Page 19 of Runaway Hucow

Tess soon realized why Spike had been so eager to get a move on. Come noon, the wide open vastness of the prairie had given way to rolling hills covered in a dense forest of cottonwood, pine, and aspen. The shade provided a welcome respite from the blazing sun, but the uneven terrain slowed the horses considerably, and there were no trails between the closely packed trees save for those created by elk and mule deer.

It wouldn’t be difficult to get lost in a forest such as this, Tess thought.

Luckily, Spike seemed to know exactly where he was going, as if guided by some sixth sense. Tess was glad he was with her.

Very glad.

Just like the day before, the bisonman was on foot—or on hoof, rather—leading one of the horses by the reins. Tess was once more astride the chestnut mare, and she was leading the third horse alongside her. Out on the plains, they had all traveled more or less side by side, but within the narrower confines of the forest, Spike had moved to the front of the pack. He had also decided not to wear his cloak today, and he was giving Tess one heck of a view.

On foot, the bisonman was as tall as a man on horseback, and the breadth of his shoulders was equal to two grown men standing side by side. The powerful muscles of his back flexed and rippled with every step, while below, the fabric of his britches wrapped tightly around a rump so round and firm it looked like you could bounce a silver dollar off it.

Tess tried her best not to stare.

The forest they were traveling through offered a different but equally breathtaking spectacle. Tess thought she had never seen a place so utterly untouched by man. There were no signs of woodcutting, and many of the trees looked like they could have been centuries old. The warm air was laced with a pleasant aroma of fertile soil and fresh sap. It felt good being surrounded by so much life.

But in spite of her incredible surroundings, and her even more incredible traveling companion, Tess’s mind was not at ease. Not even close.

It all boiled down to two problems.

The first was their destination. Tess had no idea what to expect of Spike’s cottage, other than the fact that it was obviously a remote location. She had even less of an idea of what to expect of his brothers, though if they were anything like Spike, she knew she would be nervous living around them.

Still, Tess had agreed to stay with them for a fortnight, and she intended to keep her word on that. She figured she owed Spike that much for saving her from those three bounty hunters.

Why fourteen days, though?

Maybe Spike thought that amount of time would make her grow attached to the place, so she wouldn’t leave? Tess sensed there was a different reason though, and she had a feeling she’d be finding out soon enough.

Then there was the second problem…

The changes that were happening to her body.

Until a few days ago, Tess had thought she couldn’t produce milk. Now she was producing it at an accelerated rate. She was pretty sure it was the minotaur who was causing that to happen. It had all started after she’d seen him in Crooked Valley, and it had only gotten worse after she’d spent that first day and night in his presence.

Now it was happening again. Tess would have sworn that Spike had drunk her dry this morning, but already she could feel the weight of new milk forming inside her breasts. It wasn’t a problem yet, but it would have to be dealt with sooner or later, and if this morning was any indication, it would have to be Spike who dealt with it. He knew how to make her milk come out. She didn’t.

Tess wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about anything anymore.

This morning, everything had happened so fast, she hadn’t really had time to think about what she was doing, or what was being done to her. She’d been swept away by the storm of her overwhelming need, and she was pretty sure the same had been true for Spike. It was as if, for a little while, they had stopped being people and had become two animals—wild animals seeking pleasure from each other’s bodies. It had felt amazing, but it had also been incredibly dangerous. If it kept happening, sooner or later they would go too far, and Tess would end up with Spike’s baby in her belly. She didn’t actually know if a buffalo minotaur could knock up a domesticated hucow such as herself, but she didn’t want to chance it.

She’d only been a free hucow for a few days. She wasn’t ready to submit herself to a different kind of captivity.

By the time the forest started to open up ahead of them, Tess had made her mind up about two things. First, she was going to do everything in her power to keep her distance from the handsome minotaur. It was the only way she could think to slow down her body’s milk production.

Second, she was going to learn how to milk herself. If Spike could do it, so could she, damn it.

It was her body, after all.

Just as Tess was making her mind up about those two points, Spike nearly ruined everything by turning and flashing her a smile that set her heart racing and her tummy fluttering. She was grateful for the way her new clothing concealed her body’s other reactions. Today she was wearing a shirt taken from one of the saddlebags. It was a man’s shirt, so it was big on her, but the loose fit helped accommodate her larger breasts, and the heavy fabric hid the sudden stiffness in her nipples.

On her lower body, she was wearing a pair of jeans pilfered from the same bag. They were way too long for her, and she’d had to roll up the ends of them, but the upper part fit snugly around her thighs and wide hips. A little too snugly, actually. It was a bit uncomfortable, but at least it kept her from chafing in the saddle.

And more importantly, the denim was dark enough and thick enough to conceal the considerable wetness welling at her center.

Tess suddenly realized Spike had said something to her, but she’d missed it because she’d been too distracted by that damned perfect smile of his. And all those muscles. And that gorgeous rump. She felt her face fire with embarrassment as she asked him to repeat himself.

“I said we’re almost there, ma’am. The cottage is in the valley up ahead.”