Where I once cursed myself, I now cursed Alaric. “Horses have never really been ... fond of me. I often spooked them, though I suppose now it had never been me who was spooking them.”
“Then yes, we are meant to ride together.”
“What about a carriage?”
“There are no roads or even walking trails through the woods. Horseback is the only way, unless you’d like to walk, though that would add a few days to our trip.”
The thought of any additional time spent in the woods made me grimace. I’d rather take my chances with the horse. I sighed, takingslow steps forward. I kept a few feet between me and the horse, who started to fidget as if it itched to run from me.
“I don’t think it likes me.” I eyed the horse warily.
“This is Nyx.” He reached for my bag, and I handed it to him mechanically.
“Okay. I don’t think Nyx likes me.”
“Come here.” He gestured for me to stand beside him.
I sidestepped over to them, never taking my eyes off her. He took my hand, and I shivered at the contact. He raised my hand up to the beast, and her giant nostrils wiggled around it. She let out a grumble that sounded an awful lot like agitation to me. I stepped back into a hard chest. His hand gripped my waist to steady me, and I let out a slight gasp as his fingers dug into my soft flesh. He released my waist and forced my palm open to place a carrot atop my hand. I leaned into him further, but he was immovable, and his ironclad grip kept my hand offered to Nyx. I stifled a yelp as she sucked up the carrot and released a breath as my hand remained intact.
“I think you’ll be fine now,” he said it right into my ear. His lips brushed me slightly, and a chill shuddered through me.
I took a giant step back from her as he finally released me. He strapped my small bag to the saddle, and I was glad I kept it simple.
“After you.” He gestured to her.
I took in a deep breath, hesitantly placing my hands against the saddle.
“Do you need help mounting?”
He chuckled as I swatted him away. Though I wouldn’t be getting much distance from him now. Right as I managed to perch myself atop the saddle, he was behind me. I swallowed hard as his warmth bled into my back. He reached his arms around me as he gathered up the reins, and I was all too aware of every part of us that touched.
He leaned forward, pressing into me, and my breath hitched. His face nearly brushed mine. “Are you comfortable?” His deep voice rumbled through my back.
“Not in the slightest.”
“Because of Nyx?”
“Among other things.”
He chuckled, the sound a bit lighter than what he was usually capable of. It threw me off, and I had to grip the horn of the saddle to stay upright as we set off.
After a moment of silence, he spoke, and my back ached from being so rigid that I finally relaxed, which meant I had to relax into him. “It will take several hours to reach the woods. We’ll stay at an inn near the border and enter the woods in the morning. From there her home should only be a couple of hours away.”
* * *
By the time we arrived at the inn, I could barely feel my legs. I wanted to slide off of Nyx, content to just remain on the ground in a puddle. But I reluctantly let Sebastian help me off when he dismounted, and I remained deep in thought about how to move my legs.
“Not used to riding, are we?” He smirked. I stepped out of his arms when they lingered around me a moment too long.
“I hardly ever go anywhere, and when I do, it’s certainly not on the back of a beast who would be more than pleased to send me flying off to another world.”
He let out a displeased sound, and I wasn’t quite sure what part of what I said displeased him.
We had traveled through a small farming village and reached an even smaller village nestled in the woods. The inn was a charming building that resembled a large cabin. Flowerpots hung from the porch, and lanterns lit our way to the entrance. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon.
Sebastian picked up the room key from the front desk. I eyed the single key, but I didn’t want to make a fuss in front of the already timid innkeeper, who was shaking like a leaf. I was not sure what had him so shaken. Perhaps, it was from the man looming over him like the demon from the underworld that he was. Sebastian seemed to have a looming presence no matter the situation.
My fears were confirmed as he opened the door, and one bed filled the majority of the room. My eyes slid over to him as I was about to protest.
