by Kate Hill
Zach knelt and flexed his arm.
James shook his head. “I wish I had a muscle that big.”
Zach felt Sophia’s eyes on him. He glanced up to find her staring at his huge, rock-hard biceps, her lips slightly parted.
“Maybe you don’t have to worry about Frederick after all,” she breathed.
“Frederick?” James grinned. “You’re entering the contest!”
Zach nodded.
“That’s great!”
“James, would you like something to eat?” Sophia asked.
“Yes, thanks.”
As Zach approached the table, he glanced at James and Sophia. An unfamiliar feeling settled in his chest as he wondered what it would be like to have her as his wife and a child like James. Maybe it would happen for him after all.
* * * * *
Zach leaned into the harness swathing his man-chest and felt pressure on the strap around his equine-belly. His powerful legs moved in a straight line across the grass. Though the weight of the logs piled into the wagon behind him was heavy, he dragged it with remarkable ease.
Sensing Sophia’s gaze upon him, he forced himself to concentrate on pulling his load before he stopped and glanced at her. No matter how often he looked at the woman, his insides rippled and his heart swelled with love. Not only that, his desire soared to dangerous levels at the sight of her luscious little body and pixie-like face.
She approached, standing on tiptoe as he bent and kissed her.
“How is your new harness working?” she asked.
“Feels great.” He caressed the brown leather straps on his chest and around his equine-half. The day after Simon had paid his wages, Zach had gone to the village and been fitted for a new harness. The blacksmith had offered to make adjustments on a second-hand harness in excellent condition, and the results had produced the most comfortable equipment Zach ever had the pleasure of working in.
“The fair is almost here.” Sophia grinned. “I can hardly wait to see you in the pulling contest. You’ll be great.”
“I hope so.”
She glanced at the load he’d just dragged. “I don’t doubt it. That’s about as much as Frederick pulled to win last year.”
“Really?” Zach straightened his shoulders, pride nearly bringing a smile to his lips. He just might win after all. Not might. He was going to win. He wouldn’t believe otherwise.
Sophia gazed at the horizon. “Sun’s going down. Are you coming to supper?”
“Just one more pull and I’ll cool down and wash up.”
Sophia grinned, running a hand over his hot, dirt-stained coat then splaying her hands across his sweaty man-chest. “Would you like two rubdowns tonight?”
“Two?”
“One after work out here and another before you start work on me?”
Zach wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her. “Meet me at the barn in half an hour?”
She nodded, running her thumb across his lips. Zach watched her walk away, returning her gesture when she waved at him over her shoulder before stepping inside.
He sighed. Gods, he never imagined life could be so good. He’d even grown so accustomed to her grooming and massaging him that he’d nearly lost all his inhibitions regarding being touched. In truth, he thought about them touching one another all day long and dreamed about it at night, when they lay snug in each other’s arms.
He turned the wagon and dragged it back near the barn, noting his breathing was excellent. In the mines, he’d grown rugged and strong. There, it was either live or die. Though most everyone was deprived of proper nourishment, the slavers had at least given him enough to keep up his strength. He knew that was only because he was more powerful than most Horsemen and produced a terrific amount of work. Still, since living with Sophia, getting enough to eat, proper rest, and such pleasurable care of his muscles and coat, he felt stronger than ever before.
He’d win the contest and get that wagon. Then he’d properly contribute to Sophia’s household. He could start his business and become a good husband for her.
Zach drew a deep breath and ran a hand through his damp hair. Husband. The idea made him tingle and shudder at the same time. It was what he wanted most, but he had so far to go before he was the right man for her. Zach walked to the river and waded in. He scrubbed clean then stepped onto the bank and shook himself off before strolling back to the barn.
Sophia waited for him outside, a seductive smile on her lips. Zach’s insides clenched with desire. Sweeping her into his arms, he kissed her and carried her into the barn.
“You’re getting me wet!”
“I’m sorry.” He placed her on her feet right away.
“Zach, I don’t mind.” She gazed up at him, pressing her body close to his. She gently scratched his chest. “You need to relax and get a sense of humor.”
What was wrong with him? She was right. He needed to learn how to interact outside the mines, how to discern teasing from genuine anger.
Taking a tendril of her long hair, he raised it to his lips. “I’ll try.”
As she reached for the container of ointment, he grasped her arm and picked her up again, nuzzling her neck and kissing her lips. His eyes slipped shut when her fingers threaded through his hair.
“I can’t wait to make love with you tonight,” he whispered against her lips. “I’m going to cover every inch of you with kisses.”
She smiled, her eyes glowing with excitement. “That sounds so wonderful, Zach, and I know it’ll feel even better.”
He kissed her again before reluctantly setting her back on her feet. She dipped her hands in the ointment and warmed it in her palms. Slowly she began rubbing it into his equine body.
“What does having so much strength feel like?” she spoke softly as she ran her hands down one muscled foreleg. She slid up the front of him, her body brushing his equine chest and his man-belly. Slipping her arms around his waist, she pressed her lips to his solar plexus. Zach took her chin in his hand and tilted it up so their gazes met. “What’s it like to fly?”
Zach’s heart pounded and his mouth felt dry. The beauty and sincerity of her eyes held him captive more than the slavers ever had. More than anything he wanted to please her and repay her for the kindness she’d shown him. Even more, he needed to feel her on his back and share the closeness Terra had once told him about.
“Let me show you,” he whispered, sinking to his knees so she could mount him easily.
Sophia cupped his cheek and stroked his face. “But you said you’d never let anyone ride you.”
“You’re not just anyone.”
“But—”
“I want to carry you.” He tugged her close, lowered his head, and nuzzled her belly. “Please.”
* * * * *
Sophia drew a deep breath, her pulse quickening at the thought of riding Zach. Since they’d met in dreams, she’d fantasized about slipping onto his back and flying. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the sensation of his sleek beast-coat and rock-hard man-chest as they soared across the sky.
She stroked the head of dark brown hair brushing her stomach before stepping to his side. Steadying herself with a hand on his broad shoulder, she lifted her skirt and slipped her leg over his equine back. His coat was smooth, the muscles beneath it impossibly hard. As he rose from his kneeling position, Sophia wrapped her arms around him, her hands clutching his steely, hair-roughened chest. He was so tall, far taller than any true-horse she’d ever ridden.
Glancing at her over his shoulder, he asked, “You’re all right?”
She nodded, loosening her grip on his torso.
“No, hold me,” he said in a husky voice.
Sophia clung to him, her palms kneading his chest and abdomen as he strode out of the barn. She lurched forward when he began to walk. She gripped him with her knees and tried to concentrate on her riding, difficult when her breasts were pressed to his man-back and she felt the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed as well as the
beating of his heart.
“Hang on, I’m going faster,” he said.
She felt the play of his massive muscles as he picked up to a trot then a canter. His strength was akin to nothing she’d ever experienced. Miles of meadows and hills disappeared beneath his long, powerful legs and pounding hooves. Still, his pace was easy for a Horseman, though it was the fastest she’d ever traveled.
“Ready to fly?” he called.
“Uhh…” she began, her pulse racing. Suddenly she was afraid to leave the ground. Flying was a fine fantasy, but the thought of soaring hundreds of feet in the air was more daunting than she realized.
“You hold me tight,” he said. “Don’t worry, Sophia, I’d never let anything happen to you.”
“All right. Go ahead!” she shouted above the wind since he’d switched to a gallop. Suddenly his satiny brown wings spread and beat. In seconds they were flying.
Sophia glanced down. Her cottage and barn were tiny gray shadows on the grass. Dusk fell rapidly and stars glinted in the darkening sky.
“How are you?” Zach called.
“This is incredible!” she giggled, clutching his chest. One of his hands covered hers, pressing them closer to his heating flesh.
Though his legs still leapt beneath them as he galloped, the ride was unbelievably smooth. The motion of his body beneath her sent sexual pulsations through her.
“Oh, Gods!” she breathed, closing her eyes and clinging tighter to his man-torso while her legs gripped his beast-half. Unable to resist the carnal emotions coursing through her, she moved her hips on his back, enjoying the sensations ripping through her pussy.
His hands kept hers pressed so hard to his chest that she felt as if she held his heart in her palms. It beat faster and stronger than she imagined any creature’s could. Horsemen’s hearts were as powerful as the rest of their physique, enabling them to perform amazing feats of strength and speed.
As he dipped and soared, Sophia’s eyes opened. They glided over houses, fields, woods, and rivers. She never imagined feeling so free and the injustice of his captivity struck her like a fist. A creature like Zach didn’t belong in chains. Not ever.
She shifted position slightly, rubbing her crotch against his damp back. His body felt so hot that it kept her warm in spite of the chill in the wind so far above ground. His chest felt wet beneath her hands. Sweat from his back made the skin slick beneath her cheek and dampened the front of her dress, but she didn’t care. Some part of her actually liked it. He was a mass of powerful, churning muscle, the picture of virility, the ultimate man-beast, and he was all hers!
Unable to control the drives of her body any longer, she writhed as she came, clinging to him and shouting his name to the wind.
As her pulsations slowed, so did his flight, as if he sensed that she wanted nothing more than to relax atop him. He glided in lazy circles over the forest. Sophia stroked his damp chest and sighed with contentment, her calves caressing his equine sides.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, a touch of embarrassment burning her gut.
“Don’t be.” He took one of her hands and entwined their fingers. “I loved every second of it. Terra was right. I was cheating myself.”
Sophia smiled and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here, Zach.”
“So am I,” he admitted. “There’s no place in the world I’d rather be.”
* * * * *
Zach glanced at Sophia as they walked side by side towards her cottage. Her small hand rested snug in his grip and she smiled at him. After she’d dismounted, they’d stopped by a lake where he’d bathed before they walked home.
His beast-coat was nearly dry and he looked forward to the grooming she’d promised. Even more, he looked forward to making love with her.
“Thank you for the ride.” She grinned coquettishly as they stepped into the barn.
He swept her into his arms and kissed her. “It was my pleasure. I never realized how good it would feel, flying with a woman I care for.”
“I’ve fantasized about it for so long, but even my dreams weren’t as wonderful as actually doing it.” She hugged his neck and rubbed her nose against his. “Now put me down so I can help with your grooming. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can make love.”
Though Zach could have held and kissed her, just as they were, all night, his desire stirred and he longed to bury his cock deep inside her warm, waiting pussy. He placed her on her feet. Together they brushed his coat and massaged ointment into his muscles.
“I’m going to wash up a bit, too,” Sophia said once they’d finished his grooming. “Meet you at the house?”
“As soon as I change to Huform.”
Sophia walked away, pausing to blow him a kiss over her shoulder before she left the barn.
Zach took a moment to stretch and simply enjoy the feeling of his clean, well-groomed coat. He glanced at his glossy brown back and realized he’d never looked better. With all the grooming, his coat looked so shiny and sleek that the scars no longer seemed to matter. Of course he would have appeared more handsome if not marred at all, but Sophia didn’t seem to mind. If his looks satisfied her, then he wasn’t about to complain.
Drawing a deep breath, Zach closed his eyes and focused on his Turning Point. A bolt of energy shot through him as the muscles, bones, and nerves of his equine-half consolidated and changed to human shape. The floor rippled from the aftershocks of the change. Zach stood, waiting for the few seconds of weakness that followed shapeshifting to pass.
Grasping his trousers, he tugged them on and headed for the cottage. Before reaching the door, he caught sight of Sophia’s small silhouette as she bathed in the river. He drew a deep breath, his body tingling with passion, and strolled barefoot across the grass. He leaned against a tree and watched her. The clouds floated away from the moon and bathed her smooth skin in pale light. Her shoulders were straight, her back well-formed. Her buttocks were fleshy and firm and her legs slender but strong. She turned suddenly, exposing her full, pink-tipped breasts, dangling slightly as she moved. Her hair was pinned atop her head and moisture streaked her face as she smiled at him.
“Spying on me?” she asked.
“No. I’m watching in blatant awe.” His heart pounding, he strode into the water, soaking his trousers to the knees, and pulled her into his arms. She hugged his neck. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he kissed her upper lip before his tongue gently probed her mouth.
“Oh, Zach,” she breathed when the kiss broke.
“I want you, Sophia.” He walked out of the lake with her still in his arms.
When they approached the house and stepped inside, he placed her on the bed. She stared at him as he yanked off his trousers and tossed them aside before stretching out near her.
Zach used his fingertips to stroke her collarbone and breasts. He teased her nipples and rubbed his thumb over the taut peaks. His palm swept over her from belly to knee. Pushing himself lower on the bed, he guided her legs around his neck as he lapped her clit. His tongue trailed down to her pussy and swirled inside her.
“Oh!” she cried, clutching his head. “It feels so good, Zach. Oh, Gods!”
His eyes closed, Zach enjoyed the feeling of her soft, moist folds of flesh and the shape of her swollen clit. He covered her nub with his lips and sucked gently. She writhed so much he grasped her buttocks and held her steady as he licked her to climax. She shuddered, her heels pressing hard between his shoulder blades.
When the last ripples coursed through her, Zach knelt in front of her and slipped her legs over his arms as he entered her with a long, slow thrust. Her soft little hands caressed his legs as she arched her head back, her eyes closed, inarticulate mewls of pleasure falling from her lips.
Zach measured his thrusts, wanting to be sure she was fully satisfied before surrendering to the desire that had his pulse racing and his insides tense. His eyes half-closed, he watched as well as felt for signs of her rising desire. The flush of h
er breasts and neck, the quickening of her breath, and the anxiousness of the slim fingers on his legs told him she was close. He quickened his pace, resisting the urge to close his eyes and lunge hard as she came.
She quivered, her belly clenching and nipples tightening as she climaxed. All the while, Zach never ceased his steady thrusts. Another orgasm followed quickly. Zach’s hips jerked, while he kneaded and stroked her buttocks.
“Oh, Zach!” she panted, lost in another orgasm. The clenching of her wet pussy nearly drove him over the edge. He’d been aroused since she’d ridden him and his need was almost painful now.
His breathing ragged and sweat beading on his flesh, he lunged faster. Her high-pitched cries of pleasure and the tautness of her muscles told him she was nearing another climax. He hoped he could restrain his passion long enough to please her again.
She came, her legs tightening, her hips straining upward. Zach released the grip on his desire and surged into her.
“Gods, Sophia, you feel so good!” he panted, his pulse filling his ears as ultimate pleasure struck him harder than the slash of a whip. The pleasure was so intense it was almost painful, encompassing his cock and balls and searing the memory of that night into his very soul.
He loved her.
* * * * *
Zach’s throat ached from repressed screams as the whip cut his mutilated hide. Blood darkened his equine coat, dripping to hooves cracked and throbbing from the sharp stones lining the pathways leading to the mines.
Slavers encircled the Horsemen, their whips and arrows slicing flesh. Suddenly Zach lunged at the two nearest slavers, wrapping his hands around the men’s throats and squeezing. The slavers’ eyes bulged. They dropped their whips and clawed at Zach’s hands, but their strength was no match for the Horseman’s. Dozens of whips slashed Zach’s flesh, but he refused to drop the slavers. The men’s bones crushed in his grip. Blood oozed from their noses and mouths. The whipping suddenly ceased and Zach glanced around him. The other slaves were gone and he was surrounded by crushed, bloody guards.