Page 31

C hapter 31

Naya

I never thought I would see the lights glow so brightly as they do now, their soft glimmer reflecting in the snow outside the cottage. The world has transformed into a winter wonderland, with the snow blanketing the branches of the trees. They are no longer lifeless as they were in autumn when the leaves lay scattered on the ground. Now, they sparkle in the sunlight, renewed by the snow. It’s a beautiful day—perfect for Christmas—but the cold bites at me, so I pull my jacket sleeves down to keep the chill at bay.

Grey is outside, helping Draven chop wood for the fire. I find myself watching as he wipes the sweat from his brow, muscles flexing with each swing of the ax. The rhythm of his movements is almost hypnotic, and for a moment, I’m mesmerized by the serene feeling embracing me.

“Better close your mouth, or you’ll start drooling,” Grey calls, teasing from down the steps ahead and closer to the woods.

I can’t help but roll my eyes, a light feeling settling inside of me instead of that full of anxiety and nightmares. I’ve always hated Christmases—a tradition my father loved that died when he did, even if my grandparents tried to bring the spirit back to life within me. But maybe I can grow fond of it again.

“Arrogant bastard,” I mutter under my breath, and his laughter ripples through me, leaving a trail of tingling heat.

I slip into a pair of slippers left on the terrace, thankfully shielded from the snowfall that blanketed the night. Nightmares kept me unable to sleep, but despite the anxiety weighing on me like a heavy shroud, I feel a flicker of anticipation for what the day might bring.

The snow crunches beneath my feet as I walk toward Grey, leaving a trail of prints behind. Draven is somewhere inside, taking a break, but Grey’s determination remains unwavering. He’s driven to prove himself to Draven and repay the kindness to both him and Everlee, even though we know that will never truly be possible. Still, through our actions, we might come halfway close.

I pause a few steps away, watching as Grey chops the wood with a ferocity I know will take his steam off. When he’s lost in his haunted mind, he thrives on the anger, and the need to hurt something. Out here, he can direct his frustration into the ax’s swing.

“I’m almost done,” he calls out, working the ax.

His shoulders tense beneath the tight-fitting long-sleeved shirt, sweat glistening on his face, which only adds to his rugged allure. Despite his earlier comment, I can’t help but stare and admire him, still mesmerized by the handsome man he has become.

With a final, decisive swing, the ax slices through the woods, sending chips scattering with a loud thud. Draven taught him to chop wood, and Grey’s a fast learner.

He sets the ax aside, and I approach him. Quickly pulling me into his embrace, he breathes me in as he whispers, “Merry Christmas.”

“I never thought I would hear those words again,” I reply softly, gazing into his eyes. Sweat beads on his forehead, but his cheeks are flushed from the cold.

“Neither did I, but we’re here. It’s time to start living.”

Kissing me deeply, our tongues entwine as I wrap my arms around his waist, holding him close.

“We should head inside before my ass freezes to death.”

His laughter is a sound I always want to hear for as long as I live—a light, genuine chuckle that’s a peace offering to the darkness we’ve endured in the last few months. Months . It’s been months since we escaped the dollhouse, and although it often feels like a surreal fever dream, it’s transformed into something more tangible.

This is our new beginning.

He turns me around so my back is against his front, his mouth breathing on my neck and causing my cheeks to heat, a compulsive need driving me mad. I feel his bulge pressing into my backside, and I can’t help but wiggle against him, smiling devilishly.

“Do we really have to head inside? I know better things we can do…” he murmurs, trailing off.

I swat his hand away when it begins sliding around my waist, up to my breast, tweaking my nipple underneath my bra.

“Stop it, Grey!”

He doesn’t, he only continues his slow torture as he lightly touches my skin, sending a shiver down my spine from how tickling it feels.

“Never. You’re mine,” he replies, a little breathlessly, and my stomach churns.

“We can’t do this out here,” I reply, voice hitching when his mouth latches around my neck and starts sucking.

“Haven’t stopped us before.”

He bites my neck, alternating between biting and sucking, and I know he will mark me. I’m too far in my desire to bother.

His hand skates down my clothed body, bringing my dress up slightly, grabbing a handful of my thick thighs. I feel his hardness on my ass, and I can’t help but wiggle a little, causing him to let out a warning growl.

“Don’t fucking tease me, little one,” he grumbles.

“Or what?” I retort as a smirk tilts my lips. I’m feeling playful, better than I’ve felt these past few weeks.

He walks me forward, away from any sight from the cottage and hidden behind thick trees and bushes, the snow making an excellent cover.

“Or I’ll have to show you exactly what happens when you push me too far.” I can hear the dark intent in his voice as his hand grazes my waist with the dress pushed up high. “And you might not be ready for the outcome.”

“Try me,” I bite back, loving how I’m making him teeter on the edge of control.

Soon, he will snap, losing all sense of sanity, and every part of me hums with excitement.

He pushes me against the tree, my hands immediately grasping onto what I can. His mouth travels along my shoulder up to my marked neck. “You look so pretty, all at my mercy.”

Ripping off my tights, he exposes my pussy to him, and I’m already wet.

His hand finds my entrance, one finger slipping inside. I instantly grip him tightly.

“There you go,” he hums huskily as he adds another finger.

“Grey,” I moan, writhing my hips backward, needing more.

He’s teasing me, and he’s loving every fucking second of it. Quickening his pace of fucking me with two fingers, he soon cease his motions, causing me to whine impatiently. I desperately need him like a sailor needs the light from a lighthouse.

“Fuck me, Grey,” I demand, feeling bold. “Make this a Christmas I won’t ever forget.”

I can hear the smirk in his voice. “Oh, baby, you will be screaming my name for the entire country to hear when I’m done with you.”

I hear him pull down his jeans and boxers, the shudder of breath from the cold escaping him. It’s a freezing temperature today, but it won’t stop us. I want to experience the snow in a way I’ve never done before, explore the world with Grey and all the millions of opportunities that have grown for us—a new chance at a beginning.

Shoving a hand into my lower back, he bends me slightly so I’m spread open for him in the perfect angle. My hands are red from the cold breeze as they grip the tree’s bark.

“Grey,” I grit out, wanting him inside me.

“Where’s my please?”

I huff out a breath, rolling my eyes, which only causes him to spank my ass until I yelp.

“Where is it, little doll?”

“Please, Grey. Please fuck me.” I wiggle my ass against his crotch, feeling his hard cock prodding where he just spanked me.

He grabs a handful of my hair, pushing my head back to lean against his shoulder until I’m in an awkward position. “That’s my good fucking girl,” he whispers in my ear.

Then he thrusts inside me, bringing me to the edge with the fullness of him inside me. He draws out teasingly slow, before slamming inside me in a punishing thrust that leaves me gasping for air. His hand still holds my hair, making my scalp cry out from the burning sensation, but I don’t complain—the pain is a welcome distraction.

He fucks me brutally, my front pressing into the tree with relentless abandon. I know I could stop him if I wanted to, but I don’t. His other hand holds tightly onto my hip in such a hard grip, I know it will bruise in the morning.

“So fucking beautiful. Moan for me,” he pounds into me, and I moan at the ecstatic feeling, making me clench around him.

He keeps bringing my scalp and hip pain, and I meet every thrust of his, ignoring the chilly wind creeping over us until I’m trembling in its hold. He suddenly yanks me around, pushing my back into the tree so that I’m face to face with him. I notice the flush of his cheeks and nose, indicating the cold has gotten to him, too. My hands wrap around his back as he lifts me up until I’m straddling his waist, feeling how cold he is despite still wearing that long-sleeved shirt.

As he thrusts into me again, the new position has his cock hitting deeper than before. I instantly shatter apart in his arms, my body trembling both from the onslaught of the moment and the temperature. My nails drag down his back, holding on to his skin—I know I will mark him, just like he marked me.

He bounces me up and down on his cock, his legs doing the work of both carrying me and thrusting inside me. I hold on to him for dear life, head thrown back as I scream out his name. It feels as if I’ve died, then been resurrected by the angels of heavens when he hits that sweet spot inside me.

“Fall apart for me, Naya.” He says my name like a prayer.

Then he takes me to the edge where I plummet down a cliff as my orgasm tears through me like a volcano. I let out a strangled moan the moment Grey’s thrusts become harder. My back hits the tree as he grunts into my neck, kissing my hickeys there as he moans through his own climax.

In the aftermath of my shattering release, he helps me to my feet, fixing my dress so I look appropriate again. The moment he leans in to kiss me, we hear the sound of an engine approaching—the guests are here.

“Guess we can’t do that again, then,” I tease him, looking into his eyes as they darken.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time. I could fuck you out here again, and you’d just have to pray none of the others could see.”

I smirk, wanting to accept his challenge, when Everlee’s voice cuts through the air.

“Naya, Grey! They’re here,” she announces.

My cheeks flush at the realization of how close we were to being caught, and I instantly straighten my dress, fixing my posture before stepping into view from Everlee, who stands on the terrace. She smiles when she sees me, not noticing anything amiss.

Grey comes out from his hiding with a huge grin on his face, which makes me scowl at him when I’m turned away from Everlee.

“We’re coming,” Grey replies to Everlee, who heads inside.

“I can’t believe she didn’t notice anything…” I murmur as I walk ahead of Grey.

Nerves instantly hit me, dropping inside my stomach until the aftermath of my orgasm feels like a forgotten dream.

I don’t know who these two people are who Everlee and Draven invited over, and it makes me uneasy, a weight settling in my stomach. Grey trails behind me as I remove the slippers, entering the living room through the balcony door and approaching the hallway.

I only see the silhouettes of the two of them, before my world instantly stops, my heart clenching painfully inside my stomach.

I recognize that woman now hugging Everlee—her strawberry blonde hair and innocent appearance. I’ve seen her multiple times before.

Grey doesn’t notice my train of thoughts as he comes to greet the guests, but I’m rooted in place behind everyone, staring at the woman and the man beside her.

Aurora.

And the man…he who killed Frederick Grimhill.