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."
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 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
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."
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 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