* * *

“Shit!”

Ashton grew frantic.

He untied the reins of the horse he had kept tethered while teaching Remy how to ride and immediately leaped onto it.

Digging his heels hard into the horse’s sides, he galloped off.

Clop. Clop.

The horse’s hooves clattered noisily, kicking up a whirlwind of sand.

“Remy!!”

Harrington, a horse renowned as the finest of the finest, had already surged far ahead, leaving Ashton struggling to keep up.

They had long since left the open field, and Harrington was barreling madly along the trail toward the mountain out back.

Perched on the wildly galloping horse, Remy screamed at the top of his lungs, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

Desperate to survive, he clenched his feet into the stirrups and wrapped his legs tightly around the horse’s body.

His hands gripped the reins like a lifeline, arms stretching to circle the horse’s neck.

Harrington, sensing the awkward weight on his back, knew immediately that the rider was not his master, Remy, and bucked even harder.

“Remy! Can you hear me? Remy!”

Catching up to Harrington was no easy feat, but Ashton’s natural physique and superb riding skills allowed him to close the distance.

“Remy! Answer me, Remy!”

Riding alongside Harrington, Ashton shouted loudly to Remy.

Terrified, with his face pale and trembling, Remy couldn’t even lift his head.

“Remy! Answer me. Please, answer me, Remy!”

Through the wind whipping past his ears, Remy faintly heard Ashton’s voice.

The repeated calls to answer helped pull him back to his senses.

Despite being paralyzed by fear, he summoned all his courage and lifted his head.

The scenery around him blurred and rushed by in chaotic waves as the horse sped along.

The sheer speed, which felt like the world itself was crumbling, made him squeeze his eyes shut in terror.

“I-I hear you!!”

When Remy answered, Ashton’s face lit up noticeably.

Knowing Remy could hear him was a relief, but there was no time to relax.

Every second counted. He had to rescue Remy.

“Remy. Listen carefully. I’m going to jump over to you!”

For a moment, Remy thought he must have misheard out of sheer panic.

Jumping from a galloping horse to another?

Was that even possible?

“So just hold on a little longer. Grip the reins tightly. Don’t worry about anything!!”

Though he thought it was impossible, Remy cracked his eyes open and glanced sideways, worried Ashton really would jump.

Sure enough, Ashton was standing up on his horse, preparing to leap.

Remy’s heart nearly stopped.

Was it truly possible to jump between horses at this speed?

His eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

‘No way. Ashton’s really going to jump like that. He’s insane! That’s impossible!’

Despite Remy’s fears, Ashton pushed off from his horse and leaped onto Harrington’s back, who was still racing wildly.

“Gasp!”

Remy’s heart plummeted into his stomach.

Unable to watch, he buried his face in the horse’s mane.

“You okay, Remy?”

With a thud, the saddle shifted slightly, and a familiar voice sounded behind him.

It was Ashton.

It really was Ashton’s voice.

He’d actually jumped onto Remy’s horse. For him. To save him.

Summoning his courage for Ashton’s sake, Remy raised his upper body.

Though he trembled all over with fear, he managed to straighten up and face forward.

“Ashton…”

In the razor-sharp wind slashing past them, Remy forced out the words.

Ashton wrapped his arms tightly around Remy from behind.

At that moment, Remy felt his emotions swell.

The fear was overwhelming.

The terror was unbearable.

But Ashton’s embrace was comforting.

The chest pressed against his back was warm.

“It’s okay. I’m here now, so don’t worry. Okay, Remy?”

Speaking gently, Ashton wrapped one hand around Remy’s waist and took the reins with the other.

With expert skill, he calmed Harrington.

“Whoa, whoa.”

The intelligent horse immediately recognized the skill of the rider now holding his reins.

Though this wasn’t his master, Harrington accepted Ashton.

Only a rider of this caliber was worthy of his back.

“Good boy, Harrington.”

Ashton didn’t forget to praise him.

The once-wildly galloping Harrington slowed and stopped as if nothing had happened.

Ashton’s own horse had run off and vanished from sight, likely deep into the forest.

“Phew… That was close.”

Only when Harrington stopped did Ashton finally take a breath.

He turned his gaze to the omega trembling in his arms.

“You okay, Remy?”

Remy, his face pale as a sheet, looked up at Ashton.

The delicate, small body that fit snugly in his arms, and the wide, childlike eyes made Ashton feel emotions he hadn’t known before.

He was an omega who stirred a deep, protective instinct.

Someone so fragile, so delicate, that Ashton just wanted to keep holding and sheltering him.

“You were really scared, huh?”

Instinctively, Ashton released sweet pheromones, soothing Remy with a voice just as gentle.

Asking if he was scared. Reassuring him that it was all over now.

“Ashton…”

In Ashton’s arms, Remy was overtaken by strange feelings.

It was odd.

The way he felt looking at Ashton now was unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

He’d always thought Ashton was handsome, but this was different.

It was a feeling that made him want to cry.

As if something was knotting in his chest, pressing painfully on his heart.

“Remy?”

Without thinking, Remy buried his face in Ashton’s chest.

It was embarrassing, just a little, but he let out a soft sob.

“Ah…”

Ashton was momentarily flustered by Remy’s tears, but then he smiled gently, as if understanding.

Remy had only recently manifested as an omega.

With his unstable hormones and unfamiliar body, everything must have felt scary.

Not to mention, he couldn’t remember things from before, making it even harder.

“I get it, Remy. I know how scared you must be.”

Remy had been through so much.

Today must have been especially terrifying.

Riding a horse for the first time, only to have it bolt—it must have been horrifying.

“But don’t worry. You’ll be back to your old self soon. I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again. So don’t be afraid. Don’t feel anxious.”

For some reason, the more Ashton’s kind voice washed over him, the more Remy’s sadness welled up.

His voice was so sweet, but that only made the tears flow harder.

“Look at me, Remy.”

Ashton gently lifted Remy’s face from his chest.

Remy couldn’t meet his gaze, glancing away instead.

Ashton turned to follow his eyes, stubbornly insisting until their gazes met.

“Remy.”

“…What?”

“You understand what I’m saying, right?”

“…”

“Answer me, Remy.”

Remy was so embarrassed that he couldn’t get the words out.

Instead of answering, he gave a slight nod.

“Yeah. Good.”

Ashton tightly hugged Remy’s small face against his chest.

Thump, thump.

Hearing the quick rhythm of a heartbeat—whose, he wasn’t sure—Remy felt an overwhelming drowsiness wash over him.

Perhaps the tension had finally melted away all at once.

“Ah…”

Seeing Remy go limp in his arms, Ashton let out a soft gasp.

Once again, Remy had fainted.

But compared to before, this was actually a good outcome.

At least he hadn’t passed out while riding a galloping horse.

If that had happened, he’d have broken more than just a few bones.

Cradling Remy in his arms and holding the reins with one hand, Ashton urged his horse forward.

The once wild Harrington had now settled into a calm pace, obediently following Ashton’s lead and retracing their steps back home.

As they headed toward Count Wesley’s estate, Ashton thought to himself.

The omega in his arms would probably require a lot of care going forward.

But still…

He couldn’t help but feel like he’d fall even harder for him.

* * *