Alphas & Allies Read online

  Alphas & Allies

  A Stallion Ridge Novella

  Maz Maddox

  Copyright © 2018 by Maz Maddox

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  Formatting by Leslie Copeland, LesCourt Author Services

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Maz Maddox

  To my allies and pack.

  Chapter One

  There were many things Antonio needed to be doing. Fences needed to be checked, perimeters to scan, people to check on, and the afternoon sun was already starting to wane. Yet there he was, standing with his arms crossed, watching his best friend staring down a goat.

  “Luis. It’s not working.”

  “Sshh!” Luis threw out his hand, not taking his eyes off the animal in question. “Don’t break my concentration.”

  “You’ve been staring at it for ten minutes.”

  “These things take time, Toni. This is a very delicate process.”

  The goat continued to chew on some oats with a bored bleat.

  “Are you telling it to make a noise?” Antonio echoed the boredness with his question. Luis scowled.

  “No. I’m telling it to dance on its back legs like it did before.”

  “I don’t think it wants to accept your thought control today.” Antonio gave his cousin a pat on the back. “Sorry, Luis.”

  “I swear to the gods it worked yesterday!” Luis tossed his hands up in frustration and narrowed his eyes at the goat. “Fucking traitor.”

  “Maybe it’s just tired from the process yesterday,” he offered as they made their way back toward the list of tasks. “Give it some time to rest.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” Luis kicked a rock in a mildly pouty manner. “So uh...I heard Matias asked to go with you this Sunday…”

  Heat rose in Antonio’s cheeks, and the attempt at frowning didn’t work. “So what? It’s just lunch.”

  “Yeah, lunch before the full moon. Maybe he’s your fated love.” Luis made obscene kissing noises and cackled as he dodged a playful smack.

  “Shut up. It’s not like that.”

  “Yeah, it is. Man, if I were alpha, I’d be swimming in Matias. You don’t flex your status enough, cousin.”

  “The whole point of being alpha is to not do that,” Antonio stated in what he hoped was a sage tone. At seventeen, it was tough to sound like the one in charge, especially when most people in the town were taller than him. Luis rolled his eyes dramatically.

  “So regal. But...you’re gonna let him sit with you, right?”

  Antonio shrugged, refusing to look Luis’s way since his cheeks were still on fire. Matias was nice. He was tall and had a deep voice. His ears stuck out a bit but not that much. “Yeah. I guess.”

  “...fated looove,” Luis sang, dodging another attempt from his cousin to assault him as he trotted backward away from him. “Fated love, Antonio!”

  “Whatever, Luis. I’m busy. I’ve wasted so much time with your goat mind control attempt.”

  “It’ll work tomorrow.” Luis pointed at him accusingly. “Besides, I said I’d help you with your oh-so important alpha shit.”

  “It is important, Luis. I have to make sure everyone’s safe and happy. It’s not something to be taken lightly.”

  “Antonio!” Rosa called from her doorway. Antonio paused and looked her way before she continued. “Señora Valdez needs help with getting her chickens back into the pen again.”

  “...Alpha shit,” Luis whispered with a grin.

  Antonio sighed.

  * * *

  Sundays were the best days of the week.

  Antonio was busy as hell most of the day, but when dinner was finally served, it made everything worth it. The entire town gathered those days. It was a beautiful mix of chaos and cheer that defined the town. Guitars hummed with the melodic voices of men and women alike. Children laughed and played together while families fussed and argued about food and seating arrangements.

  Slow-cooked meat with herbs and spices warmed the air, mixing with the rich aromas of the soups and tortillas waiting to be consumed. Antonio was even given a little bit of whiskey, but he was really only allowed to drink it with dinner.

  Even though he was alpha, he was still young, and his health was still dictated by the women in his family. He may be the one in charge of the town’s well-being, but they were in charge of his. When Antonio tried to pour himself a glass to calm his nerves about Matias, his tia swatted the back of his head and banished him to the table.

  Luis sat across from him, grinning sadistically with his fingers laced together. His dark eyes bounced between Antonio and Matias, who sat in painful silence next to each other. Antonio was aware it was probably his job to instigate conversation or something, being the alpha and everything, but nothing could seem to come to mind. Matias stared at the table, cheeks flushed, looking painfully nervous and a little like a worn-down scarecrow.

  “So,” Luis perked up. “How’s the date?”

  “It’s not a date,” Antonio snapped. Noticing Matias deflate slightly, he added quickly, “I-it’s...going fine.”

  “Matias, you dressed up nice.” Luis waved at Matias’s bright blue shirt and nice slacks.

  “Thanks,” Matias said quietly, clearing his throat slightly. “Um...you look nice, Antonio.”

  Antonio gave a nod, not knowing what else to do.

  “Gods, he has such a way with words, doesn’t he?” Luis leaned his elbow on the table and put his chin in his palm. “A poet, some would say.”

  Antonio narrowed his eyes. “Luis thinks he can control goats with his mind.”

  “...What?” Matias asked, moving his eyes to Luis.

  “I don’t think I can. I can,” Luis spat back.

  “Yet to be proven.”

  “...Goats?” Matias asked cautiously.

  “You said it yourself that the goat was tired because of my previous success.”

  “Did you tell it to dance around on its back legs before or after it was already doing it?” Antonio leaned on the table to watch his cousin squirm.

  “It was during, but I told it which way to go!”

  “...Why goats?” Poor Matias sounded so confused.

  Antonio opened his mouth to retort when he caught an unfamiliar scent. Pausing, he turned and lifted his nose, then stood and inhaled deep.

  Male.

  Outsider.

  Stranger.

  Lone.

  The music had died away as the town paused in waiting. The thrum of hesitation and unease vibrated through Antonio as he moved through the crowd toward the smell, feeling the weight of the town’s eyes on him. He was their protector. Their alpha. It was up to him to quell the uncertainty that was starting to creep in.

  Standing just inside the town was the cause of his people’s distress.

  A beautiful stranger waited for him. Dressed in a black duster with sharp eyes, the man wore all the hallmarks of som
eone molded and hardened by life. He was tall, duster filled out with broad shoulders and muscle, with hints of brown hair peeking out from under his hat. Dark stubble covered his cheeks and sharp jaw with skin slightly lighter than Antonio’s.

  “Who’s your alpha?” the stranger asked, his voice a low baritone with a bit of a northern drawl.

  “I am.” Antonio squared his shoulders, but his heart had kicked up into a run. Nerves began to fire, and he prayed like hell his voice sounded steady.

  The stranger didn’t balk or mock or make a face. Antonio was aware of how it looked to have a such a young person named alpha. He knew how it made his town look. Thank the gods it was close to the full moon. Maybe he’d have a small chance in hell at winning a fight against him.

  Sharp eyes scanned the town behind Antonio, seeming to drink it all in before they slid back to the young alpha. “I challenge you.”

  He knew it was coming, but it still scared the shit out of him. Antonio balled his fists to keep his hands from shaking.

  “I know the rules,” he stated loudly. “I accept your challenge. Name your conditions.”

  If he picked at night, which he surely would, Antonio might have a shot. The moon was full enough to give him some extra luck, which he needed. With the stranger’s human form being as big as it was, his wolf would be even bigger. Antonio had to be smart. He had to be fast and sharp and move like the goddamn wind.

  I can do this. I am alpha. I can win.

  “Gunfight. Tomorrow at noon.”

  A fist caught hold of Antonio’s heart and gripped it tight.

  “...Gunfight? But…”

  “Those are my conditions,” he said with no room to argue. After one more sweep of his eyes over the town, the stranger locked eyes with Antonio. Even from a distance, he could see that sharp bite behind the storm gray eyes.

  This man was the embodiment of brimstone come to the town of Guarida, aiming to take it all for himself.

  Antonio had a gunfight to win.

  * * *

  “What the hell are you going to do?!” Luis hissed beside him as Antonio watched the stranger disappear out of town.

  “What do you mean?” Antonio glanced his way with an almost offended scowl. “I’m gonna meet his conditions and fight him.”

  “You don’t know how to shoot like that!” Luis reminded him, eyes wide. “You see that guy? That guy knows how to shoot!”

  “He was scary…” Matias whispered somewhere behind him. The town was starting to bubble with sound, all worry churning with the steady boil of optimism.

  Their alpha wouldn’t let them down. Antonio was young and sharp.

  “I need to go practice,” Antonio mumbled, trying to get their voices out of his head.

  “What if we set up a trap and when he comes back into town, he falls into a pit!” Luis was whispering loudly as he stuck close to Antonio’s side.

  “That’s cheating.”

  “Who cares?!”

  “I care.” Antonio stopped and spun toward his cousin. “I care, Lu. I’m not going to cheat my way out of a challenge. What kind of alpha would I be if I did that? Who would possibly respect me?”

  Luis’s brown eyes were filled with fear and anger. Even though he spoke softly, it hit like a sucker punch to the gut.

  “You shouldn’t have to lose everything because some asshole wants to challenge you.”

  “You think I’m going to lose.” The sharp pain of Luis’s words was stabbing at the frail bits of his pride.

  “I think this whole thing is stupid, Toni. Why don’t you try talking to him--”

  “You just don’t get it, Luis. You’re not an alpha, so you don’t understand,” Antonio snapped, pushing past his cousin so he didn’t see the tears stinging his eyes.

  * * *

  The day flashed by like a fever dream, and soon the time had come.

  A bead of ice slid down his spine. Heat from the midday sun pressed down like molten hands on both his shoulders; his sweat trailing down the ridge between his shoulder blades from its touch. The brim of his hat helped shield his vision from the sun, but his gaze was locked on the beautiful stranger.

  Antonio was aware of how quickly his heart was beating. There was no other noise to deafen his rapid pulse pounding in his ears. Dry air pressed against the sweat on his neck and forearms and whispered past his lips. It smelled like dirt, the faint smell of flour, and his pack, which stood like statues on either side of the road.

  He could smell each one of them. He could smell their fear and anxiety.

  And their hope.

  Antonio was aware of how young he was compared to the loner who challenged him. The man had ten years on him easily and had used his extra time on this earth to hone skills Antonio was just learning. Before this afternoon, the only thing Antonio had ever shot at was rabbits and deer. Maybe the occasional warg or bull hog that wandered too close to the town.

  It was his job to keep Guarida safe.

  He was their alpha and had been for two years. Even though the title was given easily, with no native of Guarida opposing him, Antonio knew it was only a matter of time before he was contested. Being young, inexperienced, and slight in build, Guarida was ripe for a rogue to come bearing teeth.

  The lone stranger flexed his fingers, causing Antonio to twitch just slightly. He had been given a choice when the stranger rolled into town: fight or flee. The stranger wanted the town, wanted to take Guarida as his pack, and challenged Antonio’s right to keep it.

  Antonio tried again to moisten his lips with his tongue, feeling like the heat and dry wind was choking him alive. His heartbeat was so, so loud.

  Gods be with me. Aim true. Please, please let me aim true and be fast.

  The stranger dipped his head just slightly, his brim covering his eyes a moment.

  “You ready, kid?”

  Antonio swallowed a dry knot in his throat. He wasn’t ready. He was fucking terrified.

  “I’m ready.”

  A pause.

  Just a moment.

  It was over with a crack and a punch to the shoulder. Somewhere in the distance, Luis was screaming.

  Antonio spun like a minotaur had slammed into his left shoulder and tackled him to the ground. At first, he didn’t feel anything. It was just pressure and shock while he tried to get air back into his lungs. When the pain hit, it was all-consuming and agonizing. Antonio fought the urge to scream, but it ripped free through his teeth as he clutched at his bloody gunshot wound.

  Someone blotted out the sun as they stood over him, and Antonio squinted up at the stranger that had just taken everything away from him.

  He didn’t look even remotely pleased with the outcome. Something close to sadness touched the corners of his dark eyes.

  “Get your wound mended, gather whatever you can carry, and get gone by nightfall.”

  The stranger moved away, and Antonio closed his eyes tight in shame. He had failed.

  Even with the blinding pain, a fist of ice curled in Antonio’s gut. For two years he was alpha of Guarida, his hometown -- his family’s hometown.

  Two years.

  He made sure everyone was happy, that crops were coming in, that Señora Valdez got help getting her chickens in the pen. Luis still needed to prove his powers of goat mind manipulation.

  But now it was all gone.

  And he could never go home again.

  Chapter Two

  Three Years Later

  “We cut the stinger off before we put the scorpion in the basket.”

  “We ain’t savages.”

  Antonio took a long, deep breath as he tried to calm his blood pressure. The twins shuffled on their feet, both sets of aqua eyes looking up through their dark lashes. With their red hair and just the faintest smattering of freckles across their noses, they knew how to play the cute, coy card. And boy did they often.

  Unfortunately for them, he knew better than to be swayed by their eye batting and sweet faces.

  “You�
�re too old to be playing pranks on people.” Antonio folded his arms over his chest, not letting them woo him into submission.

  “It was a harmless little bonding experience,” Logan explained, Luke nodding quickly in agreement.

  “How on earth would you classify scaring me as bonding?” Nigel stomped his back hoof, his hands at his hips. The Cervitaur was always put together, but today his dapper gray vest over his robin’s-egg-blue button-up was slightly crumpled, adding to his flustered dismay as he began wagging a finger at the twins.

  “What would you have done if I saw that and had a heart attack? Hm? If I died because of the fright you gave me? What would you think then?”

  “Well, you came running out screaming, which made everyone come together to see what had happened.” Luke started.

  “Antonio came over to calm you down, and Miss Alexis went in to slay the mighty beast.” Logan laced his fingers together slowly.

  “Bonding,” they both said at the same time.

  Nigel sputtered, his face red with the indignation of it all. Antonio rolled his eyes and fought back a laugh. These teenagers were so full of shit.

  Luke tapped his chin as he cocked his head to the side, a look of wondering on his face. That look was dangerous.

  “Say, I just noticed that Gavin didn’t come running when you were screaming for help.”

  “Hmmmm. Yes, that is very strange,” Logan added, stroking his chin in thought.

  “If I heard my husband screaming, I would come in a full gallop.” Luke spoke with such conviction it almost sounded genuine.

  “Yeah, that is so tragic.” Logan shook his head, looking so pained for Nigel’s dispair.

  “Boys…” Antonio warned, trying to stop their obvious deflection before it spun out of control. Almost as if sensing his impending doom, Gavin made his way over to the crowd. The giant man towered over them, all muscle and might, but stopped just short of them when he saw the fury on Nigel’s face.