The Copper Horse #2 Pride (19 page)

“I did
what
?”

“No,
you
did nothing!” Reuben shook him but took his hands away the moment
he heard Hans’s voice from behind the door.

“Everything all
right, Mister Bluefinger?”

Erik dismissed
Hans with a short “fine” and frowned at Reuben. “I put you in the
stocks. Did you say someone
fucked
you?”

Reuben clasped
his hands together so they wouldn’t shake too much. “O-Ollie. He
came to me at night. You sent him...” He quickly rubbed his eyes,
hoping it would fool Erik into thinking it was the source of
redness in Reuben’s eyes.

“Who the fuck
is Ollie?” Erik’s jaw tightened and his mismatched eyes went
aflame.

“One of the
servants,” Reuben whimpered and hugged himself in a useless attempt
to calm down.

Erik’s nostrils
flared when he gritted his teeth. “My
servant
put his cock
in you?”

“You didn’t
send him?” Reuben sniffed, feeling completely useless. He was so
much bigger than Erik, but he couldn’t keep it together.

“My servant
raped
you?”

A throaty sob
escaped Reuben’s mouth, and all he managed was a furious nod.

Erik licked his
lips, gently reaching out to him. “Oh, Copper, I’m so sorry...”

“You left me
there! With my mouth open! On my own!” He flinched away. “I
couldn’t call anyone for help.”

Erik swallowed,
looking straight at him, his face tensing. “Hans, get that fucker
Ollie and tie his hands!” he yelled at the door.

“I don’t want
to see him, please,” Reuben uttered, completely broken. He wanted
to hide in his stall and die buried in the hay.

Erik bit his
lip and voiced exactly what Reuben was thinking. “Do you want to go
to your stall?” He hesitated, but reached his hand out to touch
Reuben’s cheek.

It was all too
much, too overwhelming, and Reuben couldn’t take it anymore. He
leaned down and hugged Erik tightly with a deep sob that seemed to
come all the way from his gut. Erik’s smell was so soothing, so
familiar—all leather and soap.

“Copper, my
beautiful pony. He’ll not get away with this, I promise,” Erik
whispered into his ear, returning the embrace with a fierce
passion.

“I stink
everywhere he touched me!” Reuben cried into his master’s arm,
desperate for comfort.

“We’ll clean
you up... we can go now, and I deal with him later... Copper?” Erik
kissed Reuben’s ear, gently petting his back and hugging him in a
way that made Reuben feel small and protected.

“I thought you
made him do it...” He sniffed.

“Of course I
didn’t! How could you even think that?” Erik cradled Reuben’s face
in his hands, so their eyes would meet.

“You were so
angry...” Reuben bit his lip, trying not to be a puddle of goo.

“I was.” Erik
nodded, looking at him with those intense eyes. “But I wouldn’t
have anyone rape you. Did I force you to be bred? I don’t think
so.”

“It was
different,” Reuben admitted, completely torn inside. “And... I
would like to take a bath.”

Erik nodded,
slowly leading him to the bathroom. “I’m so sorry. I never thought
anyone would dare to lay their hands on you...”

“He always
followed me around and said filthy things. And he knew I was alone
because Jack was in the kitchen,” he mumbled. Out of nowhere, his
brain reminded him that Erik offered to let Reuben go, and with
money in his pockets.

Erik shook his
head with a hiss. “Why is it the first time I hear about this?”

“I didn’t want
to cause problems.” Reuben sat down on the stool Jack usually used
in the bathroom. “I didn’t like it,” he whispered, feeling he
needed to say that out loud. Their eyes locked, and this time it
was Erik who looked away. He played with the taps, focusing on the
task at hand a bit too much.

“I know.”

“I could take
the stocks.” Reuben took a deep breath. “You shouldn’t have left
me.”

Erik stopped,
his face turning into a mask, but he nodded. “I know.”

“Maybe I’m not
the best horse out there, but I didn’t deserve that.” Reuben
started unbuttoning his shirt, still trembling slightly.

“Of course you
didn’t!” Erik touched his arm, his calm evaporating. “And you are a
 lovely pony! I should have known better.”

Reuben sniffed
once more. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He pushed the
shirt off and left it on the floor.

“What a
bastard... in my own house.” Erik shook his head and put his
fingers in the water.

“Would you...
bathe with me?” Reuben whispered and stood up to unbutton his
pants.

Erik blinked.
“You want me to?”  It was practically a mewl.

“Just bathe,”
Reuben quickly added. All he wanted was to feel cared for now, feel
Erik’s lovely smooth hands on his skin.

“I know. All
right, if you don’t mind the touch, I thought...” Erik licked his
lips and started quickly unbuttoning his pants, apparently with
some difficulty.

Reuben
completely undressed and slid into the soothing, warm water. “Just
to sit with me...”

“Yes, I want
that too.” It took Erik another moment, but he finally sat down
into the tub, wrapping his arms around Reuben’s waist.

There was no
point in comparing Erik’s touch to anyone else’s, and Reuben gently
entwined their fingers in the lovely warmth of the water. He could
feel Ollie’s smell slowly peeling off him. Most of all, though, it
was the thought that Erik
hadn’t
sent Ollie that gave him
peace of mind. His master would not throw him to a lowlife like
that.

Erik pressed a
kiss to the side of Reuben’s face. “Do you want me to wash
you?”

Reuben nodded
with another deep breath. He could spend a whole day in this
bathtub. “It wasn’t like that with Coal...”

“I know. I
wouldn’t force you to be his mare.” Erik reached for the sponge and
dove it deep into the water.

“What changed?”
Reuben leaned into Erik’s chest. As ridiculous as it was with
someone so dangerous, he felt safe, floating in the water with
Erik’s slim body behind him.

“Changed?” Erik
rubbed his arm.

“You didn’t
care much for consent when we first met...”

Erik swallowed
audibly, pulling him closer and switching off the running water.
“You... weren’t
mine
back then.”

“I was. You
bought me.” Reuben didn’t hold a grudge anymore. Even the first sex
they’d had was more affectionate than any other he’d had
before.

Erik cleared
his throat and squeezed the sponge over Reuben’s back. “You didn’t
feel
mine
as you do now.”

“I wasn’t
really
planning an escape,” Reuben muttered. “It was all a
big cock-up.”

Erik didn’t say
anything for a while. “Well, I would feel a loss if you were
gone.”

“Could I please
have one day a week for a drink?” Reuben traced his fingers up
Erik’s thighs under the water.

Erik sighed,
his chest heaving once under Reuben’s cheek. He soaped up the
sponge and began washing Reuben’s back. “What kind of drink?”

“Bourbon,
whiskey... gin even. I miss that.” He closed his eyes, hoping his
weight wasn’t crushing Erik. His master massaged him with the
sponge in lazy, soothing circles. Nothing like Reuben’s mother used
to, but still lovely.

“Just one
standard glass. And you’ll have it with me.”

“Drinking
together will be much more fun than alone,” Reuben said and
squeezed Erik’s hand.

“Copper,
darling, I will see that you only have one.”

“Fair
enough.”

In the
luxurious bath, with Erik at his side, what happened the night
before seemed like a bad dream. A horrible dream, but with Erik’s
arms around him, Reuben felt safe, even if he knew very well he was
the stronger and larger one. His heart fluttered when Erik pressed
several kisses to his forehead and temple, and he wished this could
last forever.

Erik stayed
with him for several hours, holding him while they slept in
Reuben’s stall, cradled by the piles of hay and a thick blanket. He
was safe. Erik did as Reuben asked and sent Ollie to be locked
away. They even shared a meal, with Erik feeding Reuben with his
fingers. But lying with his back against Erik’s chest, warm and
gently petted, was the sweetest thing of all. Reuben drifted in and
out of sleep, just being close to his master without even talking.
It had to be late in the afternoon when Jack finally appeared in
the doorway. They only noticed him when he cleared his throat.

“Um, Master
Erik?”

Reuben looked
up at the boy, squeezing Erik’s hand under the blanket. The
strange, but warm eyes gazed at him inquisitively.

“Will you be
all right with Jack?”

“Yes, thank you
for staying with me,” Reuben whispered, already feeling cold
shivers run down his back again. He would have to tell Jack some
truths tonight, and the very thought made him sick. Erik smiled at
him and slid from beneath the blanket after one last kiss.

“I will be back
later.”

Reuben nodded
and tugged the fabric on his body. Erik hesitated and tucked it
closer around Reuben before finally leaving the stall.

Jack stood in
the doorway with a blank look on his face. A silent accusation hung
in the pristine, hay-scented air.

“I hope your
punishment wasn’t too horrible?” Reuben whispered.

“I heard yours
was pretty harsh. And that you decided to stay even though you
could leave,” muttered Jack through clenched teeth.

Reuben licked
his lips and curled under the blanket. “I...”

“You what?”
Jack snapped, walking deeper into the stall with his hands shoved
into the pockets of his pants.

“I’m sorry it
didn’t work out.”

“What? You
taking your chance at freedom?” Jack clenched his jaw, standing
right in front of Reuben. “I risked everything to get you out of
here, and you stay?”

Guilt was a
nail, hammered in deeper with each one of Jack’s words.

“I didn’t think
it would go that far. Jack, I...” How would he even put it all into
words? “I have this
thing
in me.”

“What?” Jack
practically shouted. “You believed I was all talk? I thought you
were being
raped
here, but it seems all you are is a
whore!”

“I like it!”
Reuben burst out, even though the words were hard to form. When the
dam broke, the rest came flooding out as Reuben sat up, cuddling
the blanket. “I like the way he treats me, how I always know what
to do, I get the best food, I get a bath every day, and I love the
way he fucks me. The way his cock just hits all the right spots,
how he touches me...” Reuben swallowed and pulled the fabric over
his head. He cringed at the lack of answer, but the blanket was his
shelter, protecting him from all accusing stares.

Jack’s voice
sounded shaky when it finally came. “Are you
insane
? He took
you by force. You kept telling me how much you hate it. What the
hell, Copper?”

“I know, I’m
fucked up. I’ve always been. He didn’t take my virginity. I’m a
dirty slut.” Reuben hid his face in his hands. Saying it wasn’t
pleasant, but it needed to be put out there.

“So all this
time, you made me feel guilty about letting this happen to you?”
Jack sounded weak. Disappointed.

“I said I’m
sorry!” Reuben’s gaze shot up to Jack, and a hot flush overtook
him. It was hard enough to spill out the truth—he didn’t need any
more bullshit. “I don’t want anyone to know.”

Jack bit his
lip. His face was twisted into a strange grimace Reuben couldn’t
identify. “So you want to continue with this charade? Pretending
you don’t want him?”

“Yeah, go on,
judge me,” Reuben snarled, hugging his knees to his chest.

“Oh, don’t I
have the right to?” Jack folded his arms with a tense expression.
“You made me feel guilty all this time. You...” He moved forward,
blinking as if he remembered something. “You were angry at the way
I looked at you.”

Reuben pouted.
“I don’t wanna be like this! I don’t want people to think I’m
filthy scum!”

“You
are
a lying piece of filthy scum!”

Reuben looked
down at his blanket. He knew it would be a hard topic, but he
didn’t think the conversation would go that badly. Jack had always
been such a sweetheart, but he too had a tipping point.

Jack moved
around a bit and then dropped his weight on a stool. He kept
swallowing, his gaze settling everywhere but on Reuben. “And you
dared to mock me for liking men. At least I don’t enjoy being bound
like some kind of freak.”

Anger exploded
deep in Reuben’s chest. “Oh, like you’re a fuckin’ saint now, huh?
I didn’t choose this!”

“I don’t really
want to look at your face right now.” Jack got up and walked out of
the stall.

“Ollie came to
me at night,” Reuben called, hoping that would get him Jack’s pity.
He must have succeeded, because the boy’s steps came to an abrupt
halt.

“Ah, that had
to be fun,” he muttered.

“That’s what
you think of me now?” Reuben’s voice was sour, but he couldn’t
blame Jack. What kind of sense could it make to the boy? If he
agreed to Erik’s abuse, why not Ollie’s?

But the
footsteps moved closer, and soon Jack leaned into the doorframe,
his brow furrowed. “You told me you’re a slut.”

Reuben’s lips
trembled. “Even a slut has feelings.”

Jack shot him a
sideways glance. “So... you didn’t like it with Ollie?”

Reuben choked
up. “It’s like when you have a taste of vanilla ice cream: you
don’t want to go back to eating rat pies.” Would
that
make
sense to Jack? “It was horrible. And I really mean it.”

The boy
swallowed, his eyes scanning Reuben’s face intently. “So... is the
master the ice cream?”