Alphas & Allies

by Maz Maddox

  Cash was bloody and breathing in ragged pants. The massive Hanu he fought sported his own bloody wounds but seemed to barely feel them as he kept charging in for another attack. The gray wolf was slowed from pain and exhaustion, catching a mighty fist to the face that caused blood to arch into the moonlit sky.

  Antonio tried to scream but choked as Cash fell to the ground.

  “How much fight does he have left?” The bandit leader chuckled.

  Darkness was starting to blur Antonio’s vision as he kicked and fought with all he had left. He had to save Cash. He had to get to Cash.

  Satyr smoke and midnight dew. Musk and moonshine. Bravery and strength from so much loss. Cash, his man, who had kept his town safe when he couldn’t.

  Who kissed him just hours ago.

  Antonio’s heart strained, and his vision grew blotchy.

  He’d kissed his palm this morning.

  Palm.

  Hand.

  Could save your life one day.

  Antonio reached up and gripped the bandit’s wrist, pushing his claw through the pressure point in the man’s hand so hard it punctured all the way through. The scream that tore out of the Chupacabra sounded like a banshee's wail, and his grip fell away. Antonio gasped for air and nearly puked from the strain but didn’t allow himself time to focus on the pain.

  As the bandit held his hand and wailed, Antonio grabbed one of the long spines from his back and jerked him backward. The bastard flailed, distracted by the pain and confusion not to keep his neck guarded.

  Antonio opened his jaws wide and bit down with all he had on the bandit’s throat.

  With a gargle and a snap, it was over.

  “Antonio!” Alexis yelled, tossing a rifle his way before clutching her bloody shoulder. The last remaining bandits who had been shooting at her lay dead from their gunshot wounds, and Alexis had been too goddamn stubborn to die.

  Antonio snatched it up and shifted forms as he braced the rifle against his shoulder. The Hanu had Cash by the hind leg and was dragging him toward one of the pitfall traps. They had lined the bottom with piercing sticks to kill whatever had fallen in, and apparently that son of a bitch knew it.

  Taking a long inhale, Antonio lined up his shot.

  Gods, let me be fast. Let my aim be true.

  Don’t let me miss.

  He exhaled.

  Held his breath.

  It was all over with a crack.

  Chapter Ten

  “That ain’t necessary.” Cash was not going to ride on the back of Gavin, even if he did feel like twice stepped-in dog shit.

  “I don’t mind. You weigh as much as a feather to me.”

  “I also know that riding on a Centaur is...an intimate gesture.” Cash glanced in Nigel’s direction. The proper gentleman blushed fiercely but stayed silent. Cash seemed to have suffered the worst beating, with bruises on his bruises from the gorilla-sized Hanu that now sported a hole in his head. The bullet exited right between his eyes. It was the most impressive shot he’d ever seen.

  Even though Antonio was beaten just as bad, he slipped Cash’s arm around his shoulders and took some of the burden of walking.

  “You saved my life,” Cash whispered into his temple, allowing himself to breathe in Antonio’s scent. It was like a balm to his wounds, knowing who was at his side.

  Antonio had killed the Devil’s Pack leader, and the rest of them was food for the buzzards.

  “You would have done the same.” The young alpha was smiling. “Guess the moon was lucky tonight.”

  Even bruised and bloody, Antonio was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever seen. Cash wanted nothing more than to get lost in his arms once again. They couldn’t get home fast enough.

  “I’ll say.” Luis sighed happily, arm over each smiling twin. They stuck to his side like glue. Alexis snorted, her arm in a sling as she rode on horseback.

  “Yeah. Real lucky.”

  The town welcomed them home with howls and cheers, scrambling to help with wounds and fuss over them properly. There were tears of joy, laughter, and celebration until the group came upon the town’s prisoner.

  Matias was being held in front of the pack’s church in the middle of the town. Rosa had a rifle in her hand and was standing guard, and Matias was hiccuping from tears, his wrists bound in front of him.

  “He was caught sneaking back inside the town once the battle started,” Rose said, disgust rolling off her tongue. “He smells like copper and filth.”

  Cash could smell the bandit leader all over Matias. From the look of shame all over the young man, it was extremely evident how the bandits knew about the traps.

  “You betrayed us,” Antonio whispered, sounding heartbroken. “Why?”

  Matias didn’t speak, only shook his head and sobbed.

  “He wanted to be with an alpha,” Cash growled. “I think the leader of the Devil’s Pack probably promised him what he wanted.”

  Rosa cursed Matias in their native language. Cash didn’t speak it, but he caught enough over the past few years to get the general idea of the types of unpleasantries certain words meant.

  “What happens to him now?” she asked, her eyes bouncing between Cash and Antonio. Antonio glanced Cash’s way before looking back toward the waiting pack. The whole town was out and watching them, their eyes moving between the two alphas standing before their church.

  With the bandit problem solved, they were back to the beginning all over again. Two alphas. One pack.

  It wasn’t the same now. Antonio was a perfect alpha; strong, brave, and fearless. The last thing he wanted was to cause the man more pain, but he also knew what was expected of them. Alphas don’t step down. They don’t forfeit.

  “Antonio.” Cash stood up tall, rolling his shoulders back. The tone of his voice made Antonio’s brown eyes sharpen and lock on him. There was a brief look of hurt in them.

  I’m sorry.

  Show them what you’re made of, my heart.

  Cash kept his face neutral. “I’m not going to insult you by handing this town back to you. If you want it, you have to fight for that honor. Name your conditions.”

  The town was holding their breath again. It was all so painfully familiar, but not at all the same. Soft sunlight was starting to peek over the horizon as the morning threatened to swallow the starry sky.

  So much had happened in such a short amount of time. Antonio’s life had been tilted and spun in all different directions, and he was still reeling from the ride. It had taken three years to get back to this point, back to this chance to take back what was lost. He’d trained every day to be strong enough, fast enough, and worthy enough to challenge the man standing before him.

  Cash had been in all of his nightmares of failures.

  He’d hated him for three solid years.

  Three years and a couple nights later, Antonio was pretty damn sure he was in love with the alpha, who shot him in the shoulder.

  “My conditions.” Antonio swallowed and licked his lips, standing as tall as he could. Cash’s gray eyes were fixed on him, ready to fight with all he had left. The current alpha of Guarida would make sure Antonio earned his title back or die trying, and he expected no less in return.

  One of them would have to die or leave in shame again.

  Because that’s the way it had always been. It was their way. Their tradition.

  But after three years and some nights later, after fighting the Devil’s Pack with his pack and winning, after feeling Cash in his arms?

  Suddenly that excuse wasn’t good enough for him.

  “You,” Antonio said.

  “What?” Cash furrowed his brows, confused.

  “My condition is you, Cash,” Antonio repeated with all the conviction in his soul. “I want to lead this town with you. As a team.”

  Soft murmurs rippled through the town.

  “That ain’t how it works, sweetheart,” Cash spoke softly.

  “Maybe not everywhere else, but we’re not like everywher
e else.” Antonio faced his town, his former pack, and stood his ground. “We’re a town of tradition. Now we need to be a town of change. Cash is a good man and a fine alpha, and we’d be fools to bare fang against him.”

  When Antonio looked back toward Cash, the man’s schooled face was beginning to slip. Antonio gave him a tired smile and added, “And I love him.”

  Cash exhaled like someone reached in and plucked his heart from his chest.

  “I’m sick of fighting,” Luis chimed in, the twins still at his sides like they were his shields. “Imagine what we could gain with two alphas? I’d gladly stand behind them.”

  Gavin and Nigel held hands and nodded approvingly at Antonio. Gavin was wiping his eyes, moved from the display. Nigel patted his husband’s hand sweetly.

  Alexis raised her whiskey bottle, having demanded one for the pain in her shoulder.

  Around him, there was a shift in the air as his words hung in the sleepy morning light. Cash’s gray eyes were storms of pride.

  The town seemed locked in silence for a long moment before Rosa’s voice pierced through.

  “Just kiss him already!”

  He didn’t need to be told twice.

  Antonio took Cash’s face in his hands and kissed him for all he was worth, smiling against his lips as the bigger man scooped him up off his feet. Cheers from the town couldn’t drown the laughter between them as they kissed and held on tight.

  Cash kissed the dimple on Antonio’s cheek. “I love you too.”

  Epilogue

  Learning to co-alpha wasn’t as hard as it seemed it would be. Most disagreements led to civilized discussions or arguing-turned-sex when they couldn’t reach an agreement. Either way, they’d land on an answer eventually that everyone was happy with.

  Matias was exiled and sent to find his way alone.

  Gavin and Nigel moved into the town to start a new herb garden and live in marital bliss. The twins stayed under the watchful and strict guard of Rosa until they turned eighteen two months later. Since then, they’ve invaded Luis’s home and kept the man thoroughly exhausted in ways Antonio refused to think about.

  Alexis’s shoulder healed, and she decided it was best to just stay put. The town was lovely and warm, and they could use a human around to be an extra gun in case of emergencies.

  Guarida was whole once again, and life was sweet at last.

  “So.” Luis sat across from his cousin, fingers laced together. “How’s the date going?”

  Antonio rolled his eyes, and Cash smirked.

  “I think it’s going all right.” Cash laced his fingers with Antonio’s.

  “Did he blush when you gave him the flowers?”

  “As red as the rose.”

  Antonio’s face heated. So it was Luis who put his damn partner up to it.

  Luis gave Antonio a wink and whispered, “Fated loooove.”

  Antonio narrowed his eyes. “How’s the goat mind magic going, Luis?”

  “It’s not mind magic, Toni,” Luis scoffed. “And I haven’t had much time to practice.”

  “He’s been busy.” Logan pressed up to his side.

  “Very busy,” Luke added, hugging him from the other side.

  “We’re at the table,” Nigel scolded.

  “Aw. Young love.” Gavin rested his chin on his palm with a sigh.

  “I need another drink,” Alexis announced, getting up.

  Cash’s chuckle died as he lifted his nose in the air. His stiffening posture caused Antonio to sit up and sniff.

  Loner.

  Male.

  “Easy.” Antonio put his hand on Cash’s arm and stood. The loner was striding into town, black clad with the swagger of a gunslinger. A cocky grin spread over his face, and he touched the brim of his hat.

  “Hey, cousin.”

  “Gideon.” Antonio returned the smile, hopping up to give his older cousin a much-needed embrace. Gideon Ortega hugged him with both arms, slapping his back before stepping back to look him over.

  “Damn, you got stronger! Not much in the way of height…” Gideon laughed as Antonio punched his arm. “I’m glad you’re back, Toni. When I heard what happened…”

  “Yeah, about that…” Antonio turned as Cash made his way over. Gideon’s laughter fell away, and his eyebrows climbed in alarm.

  Cash stuck out his hand for Gideon’s. “I’m Cash. I’m alpha here with Antonio.”

  “You’re both alphas?” Gideon glanced between them. “Holy shit, cousin. What the hell did I miss?”

  * * *

  The End

  Afterword

  Dear reader,

  * * *

  Antonio wasn’t originally going to have his own story.

  When he first showed up in Growls & Gravestones, he was a cute little spitfire who could boss around bigger werewolves. I loved the idea of a small alpha having to prove himself, so I couldn’t stop thinking about him. When the opportunity to write his story finally came to be, I knew I was going to love the adventure.

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed reading Antonio and Cash’s story as much as I loved writing it! If this is your first time meeting me, I would love to connect with you! You can find my links and bio below.

  * * *

  I’ll see you in the wild west of the internet, my friend.

  * * *

  Maz

  About the Author

  Maz is an m/m romance fanatic, dabbles in yaoi, adores dinosaurs and writes romance stories with a healthy heaping of adventure mixed in.

  When she's not pairing up Centaurs with bank robbers, she's plotting new stories and sending inappropriate texts to her friends.

  * * *

  Find me here:

  Website: https://www.mazmaddox.com/

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