Love's Baggage Read online

  LOVE'S BAGGAGE

  by

  T. A. CHASE

  Amber Quill 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

  http://www.AmberHeat.com

  http://www.AmberAllure.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

  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

  Dedication

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

  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 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 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.

  "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 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 goi
ng."

  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 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 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-of-fact 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. 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 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 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 tur
ned 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 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, red-haired 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.