“Wait here while I retrieve something.”
Erica nodded and he gave her a watchful look before trotting off down the river bank. As he turned to go, she was glad of the chance to check out the rest of him now that she was no longer quite so blindly terrified.
Beautifully muscular all over, Hetak’s flanks bunched and flexed as he moved. His lower body was sleek, almost slender in a way, and built for speed, much like a regular thoroughbred stallion. His rich chestnut coat was flecked with mud and covered in a light sheen of sweat. That didn’t surprise her though, not after he’d carried her so swiftly through the woods.
She spied a quiver of arrows down the middle of his back in addition to the weapons he carried. A single sword and a bow with arrows wasn’t much in the way of weapons, but the confident way he carried himself left her feeling comfortable with the knowledge that he could ward off any attackers should they have any. Her eyes roamed down his body, stopping at his tail. It was the same brown-black color as his hair and he wore it with the top half of it braided, while the bottom half remained loose, flowing in the wind. White socks covered unequal portions of his lower legs, ending in deceptively delicate, but no doubt deadly hooves.
She tried not to feel anxious as he turned into the treeline and disappeared from her sight. Surely he wouldn’t abandon her after having carried her so far already. Plus, she was just now realizing they’d left her crutches behind. If he didn’t come back, she was stuck. She certainly couldn’t walk, and crawling would get her virtually nowhere.
Erica wrapped her arms over her stomach, teeth clenching in frustration. How could she be so foolish? Those crutches were her lifeline. They were the only thing that gave her some semblance of independence and now they were gone.
Before she could really start to worry and stress over something she had little control over, Hetak returned, cantering gently into view. He carried a small sack in his hands that he set beside her. Pulling a small bowl from it, he walked to the river and scooped up some water. Then he returned and placed it next to the bag. Carefully, he lowered himself to the ground and dipped a cloth in the bowl before grabbing a handful of Erica’s skirt. Instinctively, she caught his wrist before he could raise the fabric away from her legs and see the mess of her stump. He paused, looking up at her.
“You have my word, Erica Murphy, I will not harm you,” he stated in a soft voice as he stared into her eyes.
“It’s horrible and ugly,” she replied in a half whisper after finding no malice in his expression. But it didn’t matter how gentle and sweet Hetak was, everyone reacted the same when they saw the terrible disfigurement. “Everyone is always disgusted after they see it. It’s embarrassing.”
“It is a scar, Erica Murphy. They are not often pretty things, but they are a sign of strength. A scar tells the world that the bearer is a survivor, that they are strong. Do not be ashamed of having the will to live and to fight,” Hetak said in all seriousness. “Those who look down on scars are ignorant fools, unworthy of your time and attention. You are strong, Erica Murphy. Revel in it.”
Erica didn’t know how to address his impassioned speech so she focused on something else instead.
“You can just call me Erica,” she said, with a little laugh. “I don’t know why you keep using my last name, but it’s not really necessary.”
He eyed her quietly and with a knowing expression, but allowed her to change the subject with a dip of his head. “As you wish.”
Erica shivered again, but not from the cold this time. Her inner teenage self giggled over Hetak’s inadvertent Princess Bride quote. Didn’t every girl want a Westley who came to her rescue? Hetak watched her closely, frowning with concern at her trembling.
“You fell badly earlier. I want to make sure you are uninjured. At the very least, let me clean your legs and we will move on to camp where you can warm yourself by the fire,” he suggested, gently tugging his wrist from her grasp.
What was the harm in a little washing up? It was just her legs, and he was only trying to help. Would it really be so bad if she allowed him to? He was being so nice to her after all.
Erica stared down at Hetak, a small, nervous smile forming on her lips.
“Okay,” she replied.
Chapter Five
Hetak
Another victory. Though small, Hetak appreciated even the tiniest bit of progress he made with the human female, Erica Murphy. Pushing her skirt up to her hips, Hetak studied the damage done to her leg. It was too long healed to correct the worst of it, but perhaps he could ease some of her discomfort. Using the wet cloth, he slowly washed the dirt from her legs, starting high on her thighs and working downward.
Erica’s breath caught in a small gasp at the first touch of the cold cloth. He looked up at her and noticed how her cheeks were tinted a pretty pink, while she eyed the trees overhead with embarrassed fascination.
Hetak grinned again and went back to his task. His handsome smile turned to a frown when he found a few scratches from her fall. “You are wounded.”
“Those are nothing,” she said quietly. “They’ll heal on their own.”
“They are not nothing. I will tend to them so they do not become infected like how your previous injuries have,” he growled impatiently as he dragged the cloth over the reddened flesh of her mangled limb.
She winced a few times while he cleaned the wounds and even though he tried to be careful, the more dirt he wiped away, the more upset he became. Hidden under the layers of grime were older cuts, scrapes and healed scars that told him just how poorly she’d been treated in the past.
“You need to be more careful,” he chided lightly, gentling his touch. He inspected her carefully for further signs of how badly her healing had been botched.
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind the next time I’m escaping from being locked in a cage and used as a fuck-toy for money,” she replied, snorting mockingly.
Hetak choked on a laugh, then covered his mouth with one hand for a moment to compose himself.
“Mhmmm, that’s what I thought,” she said, her tone changing to that of something more playful. Then she reached out to poke him with her toes.
Hetak paused for a moment, pondering. “You are surprisingly calm for someone who has gone through so much and survived with such a strong will still intact. I will say it again, Erica Murphy. You are a very spirited female. It does not surprise me that I found you so far from the village despite your disadvantage.”
Erica shrugged. “If I dwell on the shit in my life, it’ll destroy me. I’d rather focus on the good stuff and enjoy life while I can.”
“That is a good philosophy,” Hetak agreed, returning to the task of washing her wounds. “Not many would view such circumstances with the same determination to rise above it as you have.”
“We have a saying where I’m from: shit happens,” she replied, with another shrug.
An amused grunt slipped out of Hetak. Shit did indeed happen. Sometimes too often for his liking.
Once her damaged leg was as clean as he could get it, he pulled a jar of healing salve from his bag. It would numb the lingering pain and discourage any further swelling. Yet, it was possible she would still need to see a healer, but for now, he was certain the salve would do.
Smearing the thick ointment onto her skin, he massaged it into her scars. Erica tensed under his hands at first, but after a few minutes, she relaxed and began to make small sounds of enjoyment under her breath. It was clear the paste was working wonders for her. He wondered if she even realised how much pain she’d been in. She must have gotten used to it over time.
A new scent curled through the air. It was warm and musky. Hetak found himself inhaling it with appreciation, his nare’s flaring repeatedly. While he continued to rub the medicine into Erica’s leg, he wondered what the enjoyable odor was. A low groan slipped from the human.
Hetak looked up at Erica’s face. Eyes closed, she’d caught her lower lip between her small flat teeth, her h
ead falling back just a little. The female’s skin was lightly flushed and he watched in fascination as she suppressed a little shudder under the movement of his hands.
Shock overcame Hetak when he suddenly realized what the glorious scent in the air was. It seemed Erica was aroused by his touch. A human, aroused by a centaur! He almost couldn’t believe it, but when he smoothed his hands over her skin once more, she murmured another encouraging sound, confirming his suspicions.
Her enjoyment of his massage was delicious. The sounds she tried to hide were sweet and adorable. He wanted to hear more, to hear them louder. And her musk! He inhaled again, pulling more of her scent into his sinuses, then wondered how far she would let him go.
Watching her closely, he slid his hands a little higher under her skirt, circling her upper thigh with his fingers before sliding back down again. Erica’s legs shifted, opening just a little wider, and her head fell back even more, exposing the creamy skin of her slender neck to his view. Encouraged, he did it again and again, moving closer to her core each time, but never quite touching it. He thought, perhaps, that he was being too daring, but her appreciative groans came more frequently.
She whimpered just a little whenever his hands slid away from her cunt rather than closer, until finally, his fingers brazenly brushed against the bare petals of her sex.
Erica gasped loudly, eyes flying open to lock on his.
She stared at him for a moment, obviously wondering if she should push him away or not. Then her expression turned decisive and her legs fell open even more, inviting him to continue. Her gaze never left his, not even when Hetak boldly stroked her seam with his thick fingers. Erica’s breath hitched louder and she bit her lip again.
Hetak kept his eyes on her face while he stroked the slick hidden folds between her thighs. Erica was hot and wet, squirming under his hands. He fondled her gently, slipping his fingers through her folds and finding a hard button of flesh that made her moan and grab at his wrist. But she didn’t push him away, instead, she ground against his hand, begging for more. Finding her opening with his fingers, he pushed into her heat with one, while his thumb circled that sensitive nub at the top of her cunt. Her sheath clenched around his finger as he thrust it into her over and over.
Leaning back against a branch behind her, Erica angled her hips toward Hetak, one hand pulling her skirt higher and exposing herself to his view. Hetak studied her sex shamelessly. Her cunt was so tiny compared to the females of his people. She was shiny wet with arousal and her inner muscles fluttered around his fingers as he added another, testing her body’s ability to yield to him.
“Oh, Hetak!” Erica cried, panting as he drove her to the heights of ecstasy.
Her scent sharpened, making his mouth water. Hetak leaned forward between her legs to taste her.
Licking the wetness of her sex, he continued to pump his fingers into her core as he explored her with his tongue. She tasted sharp and tangy, her musk filling his nose and burst into his mouth. Erica’s good leg came up over his shoulder. Pulling him closer, she grinded her cunt into his face. Hetak chuckled at her enthusiasm, drawing whimpers of pleasure from the pretty human.
Her fingers threaded into his hair, gripping him tightly as she held his head in place, squirming against him. Working her with such determination, Erica’s entire body tensed under Hetak’s hands and mouth. Her breathing came in tight, short pants and heady moans. She shook and cried out as he added a third finger to her tight hole, thrusting faster into her body.
“Please, please, please Hetak,” she babbled, begging for completion while she clung to him in desperation.
Finding her pleasure nub again, he sucked on it, curling his fingers into the fluttering walls of her cunt. Erica’s body went rigid and she came with a scream, shaking under him as he lapped up the slick that flowed from her.
Finally, she fell limp with a sigh and he eased back from her, lightly massaging her hips and waiting for her to catch her breath. She panted, a small smile forming on her face as her eyes opened and she looked at him. Leaning toward him, Erica caressed his cheek and pulled him in for a kiss.
Drawing upward so she could access him better, Hetak met her eager lips with enthusiasm of his own. He’d never kissed a human before, but it was the same as kissing a mare of his own kind. Her kisses were slow and gently, lips soft as they pressed against his. Then she pushed more firmly against him, nipping his lip and sucking it between her teeth.
Thrilled, Hetak gripped the back of her neck and pulled her closer. His tongue slipped past her lips, stroking hers as they kissed. She tasted even sweeter here than her cunt, and he found that he couldn’t get enough. He wanted all of her. Right now if he could, but a loud crackle of thunder rumbled bright streaks across the sky, interrupting his passion to remind him about the storm.
It was already here.
Chapter Six
Erica
“We must seek shelter—” Hetak began to say.
“Why? I think I rather like it here with you,” she said, whimpering in protest as she felt him pull away. What started as a small sprinkle of rain, dripping and splatting onto the sandy beach around them, quickly turned into a heavy drizzle. Cold wetness seeped into her hair and clothing, chilling her to the bone, but still, Erica didn’t want their kiss to end, even if Hetak wanted to leave.
With her head still spinning in a haze of lust, which ignored the stormy world around her, Erica gripped Hetak’s chin and pulled his face to hers once more. It seemed he was unable to deny the attraction because his lips crushed fervently against hers. She could tell he wanted her just as bad. His need for her gave her a sense of peace and belonging that she hadn’t in a long while. Hetak had given her such pleasure already, but she wanted more. She wanted all of him. Now.
One hand gradually dipped down his chest, reaching for him.
“We need to leave,” he repeated, still kissing her. Slowly, her hand lingered in air as he pulled away.
Nerves and butterflies swarmed her belly. She didn’t care about the rain. Her skin was overheated and the rain felt good. In fact, she didn’t care about anything other than the two of them on the bank of the river, sharing an intimate embrace.
“I’m not scared of a little water,” she said, breathless as droplets of cold rain trickled down her forehead.
“Neither am I, but this is not the worst of it I’m afraid. If we don’t leave now, we will likely be swept away when the river swells and floods the land along its banks. We need to get to higher ground. Perhaps lingering here was a poor decision, but my camp is not far.”
Erica felt her stomach lurch when Hetak voiced his regrets. Was it because of the weather? Or was it because of what they had shared? He may have been the one who started it, but Erica didn’t want it to end.
Embarrassed and feeling a little torn, she righted her clothing while Hetak quickly packed up the rest of his belongings. Once his things were back in his bag, he adjusted his harness so that it hung around his waist, repositioned his weapons to hang at his sides, then he offered his hand to her. Helping her stand, he startled her when he suddenly grabbed her waist and lifted her to stand on the log she’d just been using as a seat.
“Hetak!” she shouted in surprise.
“Easy,” he replied, steadying her and maintaining his grip on her hand. “We will make better time if you sit on my back while we travel.”
“Oh, okay. Could you give me a little warning next time,” she asked, a little distressed.
“My apologies, Erica Murp—”
Erica frowned at him and he cut himself short.
“I hardly think we need to be formal now, Hetak of the Wandering Wind,” she said dryly.
Hetak grinned ruefully and ducked his head to avoid getting water in his eyes. “You are right, there is no need for formalities. Come, sit on my back so that we may go.”
Still holding her steady, he turned his body so that he was parallel to the tree. All Erica had to do was turn enough to sit on hi
s bare back.
“You know, you really aren’t what I expected,” Erica commented as Hetak steadied her until she was properly seated on his back.
Her missing leg made straddling his bulk too difficult for her, so she sat sideways against his upper back and wrapped her arms around his waist. He smiled over his shoulder at her, likely knowing she referred to the bad reputation of his people.
“Expected?”
“From a centaur.”
“Ahh,” he said, his voice trailing off for a moment. “That’s not surprising. My people have worked rather hard to make ourselves as evil sounding as possible,” Hetak replied easily.
Before she knew it, Hetak had picked up a steady pace. Smoothly moving into a fast trot, he wove his way through the trees, seemingly at random. The wind from his speed blew her hair back from her face and his body bunched and heaved under her as he ran. Despite the rain, Erica found it exhilarating.
“Really? Why?” she asked, trying not to think too much about his warm skin moving under her hands.
“Many years ago, when I was but a colt, my herd was attacked. Many lives were lost and we were driven from the plains we had called home for generations. We fled to the dark forests far to the north and built a new village.”
“That’s so sad,” Erica commented, resting her head against his back. He patted her hand reassuringly.
“My people are safe now. We travel from place to place for most of the year, then set up a winter village for the coming cold season. The village is hidden in a valley deep in the forest and protected by fierce warriors—”
“Like yourself?”
Hetak chuckled quietly. “Yes, like myself. It is almost impossible to reach without a guide and the warriors kill uninvited trespassers. As a warning to others, we drag the bodies to the edges of the forest and display them as a threat to any interlopers who think to cross our boundaries.”
Captured by the Centaur (Filthy Monster Erotica Book 3) Page 4