Page 31 of Hoof It
Thirty One
Chapter 30
Darcy
I ’m so floored by the level of thought that Pan put into every aspect of this property for Zu and I, it’s insane. I hadn’t expected to find a shed full of tools, yet here I am standing in a shed full of tools. My eyes take it all in again, and I swear each time I look around I see something that I hadn’t noticed previously. This time, I see a long hose that’s easily one hundred feet long. It’s coiled into a perfect circle and hanging on a thick hook. Off to the side of the hose are several different heads as well as four sprinklers. My excitement continues to grow as I consider all of the gardening possibilities.
“Want to keep exploring, or are you ready for that shower?” My mate steps behind me, his arms wrapping around me and his chin resting on my head once again.
“Hhhmm.” I tap a finger against my chin as I pretend to think about what I want to do next. Zu’s fingers move to my sides as he tickles me. A giggle escapes me. “Shower please!” His fingers stop their torture immediately and he releases me. We exit the shed and close the door, then head back to the house. I slip my boots off as Zu closes the front door. He takes my hand in his and we walk through the living room to the bathroom.
He drops my hand before opening the glass shower door and crouching down to inspect the faucet. “How does this work, exactly?”
I strip out of my clothes and drop them into the corner, making a mental note to get a laundry basket. Stepping behind my mate, I admire the waterfall showerhead and two temperature handles. I point to the one on the left first. “That controls the hot water. That one,” I point to the one on the right side, “is for the cold water. The water will come out up there.” My hand moves to the showerhead. “You’ll need to mess with it a bit the first few times to figure out what temperature you want. Eventually, it will come as naturally to you as breathing. I suggest you get your water going before you step in. Once the temperature is where you want it to be, that’s when you can step into the shower.”
Zu stands up and we both step out of the shower. He fiddles with the knobs and the water coming out of the showerhead startles him. His reaction is adorably endearing. I reach my hand towards the shower stream to feel the temperature. It’s nearly to my own preference. “Do you prefer the heat of the hot spring, or the lake when you wash?”
He answers me right away. “The hot spring. I rarely wash in the lake. I like the way the steamy water relaxes my body while I’m cleaning myself.”
“I thought as much. Turn the hot water knob just a little bit more, and the temperature will be perfect.”
My mate does as I suggest, and when I hold my hand under the water for a second time, it’s the right temperature. “I think it’s a good temperature, my beast. Join me?” I step under the water and he’s quick to follow.
Zu stands in awe of the shower for several long moments as the water falls over us. His head is upturned, his eyes closed when he eventually speaks. “It feels like warm rain, does it not?”
“I’ve never thought of it like that, but yeah. It really does. Maybe that’s why I like this style of showerhead.” I glance behind me and see the various bottles of soaps and other toiletries. “The Wild God really went all out when he was setting up our home.” My disbelief oozes through into my words.
My mate steps backwards out of the direct spray of water and nearly bumps into me. He swipes water off his face with both hands before opening his eyes and looking over at me. As he picks up and inspects each and every bottle, his face takes on a confused look. I point to each one and explain which is which. He takes them all in, repeating each one after I’ve pointed them out and said what they are.
He picks up the shampoo and raises his pointer finger, twirling it in a circle. I spin away from him and step under the water, soaking every last inch of my hair. Taking a single step backwards so that I’m close enough for him to easily lather my hair, I tip my head backwards. I can’t keep myself from groaning as his fingers work the suds into my scalp.
“Ugh, your fingers feel incredible, Zu. Please don’t ever stop washing my hair for me. It feels so much better when you do it.”
He chuckles as his fingers work their magic in my hair. “Don’t worry, little mate, I plan to wash you for as long as you’ll allow me to. Go ahead and rinse for me, please.”
I squeeze my eyes closed and step back under the water, letting the soap wash down my body. My hands run from root to end. Satisfied my hair is squeaky clean, I step out of the spray again. Zu is already waiting with conditioner in the palm of his hand. Using the praying hands method, he applies the sweet-smelling conditioner to my hair, then spins me around by my shoulders. He quickly, yet efficiently, soaps up my entire body before motioning for me to step back under the water. I rinse myself clean and step back to my mate.
After reaching past him to pick up the shampoo, I motion for him to sit. He moves to the shower bench that juts out of the side wall. His lower half is still under the water and I’m mesmerized by the way the water falls down his furry legs. Shaking myself from my mate induced stupor, I refocus on my task at hand. It doesn’t take me long to wash his hair, making sure to use some of the suds to clean his horns. His cock grows hard enough that it pops out of the pocket.
Before I realize what I’m doing, I find myself on my knees taking him into my mouth. The warm water cascades down my back, the heat only adding to my own arousal. I open my throat and he easily slides all the way into my mouth. I tease the edge of his cock pocket with a single finger. His hands move to my head, his fingers weave into my soaking wet hair. My cheeks hollow out and I take him as deeply as I’m physically able to. I hear Zu’s head hit the wall and flick my eyes up to make sure that he’s not hurt. If my mouth wasn’t so full of him, the look on his face would leave me breathless. His eyes are cloudy with lust, and his bottom lip is wedged between his teeth. His breath is coming out in short pants. When my lips meet his groin, he hisses out a breath. His hold on my hair tightens and it causes me to moan.
“Keep that up, little mate, and my come will slide down your throat before you’re ready,” he grits out, his teeth clenched so hard I fear he’ll break them. I double down on my efforts as I slip a finger into the warm pocket. I don’t get to play for very long before he picks me up by my armpits and lifts me onto his lap. My head falls forward onto his chest as his cock slides into me.
“Want to come inside this hole,” he barely manages to grit out as he withdraws then slams back inside of me. His hands drop from my underarms to my hips and his fingers dig in. The pain is exquisite and forces my impending orgasm closer to the surface. My legs shift so that I’m on my knees, and I rock forward. My clit grinds against his groin. My hands grip his forearms, my nails digging into his skin. He lets out a hiss between his teeth. “So close, little mate.”
Zu thrusts his hips up into me, his cock driving deeply inside. I love that I can feel every single inch of him, every single time he’s inside me, and I tell him as much. “You feel so good, Jimazu.” He responds with a moan of his own, and drives into me even deeper. My hand moves from his forearm to his cock pocket and two fingers slip inside him. My eyes are focused on my mate, our gazes locked on one another, both of us refusing to look away from one another.
His abs flex with each thrust and I’m entranced by the tensing muscles. With each thrust of my fingers, Zu’s eyes threaten to roll back. I bite my bottom lip knowing damn well it drives him insane. His fingers bite into my hips as I roll them forward over and over. My hand shifts just enough so that my fingers are still inside my mate, but also directly below my clit.
“My beast, I’m so close. Fuck me harder, please.”
He rewards my pleading tone with a wicked grin and slams into me even harder. He drops his head to my shoulder and bites my mating mark. That’s all it takes to send me over the edge, my entire body shaking from the orgasm. My pussy milks his cock in waves and my name leaves his lips on a strangled cry.
My body collapses against his, my pussy still lightly contracting around his softening cock. Finally voicing the question that’s been clawing at me since the first time we had sex, I ask Zu, “Will it always be like this? Us unable to keep our hands off one another, and barely being able to go a few hours without fucking?”
His chuckle is raspy when he answers me, “I’m starting to think so, little mate. It seems to be part of the mate bond. We’re obviously compatible in all ways.” His grip on my hips finally loosens and he lightly pats my ass. “Let’s rinse off then go take a nap, yeah?”
Narrowing my eyes slightly, my head cocks to the side. “I don’t know if I can stand up, Zu.” His arms wrap around my waist and he easily shifts to his hooves while holding me. His cock slips out of me and he moves so we’re beneath the still warm water. Zu rinses the both of us off one more time before he shuts the water off. Gently placing me on the bench, he turns and grabs a towel before drying me off. Rather than use the towel on himself, he shakes off, and I’m reminded that my mate isn’t fully human.
Zu picks me back up, and my legs lock against his back as he carries me the short distance to our bedroom. He pulls the top cover back before gently setting me on the soft bed. Turning away from me briefly, he moves to the fireplace and easily lights a fire to keep us warm all night. Exhaustion is setting in, and I’m barely coherent when he climbs into bed beside me. He pulls me close, draping an arm across my side and pulling me onto his chest.
* * *
Some time later, I wake and the bed is empty. I reach toward Zu’s spot, and the sheets are cold. My arms above my head, I stretch, various joints popping as I do so. I push myself into a seated position and glance around the room. The fire is low, but still lit and keeping the bedroom cozy. A sliver of light peeks in at the bottom of the curtain, and I rise to my knees on the side of the bed. Snagging the curtain with my fingertips, I open them and let the sunshine in. I glance around the room again, in the hope that there’s some kind of clock. But of course, there isn’t so much as an analog clock hanging on the walls.
I do happen to spot a thin robe hanging on the back of the door. Standing up out of bed, I pull the robe off the hook and slip my arms into it. I tie it loosely before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. I’m hit with the smell of cooking food and follow my nose to the living room. Zu is on his knees in front of the fire, stirring something in a skillet. My upper body leans against the hallway and I simply watch him.
Eventually my mate feels my eyes on him, and he turns his head my way. His dark hair is a mess; the back is flattened from sleep, and the top looks as though he’s run his hands through it over and over since he woke up. My eyes drop to his face, and my heart nearly stops beating when I see how broken he looks. I rush to his side and drop down to my knees, my hands landing on his thighs. “Jimazu, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
His head and his mouth opens and closes over and over before he’s finally able to speak. “The dream I had last night… It was awful, I think it may have been a vision from Pan.”
“What did he show you?”
Zu hesitates, not wanting to voice whatever terrible thing he saw. “I saw you. Lying on the ground outside the cave. The ground was soaked in your blood.” His voice cracks, and tears begin to fall down his cheeks. “Standing above you was a man I’d not seen before. He had a weapon in his hands that looked like this.” He holds his thumb and forefinger up to resemble a gun.
“Mat…” I’m unable to say anything more before my mate launches himself at me, wrapping me in the tightest hug I’ve ever felt.
“Pan as my witness, I will not allow him to harm you, little mate. I’ve only just found you.”