13. Krampus

A fter our breakfast with the elves, Calanis is adamant that she gives Candy a tour of the workshop. She holds my hand as the small elf shows us everything.

“Calanis is head of the fashion and textiles, it is a very prestigious position, appointed by Santa himself,” she boasts.

“That is very impressive. I can see why. This outfit is amazing.”

Calanis beams at my sweet cupid. “Calanis will make you more. The North Pole is far colder than Cupidale. My new best friend will need warm clothes.”

“What does that make me?” I ask in mock irritation.

“Claw will always be Calanis’ bestest friend,” she says, winking over at Candy.

We make our way through the workshop, elves greeting us and fawning over Candy.

“Don’t get too many outsiders, do you?” Candy whispers.

“No. Santa, the reindeer, and Claw are the only beings in the North Pole with access to the human realm,” Calanis says easily. “This is fine with the elves, do not worry. We enjoy our Christmas all year long at the North Pole.”

Candy nods in understanding, and it makes me even more curious about her.

“I’m going to take Candy to the stables. Thanks for the tour, Calanis.”

“Claw is most welcome. Calanis hopes to see Candy soon,” she says, hugging Candy around her legs.

Before we leave, I grab some carrots and sugar cubes, and portal us right to the stables.

Candy is immediately drawn to the horses, rubbing their noses and sharing soft-spoken words with each of them.

“Do you like Cupidale?” I ask her before giving a sugar cube to Cranberry.

“Yes, and no. I liked it more than I liked visiting the human realm, but there’s also a part of me that never felt like I fit in. It was easier to hide away in the Head Cupid’s mansion, organizing his things, taking care of his laundry, than it was making friends or putting myself out there.”

“But you seemed so confident the night of the Love in the Veil mixer,” I say, feeling confused by her words and the way I perceive her.

She’s running her gloved hand down the horse’s head as she speaks, her eyes welling with tears.

“Gloom convinced me to go. I was dressed, trying to pump myself up to get my ass to that party, but I was going to hide at Cupiō’s house the whole time. He gave me the confidence to go. Over the last few months, spending time with Gloom, Ladybird, and Cupiō has helped me rebuild my confidence.”

I start to open my mouth and she shakes her head. “You don’t need to apologize to me. You already have, and we’re here now. I almost wonder if I needed this time to find out who I really was, what I really wanted before I committed. I think I’m a better cupid for it.”

“I don’t know. I liked you in the big pink ball gown just as much as I liked you in that tight sexy red dress. You charmed me that night, and you charm me still. I…I don’t think we are all just one thing, or that we always stay the same. At least I hope not.”

“Are you worried about retirement?” she asks.

“Is it that obvious?”

She shrugs as she moves on to the next horse, feeding him before she answers.

“I think change is hard. How long have you worked for Santa?”

“Nearly five-hundred years.” She whistles. “How long have you been in Cupidale?”

“Nearly two centuries.”

“It makes you wonder how people in the human realm are meant to figure out their lives in such a short amount of time,” I say.

“You would think some of those life lessons would transfer over to our afterlife. Forgetting everything in your human life is kind of bullshit.”

“Maybe we are more like our former selves than we realize.”

“How so?” she asks.

“I have no doubt that I’ve been extremely good looking in every walk of life,” I joke and she smiles.

“I don’t doubt it either.”

“Come, walk with me. There’s something else I want to show you.” I take her gloved fingers and drag her out of the stables. “It’s just over this hill.”

We walk slowly so that Candy can manage the mass amount of snow.

“Did you like your job?” Candy asks.

“I liked living here, being with the elves, and mainly working two months out of the year.”

“But the rest?”

“Scaring the piss out of kids? Only sometimes. When I got to watch them turn their lives around, that was fulfilling. What about you? You didn’t like making love matches?”

She blushes. “I made a man fall in love with an inflatable whale.”

“Did he do what I think he did?” I ask, which is the only logical question one can ask when you find out a man is in love with a pool toy.

“Oh yes, and when he popped it, he was distraught. Cupiō was called in to reverse the love match and erase the man’s mind. He took pity on me. I think he was also lonely, living in that mansion all by himself. He offered me a job where I didn’t have to leave Cupidale and I took care of his house.”

“There was nothing romantic between you two?” I ask, maybe letting some jealousy hit me in the gut.

She snort laughs. “Cupiō? No way. He’s almost like a father to me. He gave me somewhere safe, but I think I got too comfortable there. Plus, I think the three of them want more privacy. I’ve walked in on more threesomes than I can count,” she says as we round the hill.

Candy gasps, her eyes widening as she takes in the ice castles before us.

“What is this place?”

“The elves call it the kingdom, but it’s just always been here. Whenever the elves decide to marry, they usually have the wedding here.”

“Can elves have babies?”

“Yes, it is very rare and only happens around every half a century or so,” I say, grabbing Candy by the waist and carrying her safely down the hill.

“Krampus, this is amazing.”

“It is.” My eyes remain on the cupid in front of me, not the ice castles as I reply.

“I think I really love it here,” she says, her gloved hand dragging against the stagnated ice surrounding us.

“You could stay, you know? I could add on to the cabin to make more room for you and Mortem. We could make this home base. Maybe I’m being presumptuous, especially since you and Mortem still have jobs, but?—”

Candy stretches, wrapping her hands around my neck.

“I’ll have to work something out with Cupiō and talk to Mortem, but I think I could see this place being home.”

Relief fills me as I adjust her pink knitted hat.

“I want to make you happy,” I tell her.

“Then we both want the same things,” she says, her eyes full of hope.

I put that hope there, that happiness there. I’m not used to being the catalyst of someone’s joy, and it feels wholly fulfilling.

“Follow me,” I tell her, leading her to an ice cave formation where hot chocolate and snacks are waiting for us along with a bench covered in blankets and pillows.

“This place really is magical,” Candy says, sipping her hot chocolate before turning to face me. She has a little touch of whipped cream on her upper lip. I rub it off with my thumb and place it in my mouth. “I meant what I said last night.”

“Going to need to refresh my memory. Candy, darling, a lot of amazing things were said and done last night.”

“About not being afraid of the other side of you. You’re not going to scare me away.”

Her eyes are pleading, and I swallow thickly. “All right,” I concede.

It’s evident that she needs this from me, that she needs to know every part of me. If she’s truly willing to move here, if we are going to make this work, then I need to put in every effort I can.

“We will need to go out to the forest—some of the elves don’t like my true form,” I admit, and Candy grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly.

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

Her hand stays firmly in mine as we leave the ice castles and I portal us into the forest. Ancient trees covered in snow surround us as we stand in an opening. The air is brisk with a sharp bite, and the surrounding area is quiet as I look down at Candy.

“Stand by that tree.” I point to the one furthest away, and she follows my orders as I begin undressing.

I’ve lost so many clothes from shifting unexpectedly. I have multiple cloaks Calanis has made me for my true Krampus form, but Candy is going to have to deal with me completely nude.

Once my clothes are off and placed carefully on the snow, I look out into the forest. What’s the worst that could happen? If she runs away in terror, I could immediately transform and promise to never shift in front of her again, even though I need the shift. My body craves to be let out in this way, but I can give her and Mortem alone time when I need to release this form. I can come out here and be alone as I always have.

I take a deep breath and I let it happen.

My feet turn into hooves, longer hair covering most of my body, mainly my legs and forearms; shorter hair riddles my chest, abdomen, and groin. My cock enlarges and hangs heavy between my legs. My horns grow, curling slightly around my elongated ears. What were once fingers are blackened claws. My forked tongue lolls out of my head, and I know my face looks different.

I’m no longer the handsome man she was instantly attracted to. I’m the monster who frightens children, whose legacy is based in fear. My tail swishes behind me and I worry about turning and letting Candy see all of me.

The petite cupid is already so much smaller than me in my human form that I’ll completely dwarf her in this one.

I close my eyes and turn, not wanting to see her initial reaction, giving her a moment, so she has time to school her features.

But when I blink open my eyes, Candy isn’t looking at me with fear. No, in fact, she’s looking at me like I’m wondrous and not monstrous at all.

She approaches me, her legs working overtime to step in the snow. She’s only a foot away from me as she removes her glove.

“Can I touch you?” she asks.

Her head only comes up to my belly button. I nod, not ready to talk. My larger canine teeth and my tongue make it harder to speak.

Candy strokes the hair on my forearms and inspects my claws. It’s weird being touched in my true skin. The only other person to touch me is Calanis so she could take my measurements for my cloaks.

“You’re so soft,” she says with a giggle. “And warm.”

Candy rubs her cheek on the downy fur of my arm, and I’m careful, making sure my claws don’t accidentally nick her with the sharpened side.

“Is your tail prehensile?” she asks.

I answer her by wrapping my tail around her calf, which makes her laugh even more.

Laughter in this form is never something I experienced; it’s mostly screams or absolute silence.

“You never have to hide from me, Krampus. I think you’re quite lovely in either form,” she says.

With all the tenderness I can muster in this form, I pick her up, being extra cautious of my claws.

She grabs on to one of my horns and tosses her other glove so that she can press her bare palm against my face.

“You’re beautiful,” she says, bringing her lips to mine in a complicated kiss.