It’s not cos I don’t love you, Tee, it’s because I'm not used to things touching me back.
"Oh, Donovan," she whispers so sadly. I lean into her touch, closing my eyes. I feel her fingers. They’re warm. I'm not hallucinating again.
I force my eyes open again and just drink her in. After so many years with just white rocks to look at, my eyes have never been so happy. I commit every detail to memory in case she disappears again. In case this is just a dream.
Fuck. Focus. I have to explain.
I have to tell them why I'm a mess. "I guess I’ll start at the beginning. Max found a swirly-light-thing back at school. That's how we got here."Swirly-light-thing.Real eloquent, Hart. Wes would have a better word for it. "Okay, so you came through the portal," Theo prompts, her voice gentle.
"Yeah. Portal, that’s the word. And then... things got weird. My body started feeling... wrong." I glance at the others. The big white-haired guy is tugging on his hair like he’s trying to rip it out. The dark-haired dude is flexing his toes.
Yep. Whack-a-doodle incoming.
"Wrong?" Cosmo drawls. He looks calm, but he's picking at his skin like it doesn't fit.
"Yeah, Cos. Weird. Itchy. Like..." I struggle for the words. "Like I was too big for my skin." I look back at Theo. I need to show her. I need her to know what I've become, so if she's going to run screaming, she does it now.
"Watch," I say. I walk a few feet away. I focus on the fire in my chest. It’s always there now, a low burn. I feed it. The cramping starts—a familiar, brutal twist in my gut. I drop to my knees, gritting my teeth. When your bones grind and pop, it's not a picnic.
It's NOT A PICNIC.
But then... release. I push up, my hooves stamping the white dust. My chest swells, filled with power. From the waist down, I’m all stallion. Strong. Fast. Complete with stallion dick.
I turn to face her, bracing myself for the looks of horror.
“OHMYGODS!”
Theo isn't screaming in terror. She's running towards me, her face lit up like I just scored the winning game point.
“Stay back!” the dark-haired guy yells, moving to intercept her.
I stamp a hoof, hard. “Settle down, buddy. I’d die before I hurt my girl.”
Theo stops inches from me, her hand hovering. “Is it OK if I touch you?” My heart—both the human one and the horse one—melts.
“I’m still me, babe. You can touch me anywhere.” I grin, unable to help myself. “Seriously. Anywhere.” She strokes my flank, and a shiver of pure pleasure rolls down my spine. My tail swishes involuntarily.
The giant in coveralls glares at me. I glare back.
Mine.
"Is Wes a centaur too?" Cosmo asks, crossing his arms.
The joy crashes.
Theo freezes, her hand stilling on my coat. “Gods, Donovan. Where is he? Where is Wes?”
I look down at the ground. This is the part that kills me. "I don't know, baby," I whisper. "He... he left. Him and Max. They went through another portal, and I couldn't follow."
"Another portal?"
"A shadow," I explain, gesturing helplessly. "A patch of darkness. Max dove in. Wes went after him. But when I tried... the horse part of me balked. It wouldn't go in. I've been stuck here ever since."
"Alone?" Theo asks, her voice breaking.
"Yeah." I swallow hard. "Just me and the rocks."
She buries her face in my side, sobbing. I wrap my human arms around her, pulling her tight against my horse body. I failed her. I lost her other half.
