Captured by the Centaur (Filthy Monster Erotica Book 3)

by Harpie Alexander

  Neela handed her the crutches they’d made and helped hold her until she was properly balanced. In her excitement, she almost didn’t notice as Adriel backed away, shifting nervously on her feet. With her stomach churning, Erica felt a sudden bit of unease at the Fae’s uncomfortable expression. When she looked over at the others, they stared down at their feet, the sky, or anywhere else as long as it wasn’t her, which made her think that something was very wrong.

  “I can’t go with you, can I?” Erica stated in a quiet, sad tone.

  Adriel let out a deep, unhappy sigh and shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not. This is as far as we can take you. We aren’t far from the borders. If you come with us, all our lives will be in peril. No one but Fae are allowed to enter Fae territory. If you thought Narvis was evil, you can’t imagine what my kind would do to you or to us, if we exposed our lands to unwelcome outsiders. It’s not you, I promise. But we have to leave you here, it’s the only way we can save the rest of our people.”

  Erica’s heart sank while she listened to Adriel’s terrible words. Terrible because she didn’t want to lose the only friends she had. But as much as she hated it, she understood. It would be unfair and selfish if she begged them to stay and she couldn’t risk them getting hurt for trying to take her with them. Painfully, she nodded and for some reason, it was the hardest thing she’d had to do in a long, long time.

  More tears filled her eyes as the women embraced her again.

  “I’m so sorry,” Neela said. “I wish you could come. Maybe one day things will change.”

  “Don’t be. I was never meant to be here to begin with. Go, get your magic back, and rescue the others before I change my mind and beg you to stay,” Erica said, with a sad laugh.

  “It’ll be dawn soon. Go north, it skirts the borders and leads away from the village. Not everyone here keeps slaves, you might find a friendly homestead somewhere. If we can, we’ll come back and find you,” Adriel promised before letting go.

  After saying their goodbyes, Erica watched as her Fae friends disappeared into the shadows, leaving her all alone in the creepy forest. Disheartened, she knew somehow that despite their promises and their kind words, this was the last time she’d ever see them again. While they went on their journey, she had her own to figure out.

  With the slightly uncomfortable pair of crutches and the inky darkness of the woods surrounding her, she was struck by a sudden thought that left her terrified.

  Carnivorous Centaurs lived in these woods, hungry and waiting. How long would it be until they found her?

  Chapter Three

  Hetak

  Hetak sighed irritably as his hooves squelched into the thick mud with every step he took. It had rained earlier in the day and mucked the trails. The muggy humidity afterward had masked the scents in the air. If it weren’t for that, he might have already caught up to the thieves who stole his cart.

  His tail snapped as he thought of how all his hard work had disappeared in a single moment of inattention. Three weeks of hunting and trapping on this side of the forest. Three weeks of smoking meat and scraping pelts. Almost all of it was gone because he took too long tracking one last buck to help feed and clothe his people through the coming winter.

  The other hunters would be returning with their harvests soon, Hetak would be damned if he returned empty-handed. He wanted to catch the outsiders who came into his camp and took his meat and his furs, but he also wanted to break them under his hooves for their audacity.

  By the time he’d discovered the theft, the trail had already been cold. Even worse, a sudden downpour around midday had washed away most of their tracks. If they continued west as they had been, Hetak knew he’d come upon the village of Grishan, a predominantly orcish settlement. Perhaps the thief made his way there? Unfortunately, once the cart passed through the village gates, the goods would be unretrievable without a war party at his back and that was not an option. Still, he did not wish to see the rewards of his exhaustive hunt go to waste in that cesspit of a town, but a centaur alone was no match for a horde of orcs despite the fearsome reputation of the local herd.

  Hetak didn’t know what possessed the thieves to ’risk’ their lives over a few slabs of meat and some fur, but when he found them, he planned to make sure it never happened again. Peaceful dealings in the past had ended with their homes destroyed and so many lives lost. His people simply couldn’t afford to risk it again. The terrible lies were the only things keeping them safe. Having the truth uncovered could destroy them all. And that was unacceptable.

  As daylight faded, a faint sound caught his attention. Slowing his steps, he searched the forest for the source of the noise. Brush rustled and twigs snapped nearby. Easing forward in the direction of the movement, Hetak slowly pulled out his bow, ready to attack whatever prey he’d come across.

  Silently stringing his bow, Hetak nocked an arrow and held it ready. The sinew gave a quiet creak as he drew back on it, giving it just a little tension. Then slinking through the shadowy trees, he hunted for the intruder he could hear.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Hetak spotted a figure to his left slowly making its way through the trees. Curious, he silently circled around behind to investigate, keeping to the shadows as he went. It was a small two-legger. A villager maybe? Hoping he had finally located his thief, he crept closer.

  The person hobbled slowly, using a pair of oddly shaped sticks to prop itself up while it walked. As Hetak drew closer, his eyes grew wide with surprise. It wasn’t just any villager he happened to come across. The lone figure belonged to a female. What was she doing out there all by herself? Unable to pull away, even though he knew finding his thief was important, Hetak studied the female before him.

  Her clothes were dirty and threadbare, completely inappropriate for the chill in the air. Not to mention, she limped heavily. He wondered if she was injured somehow, since that would explain the strange walking sticks she used.

  “Son of a bitch!” she yelled, tripping suddenly. As she stumbled and fell, curses flew from her mouth as she pushed herself up. Sitting back on her legs, she shoved her dirty mane away from her face with pale hands and looked up at the sky. “Why!? Why am I here!? Why does my life suck so damn bad!?”

  Her screams cracked at the end and she slumped, sobbing into her arms. Hetak found himself lowering his weapon while he listened to her. He was drawn in by her sorrowful cries. Had someone attacked her? Was that why she was in such a pitiful state? Perhaps something was stolen from her as well…

  Hetak emitted a low grumble of frustration, shaking his head as he looked back in the direction his cart had been taken. He really needed to find that thief, but it seemed this female needed his help more. He would be a poor example of a stallion if he ignored an injured female.

  Unstringing his bow and hooking it over his back, he stepped into the clearing to approach the distraught female. When one of his hoofs connected with a rock jutting out of the dirt, it sprang free and clattered as it skipped away from him. The sudden noise caught the female’s attention. Gasping, her head whirled around to face him, her eyes opening wide as she stared in shock. Hetak stared back. He too was surprised, he wasn’t expecting to see a human. They were incredibly rare in this part of the land, especially considering they didn’t originate from this world.

  She flipped around fully, terror filling her eyes as she watched him emerge from the shadows. As he moved toward her, she scrambled backward and pushed away from him with a horrified scream.

  “Stay away!” Grabbing one of her sticks and swinging it like a weapon, she slid further and further away from him. Her flailing caused her skirt to hike up and Hetak realized she was missing the lower half of one leg. The remaining stump was twisted, badly scarred, and showed signs of lingering infection.

  “Easy female,” he said softly as he held his hands out in a nonthreatening manner. “I won’t harm you. I just want to help.”

  Hetak kept his voice low while approaching the frightened huma
n. He wasn’t too familiar with their species, but he was very familiar with frightened prey. Many of which became dangerous when cornered and afraid.

  “Help me? Yeah right. More like help yourself!” she accused, her voice trembling with fear. “I’ve heard what your kind are like. I’m as good as dead. You’ll eat me and discard what’s left of my carcass into whatever wasteland you came from!” she yelled, jabbing her stick at him.

  Hetak barely stifled his laughter at her accusations, but he failed to hide his grin. He dropped his hands to his sides and shook his head ruefully. It figured that the only human he’d seen in years would have heard the rumors about his people. The female continued to scoot away from him, watching with suspicion and holding her stick weapon at the ready.

  “Cease this nonsense and come with me so I may see to your wounds,” he fussed as he stepped out of range of her makeshift weapon. It wasn’t really a weapon, but he wasn’t going to tell her that, not when she was so worked up. “No doubt you are in need of food and other care as well.”

  “Why in Heaven’s name should I go with you? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, you know! I don’t need a carnivorous centaur bothering me.”

  Her voice was proud and she held her chin high even as she attempted to mask the uneasy tremble in her voice. Her feigned confidence was rather adorable and Hetak found himself enjoying her spirited denials.

  “I have no doubt about that, but unless you plan to weather the coming storm alone, I suggest that you allow me to offer a modicum of assistance.”

  “Storm?” she asked as she looked up at the sky, biting her lip at the sight above them.

  It was nearly sundown, and Hetak could see the heavy, gray clouds rolling across the sky. The weather was cold enough now that the rain could easily turn to sleet or even snow. He didn’t know how long they had, but if he didn’t convince the female to trust him, he doubted she’d last the night. Not in her current condition anyway.

  “I assure you, female, I have no interest in eating a dirty, skinny human like yourself, much less doing anything else to you,” Hetak stated seriously, doubling his efforts to convince her. “Let me help you, before you end up freezing to death in the mud out of sheer stubbornness.”

  Oddly enough, sadness filled her eyes at his words, but she made no move to drop her staff despite her trembling hands. Hetak kept his unwavering gaze on her and waited her out. He couldn’t understand why the assurance that she wasn’t going to be eaten made her sad. Whatever the reason, her guard wavered and eventually, she dropped her stick. It was progress of sorts.

  “Do whatever,” she mumbled, shrugging. “I don’t care anymore.”

  Hetak frowned. He only wanted to help, but the more they talked, the more despondent she became.

  “You are obviously lost and injured, I want only to help you.”

  Moving toward her again, Hetak reached down and gently took the stick from her hands and set it out of her reach. Then, he carefully slipped his hands under her body and lifted her from the muddy ground.

  She hung limply in his arms, not responding while he shifted her into a more comfortable position. Her delicate arms folded against her chest and she rested her head on his shoulder with a tired sigh. She weighed so little and Hetak could feel how thin and cold she was. He needed to get her to safety and soon.

  Turning in the direction of his camp, Hetak trotted back the way he’d come, no longer caring that his weeks of labor were now for nothing. He would retrieve none of the stolen hides or food. Strangely, he was unbothered by the thought. More concerned with helping the pitiful female in his embrace, Hetak ran as swiftly as he dared with his new, unexpected burden.

  Chapter Four

  Erica

  Erica found being carried by a centaur was weird. Even though Hetak held her tightly to his chest like a human would when carrying someone, she still bounced and jostled oddly with his swift steps. She couldn’t tell if it was because of their speed or because he had two extra limbs that powered his movements. Hooves pounded a rhythm into the ground and his breathing was deep and even under her ear. The stallion’s skin was warm and smelled of leather and herbs, not at all what she thought a cannibalistic creature would smell like. Erica decided that she rather liked how this male smelled.

  Traveling at a pace faster than anything she could have managed on her own, even if she had both legs, the centaur’s hoofbeats ate up the miles like they were insignificant. In almost no time at all, they had passed so deep into the forest. Erica guessed it would take her days just to travel all the way back on her own. Not that she planned to.

  With nothing else to do but wait out the ride, Erica’s eyes shifted to the angry sky overhead. The handsome centaur was right, there really was a storm rolling in. The cold wind picked up pace, biting into her exposed skin. Shivering involuntarily, she turned her body so that her hands were tucked against his chest.

  “We are almost there, human,” the centaur assured her.

  His pace quickened while he dodged in and out between the trees. He was moving so fast now, the surrounding forest was a bit of a blur. “Just a little farther to my camp.”

  His voice was deep and rich, sending a lick of heat down her spine in spite of her lingering apprehension. He was nothing like Narvis had led her to believe. So far he’d been patient and ever so kind to her. And now he was even showing genuine concern. It was one thing to say he wanted to help her, but now he was proving true to his words.

  “Soooo, you really aren’t planning to eat me or anything right?” Erica asked, unwilling to let the quiet descend once more.

  The centaur chuffed under his breath then hitched her a little higher in his arms before he answered. “No human, I do not intend to eat you.”

  “What’s your name?” she requested suddenly, finally looking up at him. Warm brown eyes met her own and he gave a little smile.

  “I am Hetak of the Wandering Wind Tribe,” he replied easily, not winded despite the swift lope he used. “What do I call you?”

  “I’m Erica…Erica Murphy. I’m…um…I’m sorry for screaming at you like that,” Erica said, floundering over her words. “You’re not what I was expecting.”

  Hetak’s eyes crinkled in amusement before he returned his attention to the path he was taking. “It is nothing, Erica Murphy. Your reaction is to be expected. I took no offense.”

  “Still, thank you for not leaving me to die.”

  “I would not have left you. It is simply easier if you allow me to assist, rather than having to capture and throw you over my shoulder. I dislike getting kicked,” Hetak admitted, glancing at her again. Erica gave him a little frown and he chuckled at her expression. “You have naught to fear from me. Regardless of how our first interaction went, I still intended to help you, not harm you.”

  “Yeah, well, you try anything and I’ll geld you before you can blink.” Erica threatened with a scowl, glaring up at the centaur so he could see how serious she meant the threat.

  Hetak startled her when he threw back his head and burst into loud guffaws of laughter. “You are a spirited female, Erica Murphy. Why are you not home with your mate? How did one such as yourself come to be lost in this forsaken forest?”

  Erica’s mood took another nosedive at his questions. She sighed heavily before choosing to answer him honestly. “Slaves don’t have mates to stay home with. And I got lost so I couldn’t be found by my former master. If he were to catch me, he’d probably kill me this time.”

  Hetak’s expression turned serious and his steps faltered. “This time?” he prompted after a quiet, thoughtful moment.

  “The last time I tried to escape, I broke my leg. After letting the healer mutilate me, Narvis kept me around as a deterrent to the others’ escape attempts. It didn’t work obviously but…” Erica trailed off, suddenly unsure of what came next.

  “He will not find you this time, little female,” Hetak said fiercely, drawing her attention to his face again. He glared down the pa
th ahead, his hands tightly gripping Erica’s body. “If he comes after you, I will leave his butchered carcass at the edge of the forest for the villagers to find.”

  Erica fell silent, uncertain of what to say next. Instead, she took the opportunity to study her unexpected rescuer. Hetak was a beautiful male. His human half was muscular and athletic. Large blue tattoos swirled across the swarthy skin of his hairless chest. He wore a leather harness around his upper body that secured his bow and a sword across his back. The leather bracers digging into her back and legs, protected his wrists and forearms and completed the entirety of his ’outfit.’

  Looking higher, Erica examined his features. Hetak’s hair was thick, nearly black and pulled away from his face in a heavy braid. His eyes were a lovely chocolate brown under the dark slash of his eyebrows. A slight crook to his nose told her he’d probably had it broken a time or two. Stubble lightly dusted his square jaw, just begging her to touch. Erica always was a sucker for a sexy stubble.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, mostly to distract herself from the sudden desire to touch him.

  “My camp is on the far side of the river. We will cross in the shallows and stop to clean up a little before continuing,” he replied, adjusting his grip on her as he ducked beneath a low branch.

  “What about the storm?”

  “Do not worry. We have enough time,” he assured her.

  It seemed he was right after all. The grumble of rushing water reached her ears before she knew it. Erica perked up, watching as the trees thinned and the river came into view. It was wider than she’d expected, considering the dull roar in the air. Unfortunately, the wind was cooler coming off the water and she shivered again when it hit her.

  Hetak slowed, stepping delicately into the water so he didn’t splash while he walked through the current. The shallowest portion of the river came just above his knees and Erica was sure the waves must occasionally lap at his belly. On the far side, he set her on a fallen tree near the waterline and stepped back.