Page 81 of Centaur Bolt

Yeah, well, it’s all I’ve got,I admitted with clenched teeth and a small buck. Which the Dragon shifter rode out like a pro.

I know it rankles to have him dominate your Wyvern, but it’s actually helping me control it,Iskar scolded.And that’s a superb thing.

I supposed it was. Didn’t mean I had to like it. I turned my thoughts away from all the reasons I was having a particularly bad day and concentrated on running.

My equine body was built to gallop for miles at speed, and there was a soothing rhythm to the motion. Push off one hind leg first, then the other—one, two—stretching out the fronts and sucking in a huge lungful of air as my entire body expanded. A moment of pure suspension. Then one front hoof landed, followed by the other—three, four—and my body curled as my hind legs came forward, driving the air back out of my lungs. Another moment of suspension, before my hind hooves touched down to start it all over again.

All done faster than most eyes could see. I loved to run.

The beat of my hooves wove into a song in my mind, something I would have sung aloud if I’d been a Centaur. Instead, I let it dance through my thoughts, settling the chaos within me.

I was no Unicorn, but I was no slouch in the speed department, either. The miles rolled by, and the sweat dripped off me, turning to foam where the saddle and breast band rubbed against my hide.

Havoc went from a vise-like grip of his legs and his fist on the saddle horn—okay, that might have had something to do with me trying to grind his manhood into it—to eventually loosening up and moving with me. But by the time we topped a rise and saw the town lights in the hollow before us, we were both ready to stop.

At least, I made assumptions about him—I certainly was. I slowed as we entered the main street. Havoc placed one hand on the reins but didn’t tighten them. Which was a good thing. A bucking fit would have attracted far too much attention.

The streets were mostly quiet, but light spilled from the windows of one establishment—and from the laughter and shouts coming from within, it didn’t lack for clientèle. In my experience, drinking establishments didn’t vary much from realm to realm. They were a great place to garner information.

I hesitated. Maybe if we went into one of the back alleys, I could change back to human…

We might need a quick getaway,Iskar argued.

There’s always Havoc’s Dragon.

That would blow our cover. Just go with it, Marcus.

When Havoc thumped his heels into my ribs, I stifled the urge to toss him into the street. Instead, I lowered my head and walked sedately up to a hitching post.

It already possessed a motley collection of riding beasts, none of which looked anything like me. However, as they didn’t look anything like each other, I fit in well.

There also wasn’t much room. Something I rectified by arching my neck, striking, and roaring in my best equine voice. Those closest sidled over, eyes rolling. I moved into the opening.

The Dragon slid off me, moving a little stiff. I refused to be impressed that he could move at all after hours of being in the saddle.

I flattened my ears, though, when he took my reins and looped them over the rail.

“Relax,” Havoc mumbled to me. “A good pull, and you’ll be loose.”

“Where did you get that horse?”

The high-pitched voice had me rolling an eye to the shadows. The Dragon straightened and turned. A man swayed up to us—obviously under the influence, and not a species I was familiar with. He had a row of curious bumps across his face, which I was sure were natural.

The hand he put out to run along my ribs, however, was not welcome. “Did you get him from the human realm? He’s a beaut. I know someone who collects horses.” He peered beneath my flank, and it took everything I had not to plow my hoof into his face. “Stallion, thought so. My friend would pay you well for him. He’s a big one, too.”

It took me a moment to appreciate he was talking about my overall size, and not just my manhood. He continued to paw me, running his hands down my legs, and then, finally, walking behind me and lifting my tail to assess my hindquarters.

Okay, enough. My leg was a blur of motion, nailing him with careful precision in the most common place for genitalia. By the way his face lost all color as he curled around himself, my assumption was dead on.

“He’s not for sale.” I thought Havoc’s lips twitched upward slightly as he pulled his cloak tighter around his scaly body. “And he doesn’t like to be touched.” He strode up the steps and disappeared within.

The overcast sky finally decided to unload. The rain created slow rivulets through the mud coating my hide. My admirer limped off, muttering beneath his breath. For a rather long ten minutes, I stood in silence between two slightly nervous, and now damp, riding beasts.

Then, a series of thumps and yells from within. Seconds later, a body flew straight through the front window.

He landed on the boardwalk, rolled to his feet, and leaped toward the mounts, pulling himself up on one before urging it with heels and lashing reins to a fast shamble up the road.

The door to the establishment was suddenly filled with fleeing forms. Some grabbed their mounts, others ran away up the street.

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