Love's Baggage (A Story In The "Preternaturals" Series)

...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...