And we're back for the Holidays... 😈

*MARIE-NOEL'S POV*

Right on time.

With a quick glance at my alarm clock and one last gulp, I wipe the drop of creamy white mixture at the corner of my lips, which I make sure are still perfectly painted red, candy red, while the first tingles of excitement slither down my spine.

I've been doing this same ritual a few... hundred times in the past ten months. Yet those shivers are still as fierce, maybe even fiercer once I've swallowed the black and red pill and slipped my long white coat to sneak out of my window, the cold November night wrapping around me like the thrill of escaping the rules—With each of my steps crunching in the snow, a little bit more.

Sure, there aren't many steps until the barn at the end of the backyard, but I still have to walk by the front door of the still-asleep house and my parents' bedroom window, which is enough for me to heave out a sigh of relief when I finally enter the last stall and meet the two dark round eyes waiting for me.

I have done the hardest part already, and now, I'm not alone anymore. I can count on my best friend and faithful sidekick. Well, if the stubborn reindeer decides to move.

"Come on, Cookie. I know it's early, but I promise it will be worth it." I gently pet her furry head, trying to coax her smoothly, as using force will only make her gid her heels in more—reminds me of someone...

"Like always, we both get our rewards once we get there. So I'll give you your carrots then, and I'll have—"

My stomach doesn't even get to clench with hunger at the thought of my reward when Cookie rears suddenly, and if you've never seen a reindeer rearing up before, well, imagine a large horse but with antlers rising on its two back legs. Let's say it's quite impressive.

"Fine, fine. You can get a carrot before we leave." I yield, trying to keep my voice calm and steady, the complete opposite of my heart rate right now.

Not that I'm scared of Cookie; she would never cause me any harm. However, what I dread is that she might attract the attention of the other reindeers sleeping in the adjoining stalls and alert someone, which could definitely do great harm.

That's why, even when she puts her front hooves down again, the thuds inside my chest don't slow down.

"We'll have to be quick though. I don't wanna be late."

Okay, maybe there is also some impatience rushing my heart and my hands on her rope halter when her protest becomes quieter, and she still doesn't move, shaking her head from left to right.

"Come on. Please, Cookie... You know he hates to wait, and as much as I love to be punish—"

"Going somewhere, Nel?"

Forget about my racing heart. It freezes with the rest of my body at the sound of the familiar voice behind me, and before I even risk a glance there, I know I'm in trouble. At least, it's what the look in Cookie's blinking eyes is telling me, along with an 'I tried to warn you'.

I surely should have prepared a warning code between us and also some made-up excuses to answer the questions I find under my brother's lifted eyebrow when I turn around.

"Nicholas! I didn't know you were here..."

"Yeah, Heather had a night craving of raspberry muffins, but not any, the industrial ones from the human world. So I flew to a Starbucks." He shrugs, lifting the brown bag in his hands with a warm smile, which might not be enough to pull my heart out of its frozen state, but it sparks a little hope in me.

I mean, out of all my brothers, Nicholas is the most understanding and the most naive, too.

"And you? It looks like you're in a hurry. Do you need Flakes to take you somewhere? Since Cookie doesn't seem in the mood to fly." He nods at my dear reindeer, who quickly lowers her head, much calmer than before.

"No, no, it's fine. I just..." What could I be doing at this late-night—or should I say early-morning hour? "Couldn't sleep. So I wanted to go out for a flight, but I think walking here has been enough to tire me. So I'll just go back to bed. Don't worry about me."

I fake a yawn, although my nerves are more aware than ever as I take a step towards the stall door, and his tall figure doesn't budge from there.

"What about the 'someone' waiting for you? Didn't you say he doesn't like to wait?"

Holly Merry... He's heard what I've said. Thank God, Cookie stopped me from talking too much, even though the reindeer isn't helping me now, avoiding my panicked glances.

"No, I... I was talking about... the flying fox!"

And again, this is the reason why I should have spent less time picking an outfit and more time preparing lies. I won't make the same mistake, if I ever get another chance to sneak out after this.

"The flying fox?" He blinks at me, unsure of where I'm going with this, which makes two of us.

"You know... the northern lights don't wait."

"And you know lying won't help you be on the nice list this Christmas?"

Oh, I'm not worried about that. Thanks to the pill I've taken with my eggnog before leaving, I won't appear on any list for the next 24 hours.

But once more, all this preparation will be for nothing if I can't cover the truth.

"I..."

"Nel, stop looking for excuses. I know everything."

"E-everything?"

If I've thought I've been frozen before, it's been nothing in comparison to the cold seeping into my bones in front of Nicholas' knowing blue eyes because at this instant, I realize I may not be able to feel the warmth of a familiar fire today, or ever again.

"Yes, I've seen how you've changed in the past months. You're always smiling for no reason at your cane phone, but you're avoiding most of the elves. You're always 'busy', 'tired', or just 'not in the mood' when it's time to go out, but at the same time, you have this special spark in your eyes, and you always have your head in the clouds," he points out the arguments one after the other like an experienced lawyer at the court, well, as much as my sweet brother can resemble a lawyer.

Still, I'm shriveling like a culprit in the dock when he announces my crime.

"It's obvious you're dating someone."

Wait, has he said...

"Someone?" I repeat, checking if I've heard right over the hammer restarting too quickly inside my ribcage.

"Nel, stop it. I might be clueless about a lot of things, but I know how to recognize love."

"Love?" At this point, I must sound like a parrot, yet for my defense, my heart has stopped and accelerated so many times in the past minutes that it's hard for my brain to process anything. "You think I'm in love?"

"I don't know. You tell me?" He lifts one shoulder, making it sound more casual than if he were talking about Starbucks muffins, while once more, my heart halts before taking off to an even wilder pace, making it impossible to think, and I have no idea where my answer is coming from, but surely not from my head as I breathe out.

"It's complicated... At first, it just started as some... fun, but then, it happened again, and again, and again, and we got to know each other more deeply."

So deeply that I can almost feel those familiar flames rising in my insides as flashbacks of those past ten months invade me... his infuriating smirk, his fiery touch, his even more smoldering kisses, but also the smooth echo of his laugh, the warm cocoon of his strong arms, and the mesmerizing mix of light and darkness in his eyes...

"I've discovered a side of him I would've never expected, and I... I can't imagine my life without him."

Is it an admission of love? I'm not sure. But an admission of guilt?

"Don't worry. I won't tell on you," Nicholas answers my unspoken question, and although I should be worried that he can read through my wide eyes so easily, they only grow wider for him to glimpse the jump of hope my heart is taking.

"Really?!"

Well, if he doesn't see it, he undoubtedly feels it when he replies with an assured 'yes', and I leap to hug him.

I've known there has been a reason why he is my favorite brother!

"Because you should announce it yourself to the family."

Okay, I take back my words and my arms from around him as I pull away to let him read clearly what I'm thinking through my bulging eyes.

"Sweet holly! Have you lost your mind?"

I don't even try to wonder if he's joking because he doesn't have this kind of humor, and sadly, he looks too serious as he nods.

"Dad will go crazy, and I'm not even talking about Tannen, Lior, Kit, Wren—"

"Okay, our brothers and Dad can be a little over-protective of you."

"A little?!" Even my gasp is a euphemism. "They still see me as a fragile little girl, and Dad never lets me go out in the world alone!" Except one Christmas, but it isn't the subject, or maybe it is...

"Dad agreed to let you try another Christmas tour alone this year."

"Yes, that's the reason why I shouldn't risk telling the truth. He won't allow me to do another tour ever again if he knows about... my boyfriend."

"He will learn about it eventually, and sooner than later if you aren't more discreet," he notes, his calm voice making me swallow my loud protests. "Don't you think it's better to tell him the truth rather than him finding out any other way? So you can explain properly, and he will be more understanding.

"Besides, it's the season of love and compassion. Christmas is coming. Thanksgiving is almost there."

Put like this, it sounds as easy as feeling the Holidays spirit with all the fairy lights illuminating the barn and the snow falling lightly outside, and for an instant, I can almost picture it... Dad sated with his favorite pecan pie... Mom sipping a hot chocolate... Me speaking with my heart, and a perfectly prepared speech... And...

"Hey, your boyfriend could even celebrate Thanksgiving with us! So everyone can get to know him better."

And that's how the perfect little daydream suddenly turns into a disaster of heated arguments, clashing elements, and melting snow, which makes no sense as the magical snow here can't melt, but I guess it's just my brain trying to warn me of the possible chaos as a dreadful shiver runs down my spine.

"I don't think that would be a good idea for everyone to meet... Do you have any idea of who it is?" I ask carefully because my brother is way too cool about all of this, whereas my heart is about to explode when a secretive glint twinkles in his blue eyes.

"I have, yes. But the important isn't who it is anyway. I would support you no matter who it is, as long as the person makes you happy and treats you right."

This is not the answer to my question. Nevertheless, it does quieten the ticking of my heart for an instant, just enough time for me to whisper a 'thank you', and before I can hug my favorite brother, the bangs inside my chest accelerate again at the faint tinkle of a message notification—from Nicholas' cane phone.

"I should get going with my muffin delivery."

I surely have a lot of texts too, seeing the time appearing on the cane phone he's pulling out, but I always put mine in silent mode when I sneak out.

Yes, I pay attention to every detail to not get caught. Well, almost every detail, and my brother's wink is not something I could have ever planned as he adds,

"Be careful, and think about what I said."

That, I definitely do: I'm careful, and once he has kissed my forehead and walked away, I make sure I'm really alone before checking my cane phone and taking off with Cookie, but I also think about what he's told me all the way.

Even when I leave behind the snowy landscape, the cold, the time zone, and finally, my thick winter clothes from the North Pole to land in a quiet copse of Thailand at its prime dusk hour, this whole conversation follows me. It keeps replaying, more persistent than the vibrations of my cane phone notifying me of new texts—and God knows there are many, asking what accessories I will be wearing today, if I'm craving another punishment... among a few more explicit ones—and louder than the atmosphere of festive booths, cheery vendors, and excited passersby as I join the busy river bank of Doi Saket.

Only when I spot an unmistakable horned figure all dressed in black through the crowd, does the haunting echo of my brother's words finally stop. Or at least, the hammering of my heart resonates louder as I run to kiss my boyfriend, so fast that I must look like a snow tempest crashing onto him.

Not that it's enough to make the blaze he is waver, and his fiery lips barely take a second to engulf mine in sparks of fire.

Who am I kidding? It isn't only my lips; he's setting all of me on fire as his intoxicating taste swirls through my parting mouth with his heated tongue, and his hands melt me closer into his burning embrace.

Still, I'm craving more, my cold fingers reaching for any inch of flaming skin they can as the kiss grows more and more feverish until the freezing dread that has invaded me earlier is completely burned down, along with every thought in my mind, and too soon, the oxygen from our lungs, forcing us to pull away... one-half inch.

He keeps me close in his strong arms, and I savor every little bit of flames, including the ones in the darkening embers of his irises as I reopen my eyes.

"Trying to distract me from the fact you're late, Candy?"

"Come on, I'm barely two minutes late. It won't stop us from enjoying this night of festivities." I wave towards our colorful surroundings, yet neither the pops of firecrackers nor the many people around are enough to divert his attention from me as he grabs my hand, pulling me closer to whisper in my ear,

"Depends on which festivities you're talking about... And it's three minutes and twenty seconds, by the way."

"You've counted the seconds?" Who would have thought the great Balthazar Krampus would be so punctilious on time? Although he isn't so much when it's time for me to leave. "I could almost think you missed me..."

"I could almost think you didn't." He mirrors my smirk, his answer as blurry as the stain of red lipstick on his devilish lips.

But even if he isn't confirming, nor denying my supposition, my heart still jumps then falls at the flicker of darkness crossing his gaze before he glances away, suddenly interested in our surroundings, although he makes sure to keep me close with his hand still intertwined with mine.

"I can barely see you these days, and when I do, you're always late."

"I know. I'm trying to sneak out as much as I can, but it's..." Getting more and more obvious, and even Nicholas noticed it.

However, I have no intention of telling him that. I can worry all about that later, when I'm alone in my room.

My plan right now is to enjoy the festivities and this present moment we have together, and as I pull him to walk with me through the festival alley, the truth ends up twisted, like his possessive arm around my shoulders.

"It's complicated at this time of the year because we have more work, and we're also in full preparation mode for Thanksgiving."

"Already? Isn't it in two weeks or something like that?"

"13 days more exactly, but in my family, we kinda make it big since it's our last family reunion before the Christmas rush."

'It's the season of love and compassion... Your boyfriend could even celebrate Thanksgiving with us!'

The echo of my brother's voice tries to sneak back into my mind, though I quickly shake it away, focusing on the festivities and the present moment.

"Don't you celebrate it in the Vegas underground?"

Okay, maybe I'm mostly focused on Balthazar. Yet no matter where I look, there's always something pulling me back to him, from the carnival games reminding me of the casinos of his hometown to the booths selling exotic food full of spices, from the hints of heat and fire wafting in the air to the crackles of fireworks in the distance.

Well, it makes sense since Yi Peng is the festival of sky lanterns, which are basically flames floating in the night sky. Fire in darkness, a lot like him...

"No, thankfulness isn't really my father's thing."

"What about your mother? You never talk about her." I stop and turn to him when we reach a quieter corner, away from all those human eyes that, even if they can't see his horns outside of Christmas time, seem as captivated by his tall figure all dressed in black and fiery gaze as by the lanterns starting to illuminate the night sky.

I can't really blame them though, as I watch the light and darkness swirl through the amber shades.

"Is she..."

"She's a stripper in Vegas. At least, she was when she had me. I don't know much about her. She abandoned me the moment she realized I had horns, so my father pretty much raised me alone." He shrugs, the casual movement such a contrast with what's happening inside my chest as I try to picture what his childhood could have looked like.

When all I've ever known has been a loving and overprotective family, it's hard for me to imagine, but what I've seen of him, the light, the darkness, and the shadows of the lonely boy I've glimpsed a few times since we've met each other let me conclude one thing.

"She doesn't know what she is missing."

"I think she does. Trust me, my father isn't easy to live with." He snorts, rolling his eyes, although I swear I can catch a glint of affection in those flaming orbs, along with a few thousand other sparkles as I softly cup his cheek, making him look at me.

"I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about you. You're an incredible person, and she should be proud to be your mother. You're handsome, funny, intelligent... maybe cunning and mischievous, but also... dazzling."

Like the dozens and dozens and dozens of tiny flames glowing in the infinite of dark above as I tilt my head up to the sky, searching for a way to show him how grateful I am to have him in my life, and the first things that cross my mind are my brother's words.

"You know what? You should come celebrate Thanksgiving with me and my family."

And after popular demand... Marie-Noel and Balthazar are back, naughtier than ever! 😈

I'm so excited to continue their story in 2025, and I really hope you'll follow their adventures, even if Christmas is already behind us, because I have quite a few things planned for our naughty couple... 🤭🤫

If you too are excited, don't forget to vote ⭐, add this book to your library/reading lists, and comment what you think of this new chapter! 👀

Did you expect they would still be seeing each other behind their families' back? Well, now, Nicholas knows, and it seems like a family reunion is coming... 🙈

In the meantime, stay naughty, and speaking of... Have you checked the other new chapter I posted about Balthazar coming in your ears? 👀😈😘