Chapter 17
My eyes fly open as pain radiates through my body, piercing my lungs and dragging me from my deep slumber. I cry out in pain and curl into a tight ball, screaming for Kryx. I take a deep breath as reality crashes back in, the silence of the cabin wrapping around me like a weighted blanket.
Kryx isn’t here.
He tucked me in and left to tend to people on his list, promising me he would return as soon as he could.
Even as I begged him not to go, he was concerned that his absence might raise suspicions and draw attention to whoever had attempted to visit the cabin a few nights ago.
He left me safe and warm in a dreamlike state where we continued to explore each other, learning more about ourselves and leaving me yearning for more.
But all the pleasure I was feeling has been replaced with a deep pain that continues to take my breath away, seeming to burn me from the inside out.
I sit up and press my hand to my chest, trying to ease the burn that’s singeing my lungs.
I wipe the sleep from my eyes and look around, seeing that everything is exactly as it was before I faded into my dreams.
I slide off the bed, dragging the sheet with me and wrapping it around my naked body.
My muscles ache, but I welcome the pain as a gift from Kryx and all he has given me these past few days—orgasm after orgasm, kink after kink, and every part of himself, finally making me feel whole for the first time in my life.
I take care of myself in the bathroom, checking over the newest bite mark in the crook of my neck, a twin to the one on my inner thigh, and see that it’s rapidly healing into delicate red scars.
I wrap myself in my warm robe and slippers, then step out into the living room, craving coffee and something to dull the pain.
But as I cross the threshold, the warmth that filled the cabin is gone, replaced by a cold wind blowing through the now-open front door.
I halt my steps as I look at the outline of a man, his tall, slender body leaning against the door frame.
His skin is pale white, his eyes icy blue, with stark-white hair tousled by the blizzard wind swirling around him.
He’s dressed in navy pants and brown fur-lined boots that reach mid-calf.
His broad chest is bare, displaying a large snowflake tattoo in the center, as a fur-lined navy parka flutters around him.
“Hello, Nicolette,” the man says, his voice icy, sending a shiver down my spine.
I bump back into the doorframe, reaching for the fire poker that leans against the wall inside my room. “Who the fuck are you?” I ask, gripping it tightly with my trembling hands and raising it between us.
He chuckles darkly, the sound swirling through the room as he straightens up to his full height.
He’s not as tall as Kryx, but he still looms over me, making me feel small.
“Kryx has been a very, very busy demon, hasn’t he?
” He looks around the cabin, drawing a deep breath through his nose, and his eyes widen.
“The mingling scent of your desires is intoxicating. I can see why he’s so infatuated with you. ”
My arms shake as I hold the poker, adrenaline rushing through my veins. “Who the fuck are you?” I ask again, narrowing my gaze. “And how do you know my name?” This has to be the person who tried to enter the cabin the other night, and he must have been waiting for Kryx to leave.
“I’m wounded that Kryx wouldn’t tell his little pet about one of his oldest friends,” he says, his eyes darkening. “I’m Jack Frost—and you, Nicolette Evergreen, are coming with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I bite out, the words sharp as I try to make myself look stronger than I feel right now. “Kryx will fucking kill you for coming here again.”
The man steps toward me, a devious smirk on his face, and I lift the poker higher, aiming the sharp tip at his throat as another gust of wind blows through the cabin.
“You can come with me willingly or kicking and screaming; either way works for me,” he says, his voice pelting against my skin like frozen rain. “I do love a challenge.”
I scream into my mind, begging Kryx to come back, telling him I’m in danger, but it’s radio silent on the other end. The warm feeling in my chest is nearly nonexistent, replaced by a bitter cold that makes my heart feel as though it's cracking like ice.
Where are you, Kryx? Why aren’t you answering me?
Jack closes the distance and reaches out.
I swing the poker at him, a fierce growl in my throat, but he catches it in his hand, the impact shuddering through me.
In seconds, my hands are burning as the metal turns ice cold, frost searing into my palms. I scream in pain and let go, my skin tearing open as I stumble back and fall on my ass.
He twirls the poker like a baton as he straddles over my chest, a devilish smirk on his face.
He crouches down, my body trembling with fear as his icy cold hands grip my jaw, forcing me to look into his arctic blue eyes.
“What if I told you, human, that your fuck buddy is now nothing more than reindeer food?” My eyes widen as my chest feels as if it’s caving in.
“And that you’re now mine for the taking? ”
“You’re lying.” The words are choked, barely making it past my lips.
His face darkens, and his smile reveals his unnaturally white teeth as he lets out a chuckle that’s icier than the blizzard winds rushing into the room.
“I can’t wait to show Nick his newest toy.
” He moves his face closer to mine, dragging his tongue up my jaw and nipping at my ear, making me shudder in disgust. “But be careful, Nicolette,” he croons. “He loves to break his playthings.”
My limbs ache as the cold seeps into them, making me unable to move. Frost coats my skin as the room flashes, the bright white blinding me as I’m ripped from the cabin and into the cold.
My body feels as though it’s on fire, creating a stark contrast to the bitter cold that clings to my skin.
I force my eyes open and take in my new surroundings.
The ceiling is high, with large chandeliers hanging from the rafters, red wax dripping down the sides.
I turn my head toward where a fire burns brightly in a massive fireplace, the mantle decorated with holly branches and candles.
My fingers twitch, brushing against the soft blanket beneath me.
I lift onto my elbows, my head swimming as I take in more of the space.
It’s a bedroom, not the dungeon I was expecting to be thrown into.
I’m in a four-poster bed with furs piled around me.
I glance at the nightstand to see a golden, bejeweled goblet and a piece of fluffy, white bread that almost resembles angel food cake on a silver platter.
I roll onto my side, reaching for it, and feel a tug at my ankle.
My eyes drop to the foot of the bed to see a braided leather rope tied to the bedpost that vanishes beneath the furs.
I pull back the pelts and, horrified, realize I am no longer wearing my robe, but a red lace teddy that leaves nothing to the imagination.
I swallow thickly, sensing something tighten around my neck.
I reach up and touch the smooth leather of a collar.
I attempt to remove it, but the buckle doesn’t budge, and my fingertips start to burn before I jerk them away.
The latch of the large wooden door across the room clicks, and the hinges quietly creak as it opens. A woman in a short, red satin dress enters, holding a leather rope. Her stare is vacant as she moves toward the bed, her eyes unsettling as they fix on me.
“Where am I?” I ask, my words sharp as I yank my leg, trying to free my ankle.
The woman acts as if she didn’t hear me as she raises the rope to my neck. I swat at her hand, causing it to fall and the metal clip to hit the stone floor with a thud. She bends over and picks it up, her face expressionless.
“Who are you?” I ask, but I am only met with silence and her vacant stare.
She reaches out and grabs the collar, yanking me forward as she clips the rope onto the O-ring, roughly tugging on it.
I try to pull away, but the collar tightens around my neck, choking me until I stop struggling.
She keeps a firm grip on the leash, unhooking my ankle from the bedpost and dragging me off the bed to my feet.
“Stop!” I scream. “Where are you taking me?!” But my shouts are lost on her and bounce off the stone, fading into the rafters.
She doesn’t even fucking flinch as I try to fight back.
A dark chuckle echoes from the doorway, and I freeze, turning my head quickly in its direction, where Jack leans against the doorframe with a goblet in his hand.
He takes a casual sip, a criminal smile on his lips. He snaps his fingers, and the woman holding my leash turns to him. “I’ll take it from here,” he says in a voice that’s slick as oil.
The woman leaves, but not before he takes the chance to tousle her hair and slap her ass, his eyes never leaving mine. “Nicolette.” He whistles, inspecting me from head to toe. “My, my, how lovely you look all wrapped up in a bow.” He winks as he steps into the room, closing the door behind him.
“Where the fuck are we?” I bark, taking a step away from him. “And where is Kryx?”
Taking another casual sip from his goblet, he makes a tsking noise. “Temper, temper.”
“Tell me where the fuck we are, right now,” I growl as I keep slowly backing away, the heat of the fire searing my skin as I close in on it.
He looks around, inspecting my room and appearing pleased with himself. “Why, Santa’s Castle, of course.”
My mouth drops open, and my heart pounds in my ears. “The North Pole?” I gasp, the collar squeezing tightly around my throat.