Chapter 11
My sugarplum dreams darken, shifting like Kryx’s shadows, and my skin prickles, the hairs rising on my nape.
I step out of the darkness and find myself in the middle of the living room of my childhood home, where Christmas lights twinkle, casting a warm glow.
I hear a quiet creak above me and turn to face the stairs, as the sound of boots thumping the ceiling grows louder.
“Hello,” I call, the word echoing through the house. “Who’s there?”
The footsteps stop suddenly as I try to take a step forward, the floor giving way beneath me, and the dark abyss pulling me under.
I attempt to scream, but it's nothing more than a choked cough. I cling to the edge, my nails cracking as I claw at the floor, the wood splintering. My legs swing wildly below me, desperately searching for something solid to push against, but there’s only frigid air wrapping around my ankles like weights.
My palms slip, and just as I’m about to fall, a large, black tipped hand grabs my wrist and pulls me up.
Strong arms wrap around me, nearly smothering me as I’m pressed against a hard chest, the smell of embers and pine filling my nostrils. A deep voice rumbles through the room, rattling me awake as they say, “Wake up, little vixen.”
My eyes flutter open, and I find myself in darkness as a tall figure stands beside the bed, casting a shadow over me and blocking the glow of the fire crackling behind them. I try to sit up, but Kryx’s hand wraps around my throat, pinning me to the bed and squeezing the air out of my lungs.
Clawing at his arms, I try to loosen his grip, but he doesn’t budge.
His eyes flash like raging hellfire as he watches me squirm in his hold, heat flooding between my legs as my desire mixes with fear—adrenaline pulsing through me, straight to my core.
His claws prick my skin as I struggle against them until they finally slice through, the metallic scent of my blood swirling through the air.
His eyes widen as the scent hits him, and his nostrils flare while he leans forward, just inches from my face, taking a slow, deep breath.
“You smell divine, Nicolette,” he growls, like a starved animal.
“The mix of your blood and arousal is making my mouth water. The beast within me is nearly starved.” His teeth flash in the firelight, looking even sharper and longer than before.
“I could devour you whole, right here, right now.”
His long tongue slips from between his lips, flicking across his knuckles and tickling my skin. He groans even louder as he swirls his tongue between his fingers, lapping up every drop of my blood and soothing the burn of my broken skin.
“Kryx,” I wheeze, my arms falling away from his as air escapes my lungs and my vision blurs, the edges darkening.
“Stay with me, little vixen, or you won’t get to take part in the fun,” he says smoothly, his voice distant.
The stinging of his claws on my throat subsides, and I breathe in deeply, my vision clearing with each inhale.
I cough, forcing more air into my lungs as his fingers tangle in my hair, tugging hard at the roots.
“Such a good girl,” he croons, licking his lips. “But still, oh so naughty.”
“Kryx,” I snap, the burn in my lungs easing.
“What the fuck?” He smirks as his mouth angles over mine, his sharp teeth scraping my bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth.
He kisses me deeply, silencing any plea or cry as I press my hands against his chest, feeling the dense muscles flex beneath my fingers.
His free hand moves to my breast, palming it through my shirt before taking my budding nipple between his finger and thumb.
He twists and pinches, forcing a scream from me that he swallows whole.
He’s worse than any monster I’ve ever let into my bed, but even as fear builds beneath my skin, threatening to tear through, I cling to him tighter, never wanting to let him go.
The room darkens, shadows swirling around us, snaking across my skin and binding my wrists and ankles, pressing me flat against the mattress.
He pulls away with a sly smile, and I open my mouth to protest, but just as my lips part, a shadow slips over my mouth, gagging me as it coils around my head like a bridle.
Kryx towers over me, his massive body making me feel small.
His nostrils flare as he inhales deeply through them.
“Little vixen,” he purrs, sounding like a lion stalking its prey.
“Are you scared?” His eyes flash as the shadows tighten their grip on me, running a clawed finger across the shadowy straps that now press into my face, lifting the reins on his hooked finger. “You should be,” he murmurs.
Sliding off the bed, he stands at the end, his eyes burning as brightly as the flames in the hearth. I try to speak, gnashing my teeth against the gag. I should be begging him to let me go—to stop this madness and leave me alone.
But that’s not really what I want, is it?
I want the demon of Christmas to drag me to Hell and fuck me like the monster he is. I want him to claim me as his and keep me locked in this cabin for eternity. I want to be nothing more than his naughty human—to be used until he gets tired of me and discards me like a broken toy.
It’s what I deserve.
The truth pushes against the bit of the shadow bridle, but I swallow it back down, where I crumple it into a ball and toss it into the fire, watching it burn into nothing but a lump of coal and turn to ash on my tongue.
I’ll never admit to him that I am scared, but not in the way he thinks I am.
I shouldn’t feel this way about a demon—especially not one who has haunted my dreams for years, fucked with me, and hidden himself from existence.
I should have run for the hills the first night he showed up here and gotten as far away as possible.
It’s not like I don’t have the resources to go anywhere I want, easily change my identity, and live out the rest of my shitty life in hiding.
But instead, I stayed, because the truth is I’m tired of running.
It would almost be a relief for the ghosts of my past to finally catch up to me—maybe even run me over until I’m nothing more than a pile of roadkill.
I’ve done what I needed to do to survive for so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to truly live—to enjoy life.
This is supposedly the most magical time of the year, but what they didn’t say is that the magic is dark, burying you under heaps of snow until you’re just an icy shell begging for some semblance of warmth.
What I didn’t expect was for a demon to appear, with the power to not only thaw me, but burn me alive. His heat melts me, molding me like glass. My whole life is in his hands, where at any moment, he could let me fall and shatter into a million pieces.
A shadow slithers under my shirt and splits in two, each tendril curling around my nipples, gripping them tightly.
Another shadow slips over my shirt, tearing it open.
It falls away, exposing me, and I see the flames in Kryx’s eyes intensify as he drags his gaze over my body, sprawled out before him.
A slight tic tugs at his jaw as his muscles twitch, a predator ready to pounce.
But he remains frozen, watching as his shadows taunt and tease me, pulling me closer to the edge.
Another one pushes past the waistband of my sleep pants, gently brushing against my inner thighs, the tip of it seeming to touch every incision left behind of his bite mark—almost tickling me.
I groan around the bridle as another one wriggles past my lips and presses against the back of my throat, making me gag.
“You’re so fucking wet, Nicolette,” Kryx growls, his eyes fixed on my center as if he has x-ray vision.
His trembling hands curl into fists. “Fucking soaked.”
The shadow teases my entrance as another slides through my slit. My eyes roll back in my head as my body heats, and my desire drips and soaks into the fabric of my pants. But just as the embers spark into flames, the shadows pull back, leaving a chill that creeps over my skin.
I whimper as I lift my head, a look of desperation on my face, only to see Kryx completely cloaked in shadows, with only his flame-filled eyes visible. A ripping sound echoes from my lower body as a shadow slices through my pants, roughly yanking them off and tossing them on the floor.
I’m left completely exposed and restrained, my pussy dripping and my clit pulsing as the shadows retreat. I beg and plead in my mind, hoping the words will come out, but they’re only stuck in my throat. I’m so fucking turned on that if he laid even one clawed finger on me, I would come right then.
“Is that all it would take, little vixen?” His rough voice swirls around me, almost as if he’s inside my mind. “One little touch?”
Fuck. He is in there. Has he been able to read my mind this entire time? I push my thoughts, pressure building between my eyes, still desperately hoping he can hear me. “Please, Kryx,” I beg. “Touch me. Fuck me.”
His shadows slowly creep up my body until they, once again, find my nipples.
Teasing me, the tendrils flick at the sensitive buds, causing my back to arch.
They caress my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
The ones bound at my ankles release me, but my relief is short-lived as they force my knees to bend, wrapping around my legs and once again holding me in place.
I’m more exposed in this position, giving Kryx an even better view of my pussy.
A low growl echoes through my head, vibrating down my body all the way to my aching clit. I take a deep breath through my nose as more shadows explore my body. One teases my ass while another slides through my slit, pressing against my entrance.
“Please,” I cry out in my mind as he edges me even harder by swirling my clit a few times and pausing too long before beginning again. A tear slides down my face as I choke on the shadow that starts to fuck my mouth, its patience finally spent.
“I’m going to fill you up...” His voice vibrates through me again, straight to my core. “And make you come again, and again, and again. And then, when your body gives out, I’ll continue to fuck you in your dreams, tearing you to shreds until I tell you to wake up.”
More tears stream down my face as I gag, his shadow pressing even further down my throat, making me choke. The one at my ass roughly teases me just as it fills me. I cry out, but only a gagged sound escapes my lips, hot tears causing my vision to blur.
The other shadow pushes past the entrance of my pussy, thrusting in and out of me in sync with the one going in and out of my ass, making me feel entirely too full.
They continue to play with my clit while pinching and pulling my tender nipples.
I can’t decide if I’m about to pass out or come to, but all I keep thinking about is wishing one of these shadows was Kryx—that it was his thick, throbbing, pierced cock pounding into my needy cunt.
“It will be soon, little vixen,” he croons. “If only you could see how fucking beautiful you are like this. Every hole filled to the brim with my shadows, and you at my mercy. It’s the gift I’ve been patiently waiting for.”
His words send me over the edge, and I come so hard that every muscle in my body tightens. The shadows in my throat, along with the one bridled on my face, fade away, finally allowing me to scream out. “Kryx,” I gasp as I draw a mouthful of air into my lungs. “Oh, God.”
A hoof slams against the floor, rattling the entire cabin, and a clawed hand roughly grabs my face, but when I open my eyes, it’s nothing more than a blur of shadows looking back at me.
“Do not call to him,” he bites out. This time, the words fill the room instead of my mind.
“I am your god now. Your monster. Your demon. My name is the only one to leave your lips. Mine.”
His invisible hand pulls away as his shadows pick back up where they left off, building me only to shatter me over and over until the room finally turns black, and I am lost in a sea of ecstasy-filled dreams, drowning in the waves of pleasure.