The Copper Horse #2 Pride (17 page)

“It’s not like
that,” he muttered.

“How is it
then?”

Reuben froze
when he heard Hans’s voice and felt those big, brutal hands on his
arms. He didn’t even try to resist, but the way Jack’s face twisted
when John pulled his arms back made Reuben flinch. The boy didn’t
deserve this kind of treatment for trying to help what he
considered a mistreated pet.

Lady Victoria
rushed toward the grand staircase. “I’ll get the master!”

Reuben’s throat
was so tight he could barely utter a word. “I’m sorry, Jack,” he
said, his heart trembling in his chest. This whole idea was too
unexpected, happened too fast. Maybe if he’d had time to talk to
Jack, to explain what was going on in his head, things would have
been different.

“You ungrateful
swine!” John pushed Jack’s tense body toward the wall. He didn’t
even have to force him. Jack followed wherever he was tugged, his
own body frozen in terror.

Reuben didn’t
even notice when his own teeth started clattering. What on earth
had possessed him to lie to Jack when Erik had been such a good
master recently? For once he agreed with Hans, who kept calling
Reuben scum.

Reuben wanted
to disappear just so he could avoid looking into Erik’s eyes. He
was afraid of the punishment that was bound to happen, but the
thought of seeing disappointment on Erik’s face was much worse. His
mind blanked when Hans threw him to the floor and stood over him
with his massive arms folded on his chest. “Your time has
come.”

“I can explain
to Erik,” Reuben pleaded, but he didn’t dare to look up.

“Shut your
cocksucking mouth!” Hans kicked some hay straight in his face.
Reuben and Jack must have accidentally brought it here on their
clothes.

That comment
was exactly why Reuben was so ashamed to admit he liked to suck
cock. It was considered an offense to even suggest someone liked
it. He went silent.

Jack remained
motionless like a puppet. He hugged his knees to his chest, his
eyes closed and knuckles whitening with each passing second. The
sound of the door opening shot straight to Reuben’s trembling
heart, and though he recognized the steps all too well, he didn’t
dare look up. He saw Erik’s feet clad in beautiful velvet slippers
as they stopped in front of him. The tension inside was
unbearable.

“How could you,
Jack?” Erik’s voice was dull, devoid of any human emotion Reuben
could recognize.

“Please Master,
it was my idea. He didn’t know any better!” That was the least
Reuben could do. Jack didn’t deserve to be mistreated. His only
fault was having a heart too soft for this place.

Erik didn’t pay
Reuben any attention. “After all I’ve done for you... I’ve freed
you!” Jack just cowered against the wall, trembling like a
frightened puppy. He didn’t even try to argue.

“Master, I can
explain!” Reuben butted in again, crawling closer to Erik’s
shoes.

“Lick your
master’s feet, you ungrateful animal!” growled John, taking a step
toward him.

Reuben crawled
closer and kissed one of the slippers. They were fresh-smelling,
but Erik’s complete lack of response was much worse than a kick in
the face.

“What would you
like me to do?” Hans asked, and Reuben stirred at the sound of
cracking knuckles.

As if finally
noticing Reuben’s presence, Erik pulled his foot away and pressed
it against Reuben’s shoulder, pushing him flat on his back.

Reuben could
have fought him, but this wasn’t about strength. It was about
power, so he slowly submitted, looking up to Erik with hope still
glimmering in his heart. Would Erik feed him to that zandy in the
backyard? Reuben didn’t want to end his life that way. He could
still prove himself to Erik. He could be the best pony Erik had
ever had.

The ice in
Erik’s pale eye shot right through him. “You little liar.” The
soft-spoken words were so much worse than being called a cocksucker
by Hans.

“It’s not like
that.” Reuben spread his arms to his sides in a gesture of
submission. He wouldn’t defend himself against Erik.

“Isn’t it?”

“I just... I
asked Jack, just for this one evening. I was coming back.” But
there was nothing he could read on Erik’s face.

“You cannot ask
him for such a thing.” Erik pressed his foot into Reuben’s chest. A
flush rose to his cheeks. “I should fucking sell him!”

“No, please, I
beg you! Jack is just a silly boy!” The foot wasn’t big nor heavy,
yet it felt like a rock pressing on Reuben’s chest.

“Shouldn’t he
be the one to plead his case?” Erik glanced at Jack, challenging
him with a piercing gaze, but no answer came.

Reuben slowly
moved his hands to Erik’s calf and stroked it gently.

“And you?”
Erik’s voice sounded cool, but there was an underlying tension in
his tone. “You wanted to leave me.”

Reuben let out
a nervous laugh, trying to forge a coherent excuse in his mind. “No
no! That’s all wrong! I wanted a drink, maybe see a show in the
theater, and I would have been back before the sun came up,” he
blurted out, trying to sound sincere from his position on the
floor.

Erik shook his
head. “I would have taken you to the theater.” Then, suddenly, he
dropped to one knee and pushed his palm against Reuben’s throat.
“No more lies.”

“I haven’t had
a drink in months!” Reuben’s eyes went wide, and his chest
sank.

“So? I
specifically forbade you to drink.” Erik narrowed his eyes, and his
jaw clenched.

“I... I know,
I’m sorry... I just... I like to...”

Erik shook his
head with a humorless laugh. “You just wanted to leave.”

“No...” Reuben
looked into his eyes. That was the last thing he wanted Erik to
think. “Why would I lie like that?” He tried to force a smile.
Erik’s eyes met his, and for a moment he genuinely believed Erik
would strike him.

Instead, Erik
forced a smile to his lips. “You’re afraid what I might do to
you.”

Reuben
swallowed. That was true as well. “I am afraid, Master. I’m a
coward, I’m sorry...” His whole body shook, unable to maintain any
measure of stillness.

Erik sighed,
licking his lips. “I deserve the truth from you. Tell me you just
wanted to get away, and I’ll let you go.”

“I didn’t,
Master,” Reuben whispered. Anything he might do now would end up
backfiring. Where would he go if Erik released him? And then... he
didn’t want Erik to release him! He was looking forward to getting
his hooves. To making his master proud on his birthday. How did he
even get into this situation?

Erik dug his
fingers into Reuben’s cheeks as if he wanted to crush them. “So,
you want to stay here as my horse?”

Reuben barely
stifled back a sob, too terrified to breathe. “Yes.” Would Erik
really let him go if he said no? Or would he ‘let him go’ into the
zombie-filled forest behind the walls?

“He’s obviously
lying!” Hans spat on the carpet and took a step closer, pulling up
his sleeves in a way Reuben knew all too well.

Erik sighed,
but there was a slight change in his tense features. “I
will
punish you if you decide to stay.”

Reuben managed
not to sob, but a few tears streaked down his temples. “Not a
caning, please,” he whimpered, but he already knew he would stay
even if he had to endure a beating. The things he felt for Erik
were too much to give up on.

“Let
me
do it, Master Erik,” Hans offered eagerly.

“Has your taste
changed that you’re so eager to get acquainted with my stallion’s
ass?” Erik asked him, gently brushing his thumb over Reuben’s
cheekbone.

The words were
enough to silence the bodyguard. Hans even took a step back, wary
of the presumption.

Reuben gave
Erik a pleading look and promised himself that he’d straighten
things out with Jack after this is all over. He never thought the
boy had it in him to go through with such a reckless plan.

Erik shook his
head. “John, take Jack to the kitchen. He’ll be peeling all the
vegetables for tomorrow. Have Mister Fry give him work for the rest
of the month.”

Jack rushed to
Erik’s feet and flung his arms around his calves. “Master Erik!
Thank you! Thank you, Master!”

Reuben let out
a long breath of relief. Jack didn’t deserve a horrible punishment
or being thrown out into the street. Someone as gentle as he
wouldn’t have survived on his own for long. Now only Reuben was
left waiting on the verdict for his own insubordination.

“Take him away.
I don’t want to look at him tonight!” Erik snarled when John yanked
the groom away from them. Jack managed to send Reuben a petrified
glance before he disappeared from sight. Violent sobs pushed
at Reuben’s mouth on the way to the stable. Every step felt like a
mile, and his ass already ached with the pain it expected.

“Hans, out,”
Erik said as soon as they entered Reuben’s home.

Oh God, they
would be alone.

“I would just
like to remind you to put the cuffs on the animal,” murmured
Hans.

“Don’t you get
on my nerves, too!” Erik let out a shaky breath, pinning Reuben to
the ground with merely his gaze.

Hans sighed but
already made his way to the door. “Should I stay outside, just in
case?”

“Please,
do.”

It took a bit
more shuffling about, but finally the door was closed, and they
were alone. Reuben had no idea what to expect.

Erik sighed and
moved toward a hidden door that Reuben only knew of because of the
long hours spent in the stables. He’d never tried to open it
though.

Reuben didn’t
dare move a muscle, but seeing the secret room reveal its innards
made him imagine his worst nightmares. The first thing he saw was
the wooden horse he already knew intimately, but Erik probed
deeper, and soon he emerged, pulling another strange piece. This
time, it was a simple frame made of wood, but Reuben recognized it
from some pictures he’d seen: the stocks. With a bit of effort,
Erik managed to pull it out of the backroom and used some levers to
create additional support for the device before closing the hidden
door with his ring, like he did all the other things in the
stables. He drew back a few steps and contemplated the frame.

All Reuben
could hope for was that whatever was to happen, it wouldn’t hurt
too much. But when Erik looked at him, really looked at Reuben,
acknowledging his presence, the gaze was the best present Reuben
had gotten in years. “Come here.”

Reuben didn’t
even get up to his feet, crawling to Erik on all fours.

“Do you truly
want to stay with me? I won’t punish you if you don’t,” Erik said
with a slight curve to his mouth.

That question
again! How could Reuben keep avoiding a direct answer?

“You say you
won’t punish me, master. As if you don’t want me to stay,” Reuben
whispered and bowed his head, flushed.

“I’m tired of
horses who’d rather have me dead than my cock up their holes!” Erik
growled.

Reuben sighed.
When put that way, he could see how frustrating it had to be. “I
have nowhere to go, master.”

Erik was silent
for several painful seconds, but then he snorted, shaking his head
and lifting the top bar of the stocks. “Good enough.”

Reuben slowly
rose and, without a word, began unbuttoning his pants.

“Do you have
anything else to say?” Erik sighed, looking around the room. “I
should have wine in here. I’d only have to secure it from your
reach.”

“Huh?” Reuben
gave him a confused look and threw his pants to the side. He hadn’t
felt so naked since he’d arrived in this house. He couldn’t help
but cover his crotch with his hands, and Erik’s gaze dropped to it
immediately.

“What’s that
supposed to be? Since when do horses have a sense of shame?”

Reuben
swallowed and slowly pulled his hands away.

Erik shook his
head. “I just want to get drunk right now. It’s been months since
I’ve been so disappointed. I don’t even want to cane you.” He
gestured for Reuben to position himself in the stocks.

Reuben knew he
should be happy about avoiding the cane, but he didn’t like to be a
disappointment. He was trembling by the time he approached the
stocks and put his neck and hands in place. He’d rather be drunk
too.

The squeak of
the hinges as Erik closed the stocks went straight to Reuben’s gut.
It felt so final, as if Erik were beheading him like they did in
France some time ago.

“You probably
won’t be able to sleep, so you can take the first part of the day
off. I won’t have you falling on your face on the treadmill.”

“I’m sorry,
master,” muttered Reuben, trying to adjust to the uncomfortable
position.

Erik snorted,
closing the padlock and effectively securing Reuben in place.
“Words mean nothing.” He walked over to the cupboard.

Reuben quieted,
watching Erik pace in the exquisite robe. He couldn’t know Reuben
was sincere, so rebuilding the trust between them would be an
uphill struggle. The lack of affection on Erik’s face broke
Reuben’s heart.

“Open your
mouth as wide as you can.”

Reuben took a
long, nervous breath, looking down to the spiky brace in Erik’s
hand. He knew what was coming and didn’t like it one bit, but he
complied. It wasn’t that bad at first, because of the padding
protecting Reuben’s teeth, but minutes after Erik strapped the
thing at the back of his head, he got that tense feeling at the
sides of his jaw, and he already knew the night wouldn’t be a
pleasant one. Erik then hid himself from his unfaithful pony’s
sight by blindfolding him.

“Good. That’s
more like it.”

Reuben let out
a nasal whimper. If only he could get a hug, a pat on the head, or
one kiss, everything would all be more bearable. But he already
knew there wouldn’t be any of that.