"I don't care how guilty you feel. Pretty words aren't going to change the fact that if she dies, I'll kill you. Christmas be damned."
He stares at me, his eyes wide. "You would kill me over a mortal?"
"No. I will kill you over this mortal."
I ignore his sputtering and keep walking. I've been separated from Caitlin far too long already. The massive doors part as I climb up the stairs. The sea of elves part and gesture, each one leading to me to where Caitlin lies. The air is still and somber with hushed tones flitting about. My heart climbs into my throat the closer and closer I get.
She's dwarfed by the huge bed she's laying on. Her damp hair fans out about her head, making her look even smaller. Easing my way over, I stand next to an elf taking her pulse. He turns to me, his eyes sad. Patting my hand, he walks away, leaving me in the room alone. Unshed tears clog my throat as I lay my palm against her cheek. She's still breathing, but it's slow and stuttering.
The doctor doesn't have to tell me anything. I know she's dying. Yet again, I'm left with nothing. Kneeling at the bed, I bury my face in the covers and sob. My heart rents in two. Fisting the blankets, I pour out every emotion. All my grief, all my longing flows out of me. Time has no more meaning. My knees and legs ache from their position, but I ignore them. Nothing else matters.
A small cough catches my attention. Looking up, I see Kris make his way towards me, his own eyes wet.
"You love her that much?"
"She's my everything," I whisper. "She's my mate. I was just too stupid to listen."
Nodding, he pulls out a cup and a knife from behind his back. "Then what are you waiting for? Claim her. Give her your essence. It may be the only way to save her."
I stare up at him. Guilt flows out of him. I take the items and sigh. Father never took a mate, but I still know how it's done. Will it save her though? Nothing I've learned of mating mentioned near death experiences. Both parties were always happy and prepared for the day. Not like this. Looking back at her small form, I straighten my shoulders. The least I can do is try. If I don't do this, I'll spend the rest of my life wondering.
"I'm still going to kill you," I mutter, setting the cup down on the standing near the bed.
"I'm counting on it."
Taking the knife, I make a small nick in my index finger, letting the blood drop down into the ice-blue liquid. The drops hang suspended for a moment before bursting to intermingle with the rest of the liquid. Taking a deep breath, I connect with my beast and say the binding spell.
“With my blood I share my life.
Flesh of my flesh
Blood of my blood.
I claim you as my mate.
Through life, I'll be at your side
As you will be at mine.
In death we will join the stars
In the heavens for all time.”
With a flash, the blood becomes one with the liquid. The whole cup glows for a moment before turning into a light lavender. Sitting on the bed, I lean down and kiss Caitlin, transmuting all my love and affection to her in that one kiss. I bring her head up and tilt her mouth open before slowly pouring the liquid into her mouth.
I sit and wait, holding my breath. Seconds go by like years. Nothing. Clutching her to me, I rock back and forth, murmuring nonsensical words and pleas. After an eternity, she heaves against me as a huge breath fills her lungs. I pull her back and look at her. Though pale and drawn, her eyes are open and she's somewhat alert. Bringing the glass up to her lips, I force her to drink the rest of it.
Setting the cup down, I scoop her up into my arms and take her out of the room. Heading down the hall, I make my way to my old room that Kringle let me use on those nights I needed to get away from my father. No one follows me, and no one says a word as I kick open the door and bring her inside. Setting her down on the bed, I close the door and pin her with a heated stare.
Slowly, I let the illusion drop, revealing my naked form. Her eyes glaze over as she looks me up and down, lust flickering in their depths. I walk towards her, letting her get a good look at her mate. Dropping down to my knees at the bed, I take her hands in mine, kissing the back of each one. I ease them over and kiss both of her wrists, hearing the sighs drop from her lips.
Looking up, I grip her hands in mine. "You scared me so much. Please, don't ever put your life in danger like that again."
Her eyes glisten as she pulls her hand out of mine. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to get back to you." She runs her fingers through my hair before putting her hand back in her lap. "When I saw that bear I -."
I cut her off, unable to think about that moment. Just her mentioning it is enough to make my heart stutter. Motioning for her to scoot over, I join her in the bed, pulling her body into mine. She's still cold, and it reminds me of just how close I came to losing her. Sighing into her hair, I run my hands up and down her body, convincing myself that she's really alive and here with me.
Her little moans as she burrows into my warmth brings a smile to my lips. Looking up at the ceiling, I mouth a silent prayer of thanks to the Fathers for letting me find her and helping her live.
"You know I'm going to have to punish you for that."
Her face peeks up from my chest, concern etched into her features. "But I wasn't bad! I promise. I didn't sleep with Kris. I kneed him in the balls!"
I roar out with laughter and clutch her tighter. My little minx is a hellcat, and that's perfect for me. Ruffling her hair, I lean down and kiss her crown. "That may be, and I'm grateful for that, but you put your life in extreme danger. I can't allow you to think of ever doing anything like that again. Now that you're mine for eternity, I need to lay down the law early."
Pausing, I listen for any protestation. Just because she's my mate doesn't mean my needs stop. In fact, now that she's forever mine, I fear my needs will only grow more and more each day that I'm with her. Just the thought of turning her bottom a bright pink has my cock surging up. Tentative fingers wrap around my shaft and I groan at the contact. I allow myself a few shallow thrusts into her hand before I remove her from me. With a stern frown, I lay her down on the pillows.
"Not tonight. You almost died tonight. I want you to rest, and after that, we can see about that punishment. Perhaps I'll use your naughty ass to stroke myself. Does that seem fitting? Or maybe I'll just tease you until you want to scream, but still deny you the pleasure you seek." I tip her head up so I can see her face. "Either way, you're not to leave this bed for the next few days. Just so I know you're alright."
She rolls her eyes and I let her this time. She's been through a lot. Later, after we settle into a workable routine, I let her know just how much I detest it.
"What if I have to go to the bathroom?"
Frowning, I reach around and tap her ass. "There's a bathroom connected to the room. You may use that when you need to, just don't leave the room. Deal? And if you start walking about and not resting, I'll tie you to this bed and make you beg me to use the restroom. Are we clear?"
"Yes Sir."
Her faint whimpers make me twitch, as does the smell of her arousal. My beautiful mate is perfect for me. Not slacking my lust inside her luscious body will be a punishment for both of us, but if that's the penance I must pay for making her mine, I'll gladly pay it. Turning her around, I nestle her ass against my cock and pull her close. Within minutes, her breathing evens out and she's fast asleep. Kissing her head one more time, I tighten my hold and join her.
Chapter Twelve: Caitlin
Sun streams through a window, hitting me in the face. Groaning, I turn my head to escape the rays, and find myself squashed up against a warm body. Looking up, I determine it's for sure Asmon before snuggling back in. His soft snores are reassuring as I let them rumble into my body. Lying there for a moment, my brain whirls back through the last few days. I still want to kill Kris for being such an asshat but lying next to Asmon makes it seem distant somehow.
I stretch a bit, trying to suss out exactly how I feel.
Asmon won't let me leave the room, but I feel perfectly fine. Better than ever, in fact. Easing out of bed, I pad my way over to a door in the corner. Thank goodness it's a bathroom. After I finish relieving myself, I wash my hands in the sink and take a good look at my face in the mirror. Nothing really looks all that different. If anything, I look a bit healthier than the last time I saw myself.
It makes me a little sad that I don't have some visible sign that I'm bound to Asmon. Blowing out a puff of air, I walk back into the room to find Asmon still sleeping. I look around, trying to see if there's anything for me to do. I'm not used to just resting. It's boring. Sitting in a nearby chair, I bounce my foot a little, my brain whirling. So many things still feel unanswered. I really need to look at that list again.
Glancing back over at Asmon, he appears dead to the world. Maybe if I wake him up, he'll grab the list for me. I tiptoe over to him and shake his shoulder, not wanting to startle him. Instead of waking up, he gives an obnoxious snore and rolls over. Rolling my eyes, I shove against him again. When he doesn't move, I inch my way over to the door. It's not my fault that he didn't wake up.
I test the doorknob, half expecting it to be locked. When it turns with ease, I smile at my good fortune and slip out into the hall. Crap. I look both ways, remembering how much of a maze this place is. Turning to the right, I continue down that hall until I hear some voices. Up ahead, I see two elves giggling as they spruce up some poinsettias.
"Excuse me, but I'm supposed to meet Kris in his study." The lie slides off my tongue. "Can you point me in the right direction?"
Giggling again, the one closest to me motions for me to follow her. Thankfully, I have a guide because after several turns, I'm already lost. She motions towards a door, curtsies, then takes off down the hall. I lean in close and lay my ear on the door. There are no sounds inside, but that doesn't mean it's unoccupied. The doorknob is cold in my hand as I grip it. Sweat prickles the back of my neck.
Easing the door open, I peek inside before opening it all the way. There's a lit fire, but nothing else. Scouring the room, I see no sign of the list. Damn it. I stand in front of the massive bookshelf and start looking through all the titles. Nothing. I do one more look through, this time actually seeing the types of books Kris collects. A massive tomb with the name "Ghost of Christmas Past" stands out from the rest. Curious, I tug on it, about to slide it out when the whole bookshelf swings inward.
A thrill of anticipation slides through my body as I ease my way in. A soft red glow illuminates the entire room, all of it coming from what looks like a computer monitor in the center. I walk over, trying to my hardest to keep silent. There's nothing on the screen except a red light. I look about, not seeing a mouse or keyboard. Frowning, I slide my finger across the screen, making it come to life.
An algorithm like I've never seen before scrolls up at lighting speed. What I can catch are various names and dates. I touch the screen again, this time dragging my finger downward. The whole screen freezes and names scroll up one by one. Fascinated, I play with the screen using various finger motions resulting in varied results until I come across a screen that vaguely resembles a back-door access. I read through the code, trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. It appears to be a log of some sort.
Everything looks consistent with similar login and logouts over the past several years. Until this year. There's a login from the beginning of the month like normal, followed by another a couple weeks after that. Looking up, I see that in the past, there's been one login at the beginning with another login within days of the first, with no other logins until the day before Christmas Eve. It's odd. Why would there be an additional login that late? Though I haven't known Kris long, he certainly seems the type to snooze on the job.
What this data shows is consistent with the idea of making the list then checking it twice. Double tapping on the other login, I follow the streams of code, clicking and swiping until I discover its location. It didn't come from this system. Someone else fiddled with the list. Looking through the original log, it seems that only one entry was changed. A few more swipes, and it reveals my name. Whoever went into the system changed me from nice to naughty. But why? Who would do such a thing?
Swiping back out of it, I return to the main screen. Under each name is a list of either Naughty or Nice. When clicking those, it shows exactly why someone should be on that list. It takes a bit, but I find my name in the sea of Caitlins. Underneath my name, clear as day is Naughty. I click on it, and there’s not a lot underneath it. On other lists, it shows both naughty and nice traits. Here, there's this small segment of naughty.
A thought percolates through my brain as I continue to muck about. heading over to the settings, I notice that my instinct is correct. Under the printing options, it shows Nice/Neutral as being light red and Naughty as being dark red. With a printout like that it would be super easy to miss a mistake. I go over to Nice and change the settings to print out as green. After a few clicks, a box pops up asking if I want to print a sample copy.
I dart a look around, seeing that I'm still alone, and press "okay." If I wasn't on the naughty list before, I’m certain I'm on there now. A soft whir to my left alerts me to the printed page. Seeing my name with a bright green border and just a few streaks of dark red fills me with joy. Surely this will help with these mistakes in the future. Clutching the paper to my chest, I do a little happy dance in the cramped area.
"Just what in the first day of Christmas are you doing in my private chambers?"
My blood turns to ice as I freeze in place. A bright light illuminates the room, making me blink several times as I try to adjust. Kris prowls towards me, his face set in stone. I gulp and back up, trying to find a way to squeeze past him.
"It's bad enough you didn't want me. I would have gotten over that eventually, but to defile my sacred area? That is way too far."
"You were hacked," I blurt out, trying to ease his wrath. "I don't know how, and I don't know why. But you were. There's a login. It's not from here. But I fixed it. Well not the code, but I've made it easier on you. See?"
I thrust out the paper, holding it between us as a peace offering. Kris snatches it out of my and studies it for a moment before leveling a glare at me.
"How do you know how to operate my system? No one has ever touched this computer that's not a Claus."
Shrugging, I turn to the screen. "I've been known to hack."
He raises an eyebrow and looks back down at my name.
"No. Not like that hacking. I've never done anything wrong with it. I look for loopholes. Things people miss. Ways to make the system better. It's not like I embezzle money or trade in state secrets."
Nodding, he squeezes his way past me and fiddles with the screen for a few moments before sighing in frustration. Eventually, he turns to me and motions for me to stand next to him.
"Show me."
Over the next few minutes, I run through what I found, watching his face intently. Either he really has no clue about this or he's the best actor in the world. Judging by the rage pouring off him, I'm putting money on the first.
"This doesn't look like our bed, young lady."
The throaty voice startles me out of my thoughts, turning, I give Asmon a sheepish smile.
"How did you find me?"
Snorting, Kris stares at the screen, a smile crossing his lips. "He's part animal, what do you think?"
Asmon rolls his eyes and dips down to pick me up and throw me over his shoulder. Why does it always end this way? I pummel his back, begging him to let me go, knowing that he never will.
"I have to help Kris. You can't take me yet."
"I got it from here doll face."
Indignant, I push up on Asmon and struggle a bit, trying to break free. "Don't you dare act like I didn't just hand this to you! You wouldn't have known anything if it wasn't for me."
"Uh huh."
"Don't sweat it babe," Asmon chuckles, "It's par for the course."
"Santa was
sabotaged, Christmas could be in danger, and you're cracking jokes?"
Asmon freezes. "Is this true Kris?"
He sighs. "That's what it's looking like. But seriously. I got it from here. It looks like hers is the only name that was swapped. This isn't a full glitch."
"We'll discuss this after I'm done taking care of my naughty mate."
As he strides out the door, I slump further onto Asmon's shoulder, soaking in his warmth. My ease is soon disrupted with a resounding smack on my ass. Yelping, I flinch in his grip, but he just holds me tighter.
"Did I not say to stay in the room?"
"To be fair, what you actually said was, 'don't leave the room.'"
Wrong response. His hand comes crashing down on the other cheek, setting my body on fire.
"All right little miss smart ass. We'll see if you're still like this after a real punishment from me."
I hesitate, unsure if I want a "real punishment." What have all those other punishments been? Love taps? I don't have to wait long to find out. Sooner than I like, he strides into the room and dumps me on the bed.
"Strip."
He turns around and heads to the door, making sure to lock it. I don't even hesitate. Pulling my top off, I toss it onto the floor followed by my pajama pants. Standing in front of him, I suck in a breath at his heated glare. My nipples pebble under his gaze. Feeling a touch self-conscious, I raise up my arm to cover my chest.
"Oh, we're way beyond that. Drop your arm, turn around, and place your hands on the bed."
I do as I'm told, fear and arousal flowing through me. Moisture already gathers down below, setting my cheeks to blazing. Even now he still has this power over me. Shuffling over, he sticks his foot in between mine and knocks them out wider. I have to lower my body even further to keep from toppling over. From here, my ass is high in the air, my pussy bare to his gaze. The cool air wisps across my heated flesh, making me shiver.
"Point your toes in."
Nice: A Dark Christmas Duet book 1 Page 15
