over the startling lime-green color of his eyes.
“My Lord. Your new stallion arrived.”
“Yes. I am aware, Remington.”
“My Lord, he is wild. Since the sun is setting, he will become agitated. The stable staff is forced to fight with him every night. As such, every night he breaks from his stall. If he would break free from the stable it would be…” he hesitated. “My Lord, it would be almost impossible to catch him.”
“Inform Max and Ethan I shall be at the stables momentarily,” Ashton replied.
“Yes. Thank you, my lord.”
I turned my attention to Ashton. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, my dove. If the stallion is unbroken, he could be dangerous. I do not wish to see you harmed. Go up to your quarters, unpack, rest, and I shall be up as soon as I can.”
I placed my hands on my hips and set my chin. Resolute.
“Ashton, by your own admission your new horse could be dangerous. Do you really believe I am going to see you harmed?”
“My dove—”
“No, Ashton. I’m going with you,” I huffed then crossed my arms.
The corners of Ashton’s mouth twitched.
“Is this your wish, Trinity?”
“Absolutely.”
“And what if I denied your wish?” he asked.
“I would find my way to the stables anyway.”
“And what if I forbid you to follow me to the stables?”
I rolled my eyes and snorted. “Go ahead; see how far that gets you.”
Ashton chuckled. “Come,” he said, taking my hand.
****
I heard the stallion’s wild braying before we even reached the stables. I held on to Ashton’s hand tighter. When we entered, two men were rushing around. Both men had panic plastered across their faces. Thundering hooves and screeching whickers echoed through the space.
“Stay here,” Ashton instructed with a stone seriousness to his face as he let go of my hand.
I stood, watching Ashton head off to the end stall. Small bands of light crossed the floor of the stable in front of me. The window invited the dusky color of twilight in. The smell of dust, hay, horses, and oats floated in the air.
“He is wild, my lord,” the stick thin blond man said as Ashton approached. “Every evening he breaks from his stall.”
The redheaded man interjected, “My Lord, he has given us nothing but hell-fire every night. Maybe hell-fire should be his name instead of Zeus.”
I worried my bottom lip with my teeth when Ashton approached the end stall. He started speaking in a low voice, with a cadence and the dialect I had heard him speak with his horse, Phantom, the day we went riding on my birthday.
The new horse must have kicked up his hooves because I heard the clash of them when they hit the ground. I inched forward, slowly making progress until I was finally within eyesight of Zeus.
Zeus was stunningly beautiful, powerful. He must have stood almost twenty hands high. The mighty stallion was snow white, with dark, almost black eyes. His ears were twitching. I noticed the inside of his ears were the color of midnight. The stallion’s nostrils flared. His eyes were wild. S cared . I knew fear, when I saw it. I’d lived it.
I took in the whole picture. Zeus’s stall was at the very end of the stables, away from the other horses, and located in a dimly lit area. The window closest to his stall was blacked out, covered. It was too dark in his stall. I glanced up. The lighting stopped three stalls ahead of his.
He is afraid of the dark .
“Why do you have him away from the other horses?” I asked the blond man.
Ashton whipped around on his heel. Anger overtook the chiseled perfection of his face. He just may paddle my bum for this.
“Trinity, you should not be this close. Move back,” Ashton instructed.
“Why?” I asked the man again, ignoring my husband.
The man glanced at Ashton. I imagine he was unsure if he should answer the crazy woman who accompanied Ashton into the stables. Ashton nodded his head to the man.
“Because he is untamed, my lady. We do not wish him to harm
“My Lord. Your new stallion arrived.”
“Yes. I am aware, Remington.”
“My Lord, he is wild. Since the sun is setting, he will become agitated. The stable staff is forced to fight with him every night. As such, every night he breaks from his stall. If he would break free from the stable it would be…” he hesitated. “My Lord, it would be almost impossible to catch him.”
“Inform Max and Ethan I shall be at the stables momentarily,” Ashton replied.
“Yes. Thank you, my lord.”
I turned my attention to Ashton. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, my dove. If the stallion is unbroken, he could be dangerous. I do not wish to see you harmed. Go up to your quarters, unpack, rest, and I shall be up as soon as I can.”
I placed my hands on my hips and set my chin. Resolute.
“Ashton, by your own admission your new horse could be dangerous. Do you really believe I am going to see you harmed?”
“My dove—”
“No, Ashton. I’m going with you,” I huffed then crossed my arms.
The corners of Ashton’s mouth twitched.
“Is this your wish, Trinity?”
“Absolutely.”
“And what if I denied your wish?” he asked.
“I would find my way to the stables anyway.”
“And what if I forbid you to follow me to the stables?”
I rolled my eyes and snorted. “Go ahead; see how far that gets you.”
Ashton chuckled. “Come,” he said, taking my hand.
****
I heard the stallion’s wild braying before we even reached the stables. I held on to Ashton’s hand tighter. When we entered, two men were rushing around. Both men had panic plastered across their faces. Thundering hooves and screeching whickers echoed through the space.
“Stay here,” Ashton instructed with a stone seriousness to his face as he let go of my hand.
I stood, watching Ashton head off to the end stall. Small bands of light crossed the floor of the stable in front of me. The window invited the dusky color of twilight in. The smell of dust, hay, horses, and oats floated in the air.
“He is wild, my lord,” the stick thin blond man said as Ashton approached. “Every evening he breaks from his stall.”
The redheaded man interjected, “My Lord, he has given us nothing but hell-fire every night. Maybe hell-fire should be his name instead of Zeus.”
I worried my bottom lip with my teeth when Ashton approached the end stall. He started speaking in a low voice, with a cadence and the dialect I had heard him speak with his horse, Phantom, the day we went riding on my birthday.
The new horse must have kicked up his hooves because I heard the clash of them when they hit the ground. I inched forward, slowly making progress until I was finally within eyesight of Zeus.
Zeus was stunningly beautiful, powerful. He must have stood almost twenty hands high. The mighty stallion was snow white, with dark, almost black eyes. His ears were twitching. I noticed the inside of his ears were the color of midnight. The stallion’s nostrils flared. His eyes were wild. S cared . I knew fear, when I saw it. I’d lived it.
I took in the whole picture. Zeus’s stall was at the very end of the stables, away from the other horses, and located in a dimly lit area. The window closest to his stall was blacked out, covered. It was too dark in his stall. I glanced up. The lighting stopped three stalls ahead of his.
He is afraid of the dark .
“Why do you have him away from the other horses?” I asked the blond man.
Ashton whipped around on his heel. Anger overtook the chiseled perfection of his face. He just may paddle my bum for this.
“Trinity, you should not be this close. Move back,” Ashton instructed.
“Why?” I asked the man again, ignoring my husband.
The man glanced at Ashton. I imagine he was unsure if he should answer the crazy woman who accompanied Ashton into the stables. Ashton nodded his head to the man.
“Because he is untamed, my lady. We do not wish him to harm
Similar Books
