Pride (The Copper Horse book 2) (gay erotic romance pony play BDSM)

by K. A. Merikan

  Reuben couldn’t fight the sob that tore from his lungs, though he was happy to at least be hidden behind the mask. Hearing words like that from Erik was far worse than being beaten for disobedience. It was as if his master had no love for him anymore. Why else would he not listen? Panic choked him almost to the point of fainting.

  Hans enforced Erik’s order and pulled Reuben’s arm with no mercy. And there was Jacob, watching him with a huge smile while his companion whispered something straight to his ear.

  “Someone didn’t train their horse too well, Mister Bluefinger!”

  After the first tear streaked down Reuben’s cheek, he couldn’t stop sobbing, angry with himself as much as with Erik. He wanted to disappear. Not be here, not be himself. And with Hans by his side, Reuben had no choice but to move and pull the cart along. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. That he was so humiliated in front of the man who’d sold him into slavery. No, into an arena to die.

  “What a lousy beast that is! Maybe you should have my brother trained! He’d be willin’!” laughed a woman in the crowd.

  Erik was dead silent as Hans forced Reuben to stand at a steel wall and used some of the straps on his outfit to fasten him to one of the thick rings meant for real animals, no doubt.

  Reuben trembled, nervous and nauseated. The thought that Jacob saw him like this, probably knowing it was him, humiliated him even more. It was far worse than being raped. It was worse than being thrown into the river after being raped.

  “Need some help with the whip, Bluefinger?” asked a woman to his side as she approached without any respect for his personal space.

  Reuben felt Erik jumping off the cart, and then he was there, unbuckling Reuben’s mask in careless, rough moves. Reuben’s knees softened, barely holding him up at this point as he looked into the black goggles that shielded his master’s gaze from sight.

  “It seems I have been too easy on you, Copper,” Erik said through gritted teeth.

  “No, no, no no no no!” Reuben mumbled through the bit, panic sending his breakfast up to his throat. He couldn’t believe Erik would do this to him when he knew how much Reuben didn’t want to show his face in public! Reuben tried to pull away from his master’s hands, already drenched in cold sweat, and when that didn’t work, he changed his tactic and pushed forward, making Erik sway backwards. Laughter filled the narrow alley, as if it were a puppet show the people were watching.

  But it was no use, and the moment the mask was off, Erik hit Reuben’s face so hard he saw stars. His head spun, and the distinct, metallic taste in his mouth had to be blood. “Bad pony! Stay!”

  Reuben gritted his teeth over the bit, his face on fire. He was tied to a pole, everyone knew what Erik was doing to him in the privacy of his home, and worst of all, he couldn’t stop sobbing, half expecting tomatoes to hit his face. Or perhaps someone’s piss. One of the men who’d fucked him once pissed on him afterward, and Reuben had been too drunk to stop him.

  And despite the way Erik tore his heart into pieces, Reuben still whined after him, afraid to be left without his protection. During their outings Erik would always leave him guarded or just unbuckle him from the carriage and take his pony wherever he himself was going. But Reuben couldn’t pretend to be invisible anymore. With his head pulled back between his shoulders as much as possible, he reluctantly looked around at the small crowd gathered to watch Bluefinger’s pony unmasked. And Jacob was there of course, staring at Reuben’s face with amused disbelief.

  “Are you crying?” His mocking voice cut through to Reuben like a knife.

  “Hans, we’re going,” said Erik, walking up the stairs to a small storefront.

  Reuben looked away, breathless, all pride that he had in the extravagant outfit and showing off his strength—gone. He sniffed, trying to stop the tears as quickly as possible. He assumed that with Erik’s position, no one would dare hit him, but he was vulnerable to taunts and touch.

  It didn’t take much time for it to start. A boy, clearly dared by his friends, walked up to him with a silly smile on his dirty face. Reuben’s gaze followed him from behind the curtain of red locks which at least spared him some of the shame, but didn’t even consider moving when the child approached him from the rear and lifted his tail with a laugh. Reuben hated the world so much right then he could die.

  “It’s not coming out of his ass,” declared the boy to the amusement of the crowd.

  “What did Bluefinger do to you to deserve such disobedience?” mocked one of the women, brushing her hand over Reuben’s arm.

  “I’d say it’s pretty obvious!” Jacob’s laugh tore through the mush that now was Reuben’s brain. His polished shoes slowly emerged from the crowd as he walked up to Reuben.

  It was no use to pretend they didn’t know one another anymore, and Reuben slowly turned his head toward the fucking Judas. If he only weren’t shackled. With his new strength he could have broken the traitor’s bones. He tried to mumble something but quickly stopped, realizing he was just sounded ridiculous with the bit in his mouth and drool dribbling down his chin.

  “Oh dear, does someone have a napkin?” Jacob’s companion came close, only to squat down. Her hand moved straight to Reuben’s crotch, cupping it as if it were her God-given right. “My God, I can see everything under that thing!”

  “Bet it pleases Bluefinger!” yelled another woman, laughing through the gaps in her teeth.

  “There, there, don’t cry Ruby,” Jacob mocked him, drying his face with a dirty handkerchief.

  Reuben tried to move away from both of them, but the chain was only long enough for him to take one step. He growled something behind the bit, powerless to do much more.

  “Why, you should be grateful he spared your miserable life.” Jacob snorted, touching the top of Reuben’s head as if he was petting a domestic animal. “Your father has already forgotten about you, and here at least you have a purpose.”

  “I doubt this has a purpose, right?” said his friend, poking the tip of Reuben’s penis through the tight leather of the pants, making him want to curl into a ball to protect himself, but he couldn’t even do that.

  “Yeah, I’m sure it’s his ass and mouth being used. Huh, Ruby? How many times a day do you suck cock to stay alive?” Jacob’s smile was malicious, and Reuben felt himself tearing up again. This was his private nightmare, one from which he couldn’t wake up. He flinched away from the touch on his cock, ashamed to hear Jacob’s words. How could Erik have done this to him after all they’d shared? Left him here without the mask so everyone could mock him? And he had no illusions—everyone in Bylondon knew what Bluefinger did with his ‘horses’. They all knew he drank his master’s spunk and had his ass plowed for another man’s pleasure.

  “Did he take that crop with him?” asked a girly voice, and Reuben felt a hand groping his ass through the leather. The crowd was thickening around him, and it felt like being choked. He needed air. He needed to get away. Now.

  “You think he’s angry enough to let his pony blow someone else?” Jacob chuckled, forcing Reuben to look at him with a brutal yank to his hair.

  Reuben whimpered, glancing at the entrance of the shop. As much as he hated Erik right now, he wanted him to come back and take care of this. The sole thought of having to suck off Jacob after all that the bastard had done to him was beyond repulsive. Reuben gritted his teeth on the bit and tried to lunge forward to head butt the motherfucker.

  “Whoa, I didn’t think you had it in you!” Jacob chuckled, moving both his hands to Reuben’s bit, but a loud shout from the store suddenly turned everyone’s attention off Reuben.

  “Fucking Dals!” screamed a middle aged man in a worn coat, who stormed out the door, his red face twisted into a grimace of fury. “Soon, everyone’ll know where your fucking food comes from!”

  “You wanna say something more?” Two bulky men who looked much like Hans, rushed down the stairs behind him and grabbed him by the arms as if there was no one to witness it. And inde
ed, it was enough for the crowd to start dispersing, too interested in avoiding whatever was to happen to care about Bluefinger’s fucktoy. Even Jacob trailed away without so much as a goodbye, tugging his girl along. Reuben’s eyes met the captured man’s for a moment, but before he could even think about what was going on, one of the henchmen simply pierced the man’s heart with a huge dagger. Blood gushed on shoes, skirts, and the pavement, pooling between the cobblestones like drain water.

  The man let out one more pained gasp, his eyes wide, before dropping to his knees, lifeless. Reuben realized he was the only one unable to escape, so he looked around in desperation, his heart throbbing with fear. The killers’ faces were obscured by simple full-face masks with a white “D” painted on the left cheek. Obscenely efficient, they dragged their victim to a small door at the side of the store entrance and disappeared as if nothing had happened. If it wasn’t for the pool of blood, one might think that nothing had happened.

  Reuben yanked at his chain, now completely alone in the empty street. These were the people working for Erik and Frey, merciless murderers who had no shame cutting someone up in public. But why was Reuben so surprised? Just today his master showed how little mercy he had for any disobedience when all Reuben wanted was to have his face covered. He didn’t even want to think where the Dal food came from if it was something they would kill for. Were they making people sausage? Reuben almost gagged at the thought, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to breathe through his mouth. Eventually though, he heard a familiar voice.

  “Oh hell, what a mess,” Erik said as he walked out of the store. He took big steps, careful not to stain his shoes with the blood. It was sickening to watch how unbothered he was.

  Reuben frowned but quickly looked down at his own feet. He just wanted to have it over with and go home. But he wouldn’t even have that.

  “Don’t you dare to look away from me, Copper.” Erik’s boots stopped right in front of him. “You made me look ridiculous in front of all those people,” hissed Erik, grabbing the harness at the front of Reuben’s chest and yanking on it.

  ‘You make me look ridiculous every day,’ Reuben wanted to reply, but he kept his big mouth shut, looking up to Erik with what he hoped was an unbreakable gaze.

  Erik shook his head, clad in the expressionless mask. “I’ll make you pay for this, Copper.” And with that, he got back on the cart under Hans’ watchful gaze.

  The ride back to the mansion was the worst thing Reuben could ever imagine. Still unmasked, he was paraded through streets where the air was thick with dust, choking him, and Erik wouldn’t spare the whip to rush him either. All of Bylondon would now know his face and what was being done to him. His chest was so heavy, as if someone had squashed it with a boulder.

  Back at the house, Erik and Hans just left him in the cart room, still in gear and with the cart fastened to his tack. He let himself cry again, and even Jack couldn’t comfort him. He couldn’t even confide in his groom how horrible this day had been, because of the bit. Standing became so uncomfortable at one point that he kneeled on the ground, waiting for his sentence. Would this be it? Would Erik discard him now? What would happen to him then? Would he be sold to Frey as a castrated pet for the four wives? Would Erik cut off his organs himself, just to make a point of it?

  It was Hans who came for him in the end. Under his watchful eye, Jack stripped Reuben bare except for the bridle, and they both led him to the stable. Reuben’s heart skipped a beat when he faced Erik. His master lay on a fresh pile of hay, his eyes cold and hard like Reuben had never seen them before. There was no anger there anymore. What Reuben saw in those beautiful mismatched eyes was even worse: indifference.

  As much as he got used to being naked in the house, after the incident in the street, he felt insecure about it, more vulnerable. He had nothing to give him even the illusion of protection.

  “Prepare him,” Erik said, slowly getting to his feet, and the sight of what he held in his hand made Reuben’s blood run cold. Erik lightly smacked a slim wooden cane against his hand without breaking eye contact.

  Reuben swallowed. All he could cling to was hope that it wouldn’t hurt as much as he imagined it would. Reuben wasn’t going to let Erik win. After all the tenderness and devotion Reuben had showered him with, the bastard wouldn’t even let him explain himself. He was just a plaything after all.

  Hans yanked Reuben to the wall and used his wrist cuffs to pin his hands high above his head. He had to stand on his toes to reach the rings on the wall, stretched in a way that prevented him from protecting himself at all.

  “Get out and wait outside. Both of you.” For once Erik’s voice did nothing to soothe Reuben’s nerves. Soon, they were alone, and the sound of slow footsteps behind Reuben made him break out in goose bumps. The creaking of the wooden panels and the gentle rustle of hay. It was as if Erik prolonged the wait on purpose just to torture Reuben.

  He turned his head to see Erik and fidgeted in his shackles. Reuben couldn’t help his fear, but he still frowned at his master in anger.

  “What?” Erik asked him. He was barefoot, and his steps sounded wonderfully soft, a sound Reuben usually enjoyed, though now it felt like just another element of a punishment he didn’t deserve.

  He tried to utter a ‘fuck you’. The humiliation of today would sting much more than whatever caning Erik could do, so he shouldn’t be afraid.

  “Did I hear ‘I’m sorry’?” Erik mocked him, slowly leaning against Reuben’s bare back. His breath felt hot on Reuben’s skin in a way that he hated now.

  “No!” That he managed even through the bit, trying to shrug Erik off. Erik roughly pushed on the back of Reuben’s head, forcing his forehead against the wall hard enough for it to sting.

  “Do you have any idea how you humiliated me? Do you wish to endanger us all?”

  Him? Humiliate him? Erik had no idea what Reuben had been through today. And he didn’t care. Reuben writhed against the hand just for the sake of it, as he knew he couldn’t escape. His whole body was a bundle of nerves that would never untangle.

  “Do you understand your fucking life’s at stake too? How could you do this to me?” Erik drew back with a hissing sound, but didn’t walk away, as Reuben could still hear his breathing all too close.

  He didn’t understand how his puny misbehavior could hurt Erik’s godly position in Bylondon. Reuben leaned his forehead against the cold wall, trying to stop the intense pulsing of anger underneath his skull. Without the ability to talk, he just growled and tensed his muscles.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Erik sighed and slowly ran the cool tip of the cane up Reuben’s back. “It’ll only be more painful.”

  All that touch did was make Reuben sweat. “Just do it!” he mumbled through the bit, unsure if he was understood. He had taken the belt, he could take this as well. Reuben didn’t underestimate the pain a cane could cause. He’d had his taste on the day they’d met, but knew it was unavoidable. The sooner it started, the sooner it would end.

  “So you think it’s that easy, Copper? Do you even have any idea how disappointed I am with you?” The first blow came unexpectedly, and it stung so badly Reuben lost his breath.

  His eyes went wide, and he bit down on the leather and wood in his mouth, trying to comprehend the blinding pain. It was so much worse than on the first day. His legs were trembling, and he put effort into controlling his breath, but his heart throbbed. He had no control over this. Every day with Erik in this mansion had been like walking a tight rope. Reuben could fall out of favor with one bad step. The sharp pain changed into a hot throbbing, and he gripped the shackles.

  “I hope this will be a valuable lesson, and you won’t lose my affections again.” Erik said without even an ounce of pleasure as he walked behind Reuben. The next hit was just as unexpected like the first, preceded only by a swift, painful sound.

  Reuben screamed into his gag, reflexively tensing his buttocks. A tear ran down his cheek while he was buried in pain
, and he only noticed it moments later, once he returned to reality. It was horrendous. At some point, he lost count of the blows, but the worst thing was the wait. He could never guess when Erik would decide to deliver another strike, and soon Reuben was reduced to a sobbing mess.

  He didn’t know how much more he would have to survive either. He was sweating like a pig, but the moisture on his skin could have been blood for all he knew. His whole body writhed uncontrollably, and breathing was an almost impossible task.

  Hit. Thrash. Breathe. Wait.

  He wished crying wasn’t a part of it, but he wasn’t that strong. His face was coated in a mix of tears, sweat, snot and drool. Pride dripped out of him like water from a leaking cup.

  He was broken in.

  “Copper?”

  “I’m sorry,” he tried to mumble between sobs. He still wasn’t sorry, but at this point he would say anything to stop Erik from continuing with this.

  “Did you say you’re sorry?” Erik asked, and when he touched Reuben’s burning buttocks, Reuben instinctively flinched away from the pain but nodded curtly. Reuben’s hair was drenched with sweat and plastered to his face like an ugly curtain over a whore’s door.

  “Good. I’ll see you later, but you will take dinner alone, so that you can think about what you have done,” Erik told him, walking towards the cupboard where he kept some of the supplies.

  Reuben just sobbed again, and his sniffing echoed in the room as if it were a proper torture chamber. He slowly collapsed onto the wall, still holding the shackles as hard as he could. He couldn’t bring himself to look at his master, with his ass throbbing with numbness. How could Erik be like that? Build up all that trust between them, just to take it away after one time Reuben misbehaved? And he hadn’t even asked what went wrong. Reuben would have told Erik the truth. How Jacob had tricked him, humiliated him, hurt him... But the thought that all his pain didn’t mean anything to Erik tore another sob out of Reuben’s chest. Too caught up in his grief, he didn’t notice when the door opened, but soon Hans was there, unshackling him.