A Centaur's Love 03

Hey guys! Thanks for all the faves and comments! I really appreciate them!

Also, this chapter is a bit longer than the last two. I saw that length was the biggest complaint haha.

Enjoy!!

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"Hello," he said, breaking the silence.

Normally, any girl would have swooned at the rough, deep, and rumbling voice that emanated from him as he gave a simple greeting. But this wasn't normal. He was a centaur. A centaur.

She sat, gazing up at him for a long moment before scrambling to her feet and bolting in the opposite direction.

"Stop!" he called out from behind her, catching up in mere seconds. He pulled her into his arms, lifting her from the ground as if she were weightless.

"Let me go!" she practically snarled, squirming helplessly in his grasp. She kicked and clawed, kicking him hard enough to make him let out a hiss, losing all patience. He held her tighter, pushing the wind from her lungs. She was a fighter. He liked that in a woman.

He galloped back towards the longhouse, pushing his way inside before dripping her down onto the pile of furs.

She let out a yelp, but was otherwise unharmed. She scrambled to pull the blanket around her tightly, as if that were enough protection from him.

He let out a frustrated sigh and squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm himself. She was understandably frightened of him, as humans unfamiliar with his people were.

After a few moments, he looked back down at her. He opened his mouth, ready to berate her, but the wetness at her cheeks stopped him short.

"Please, just let me go. My father is wealthy, he can-" she spit out, wiping her eyes with the back of her forearm.

His expression softened and he let out another sigh. "Calm yourself, girl. It is not my intention to harm you."

Nor did human wealth mean anything to him or his people. His herd was a community, working together for the good of the group. They weren't like humans and their lords and kings with castles full off gold. No, all that mattered to the centaurs was strength and unity.

At this, she looked up, her sobs quieted. "But-... You're a-" she cut off her stammering with a sniffle.

"Centaur?" he finished, raising a thick brow down at her. "As I can recall, it was not I that gave you those wounds on your back," he pointed out, thick arms crossing over his muscled chest.

A breath hitched in her chest, her wounds throbbing at the mere reminder of them. She gulped down her fear and met his gaze, tightening her hold on the fur. He spoke the truth. This centaur... this stranger had done nothing but try and heal her wounds. It had been men who had given them to her.

"F-Forgive me," she managed to spit out, her heart still racing in her chest. "I owe you my thanks."

The centaur shook his head. "Any male would have done the same."

She shook her head. "Not any human male I know..." she replied, her voice soft as her gaze fell to the dirt ground.

Silence lingered between them for another moment, only broken by the slight shifting of his hooves.

"Where are you from, small one? I shall return you, once you are healed." He'd expected relief, or gratitude, anything but the grimace aimed in his direction.

She vigorously shook her head, blonde locks flying through the air. "No! I-I..." she trailed off, shaking her head once more.

He was silent for a moment. "...They are the ones that harmed you?" he questioned, to which she gave a small nod.

"My fiancé, he..." she choked. "I-I... I can't go back there."

Throntir was half tempted to ask where to find the one who had done this to her. He would make his way there and make sure there weren't any pieces left of the bastard to find. But he shook off the thought.

"Well, where were you headed?" he questioned, meeting her gaze from above.

She grimaced. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just-... I just couldn't stay there."

Throntir's jaw was tense. "Only cowards lay their hands on a woman in a way other to bring them great pleasure."

Lena's cheeks flushed a bright red at his words. While she was not totally innocent to the ways of men, thanks to her monster of a fiancé, she had never felt the pleasure he spoke of. Adrian had been content to only use her for his own lusts.

He let out a sigh, running a hand through his dark hair. What was he to do with her? She gave him no reason to believe she was a threat, but he couldn't just abandon her in the woods. She would end up half-dead once more, a meal for the wolves or a place for the rapists to bury their cocks.

"Is your virginity intact?" he questioned abruptly.

She looked up him, a mix of confusion and horror on her face. "I don't see what business of yours that is!" she squealed, though the pink hue on her pale cheeks was the only answer he truly required.

"Then you will return with me to my herd," he stated, chest swelling as his mind was made up.

She looked up to him, eyes wide. What?

"I return from my sentry duties in a few days, I shall take you with me. There are many unmated males in my herd that would gladly take you as a mate." Though she was a beauty, he had already been mated, and was not looking for another. "Our lives are hard, and often dangerous, but we take care of each other." His nostrils flared. "And we certainly do not whip our women."

Her only response for several moments was silence. Marry, no, mate a centaur?! She blushed at the thought. That sounded insane! She'd have to be mad to want to do such a thing! They weren't even human! Would she have to have... relations? That was a stupid question, of course she would! Centaurs were known for their lusts for human women. And what of bearing their children? There's no way a centaur child wouldn't rip her in two!

"No! I-I..." she trailed off. "You cannot force me."

Throntir scowled. It was a great honor to be taken as a centaur's mate, to be trusted with the safety of the herd. Were all of his brothers' human mates so stubborn?

"Would you prefer I leave you to be devoured by wolves? Or perhaps you would prefer the criminals who sometimes find their way to this part of the forest?" he replied coolly. He stepped closer, towering over her threateningly.

"And I could make you," he threatened, gaze darkening as he looked at her from above. "Our women are taken by force, nearly always. Though, most find such great pleasure in what we do to them that they choose to stay of their own free will."

She flinched, gulping as he loomed above her. But her expression hardened and she rose to her feet, letting the fur fall to the ground in a heap. She'd spent nearly the last month of her life being terrified and intimidated of Adrian, and it was exhausting. She was so damn tired of being afraid.

"You know what? Do it! Take me against my will!" she challenged, stepping forward and jabbing a finger in the tall centaur's chest, much to his evident surprise. "I've spent the last several weeks housed with a man that I was to marry, and he was completely mad and cruel and-" she cut herself off with a frustrated breath. "I damn well refuse to let you frighten me anymore, horse man!" No doubt she intended to sound serious, but the high-pitched nature of her voice left her sounded rather squeaky instead.

Throntir stared down at the fair-haired human girl with wide green eyes. Horse man? In an instant, she'd gone to a frightened, crying little thing to an angry, squeaky little thing a she stood up to him.

A laugh bellowed from his chest, to which she jumped back, startled. Her face melted into a scowl, her arms crossed over her chest. It was then she realized her nudity and scrambled for the discarded fur she'd let fall to the ground.

"H-Hey! I'm serious!" she whined as he continued to laugh.

He forced his laughter to quiet, an amused smirk at his lips. "Hah! I was right! You are a fighter, aren't you? My brothers will be very interested in you, small one."

She scowled, murmuring a curse under her breath. He was no longer trying to intimidate her, but he was still an ass.

"I never said I would go with you," she piped up, fully silencing his laughter.

His expression grew serious. "What other choice do you have?"

Her face fell. She was alone. She couldn't return to her family, as they very may well have shipped her back off to the Redmanes, regardless of her treatment. He wanted peace between the houses, even if it meant sacrificing his eldest daughter. The thought brought tears to her eyes.

"I... I don't know. What does being a... mate entail? What would I have to do? Are there other human women?" she listed off a line of questions, ones that hadn't been unexpected.

The tension in his shoulders loosened, relieved that she had begun to listen to reason. "You would be mated to one of the males, whichever you like. Kasan is the fastest, but Amarik is the best with a bow..." he trailed off, shaking his head to get back on track. "You would help the herd with cleaning, cooking, and bearing our children... among other things," he continued. His expression hardened. "All of our women are human."

She was overwhelmed by the new information, but his stony expression caught her off guard. "There are no female centaurs?" she questioned, curious.

His jaw tightened. "Not anymore," he answered simply.

She dared not ask the reason.

A heavy silence lingered, which Throntir forced himself to break.

"It seems I've neglected to ask your name, small one."

She gulped. "It's Lena."

"Lena," he tested the name on his tongue, the sound of it foreign. "You may call me Throntir."

Lena nodded, offering a weak smile as she shakily rose to her feet. She held out her hand. "Well, it's good to meet you, Throntir." Though the circumstances were bloody terrible, and was a bit of a scoundrel, she couldn't deny that he was kind in going out of his way to help her. Even if he was intent on taking her back to his "herd," wherever that was.

Head tilted curiously to the side, he eyed her hand, unaccustomed to the human gesture.

The girl let out a small laugh, taking a step forward, one hand still holding up the fur around her bare body.

"You're supposed to shake it," she explained, smiling.

He tentatively held up his own hand, to which she giggled. Taking the lead, she grabbed his hand in hers. His fingers automatically closed around her, engulfing her petite hand. A warmth flowed through him, one that he hadn't felt in years. At the realization, he swiftly released his grip and stepped away.

"Alright," he gulped, "you should eat. You've been asleep for nearly two days. You must be starving," he said, clearing his throat.

In response, her stomach gurgled. She looked up to him shyly. Two days? Her wounds and exhaustion must have knocked her unconscious. It seemed like a short time to her, but her stomach rumbled loud enough to know it was the truth.

"Yes, please," she replied with a sheepish laugh. He turned towards the door and she went to follow, but froze. "Wait, what happened to my gown?" she questioned. Yes, it had been ripped to shreds after her days spent wandering the woods, but it was certainly better than holding a fur around herself for the next few days...

He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Ah, forgive me. I cut it off so that I could bathe you, and tend to your wounds," he replied. "You may keep the fur, if you like, though you'll quickly learn that centaurs care little for modesty."

It wasn't like he hadn't already seen her nude, but humans felt the need to cover themselves even when they weren't in battle, which was odd. He just wrote it off as another odd human quirk.

Throntir turned his back to her and exited the longhouse, but her cheeks flushed at the imagery. Did all the human women in his herd go around naked? She cringed at the thought. Tightening the fur around her shoulders, she followed him out into the clearing. She was met by the sight of a small fire, a few small carcasses hanging over on a spit.

The drool was practically pouring from her mouth at the sight of food, actual food! All she'd managed to scrounge up after fleeing the Redmanes was a few cloves of berries here and there.

If the hint of an amused smile at his lips was any indication, Throntir noticed her reaction and began to prepare her a plate. He instructed her to sit by the fire, which she did so as she eagerly waited for the food to be ready.

Any decorum that she had learned as a child was swiftly thrown out of her mind at the sight of a steaming plate of meat and a flask of water being passed in her direction. She didn't even think to offer her thinks before she started downing them, switching periodically between both.

Throntir laughed quietly to himself at her eagerness—he'd been half afraid she'd take his hand along with the plate. The poor girl was starving, as was expected after she'd spent days wandering the woods on her own.

He settled on the ground a short distance away, silently tearing into the portion of cooked rabbit he'd giving himself as well. It was mere minutes until the girl had completely devoured the contents of her own plate. She set it aside, letting out a groan of satisfaction.

"This might just be the hunger talking, but that is the best thing I've ever eaten," she commented with an exaggerated groan, a hand on her stomach. "Thank you," she added a moment later.

Throntir simply gave a nod, finishing his food off as well. They both fell silent, their gazes falling to the crackling flames of the fire. The sun had begun to set, darkening the sky around them.

After a while, Lena shifted uncomfortably against the ground. She stole glanced at the large centaur from the corner of her eyes, intrigued. He truly looked like a man—until the waist down. And even then, there was an odd bunching of fur there, one that she had never seen on a horse...

The realization that she hadn't seen so much as an inch of male anatomy where it normally would be on a horse sent her gaze right back to the fire. His horse half was all smooth, sheen fur. Was the fur where his pelvis would be if he were a man to... conceal his cock? She flushed at the though. Her fingers tapped against the earth, her mind stewing.

"So, uh, Throntir," she started, breaking the silence and garnering his attention. "I'm sorry if this is rude or uh... but I-...uh." She gulped. "I know you're a centaur, clearly, but I thought that centaurs, below the waist were um..." she trailed off, biting her lip and eyeing the half man, half horse that sat nearby.

"Had horse cocks?" he answered quickly, smirking in amusement at the bright flush of her cheeks. He let out a chuckle. "I am from the eastern centaur herds. It is said that those from the west are more beast than we are, and they are where most of your legends come from. I've never met one, though." She was a curious thing, that was for sure.

"Oh." She nodded, feeling sheepish. She hadn't even known centaurs were real, let alone that there were more than one kind. She wondered what other legends she'd thought to be fantasy were real...

Silence fell between them once more, until Throntir began to tire. The last few days had been long, and he was ready to settle for the night. He worried that she would try and flee, but he had no doubt that he could easily find her if she did. He knew these parts of the woods better than any, and humans were slow, easily tracked creatures.

He shifted to rise to his full, towering height. "Come, it's growing dark. And you do not wish to be out here alone," he advised, turning back towards the small hut.

She scowled at his condescending words, but she had none of her own to argue with. It was clear to them both that she didn't belong out in the forest, especially not on her own. And with centaurs roaming them... she didn't even want to think of what else there could be.

As if in reply to her thoughts, a wolf's howl rang out through the night air, sending an icy chill down her spine. The fire having burned down to a bundle of smoking ashes, she hurried to her feet and scrambled inside after the centaur, the fur tightly wrapped around her.

Throntir rose with the sun, as always. Much to this thanks, the girl was still resting in the pile of furs he normally used to rest on. Lest he have to chase after her.

He roused her for an early breakfast, her tired groans her only complaint. It seemed she wasn't a morning person, unlike he or the rest of his herd. That would surely change in time. Once they were finished, he collected his bow and arrows from inside and readied himself to make his routes.

He offered her a hand up to his back, though Lena just stared at him with wide eyes.

"You want me to get on your back? But..." One; she was naked. Two, she felt strange about riding something-...someone that wasn't a horse. He was a centaur!

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Come, I'm running late as it is and I have responsibilities." Nor did he wish to leave her alone while he was gone. He didn't wholly trust her not to try and run, and he was concerned for her safety. He'd had to fight off a number of dangerous creatures in these woods. Creatures that would surely kill her without a second thought.

She huffed, but reluctantly took his hand. With one strong pull of his arm, she was sent swinging onto his back with a yelp. She automatically took a hold of his muscled chest, letting go of the fur on instinct. She watched with abject horror as it fell to the ground in a heap.

"Hey!" she cried out as he started to move, her grip on him tightening. "The fur, it-" but he cut her off with a scoff.

"Forget it. Either way your breasts would be against my back and your pussy riding against my hide, wouldn't they?"

She scowled, but blushed, practically hearing the smirk she knew he was wearing.

"Are all centaurs so arrogant?" she questioned with a huff. He chuckled in response.

"Only the strongest."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, but was silent as they rode through the woods. She let her head fall back to watch the light dance between the branches of the trees as they passed underneath. The birds were singing, small animals searched the ground for food. Before she knew it, she was entranced by the peaceful nature of the forest and resting her head against Throntir's back, drifting off.

Throntir had felt her grip lessen and soft snores arise from his passenger. He glanced over his shoulder, rolling his eyes, and giving a soft chuckle at seeing the girl asleep. Even after nearly three days of sleeping, she was still tired enough to fall asleep on the back of a centaur.

He continued his route as normal, letting her sleep as he watched for anything out of the ordinary. Most days everything was as it should be, the forest calm. On the rare occasion that he did find something out of the ordinary, he usually killed it and moved on. But that usually meant the stray wolf getting too close to the herd, or some other dangerous creature. Never had he found a human woman so far out in the woods by herself. Especially not one on the run from an abusive man. The thought made his nostrils flare. What kind of man hurt a woman in such a way? If he ever came across the man, he vowed to show no mercy on such filth.

But he forced himself to shake away the thoughts and finish his rounds. Once he was sure there was no sign of unusual activity, he returned to camp. The girl was still asleep and softly snoring, so he shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Girl," he called, to no avail. "Girl," he said a bit louder. His gaze narrowed at her over his shoulder. "Lena!" he snapped, frightening her awake.

"What?!" she squeaked, her grip reforming around his waist as she scrambled to hold onto something.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "We're back. You fell asleep." He once again offered her a hand to help her get down.