Page 28 of Nice

I rise on shaky legs and stumble my way out of the house and into North Pole Proper. As usual, the elven families give me wide berth, but this time, there's a sheen of fear in their eyes that wasn't there earlier. Not surprising. If I look half as enraged as I feel, then I can understand their concern. As I make my way down through the center of town, my heart plummets. Instead of seeing all the merriment, all I can see is Caitlin's face, the way her eyes lit up as she looked at Kris.

Groaning, I slam my fist into my palm, needing that small bit of pain to ground me, to remind me that this is all real and not some nightmare I'm stuck in. As I breach the NPP barrier, the cold wind whips about me, biting into my skin, filling me with an odd sort of calm. I've been burnt by Kris before and I survived. This time will be no different. It can't be. I trudge forward, bending down into the driving snow. It would be just like that asshole to start up a snowstorm as I head home. Just the cherry on the shit cake.

It takes several minutes to traverse the snowy path from NPP to my cottage, but I don't mind. It lets me think, lets me calm down. So much anger and hatred swirl through me at the thought of Caitlin wrapped up in Kris's arms. I mean, the way she fell apart for me over and over. How can she just ignore our chemistry? There's obviously something there between us. A spark that burns brighter than anything I've ever experienced. I hang my head as I pause in my journey. Was. There was a spark. Now there's nothing.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but bone-shattering loneliness was not it. Each time a wave of loneliness hits, a flash of anger flares up right behind. I should have known better than to take her with me. Kris is a known womanizer, and after last time...I was an idiot. Groaning, I kick at a patch of snow, sending it flying up. I need to get her out of my system, to just forget about her and focus on someone else. I want to go back to Mistletoe Lodge, but after everything that went down, it would probably be better to lay low.

If I hadn't already wasted my punishments on such an undeserving girl, I'd be balls deep in someone else in a heartbeat. As it is, I'm stuck. My beast bellows as we get closer to home and further away from NPP. I feel sorry for us, but there's nothing else that can be done. Maybe next year I won't make such a colossal fool of myself. With that thought in mind, I tromp my way up to my door and kick my shoes off before coming in.

The smells of holiday cooking fill the air, wrapping me in a cocoon of warmth and familiarity. Breathing in deep, I try to let today's events go. No use grousing over them right now. It won't fix anything. I make my way over to the bar and pour myself a bourbon before settling down in front of the fireplace. My father's stern features glare down at me. Tipping my glass to the picture, I take a deep drink and sit there in contemplation.

The longer I sit there, the more my feelings become intertwined until I can't seem to find a way out. They just pull me in even deeper with their what ifs and what I should have done differently. But what could I have done? I can't kill Santa. As much as I would love to deck him one, the entire world depends on the cheer he spreads. What type of a monster would punish the world because a man stole his woman? My fingers clench and release. He didn’t steal her. Not really. She went all too willingly. No, better to put this behind me than to endanger the peace the world is clutching onto right now. Never let it be said I killed Christmas. I'll cop to just about anything else, but never that.

I glare at the previous Krampus before finishing off the shot. If he weren’t such a fuckup, I wouldn't be in this predicament. Hell, maybe that's our family curse. The fuckup family. Shaking my head, I set my glass down and leaned back to rest my eyes. A weary sigh passes through my lips. Even now, I can still smell her, taste her, hell, even if she fucked Kris every which way but sideways, I'd still probably take her back. What type of a sap does that make me? I rub my hand over my eyes, still unsure of what to do.

"Master? Is Caitlin not joining us for dinner?"

Startled, I look up into Fredrick's concerned face. Gritting my teeth, I get out of my chair and head over to the kitchen. "No, she's eating Kris right now."

"Surely you mean eating at Master Kris's. Right Master?"

"I wish I was Fredrick." Sighing, I took a seat at the head of my own table. Not nearly as massive as Kris's, but then I also don't entertain like he does, so there’s no need.

"What happened? Were you cross with her? It's not her fault Master. I -."

Snarling, I slam my fist into the hard wood and glare at Fredrick. "Why do you just assume it's my fault? Why is everything always my fault? I detest being the scapegoat for everything. My family has suffered long enough. I've suffered long enough. No. I wasn't cross with her. Everything was fine until we started eating dinner. Hell, she stood by my side when Kris and I got into it. But something happened in the dining room. I don't know what. Fathers, I wish I did."

Hanging my head in my hands, I fist my hair into my hands. "If I could just go back, we'd never even step foot in that overly festooned dining room." I spear Fredrick with a glare. "Is my company that horrid? She was turned on by me. There was no doubting it. But Kris. Fucking Kris. He has this thing. I don't know what it is, but he's somehow able to draw people to him like it's magic."

"I can't answer to that Master. Even when working for his father, Fathers rest his soul, he had this way about him. But I don't think you're horrid. Think about it. I chose to serve you." He sets a plate full of meat and potatoes in front of me and backs away. "I could have stayed and served Master Kris, but I didn't. I chose you. If someone chooses him over you, then it's just not fated to be."

I mull over his words as I stuff my face with his succulent roast. There's something to what he's saying, but it's foggy in my brain. Something seems so wrong about this entire situation, but what? It's not hard to believe that Caitlin would choose Kris's glitzy, glamorous life over my quiet one. How can anyone compete with the magic of Christmas? More so, how can someone rooted in justice and punishment compete with the man that can give you anything with a snap of his fingers?

"Master. If you want her, why are you here? Go win her back."

Sneering, I stab at a potato. "And what? Demand she give up Claus? Drag her back here kicking and screaming?"

"Isn't that how you brought her here?"

I smirk and push away from the table. "That may be, but you know Red and the crew won't let me within ten feet of Northport. Besides, I'm not going to stand outside with a boombox blaring emo music at her until she relents and comes out. This isn't a hostage situation, and I sure as hell am not going to crawl on my hands and knees to beg for her to come back. No Fredrick. I'll stoop to many things but begging for the affections of a woman is not one of them."

"Not to speak out of turn, Master, but they are using much newer technology these days. It wouldn't hurt for you to go down to Earth more than once a year."

I stand up and pat him on the shoulder as I head up to my room. He tries so hard and I sure as hell don't make it easy on him. "That may be, Fredrick, but I like the simplicity and the imagery of some of the older technology. Things change so much so fast. I just wish we could stop the world just for a moment." Or reverse it. Shaking my head, I heave myself up the stairs and into my bedroom.

The massive bed, a normal refuge for me, looks daunting. My plan was to share it with Caitlin after finishing her punishment, but that's not going to happen. Closing my eyes, I can see her pale hair stark against the black silks. The beast in me whines as I settle down. I've accepted the fact that she's gone, why can't he? In fact, he's the only reason I can't seem to let go. That beast wants her so damned much that he torments me, demands that I go get our girl back. How can I convince him that she's not ours? If she were, she'd never leave us like that. But she did. Closing my eyes, I drift off to sleep. My brain mulls over her actions. There's something so familiar about that situation. But what? I can't seem to remember, but my body does. Something is not right, but I can't put my finger on it.

Chapter Ten: Caitlin

My head pounds as I try to lift my eyelids. What the hell happened to me? It’s like I have the worst hangover in the world, but I didn’t drink. Did I? Strong, sure fingers rub against my scalp, and I moan as they thread through my hair before rubbing my scalp again. God it feels so good. It’s not quite taking away the headache, but it’s relieving a bit of the tension.

Sighing, I shuffle closer to the warm body and burrow my head into his chest. After everything he put me through, it’s nice to see that Asmon can be a bit of a softie. I slide my fingers up his abs and onto his warm chest. The fingers still in my hair before gripping tightly. Smiling, I tilt my head up and pry my eyes open. Pain slices through my skull as light pierces me. Groaning, I screw them shut and tuck my head deeper into the warm body.

He chuckles and holds me close in his arms. "I didn't think our hot chocolate was alcoholic, that or you're beyond a lightweight."

I freeze as my brain processes the voice. It isn't Asmon. Unease churns in my gut as I force my eyes back open, blinking against the twinkling holiday lights surrounding us. Normally I'd be giddy with the display, but it hurts too much to process the beauty. Instead, I focus on the face in front of me, forcing myself to hold my eyes open until I can make sense of who I'm seeing. Eventually, Kris's face pops into view.

With a screech, I scoot away from him, ignoring his hurt frown. The way my skin slides across the silky sheets lets me know instantly that I'm naked. Fuck. Pulling the sheet back, I look down and confirm that I am indeed unclothed. Kris chuckles softly and inches his way towards me. Already, there's a massive tent in the sheets, and panic wells up inside me.