7. Jasper

Chapter seven

Jasper

“Has someone seen my panties?” Natalie asks, strutting into the kitchen after a trip to the bathroom to—unfortunately—clean up the delicious evidence of her release.

My hands pause from stirring the soup on the stove, and I give her bare legs a longing look. “What do you need them for? Won’t they just get in the way?”

Oh, to be trapped between those thighs while I eat my fill…

“Har har.” Natalie walks right up to me and places a finger under my chin to bring my eyes to meet hers. “I want to wash them. If you haven’t noticed, I have a limited supply of clothes.”

“About that.” With a loud thud, Cole places a box on the kitchen table. “I ordered some things for you while I was making our drinks earlier. You’re going to need warmer clothes and a coat if you’re staying for a while.”

Natalie quirks her head at the rather sizable box. In the rest of the world, delivery boxes are plain, but true to the Christmassy nature of this place, this one is a festive red and has a ribbon attached to the top. It kind of matches the deep red door handles on the dark oak cabinets of the kitchen.

“That was fast. Magically fast? And unexpected, but thank you. How long do you think I’m staying for?”

I place two fingers on her forehead and smooth out her frown. “Haven’t heard anything from Bertie yet. So it could be a few days, maybe even weeks?”

Cole leans a shoulder against the wall and looks at Natalie. “Do you have somewhere to be?”

“Not really. I sold all my stuff in Arizona before I left for the Caribbean. That backpack with me is everything I own.”

“And now this box too,” he says. Thankfully, things move really fast up here, so Natalie didn’t have to go long without proper warm clothing.

Natalie shakes her head. “I’ll return everything when I leave.”

I stand up straighter as my brain finally registers what she said. “Hold on. Sold everything? Where are you going?”

Raking a hand through her hair, Natalie licks her lips before she speaks. “I didn’t really have a destination in mind. I needed to get away. To start over.”

Cole and I both go on alert at the same time, sharing a look as our spines stiffen, ready to battle whatever or whoever has caused Natalie trouble.

In a tone brokering no argument, Cole demands to know, “Why?”

Scrunching up her nose in the cutest way, Natalie sighs, “Are we doing the deep bonding moment thing now?”

Cole moves in front of Natalie. “We sure are.” He places a quick, fierce kiss on her lips and, before she comes out of her dazed state, takes her hand and leads her to the kitchen table. My cock stirs at the sight and how right it feels with the three of us together. There was a beautiful harmony earlier on the couch, something that just worked, and I’m excited to see where things could lead later tonight.

Sinking down into a chair, Natalie holds up a finger, pointing first to Cole, then at me, then wagging it in the space between us. “If I share, you have to share. I need more info about what’s going on here.”

I smirk. “You mean, you want to know more about us, besides what my fingers feel like in your tight cunt or Cole’s tongue in your mouth?”

Natalie blows out a breath and throws her hands dramatically in the air. “And this is why I need my panties. Keep saying things like that and I’ll be dripping all over the floor.”

I wiggle my eyebrows. “Then I’ll gladly follow behind and lick it up.”

“Jasper,” Cole chides but there’s laughter sitting right beneath the surface.

Raising a hand to mock salute him, I say, “Let’s eat and share, then we can do fingers-and-tongues chats after.”

Natalie taps a black nail against the tabletop. “And cocks. I didn’t miss the fact that neither of you got to come. I’m all about equal opportunity and leaving my partners satisfied.”

My smile grows wolfish, knowing she’s unaware of why we stopped after only focusing on her pleasure. “Oh, you’ll have to work up to our cocks.”

Scoffing, Natalie says, “Listen, I’m not some inexperienced woman. A cock is a cock.”

Cole shakes his head. “Not with us, it’s not.”

“Huh?”

I bite my lip, relishing the look of almost innocent bafflement replacing Natalie’s usual self-assuredness. “I doubt you’ve seen anything like either of us have.”

Placing both hands flat on the table, Natalie’s wide-eyed gaze swivels between Cole and me. Excitement and disbelief war in her tone, as she asks, “Are monster cocks real?”

“Yup.” My chest puffs up with pride and I cross my arms, confidence running through my veins that Natalie was made for us.

Cole clears his throat and adjusts his dick under the table. “Let’s keep on topic before said monster cock drills a hole through my pants.”

Natalie shakes her head like she’s willing her lustful thoughts away as she arranges a throw blanket over her lap, unfortunately covering those delectable thighs.

“Okay, okay. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know—as long as everyone’s sharing. But don’t think your monster cocks aren’t on the forefront of my brain. I’ll probably be distracted coming up with all sorts of theories about monster cocks while we try to have this conversation.”

“Noted. Now, Arizona?” Cole asks and sits back in his chair, manspreading his legs in a way that makes me think of our countless nights together of me sitting between them as he strokes my hair.

“I’m twenty-five and was working as a receptionist in a tattoo studio, getting ready to start my apprenticeship, and then I guess I had an existential crisis.” Natalie’s tone is flat, but there’s a bit of humor lurking underneath.

“Well, the North Pole is a great place to ponder your life,” I say. I know it sounds like a joke, but I really love visiting here more so than staying at my own place.

A corner of Natalie’s lips quirk up. “You sound like you’re talking from experience.”

I just shrug like it’s not a big deal, and feel Cole’s gaze burning the side of my face.

Natalie takes a fortifying breath before elaborating. “Things weren’t always easy growing up. I was raised by a single mom who worked a lot to make ends meet, you know the drill. Once I was old enough to support myself, I moved out to lessen her burden. From pretty early on in life I knew I didn’t want to follow in her footsteps—especially the pregnancy stuff, I’m annoyingly meticulous about my birth control. But somehow I found myself with a job that made enough to sustain me, but not enough to give me the opportunities to really live the life I want for myself. I realized one day that I was going to be stuck in Arizona my whole life, same as her, and never go on adventures or see the world. So I sold everything, packed a bag, and left. I have no final destination in mind, just an itch to get out and the knowledge that I don’t want to go back there.”

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want,” Cole says. “I’m sure we can think up an adventure or two for you.” The offer is sweet, but there’s something heady underneath it, like a promise that he might actually give her a reason to extend her stay.

I hope we can both stay.

Like most krampuses, I have a modest cabin nestled in the Alps, but I find myself spending increasingly longer periods of time at Cole’s house, feeling more at home here than when I’m alone there. Things between us have even gone so far that I’ve upgraded from having a drawer in his room, to my own closet space. Yet, we’ve never had that conversation to label our relationship.

Natalie’s smile is faint, but genuine, before she settles for her usual impassive expression. “I go where Jasper goes, I guess, for however long this tattoo is keeping us tied to each other.”

“Can I see the tattoo?”

“Oh, I thought you saw it. It’s here.” The spoon in my hand falls still, the soup bubbling softly as I watch her remove the blanket around her waist and point to the design that blends into the garter belt of flowers tattooed in a ring around her upper thigh. Unconsciously, I rub the same spot on my leg.

Cole moves around the table and traces the aligned sun, moon, and stars. His touch sends a visible tremor racing through Natalie. When she looks up again, Cole’s dark eyes are firmly locked on hers. My own breathing gets shallow as an awareness builds between them before Cole pries his hand away and slumps back into his chair.

“You can trace mine too,” I say, releasing the spoon, letting it clatter against the edge of the pot while I reach for my belt buckle.

“Fuck, Jas. If you take your pants off now then this conversation is done for. My hands will be wrapped around your knot before you can blink and Natalie will be swallowing your delicious cum like the good girl I know she is.”

I groan and fist my hard cock through my pants. “You can’t go putting an image like that in my mind right now. How am I supposed to concentrate on stirring this soup?”

“I agree,” Natalie says and crosses her legs. One elbow on the table, she props her chin in her hand. “Knot? And delicious cum? You’ve piqued my interest.”

“You two horny creatures,” Cole tuts with mock disapproval. “Let’s focus on the conversation.”

“You started it.” I pout, but partially turn back to the soup while keeping them in my peripheral vision.

Cole sighs. “Wouldn’t have if you two didn’t look so tempting.”

Natalie likes to pretend that she’s unaffected, but the rosy color blooming on her cheeks is giving away just how much she likes the banter between us three and the irresistible draw we have to each other.

Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself for my turn to share. Natalie opened up and told us about things I’m guessing she doesn’t share easily, so it’s only fair that I meet her vulnerability with my own.

“Okay, back story. I’m twenty-eight, Cole is thirty. Together, we work on Santa’s Naughty List. Around the middle of the year, Cole’s brother Nick gives him a list of names and it’s up to Cole to ensure there is enough, well, coal to go into each stocking. I take the names of the naughtiest kids, and around Krampus Day it’s my ‘job’ to scare them into being good.”

“Scare them?” Natalie asks, completely flabbergasted. “Jasper, you’re the least scary thing I’ve ever seen. If possible, I’d even go so far as to say you’re sunshine. You’re cute, kind, funny. No way anyone would find you scary. Also, that sounds like a pretty crap way to spend Christmas.”

I swallow hard and tuck my hair behind my ear. “You don’t think the horns are scary?”

“The horns are hot,” Natalie states succinctly, like there was ever any question of them being anything but.

Heart hammering like it’s trying to fight its way out of my chest cavity, I say softly, “There’s something else too…”

Natalie sits up straight, turning her whole body to face me. “You don’t owe me anything, Jasper. Don’t tell me stuff you’re not comfortable with sharing.”

“Natalie’s right, Jas. You can tell her later,” Cole says gently.

I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. She won’t see me like that.” I look at Natalie, trying and failing to keep the insecurity from my voice as I say, “I don’t want anyone to see me like that.” I drag in a slow breath and gather my courage to tell her my deep secret. “Being a krampus means I’m cursed in a way. You know how werewolves transform with the full moon? In a similar sense, a krampus who chooses not to live in their fully shifted form, transforms into their natural state around Krampus Day. For the first week of December, I’m bound to my monster form, and not the semishifted state that I usually am in—like now. I lose a hold of my, for lack of a better word, humanity.”

“Sounds hot to me,” Natalie says with a shrug.

My head rears back. “It’s not. I’m ugly. And dangerous. Scary. I hate that part of my life and I usually lock myself away so I don’t succumb to my instincts to chase people—or gods forbid children—through the streets. December should be a happy time, filled with excitement for Christmas and presents, and making memories. Not being scared.”

“Seriously, I’d be happy to be locked up with you. You can chase me anytime,” Natalie says and winks at me. I don’t think she truly understands how scary a krampus can look, so I let her comment slide and chalk it up to her just trying to be nice.

I decide to give her a bit more backstory since she was forthcoming about her family. “My parents are still happily mated and live together in a fancy cabin in the Alps, only one mountain over from my place. They hate wearing glamour rings and prefer to remain in their natural krampus forms. They’re not as sensitive to their instincts since they isolate themselves and chase each other instead—something a kid shouldn’t think about their parents doing. I like to go visit them when I can, but I don’t like being reminded of what I actually look like.”

Not waiting for any comments from them and needing to divert the focus from me, I say to Cole, “Your turn.”

Cole takes the hint and saves me by revealing his vulnerability. “I’m Santa’s secret second son, and his biggest regret.”

Natalie’s eyes widen until the icy blue of her irises look like little snowflakes in her big eyes. “Excuse me? What the fuck? I thought Santa is supposed to be nice.”

Running a hand over his shortly shorn hair, Cole explains, “My father is retired now, and in his own way, he has tried to be nice over the years. But his grief has tainted his life. Nick, my older half brother and current Santa, took over the job much younger than is customary. Long story short, Santas have historically only had one child—a son. They’re all named Nick. But after the unexpected death of his wife, my father spent one night with my mom, a Christmas elf, and I was the very unexpected result.”

“Holy fuck. That must’ve been so hard,” Natalie says and places a hand on top of Cole’s.

I know this story so well, yet every time I think about it, anger and hurt on Cole’s behalf roil deep within me. I’ve wanted to speak up and tell his family how much he hates his job, about the labels put on him by the other elves, but he never wants me to step in. Says he’ll handle it himself, though he has yet to say anything to them.

Cole turns his hand over and squeezes Natalie’s. “It’s not been easy. Because of my Christmas-elf side, I’m bound to remain within the Arctic Circle, unless accompanying Santa on Christmas business—something I have never done before. I’m not really welcomed by the other elves since I’m seen as bad luck. Elves basically worship Santa, and he didn’t want me, so…”

“Where is Daddy Santa now?” Venom drips from Natalie’s words like she’s about to go out and search for him herself, ready to seek vengeance for Cole.

“In a cabin somewhere, wallowing his life away,” Cole answers with a grimace. “My brother works really hard to keep up Christmas cheer, making up for the gap my father has left. Despite being in his late thirties already, he hasn’t taken a wife yet, something very odd for Santas who usually get married quite young.”

“Do you hate your father?” Natalie’s straightforward question causes Cole to pause, thinking it over before he answers.

“No. I think grief can make people act out of character, they make mistakes. I know I was an accident and he regrets that I’m the walking embodiment of his moral failure when he still felt loyal to his wife, but my mere existence is a painful reminder of it all.”

“You’re really nice. Much nicer than I could ever be. I would’ve been bitter,” Natalie says with her mouth turned down and righteous fire burning in her eyes on Cole’s behalf. “Where’s your mom?”

“She lives in one of the toy-making villages. Last I heard, she got married.” Cole shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I know how hurt he was by his mom not inviting him to the wedding. She tried making some feeble excuse about the other elves maybe being uncomfortable with his presence. Thankfully, Cole didn’t fall for her lines and he ceased all contact with her right then.

Needing Natalie to understand how good Cole really is, I add, “This is also why Cole lives on the edge of town. He’s giving the Christmas elves space.”

Cole shrugs again but there’s a hint of pain in his eyes before he glances away and stares out the window. “I like my space, and if it can help the others be more comfortable, then so be it.”

“Isn’t it lonely?”

Natalie’s question has me holding my breath. I’ve always wanted more with Cole, but toward the end of every stay there comes a time when he pushes me away, saying a life with him bound to the Arctic wouldn’t be fair. I’ve wondered if he was embarrassed of me, or the way the elves fear me bothered him, but I think it’s because he thinks he won’t be enough for me.

“It’s fine,” Cole says and there’s a finality in his tone that indicates this conversation is done for now.

“Who’s hungry?” I ask, wanting to shift the focus away from Cole and onto something else.

Natalie picks up on what I’m trying to do, and gives me a lascivious once-over, gaze lingering below my belt. “I can think of something I’d like to eat.”

“Food first, then we can get back to talking about cocks and where we’re going to put them,” I say with a wink.

“Soon.” I don’t know if that single word from her is a request or a demand, either way, I’m in.