and he knew they felt the same way about him. “All right. We’ll plan on leaving tomorrow morning around eight. Rest up and relax because I think the storm is about to break, and there won’t be much rest for us for a while.” They split up, heading to their rooms, Bandit and Allen strolling to theirs together. As soon as the door shut behind them, they removed their clothes and fell on the bed. Bandit ran his hands over all of Allen’s body, reassuring his heart the man he loved wasn’t injured worse than Allen had said. Allen did the same with him. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he dug out the lube and handed it to Allen. “I want you to fuck me,” he said. Allen leaned back on his heels and stared down at Bandit. His 118

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lover didn’t say anything while he slicked up his fingers and started stretching him. Bandit closed his eyes, relaxing as the slight burn became pleasure. Each slide in had Allen nailing Bandit’s gland with his knuckles. Soon Bandit whimpered, needing more than Allen’s fingers in his ass. He opened his eyes and saw Allen watching him with a lustful expression on his face. “Please,” he pleaded. His lover removed his fingers from Bandit and settled between his thighs. Lifting his legs with his hands, Bandit offered himself up to Allen without doubt or fear. Allen pushed in, and Bandit sighed with joy as their bodies joined as close together as two people could get. They rocked, finding a rhythm to bring them ultimate happiness. They locked gazes, never breaking away while they made love. The pressure built in Bandit and his nerves tingled at the base of his spine. He embraced Allen, mingling their breath and heartbeats. “Come with me,” he whispered as his climax exploded over him. Allen came as well, and they trembled and shook with each breath. Bandit wasn’t interested in letting go of his lover. The shadows around them eased the feeling of danger. Tonight was the last night they would feel safe, but they would be together through the fight about to come. Whether they lived or died, at least they would have loved each other with all their hearts and souls.

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EPILOGUE He stood in the shadows of the trees surrounding the bar. He watched as vehicle after vehicle pulled in. The people climbing out of the trucks and cars weren’t the normal customers who frequented the Wolf Pack bar. It was a war council. He might have been away from the world for several hundreds of years, but he still knew one when he saw it. The burning desire to join them flared through him, yet it wasn’t just his life that would be forfeit if he did so. There were others who depended on him, and one was so very precious to him. Could he risk losing her and all she meant? Still, wouldn’t it be better to have people he could trust help him with his problems? He ran his hand over the cracked leather cover of the book he held. Should he give it to the man who’d forced him to take it? Or 120

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should he return it to the people in the building in front of him? Indecision rocked him, and he shuddered with the pain of not knowing what to do. The low roar of a motorcycle caught his attention, and he straightened as one pulled into the parking lot. The lycan climbing off the machine stretched and removed his helmet. The watcher drew in a sudden breath as the parking lot lights gleamed over dark hair and broad shoulders. The lycan shot a glance over to where the watcher hid, like he knew he stood there. The rider even took a step toward him, and the watcher shrank closer to the tree he stood by. “Rover, are you coming in or not?” Someone yelled from the door of the bar. Rover shook his head and hung his helmet on the handle bar of his motorcycle. He stalked to the entrance of the bar, but before he entered, he turned back to glare at the watcher. It was time to go, but the watcher wanted to linger. He wanted to see Rover again, for the big lycan created a stir in his soul that hadn’t been there for centuries. He dissolved into the darkness, taking the book with him.

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T. A. CHASE

T. A. Chase lives a life without boundaries. Being fascinated by life and how different we all are, she writes about the things that make us unique. She finds beauty in all kinds of love and enjoys sharing those insights. She lives in the Midwest with his partner of fourteen years. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching movies, reading and living life to the fullest. *

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Don’t miss Allergies by T. A. Chase, available at AmberAllure.com! What’s a shapeshifter to do when the man he desperately wants is allergic to him? Raymond Marvels never imagines his call to the IT department at his graphics design job would result in his meeting Lou Canis, the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen. There’s one small problem, though—Ray is allergic to Lou. Yet his allergy is only one of the weird things going on between them. Lou, a werewolf, isn’t sure how to fix the situation, because it seems his would-be lover’s allergy is to Lou’s human form and not his canine one. Lou decides to tell Ray his deep dark secret, which

has unexpected results when Ray embraces both sides of Lou. Yet after a witch doctor gives Ray some medicine to solve his problem, Ray and Lou discover they must also face a dangerous conspiracy evolving around them…

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