I am alive. I am shaking so hard my teeth chatter, but I am still in the saddle.
"Elodie."
Alaric is there. He grabs the bridle, checking the horse. But his eyes are on me. He looks... stunned. And beneath the shock, there is something else. Something hot and dark and terrifyingly proud.
"You stayed on," he breathes.
I look down at him. My hands are tangled in the mane. My hair has come loose from the braid, wild around my face. "I told him to stop," I whisper, my voice trembling.
"You didn't tell him," Alaric corrects. He reaches up and places his hand on my knee. His grip is bruising. "Youdominatedhim. I heard it in your voice."
He doesn't help me down. He stands there, looking up at me like I am a revelation. "I thought you would fall," he admits. "I was ready to scrape you off the dirt."
"You wanted me to fall," I accuse, the adrenaline turning into anger. "You wanted to see me break."
"Maybe," he says darkly. "But watching you hold on... watching you conquer the fear..." His hand slides up my thigh again. This time, he doesn't stop at the inner thigh. He presses his palm firmly against the juncture of my legs, right over the seam of the breeches. I gasp, the sensation electric in the aftermath of the danger.
"That," he growls, his eyes dilating, "was better than watching you break."
He pulls me down. I slide off the horse, my legs giving out as soon as I hit the ground. Alaric catches me. He slams me against the wooden wall of the arena. Charon is forgotten behind us. Alaric’s body covers mine, pinning me. He is breathing hard, smelling of horse and sweat and rain.
"You have a voice, Elodie," he whispers, his nose brushing mine. "You just needed a reason to use it."
"I could have died," I pant, pushing against his chest.
"But you didn't. You survived. And look at you." He grabs my hand and presses it to my chest, over my heart. It is beating so fast it feels like a flutter. "You are high on it. Don't lie."
I can't lie. The terror is fading, replaced by a rush of endorphins so potent it feels like a drug. I feel powerful. I feel invincible. I controlled the beast.
"It felt..." I trail off.
"Like power," Alaric finishes. He kisses me. It is desperate, hungry. It is a reward. He grinds his hips against mine, letting me feel how hard the moment has made him. "This is what I am trying to teach you," he murmurs against my lips. "The fear is the fuel. If you let it crush you, you are a victim. If you ride it... you are a queen."
He pulls back, his hands framing my face. "Do you understand now? Why I pushed you?"
"You're crazy," I whisper.
"And you are learning." He steps back, creating space, but the air between us is still charged. "Take the horse to the crossties. Untack him. Brush him down."
"Me?"
"You rode him. You care for him. That is the rule." Alaric turns and walks toward the tack room. "I will be in the office. If you need help... ask. But I think you’re done asking for help, aren't you?"
He leaves me alone with the stallion. I look at Charon. He has calmed down. He looks at me with that dark eye. He nudges my shoulder with his nose. A peace offering. Or a submission.
I reach out and stroke his neck. The coarse hair is damp with sweat. "We showed him," I whisper to the horse. Charon snorts.
I lead him to the ties. My hands are steady now. I undo the buckles. I pull the heavy saddle off, groaning under the weight. I get the brushes. I work in silence, the rhythm of the brushing soothing my frayed nerves.Stroke. Dust. Stroke. Dust.
Alaric is right. I hate him for it, but he is right. I feel different. Yesterday, I was a porcelain doll waiting to be shattered. Today, I am something else. Something with cracks, yes. But the cracks are being filled with iron.
I finish grooming Charon. He shines like black glass. I walk toward the tack room to put the gear away. The door is ajar. I hear Alaric’s voice. He is on the phone.
I stop. I shouldn't listen.Curiosity is a vulnerability.But I step closer.
"...yes, the incident with Vance was unfortunate," Alaric is saying. His voice is cold, business-like. "But handled. He won't be returning to the board."
Pause.
