Chapter 14 Secret Promises #2
“There is something I wish to see,” he replied. His tone had a new kind of lightness to it, making me wonder if he, too, felt more at ease around me.
“If there’s something you need to see, then why do I need to be there?
” I busied myself by reaching out gently to the mighty steed that stood obediently on legs of pure muscle.
Atlas stepped aside slightly to allow me to get in closer, though he kept a hold of the reins.
Which was probably for the best, as I had never been great with horses.
Hence why I would have avoided becoming an Equine Veterinarian after graduating veterinarian school.
If the Rift had never happened, of course.
“Because it involves you.”
Heat radiated from him, a similar feeling to when Riley was close to me.
Every neuron inside my body was trying to force me to lean into him, but I resisted the pressing urge.
And at the thought of Riley, an imaginary knife lanced through my heart.
It hurt, but all I could do was hope he was okay as I forced myself to push him from my mind.
My fingers trailed along the horse’s warm, velvet muzzle. Its coat was a deep shade of black that shimmered faintly blue beneath the morning sun.
“How does this involve me?” I asked softly.
The horse snorted, nuzzling at my palm. Its breath was hot against my skin, whiskers twitching as if amused by my question.
I smiled despite myself, pressing my face briefly against the creature’s strong neck, breathing in the scent of hay, earth, and something purely alive, something that grounded me.
As for Atlas, he watched me curiously but didn’t comment on my strange behavior.
“I’ll explain when we get there,” he replied, his voice a low vibration that seemed to hum through the horse’s muscles.
I peered around the horse’s long nose to glare at him.
“Are you always this god-damn secretive?”
His eyes glimmered, the faintest edge of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“I wouldn’t say I’m secretive.”
I stepped around the horse, folding my arms in front of me.
“No, you’re right. The word I’m looking for is frustratingly non-committal.”
He chuckled, and knowing how devastating his smile was, I didn’t dare meet his eyes after that remark. So instead, I looked anywhere else; the paving stones, the empty street, the sky.
“Where are the rest of your men?” I asked.
“The rest?” His dark brows furrowed slightly as he tightened the bridle, his movements sure and measured. The horse flicked an ear, intelligent eyes following every motion.
“Yeah, surely we’re not just going out there…
like, just the two of us?” My posture stiffened before I could stop it.
I rolled my shoulders in a futile attempt to relax.
My fingers picked at my sleeve, the repetitive motion doing little to calm the nerves clawing up my spine.
Memories of snarling beasts, of teeth and blood flashed through my mind, and suddenly I ached for the familiar weight of my weapons.
I flinched when his hand settled on my shoulder. It was strong, steady, impossibly gentle, and that same sense of safety enveloped me again, the one that made no sense at all. He was the man we’d spent years running from, and yet his touch made my pulse slow and quietened my fears.
“I know it may not make sense…” he said, his voice soft but firm, “But it will be safer this way. A large escort draws attention we cannot afford.”
Our eyes locked. There was no hesitation in his, only conviction. Something inside me loosened, and I hated that it did. He moved away, bending to check the saddle straps. The silence stretched between us, heavy with things neither of us would say.
“So,” I began, desperate to break it, “This is your horse, huh?”
“This is Acelin,” he said, his tone lighter now. “Fastest stallion in both realms and the most intelligent. My father gifted him to me long ago.”
I blinked, surprised by the rare piece of personal history he’d shared so freely.
“He’s beautiful,” I hummed, and that earned me a faint smile, brief but genuine, before he turned practical again.
“We need to leave if we are to make good time.” He circled behind me, checking the packs strapped to the saddle, mine among them. Every move he made seemed deliberate but graceful in a way that felt unnervingly intimate.
“Right,” he said finally, gesturing for me to come closer. “Come here.”
I obeyed, stepping to his side. His hands came around my waist, firm and confident.
“Oh—uh—okay, I can… right, yes, you can…” The words tripped over each other uselessly as heat flushed my neck. His touch lingered a heartbeat longer than necessary, testing to see if I’d pull away. I didn’t.
The warmth of his gloved hands bled through the layers of my clothes, and a shiver ran the length of my body.
“Are you cold?” he asked softly, his breath skimming the side of my neck.
“Er… no… I’m… fine,” I stammered, and I swear that I could hear the knowing smile in his silence behind me.
But before I could gather another thought, he lifted me as though I weighed nothing at all.
A surprised gasp left me as I landed in the saddle, grabbing the pommel for dear life.
The horse chose that exact moment to dip its head and graze at the shrubbery, sending me sliding forward with a yelp until the saddle horn caught me in the stomach.
Any pretense of calm was shattered completely, and a deep, amused laugh burst from Atlas as he mounted effortlessly behind me, every inch the practiced rider. The moment he settled in behind me, the saddle suddenly felt much smaller. His legs brushed mine, his presence solid and unavoidable.
Placing the reins along the horse’s neck, he freed his hands and caught my shoulders, guiding me upright again.
“Easy,” he said, his voice low and warm at my back as my body trembled.
Although not from fear of falling, but from the awareness of how close he was.
How steady his touch felt compared to the chaos inside me.
His laughter still rumbled faintly through his chest, the sound vibrating against my spine.
And God help me… I didn’t hate it.
“You can take on a chimera and live to tell the tale, but you can’t mount a horse to save your life. And to top it off, you’re absolutely terrified once you’re on one,” he murmured near my ear, amusement threading through every word.
I wanted to bite back at his provoking jab, but I couldn’t focus on anything except the fact that this creature beneath me was huge. Far larger than any horse I’d ever seen. He could’ve started me off on a Shetland pony. But no. Apparently, we were going straight for the mountain with hooves.
“He’s not exactly standard issue, is he?” I muttered, trying not to gape at the muscled flank shifting beneath me. Atlas let out a low chuckle.
“Acelin isn’t a normal horse. He could carry three men the size of Aster and he wouldn’t notice the weight at all.
” I shifted awkwardly in the saddle, not allowing myself to look at how far I was off the ground.
“Naturally, the saddle’s built to match his size,” he said, leaning in so I could feel his breath on my ear.
“By yourself, you’d be too small for the seat. ”
With effortless strength, Atlas nudged my legs forward, so I was seated properly astride the saddle. Then his hands found mine, guiding them to rest on the front horn. His chin brushed my shoulder as he leaned in, checking my posture.
“You need to sit upright,” he murmured, his voice a deep vibration that sent a shiver down my spine.
His hand followed that same path, fingers tracing my neck, gliding down to the small of my back.
The warmth of his palm pressed inward until my spine straightened.
My breath caught, though he seemed blissfully unaware of what that simple touch did to me.
“Good,” he said, his voice lower now, almost a whisper. “If at any point you feel unbalanced, lean against my chest. It will help you steady.” His mouth was close again, his breath ghosting across my ear, setting my nerves alight.
I nodded mutely, because speaking wasn’t an option anymore.
I leaned forward just slightly, trying to create space, despite knowing it was hopeless.
He reached for the reins, his hands crossing just in front of mine.
With a soft click of his tongue and a gentle kick, Acelin started forward, his gait smooth but powerful.
For the first ten minutes, I sat stiff as a board, shoulders locked, every muscle screaming for me to relax.
Atlas’s quiet laughter at my expense didn’t help.
Then, without warning, his hand slipped to my stomach.
A firm, steady touch that pulled me back tight against him until my spine met the solid wall of his chest.
His breath brushed my ear again as he whispered, “Relax, my brave girl… I’ve got you.”
The words rolled through me like a spell, low and seductive, making me question,
Why did that just sound like a…
Secret promise?