welcome home Freya

Freya’s POV

The rest of the car ride felt like a slow, suffocating nightmare.

I tried everything to get away.

I twisted my wrists against the chains until the metal bit into my skin. I shifted toward the door, fumbling blindly for the handle, hoping—praying—I could somehow force it open before the car picked up speed again.

“Stop moving,” Killian growled lazily.

I ignored him.

I tugged harder, bracing my foot against the door as I pulled at the chain. If I could just—

Suddenly the chain around my hands jerked violently.

A startled cry left my lips as my balance gave out, and the next thing I knew, I was falling sideways—

Straight across his lap.

“What—!”

I froze.

My breath caught somewhere between my lungs and my throat as I realized exactly how I had landed.

My hips were pressed against him, my ass angled awkwardly across his thighs like an offering, and my dress—

Oh God.

My dress had ridden up my thighs and we're continuing to slide up higher the more the car moved.

Heat flooded my face instantly as I tried to shift, to pull it back down, but my hands were chained together and useless.

“Let me go!” I snapped, mortified. “And—just—turn away or something!”

He didn’t move.

Didn’t even try.

Instead, his arm came down firmly across my lower back, holding me exactly where I was.

“Stay still,” he said, his voice calm, almost amused.

“I am not staying like this!” I shot back, struggling again. I wriggled my hips, trying to pull the fabric down, but it only made things worse.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt a sharp smack on my ass!

Killian had hit me!

I gasped in shock and my entire body went rigid.

“What the hell was that?!” I snapped, twisting my head to glare up at him, my face burning with shock.

He looked down at me, completely unfazed with one brow slightly raised. “I warned you to hold still.”

“You—no one just hits people like that!” I snapped, still stunned. “Are you insane?!”

A slow, dangerous smile spread across his lips.

“Or,” he said, his voice dropping slightly, “maybe you’re doing this on purpose.”

My anger froze for half a second.

“…What?”

He tilted his head, studying me like I was some kind of puzzle he was enjoying too much. “All this squirming. Ending up in my lap. Dress riding up this high…” His smile deepened. “Maybe you want me to spank you like a naughty little girl.”

My mouth fell open.

“You’re unbelievable!” I snapped as my embarrassment turned into fury. “Why would I ever do something like that with someone like you? You’re—”

I scoffed harshly. “You’re an asshole. And an arrogant creep. And completely delusional if you think I’d ever let someone like you—”

Another sharp smack cut me off.

I yelped, my eyes widening in disbelief.

“Stop talking,” he growled in a warning tone.

I stared at him, speechless for a moment, my chest rising and falling quickly. “You—you can’t just—”

“Oh Freya.” My name rolled off his tongue like a warning this time. “I can do whatever I want to you and you can't do a single thing about it.”

The way he said it made something cold settle in my stomach.

I swallowed hard, my anger still burning but now tangled with something else—something heavier.

His hand didn’t move away from my barely covered ass though.

Instead, it slid down to my naked thighs and started to slid upwards, under my dress and to my heated center, making my eyes widen in shock and horror.

I immediately stiffened with my body going tense as I instinctively clenched my thighs closer together, trapping his hand just mere inches to my panties.

“W-What are you doing?” my voice trembled from fear even though I was trying to sound brave.

He let out a soft, amused breath. “Just showing you what I can do if you keep disobeying me,” he murmured. “Now, Are you going to behave?”

I didn’t answer verbally but I gave a quick nod because I knew the truth.

I couldn’t fight him. Not like this.

Not here.

My jaw tightened, and I looked away, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me shaken.

The silence stretched.

Then—

“Good,” he said quietly.

His hand returned to my lower back, but he stopped provoking me, and that alone felt like a small victory.

So I stayed completely still and closed my eyes, forcing myself to ignore everything—the uncomfortable position, the humiliating situation, and the awareness of him right under me.

I needed to focus on only the most important things.

Survival, Escape and Revenge.

Sebastian’s face flashed in my mind and I saw the infuriating vision of Celeste’s smug smile.

Then the memory of the doctor’s voice resounded in my ear — You lost the baby.

Those memories alone made my chest tighten painfully and I swallowed hard, forcing the emotion down.

Not now. I couldn’t break now. Not in front of him.

The car continued moving until eventually— It slowed then stopped.

The pressure on my back lifted as he shifted, pushed me off him and the opened the door.

Cool air rushed in and I quickly let out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding.

Relief flooded through me as He stepped out and created distance between us.

But For a brief second, I stayed where I was, still inside the car, still trying to steady myself.

Then the chain yanked hard.

“Come on.” He snapped.

I gasped as I was pulled forward, stumbling out of the car. My feet barely caught the ground before I lost my balance completely-- And collided straight into him.

My hands hit his chest first and I froze in surprise.

Because, Dear God he was muscular, big and Hard.

Even through the fabric of his coat, I could feel the strength under it— it was firm muscle, solid and warm in the way I had only seen portrayed in movies.

It caught me off guard for just a second too long and he caught me staring.

A smirk curved his lips above me.

“Enjoying yourself there?” he asked quietly and my face heated instantly.

I shoved myself away from him and glared. “Don’t flatter yourself. I just tripped.”

He didn’t respond, just watched me with that same unreadable expression before grabbing the chain again and pulling me forward.

“Come on.”

I stumbled after him, still trying to regain my composure.

But then— I saw something in front of me that made me halt in place.

“What… What is that?” I pointed at the house in front of me.

But No, It wasn’t just a house. It couldn’t be.

The structure in front of me was freaking Huge!It was easily the biggest building I had ever seen in my entire life!

It had tall pillars framing the entrance with lights glowing warmly across perfectly carved stone, and the sheer scale of it made my head spin.

This wasn’t a mansion. This was a palace.

A real one.

The kind you only saw in movies.

I stared at it, completely stunned. “You… live here?”

He glanced down at me and a strange look flickered in his golden eyes.

Then he smiled.

“This,” he said slowly, “is where WE live now.”

My breath caught at that

“W- We?” I repeated.

He leaned in slightly and his presence became overwhelming again.

“Welcome back home, Freya Vaughn.”

My head spun at that.

Because What?!