Page 61 of Deadmen's Queen

Chapter Twenty One

UNKNOWN

Iwonder where you are right now, Paige? I don’t like my new toy. She’s started fighting back again. It’s a nuisance, and I hated the way her eyes glared at me while I fucked her. It’s fine though. I taped them shut, just like her mouth, so she can’t stare at me anymore. I’ll play with her a few more times, and then get rid of her so I can be ready for when you come back to Blackvellyn. After all, it’s nearly time for the hunt.

Merry Christmas, Paige.

Chapter Twenty Two

TRISTAN

Snow blanketed the grounds around the house, blanketing the outside world with quiet on Christmas morning. Inside the Blackwood house, however, quiet was the last term someone would use. Laughter echoed throughout the downstairs and the rich scent of cinnamon and pine filled the air as Rosa and I fought over presents next to the colossal Christmas tree that towered above our heads. My mother loved to change up the colour scheme each year, and this year, she’d chosen soft pinks and silver. Pink wasn’t really my colour of choice, but it looked beautiful. Our dog Max raced around like some mad psycho, yipping with excitement and tearing into discarded wrapping paper with enthusiasm.

“Paige, come in, my darling, don’t be shy!” My mother stood up from the sofa, tightening the belt of her cream satin robe before crossing the room to where Paige was standing in the doorway, dressed in a clean pair of my boxers and one of my old grey hoodies. Her hair was damp from the shower and the loose golden waves tumbled over her shoulders. Mum threw her arms around Paige, hugging her tightly and I fought to suppress a grin at Paige’s shocked expression. My mother loved everybody and was the eternal optimist, and she had clearly decided she was going to adore Paige.

When we’d arrived last night in the early hours of the morning, my parents had been a little surprised to see that I’d brought a guest home. For starters, I had never actually brought a girl home, and they also had a strict no guests rule for Christmas. I’d texted them before we’d left Nate’s house to warn them I was bringing a guest home, but I could see they were curious. Of course, as soon as we’d stepped in the door, Max had rushed at Paige like a freaking puppy rather than the more mature eight years old that he was, and I took advantage of the fluffy chaos to quickly fill them in.

Nate had called me late in the evening from his bedroom, where he and Paige had been hanging out. She was in the bath, but she was exhausted and in no state to go back to the party. Nate had informed me that Paige was not to go home, but was coming home with me. It wasn’t safe for her there. That was enough for me. I’d made my excuses and left the party, bringing the car around to the back entrance. Nate had carried Paige down the backstairs, and set her gently in the car. She was practically asleep as he kissed her goodbye, and my curiosity grew even stronger at this unusual display of tenderness from the Beast.

As soon as my parents heard about the situation, they’d been absolutely fine with her staying, and after Paige was fast asleep in my bed, dressed in one of my old T-shirts, I'd sat down with them and filled them in on what was happening at home. I hadn't gone into too much detail, but they'd been horrified. My dad had gone quiet, and I'd felt bad. He'd known Pauline and Neil at Blackvellyn, and although they hadn't been close, I imagined it was hard to find out someone you knew could act like that towards their own daughter. My mother had blinked away tears, before declaring that Paige should stay for the rest of the holidays, and when I'd gone up to bed, I'd walked past my sister's room and caught my mother leaning over the bed, placing a kiss on her head. This morning though, she was all smiles as she hugged Paige tightly.

Paige froze for a moment, her eyes going wide and the panic in them had my good mood dipping. Has Pauline ever hugged her daughter? From the way Paige lifted her hand to gently pat my mother’s back, I didn’t think so. I made a resolution to hug Paige as much as I could without driving her nutty.

“Morning,” she said, as my mother pulled back.

“Good morning, and merry Christmas, Paige,” said my mother, beaming at her. “Come and sit down. Would you like a drink? We have tea or coffee, or I can make you a hot chocolate if you’d like?”

Paige glanced towards the tray, biting down on her lip. “I’m fine, thank you,” she said.

“She’ll have tea, mother. With a dash of milk,” I said, knowing full well she’d be thirsty, and what she liked to drink in the morning.

Paige gave me a shy smile as my mother poured the drink and passed it to her.

“Thank you, Mrs Blackwood,” she murmured.

“Oh, don’t be daft, dear. Call me Ellen.”

“Ellen,” Paige repeated obediently. She sank down onto the sofa next to my mum, tucking her bare legs underneath her. Just an hour ago, those legs had been wrapped around my waist. I’d woken her slowly, my hand between her legs, getting her wet, before I’d slid inside her. Fuck yeah, Santa really had come to town this morning. It had been so fucking hot hearing her moan in her sleep as I’d touched and the way her eyes had flown open as I’d eased myself inside her pussy had been nearly enough to tip me over the edge. I’d managed to get a grip on myself, and I’d made her come twice before finally allowing myself to finish.

Now though, I was wondering if I could get away with sneaking her back upstairs after the presents were unwrapped. The sight of her in my clothing did something to me. She might as well have been wearing nothing at all for all the good it did to quell my desire. The hoodie hung down low enough to cover the boxers, making it look as though she was wearing nothing underneath, and her skin was flushed pink from the warm shower. Thankfully it also covered the bruises on her hips and her ass that Nate had left there the night before. I’d noticed them this morning, but Paige had avoided the topic, and seeing that she didn’t seem upset about them, I’d left it alone.

Max suddenly noticed Paige’s appearance and bounded over to her, jumping up next to her on the sofa with a wagging tail, nearly spilling her tea.

“Max, get down,” scolded my mother, but Paige reached out and scratched behind his ears. Adoring the attention, he settled down next to her, laying his head in her lap, and my heart skipped a beat seeing them together like that.

“He’s fine,” Paige said, smiling down at him. He gazed up at her adoringly. Great, even my dog was smitten with her.

Paige looked up and around the room, noticing the chaos that surrounded us.

“Oh, I'm so sorry, I’ve interrupted. I completely forgot it was Christmas. Should I come back later? I don’t want to intrude.”

“Of course not,” said Dad, coming back in from the kitchen where he’d been putting the turkey in the oven, hopefully following the written instructions I’d left him. “You’re our guest, Paige, and you’re very welcome here.”

“How could you forget it was Christmas?” asked Rosa, brown eyes wide.

Paige blushed. “I shouldn’t have, with the Christmas party I went to last night, but we don’t really celebrate Christmas at my house.”

My parents exchanged glances over Paige’s head, and I realised that bringing her here might have been a little insensitive. It had never occurred to me that her family wouldn’t have celebrated Christmas with her, that she might not have had presents, or turkey or cheesy festive TV specials. I looked around the room, for the first time in my life really appreciating what I had. Not just the money, and the house and the cars, but my family. Bast just had his Dad, and they’d always got on, but holidays were still quiet affairs, and Nate, his father, had always been about the show. None of it was real. I was incredibly lucky.