“Santa says: be my good little reindeer, darling, and run.”

The pine trees are dusted in sparkling snow, a stark contrast against the pitch-black night drenching the mountainside. Snow swirls around the cabins nestled cozily along a winding, private road, covering everything with its billowy, soft embrace. Each flake concealing my deep, dark holiday tradition.

She was never part of my plan, and yet she has always remained an object of my obsession. A link to my past, the only remaining thread of my humanity. When Hazel’s uncle left her his mountainside vacation home in his will, I knew adding one tiny stipulation would deliver her to my doorstep—and right into my dangerous arms. A weekend alone to establish residency seems like a reasonable request.

Will my sweet temptation become my next victim, or does she have what it takes to love someone like me?

This year, Hazel will be hunted for Christmas.