19. Jasper

Chapter nineteen

Jasper

Is this real life or am I living in one of my many fantasies?

I have mates. Fated mates. It’s something whispered about in monster conversations, a myth we can only dream about. The thought that it’s real and that Cole and Natalie are mine, feels like hot chocolate and freshly whipped cream spreading out from my heart, the deliciousness warming me from the inside out.

We’re on the floor in front of the crackling fireplace, having fallen off the couch when Cole surged over us with his kisses, and love. I’ve tucked Natalie into my side, Cole straddling my left thigh and Natalie’s right thigh as he hovers over us.

Framing my face in his hands, Cole stares deeply into my eyes when he says, “Jasper. I love you. I’ve loved you for a very, very long time. I—”

“I love you too,” I say, interrupting what I’m sure is going to be a very nice speech, but the words burn on my tongue, needing to be said out loud.

Cole’s lips crash against mine with so much pent-up emotion, it robs me of breath. He sucks my tongue into his mouth, dominating our kiss, and I sink into it, sink into him. I pull Natalie tighter into my side as Cole lowers his body down on us, needing to be closer, and I grind against him, his cock hard against mine.

Before I lose my train of thought, I break away from the kiss. Our lips remain close, our breaths mingling. “I’ve loved you since day one. I know we’ve never talked about it exactly, but I want more with you. I want everything with you.”

Cole’s face transforms to one of pure bliss as his lips stretch into a brilliant smile. “Me too. Stay with me.” He weaves his free hand into Natalie’s hair and looks at her. “Both of you.”

Natalie’s eyes are wide, brimming with affection and need. She bites her lip and nods. “Okay,” she whispers, and the word stamps onto my heart, sealing the final part of my soul.

Unable to resist any longer, I turn my head and place a firm kiss on her lips. “I know this is really fast, but it all makes sense if we’re fated mates.”

Cole gently traces his thumb across Natalie’s cheek and asks, “Little vixen, do you know what that means? Have you heard of fated mates before?”

She shakes her head, and I close my eyes, telling my heart to slow down. I want Natalie to understand what she’s signing up for. When, if , she chooses us, she needs to do so knowing all the facts.

I sit up and drag her into my lap, wrapping her legs around me as I explain, “It means we were made for each other. Think of it like soul mates. Real soul mates. Two souls, or in our case three, that are each pieces of one whole—and the fates have brought them all together. We fit. It’s super rare, like mythical-levels rare, and to have it not only between two people, but three… It’s like a fantasy.”

Natalie is silent as she listens, her brow furrowed as she catalogs each word. After a couple of seconds, she tilts her head and asks, “So it’s a magical meet-cute?”

Cole smiles, but there’s a trace of sadness pulling at his mouth. “It’s a bit more than that. If you choose to be mated to us, it’s a lifelong commitment. An unbreakable bond.”

“Oh. That’s… intense,” Natalie says, her pulse visibly galloping at the base of her neck. “I like you. A lot. Like, a lot a lot to the point that it’s love. And I want to be with you. But can we maybe date first before jumping into something sounding pretty much like marriage?”

“I think that’s good,” Cole says. His throat works on a swallow before he continues, “I’m bound to the Arctic Circle. That’s quite a lifestyle change to consider, and I want you to be sure before you commit. You just left Arizona, wanting adventures and to gallivant across the world. I’d hate for you to have feelings of regret later if you didn’t have the opportunity to explore to your heart’s content like you planned.”

Despite not wanting to freak her out more, I decide to give her more information about what it would mean to be mated to a krampus. “So, um… krampuses also have their own eccentricities you might need to consider.”

Natalie pulls back from our touch and crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s starting to sound like you’re trying to talk me out of staying.”

I grab her shoulders and lower my face until we’re eye level. “Fuck no. We want you to stay. But we love you enough to make it your choice.”

Cole gets on his knees and gently pries her hands free, lacing their fingers. “Your heart, your choice. We’re all in with you, but we know the weight of those words and the commitment that will come with them. This bond was fated to bring the three of us together in perfect harmony. If it’s not all three of us, it’s none of us.”

Natalie’s cheeks brighten to a beautiful crimson color. Her smile is soft, and she looks anywhere but directly at either of us. Shyly, she says, “How can we be sure this is love if we’ve only known each other for such a short time?”

I place a finger under her chin and tilt her head up until she’s looking directly at me. “It’s the fated bond. It speeds things up.”

“Magic, huh? That makes sense, I guess. Everything about this trip, about you both… it’s been magical.” Tucking some strands behind my ear, Natalie prompts gently, “Tell me about the krampus stuff.”

“So, remember I told you about my parents living together in the Alps? Well, once they were mated, they basically removed themselves from society because they felt like they didn’t need anyone besides each other. Their bond is so strong and they’re not even fated mates. Also, there’s the mating bite.”

“Bite?” Trust Natalie to focus on the part she’d think is kinky. “Like a vampire bite?”

Completely unbidden, the desire to bite her becomes so strong that I lean forward to graze my teeth up her throat, nipping at her ear. There’s no mating intention behind the nip, so it doesn’t mean anything, but the urge is right beneath the surface.

Somehow sensing I need backup, Cole lifts my sweater and runs his hand up and down my back. The touch grounds me and I rest one hand on his thigh before continuing with my explanation.

“It’s usually somewhere on the body, depending on personal preferences. It links you to your mate. Once bitten, you can sense each other through a bond. Depending on the strength of the bond you can sense emotions and even communicate. My parents can have whole telepathic conversations with each other.”

Natalie’s eyes round and she sits up straighter. “Ooo, telepathic conversations? That’s really cool. I want that.”

My hands tighten on her waist and I will my heart to slow down, to give her the time and space she needs to process it all.

“It’s also a soul bond,” I say with a controlled smile. “It links my soul to yours and Cole’s. It’s only broken with death.”

Natalie looks at Cole before looking back at me, eyebrows halfway up her forehead. “So the stronger than marriage thing is real, then?”

Cole nods. “Yes, and that’s why we want you to take your time. Consider all your options. When you’re sure, we’ll be waiting.”

Natalie turns serious. Her gaze is intent on both of us as she says, “Thank you. I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long. Every spare moment I have, I’ll be thinking through what life in the Arctic will look like for me, for us.”

“Take all the time you need,” I say and place a light kiss on her forehead.

Cole tilts his head and adds, “And until then, we’ll be courting you. Showing you the benefits of staying.” He turns his gaze to me. “And you. I’ll be courting my krampus too.” Like a snowman on a warm day, I melt at those words.

I love Cole so much and knowing he feels the same way about me, that we have a future together—a real one, not the half relationship we’ve been having until now—makes my internal smile stretch to one that’ll rival the Grinch’s.

Needing to switch modes before I’m a puddle of cozy feelings on the floor, I cup Natalie’s pussy through her leggings. “Also, until you’re absolutely sure, we’ll be taking care of your sweet cunt with our utmost devotion.”

Natalie grinds against my hand. “Can I take your knot?”

“Turns out, as my fated mate, you’re made to take it.” The truth of the sentence has me giddy with the knowledge that I won’t hurt her, that her cunt was made to accommodate my knot. My smile grows as I realize that Cole, as my other mate, might also be able to take me one day.

I press the heel of my hand harder against Natalie’s clit, and she grinds against it until she’s breathless. “Is this why I’m constantly dripping?” she pants.

“It’s not just arousal, it’s slick. It’s because your body is preparing to take a krampus cock. And my knot.”

Cole’s hand moves from my back to my belt, and undoes my pants. My hard cock springs free and he slowly toys with it. He drags his thumb down my slit, gathering precum to lick from his fingers.

Natalie watches us, her breaths growing more rapid as she rides my hand hard. “Can we try it? Knotting?”

Abruptly, I take my hand away, stopping her orgasm before it crests. “Hop on.”