Erik’s eyes lit up. “See? I told you horses are smart!”
Frey gave them a blank stare. “I’ll be going.”
“So that’s your clue, find out which one throws up all the time, and you’ll have your prize.” Erik took the honeypot to bed, joining Reuben on the mattress.
“Do your job, Erik,” was all Frey said on his way out, but he didn’t seem as angry as usual.
Reuben smiled and leaned in for some honey. Erik chuckled and pressed the pot against his face so that Reuben’s nose dipped in the sticky liquid.
“See you soon, brother.”
Reuben tried to reach his nose with his tongue, but it wasn’t long enough, and the lovely nectar teased his senses mercilessly. “Get it off.”
Erik complied, hugging Reuben with a wide smile. “Did I make the pony angry?”
“I do like my honey. I’m so happy the boy will get back to his father, Master.”
“That’s where he’ll return. I can’t have you both competing for my attention. You’d milk me dry.” Erik wiggled his brows and leaned in to lick the honey off Reuben’s nose.
Reuben couldn’t help but laugh. Erik could be so stern and serious at times, yet so childish at others. “Milk and honey. Perfect combination.” Reuben grinned at him.
His master yawned. “You’ll get plenty of milk later. If you’re up for it.”
“Is Gregorovich really that evil?” Reuben decided changing the topic was the best policy.
Erik blinked and drew back a few inches to look him in the face. “He’s not evil, but we can’t have him undermine our efforts. Sometimes things just need to be done, Copper.”
That answer was good enough for Reuben, and he decided tasting Erik’s honey-sweet lips was better than talking anyway.
Chapter 11
When Reuben awoke, he realized there was someone with him in the hay, but he was much smaller than Erik. The person also smelled different. Strange. It couldn’t be Jack either.
There was a low snort, and Reuben felt smooth hair brushing against the skin of his back. When he opened his eyes though, for a moment he didn’t know what he was looking at. There was a young boy staring at him, not more than five years old, with a mane of red hair just like his, sleek and shiny. It was the eyes that were jarring. They were pitch black and huge, with long eyelashes. There was an oddness to the child’s face. With his eyes very wide apart, he looked strangely inhuman. The boy snorted again and nudged Reuben’s arm with his nose.
“What is it?” He couldn’t stop looking into the boy’s eyes. “You cold?” Reuben reached to the blanket which covered them both and pulled it up with his teeth. The boy nickered and poked Reuben with his front hoof before shaking his head. Then he leaned closer into Reuben and put his ear on Reuben’s arm.
Only then did Reuben look down and realize the boy wasn’t wearing hoof boots, but actually had hooves. Had hooves. Reuben frowned. “What are you?”
The boy whinnied and blinked at him with sheer, unhindered interest until the door opened. The foal climbed to his feet and ran straight toward Erik, who greeted him with a smile.
"Have you missed me, Rusty?"
The boy seemed to get bigger by the minute. Reuben slowly got to his knees and wanted to ask about him, but when he tried to speak, it came out as a whinny.
Erik patted Rusty's neck, and the boy wiggled his tail vigorously.
"Copper, how are you, my darling? Was the boy good during my absence?" Erik strolled over to Reuben and dropped to his knees to steal a chaste kiss.
Reuben didn’t let him back away, though, and reached out for more, but Rusty pushed in between them, moaning for attention. Reuben gave Erik a questioning look and pointed to the boy with his chin.
Erik chuckled and ruffled the foal's mane without letting go of Reuben. "He's turning out beautiful. As pretty as you, but he has Coal's eyes." He scratched the boy behind the ear. "I'm already getting offers on him. I shall hold an auction."
Reuben looked into Rusty’s eyes as his heart sunk. No! Erik couldn’t sell his baby! Rusty was too young to understand. Reuben let out a nasal moan, his heart beating faster. This couldn’t be happening! Not his foal!
*
Reuben opened his eyes wide and gasped for air. “No,” he muttered, looking around as his heart still hammered in his chest like crazy.
The smell of hay was drowned by the fresh scent of greenery, followed by an unpleasant, sour taste in Reuben's mouth. He spat out the grass he somehow started chewing on in his sleep and turned his head toward the clang of a bell. He blinked, recognizing the girl who belonged to Erik's guest. She wore a skintight outfit, white with black patches, and the sound came from the large cowbell hanging from her neck as she ate from a pot of herbs.
She didn't even acknowledge his presence, so he looked the other way, spotting Erik on a picnic blanket among the flowers that were slowly withering in the cold. He was speaking to his middle-aged female friend over a cup of tea they drank with fairy cakes.
It was a warm October day, but Reuben couldn’t prance around naked anymore without getting a chill. He got to wear a pair of pants today, along with a blanket with a hole cut out for his head. He was warm under the fabric, and after dinner he was so satisfied he fell asleep the moment he laid his head in the dry grass.
The lady, who looked far too decent to own a cow-girl, leant over Erik’s hand, tracing it with her fingers.
“Master?” Reuben got to his knees, still confused by his dream. Were such things possible?
Erik blinked, turned his head towards Reuben, and smiled. “There’s my sleepy pony. All fresh now?” He urged Reuben to come closer.
“Yes... I think.” Reuben rose and slowly went over to his master. “I’m not sure.”
Erik shot a look at his lady friend, and she withdrew immediately, making space for Reuben. “Is everything all right?” Erik picked up a glazed fairy cake and offered it to Reuben.
“I had this dream,” whispered Reuben, unsure of how the lady would take it. His fear must have showed.
Erik sighed. “Dahlia, dear, would you let me share some words with my stallion?” He pulled Reuben down to the blanket, which was easy with the tail just attached to a harness.
Reuben bit into the cake, and the sweet taste made his anxiety dissolve a little. He saw the woman join her pet without a complaint, and he waited until she was out of hearing range. “I had a dream about Rusty.”
Erik pulled Reuben’s back against his chest and smelled his neck. His arms alone could be enough to calm Reuben down. “Who’s Rusty?”
“My foal, I mean...” Reuben swallowed and leaned in closer. He knew it had just been a dream, but what if it meant something?
Erik shifted his position so he could look into Reuben’s eyes. His brows were drawn close together, and his hair shone like a halo around his head. “Copper, dear... I told you already, you cannot get pregnant. There will be no foal,” he said gently.
Reuben laughed nervously and kissed his cheek. “I sort of know, but this dream confused me. This foal, it looked a bit like me, but had Coal’s eyes.”
Erik sighed and bit into the fairy cake before putting it to Reuben’s lips again. “Must have been pretty.”
“It had real hooves. And a tail.” Reuben took a whole mouthful and smiled back at his master.
Erik snorted, bowing down to kiss his lips. “Was he sweet like you, or wild like Coal?”
“I don’t know. He was very curious about everything. But you said you were looking for a buyer,” said Reuben, souring a little.
Erik looked genuinely startled. “A buyer?”
“For Rusty.” Reuben nudged him with his nose.
Erik pouted and wrinkled his nose in thought before he looked back at him. “And that bothers you?”
“Yes. He’s just a foal. I can’t imagine that...”
Erik exhaled, never stopping to pet Reuben. “Well, if you had a foal, we would only sell him to someone he really liked. How does th
at sound?” He ate the remaining piece of the cake.
Reuben gave it some thought. “Someone who would treat him well.”
“Of course.” Erik pressed a soft kiss to Reuben’s temple, hugging him closer. The warm afternoon sun made his skin glow, inviting Reuben to lean even closer. “And we would visit him from time to time.”
Reuben liked being a part of that plan. “Yes, that sounds good. So we could check if he was doing fine.”
“Definitely, Copper. I would hate it if someone mistreated your foal.”
Their conversation was broken by a loud mooing. Only now Reuben realized how surreal the dream was. Still, he smiled and cuddled up to Erik.
After some more hugs and kisses, Reuben leaned down to pick up an apple from the ground with his teeth. It took some fumbling, but he managed. He returned to Erik and presented him with the fruit. His master’s eyes lit up, and he accepted the gift with a kiss to Reuben’s forehead. His lips felt cool and tender. No, Erik would never hurt Rusty.
“Would you gather more apples? We could ask Mister Fry to bake a pie.”
“Yes, Master. I’m sure he will bake a delicious pie.” Reuben smiled and continued his search for the ripest fruit before bringing each one to Erik’s lap. His knees started to hurt after fifteen minutes or so, but he ignored the discomfort to please Erik. He enjoyed the fresh smell of grass as he bent to get the fruit. Despite doing his best to leave the skins unmarked, his teeth dug into the sweet flesh as he picked them up. From the corner of his eye he watched the human cow, whom her mistress addressed as Daisy.
“I don’t think I’d want to be a cow, nor a bull.” Reuben said, after dropping yet another apple.
“No? Not even a bull?” Erik winked at him, examining the apple that Reuben put into his hand.
“I doubt I am wild enough, Master.” Reuben pushed his face into Erik’s hand, craving his attention.
“That’s true.” Erik stroked his head. “You are very agreeable. Domesticated.”
“A house pony?” Reuben lay next to him, enjoying the last of the afternoon sun and the smoothness of the blanket.
“No. You’re soon to be saddled for the first time.” Erik ran his fingers up and down Reuben’s body, following them with a soft gaze. “How do you feel about that?”
“If it isn’t too much strain on my ankle, I will be happy to learn, Master.” Reuben closed his eyes, completely relaxed. He felt Erik join him, his slim body sliding closer.
“I would have you marked with my name.”
Reuben opened his eyes to look straight into the gaze of the blue and brown eyes. His heart trembled in his chest. “Will I then be yours forever?”
Erik’s eyelids fluttered. “If that’s your wish.”
Reuben opened his lips to speak, but a scream from the house choked the words in his mouth.
“Fucking Russian cunt!” Frey stormed into the garden and headed straight for them in nothing more but boots and pants, his well-sculpted chest displaying an array of scars.
Erik sighed and patted Reuben’s neck, as if trying to tell him everything was fine. “What did Gregorovich do this time?”
“Fucker escaped from Bedlam.” Frey spat to the ground, walking in circles around Erik’s blanket. “I don’t know much more yet. Whether he did it alone or if his people came for him. All I know is that he was supposed to get a lobotomy today, and when the doctors came for him, his cell was empty!” He emphasized the last word with a punch to the tree, so hard that dozens of apples fell, hitting all three of them.
Erik groaned, but he nodded towards the corner where his female friend sat on a bench, accompanied by her pet cow. He raised his voice so that she could hear. “Dearest, I am sorry, but I have matters to discuss with my brother. I will pay you a visit soon.”
She smiled at them and came closer, Daisy crawling behind her on all fours. “Mister Dal. I will take my leave.”
Frey looked at her and sneered. “Fuck.” He kicked the tree again, and Reuben barely avoided a falling apple. Erik pulled him into his arms, shielding his head with his arm.
“Are you saying that my work was for nothing?”
Mister Evans escorted Dahlia out of the garden, and Reuben got to his knees, more than willing to flee from underneath the tree.
Frey’s face was red and sweaty. “For nothing. Is this man some kind of magician, or what? How does a man as big as a bear disappear?”
Erik shook his head. “That’s a disappointment.” He spoke slowly, staring at the house.
“It sure fucking is. Erik,” Frey looked to his brother. “Do not take this lightly. We don’t know when the fucker will resurface like shit from the drain.”
Erik nodded, stroking Reuben’s arm and effectively preventing him from leaving. “What do you want me to do?”
“Master, I’m not—”
“That is not a question for you! Erik, is your slave completely stupid? Has he had a lobotomy instead of Gregorovich?” Frey lost his temper, and Reuben looked at his knees, ashamed.
“Don’t unload your anger on my horse!” Erik snapped, hugging Reuben even closer. His warmth erased all the hurtful words. “You are in my house.”
“Then take him out of my sight. I am not in the mood for this,” hissed Frey.
Erik snorted. “I might consider that if you fucking calm down.”
Reuben nuzzled at his thigh, and Frey sneered at the sight. “I’ll wait for you in your office,” he said through his teeth.
Erik watched his brother storm out of the garden, but eventually he turned his attention to Reuben. “You’re safe with me.”
“I hope Gregorovich is found soon, Master.” Reuben looked up to Erik, whose smile blanked.
“Don’t concern yourself with such things.” He slowly untangled himself from him and got up, gesturing for Reuben to follow. “Think about the pie mister Fry will make with your apples.”
Reuben sighed and got up. “I will be waiting for you, Master.”
“You will spend some quality time with John. Do whatever you like, as long as it’s in the house.” He moved towards the entrance where the footman was waiting for them.
“Not Jack?” Reuben gave John an uncertain look. He wasn’t a favorite of the footman.
Erik shrugged. “Jack is suffering the consequences of his foolish attempt to help you flee. He’s on kitchen duty.”
Reuben lowered his gaze. He still felt guilty for what happened that night, but there was nothing he could do about it now. It’s not like he’d be of much use in the kitchen while he wore hooves on his hands.
Erik gave John his orders and disappeared from sight, hurrying to meet his brother. As soon as he was gone, the footman shot Reuben a dark look.
“So now I’m degraded to the role of a groom.”
“It’s a very important role,” Reuben reminded him and followed the tug on the reins without a second’s thought.
John frowned and opened his mouth, but while Reuben anticipated a mean comment, the footman just shook his head and tugged him into the house.
“Jack is really good at it.” Reuben tried to fill the silence between them, but it was a difficult feat. John was a man of mystery. The look in his gray eyes was strangely piercing and bored at the same time.
“Well, it isn’t surgery. Anyone could do it,” John snarked as he led Reuben towards the stable.
“No, a groom needs to have a gentle touch but still control the horse.” Reuben had lots of experience with this topic by now. He understood how important Jack’s tasks were and wouldn’t let anyone underestimate them.
John shrugged. “Your expertise in the field never ceases to baffle me.”
Reuben cleared his throat and pretended to look at one of the horse-themed paintings in the corridor. He didn’t like that John always managed to use some words he didn’t understand. So Reuben faked deafness. “Hm? What did you say? Sorry.”
John huffed and sped up, pulling Reuben along harder. “Horses are mindless beasts.”
“Why would you say that?” Reuben frowned, but had no choice but to follow. “Horses are kind, and loving, and fun.”
“And they love taking it up the ass.”
Reuben fell silent and hung his head. John was apparently set on upsetting him.
When they eventually reached the stable, the silence was becoming unbearable, and fortunately John spoke first.
“Do you want me to take the poncho off?”
“Why? Are you missing Master Erik so much you want to see some male flesh?” Reuben raised his eyebrows, hoping it would be a nice little pinch at John’s stuck-up self. Who wouldn’t be upset about the loss of a man as fine as Erik?
John’s body stiffened, even though his face remained a mask of calm. “Who told you?”
Reuben kicked some invisible dust off the floor. “One hears things here and there.”
“I was not employed for that purpose.” John poked Reuben in the ribcage with his index finger.
Reuben huffed and backed away a few steps. “Oh, so you just chose to take it up the ass.”
John’s jaw tightened. “I did, but it was on my terms, and I would have never let anyone dress me up as an animal.”
“Well, some of us don’t have a choice like that.” Reuben started walking towards his pile of hay in hopes that John would follow, because otherwise he’d be forced to stop.
But John dropped the reins and walked over to a wooden bench. “And yet you lecture me on horse care.”
Reuben rolled his eyes and dropped to his knees in the hay. “If I have to be here, I might as well make the best of it.”
“You seem to have adjusted well.” John sat straight, as if he were expecting a bunch of servants to drop by and give him an elegant dinner. “Have you stopped thinking about escape, then?”
“I have. There is no escape,” Reuben stated and let himself fall into the hay with a pleased groan. It smelled so good. He was only a bit disappointed that Erik always made Jack take out the piles he fucked him in, but he wouldn’t say that out loud. There was no smell like sperm and hay.
Reuben fidgeted from side to side, trying to find that sweet spot. The inner tail’s absence made him strangely anxious to be filled later. He hoped the news Frey brought wouldn’t take Erik away from him at night. His master was overworked as it was already.
Pride (The Copper Horse book 2) (gay erotic romance pony play BDSM) Page 18
