Chapter 11

Niklaus

Christmas deadlines are pointed at me like the barrel of a gun, and I’m just waiting for someone to pull the trigger. Everything is behind schedule, and if things continue at the current rate they’re going, we’ll be at a three percent shortage come Christmas Eve.

It sounds so small, doesn’t it? So insignificant.

But when you consider the sheer number of people on the planet, three percent starts to look a whole lot more substantial. Elf populations have dwindled in the past few decades, for no other reason than fewer children have been born. And knowing this, knowing we would fall short, I failed to act.

My approach has been too lax, too lenient , all because I didn’t want to upset the elves by asking them to put in the extra hours needed. I’m suffering the consequences of my own soft heart.

Cadbury’s familiar knock taps against my door, and I invite him inside. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Yeah,” I grunt, still staring at the endless papers before me.

“Sir?” he nudges, and I realize I’ve just been sitting in silence for a long stretch. “Is everything alright?”

“We’re behind schedule, Caddy, and it’s my fault.”

“You can’t shoulder all of that blame, sir. There are thousands of us here.” He puts a hand on his hip as he raises a strict brow at me, anticipating my argument before it even forms on my lips.

“The elves will have to pick up extra shifts over the next week and a half, and even then, I’m not sure we’re going to make it.”

“You’ve never failed us, Niklaus, and I have every confidence this year will be no different. I’ll speak with the department leaders about increasing hours. They’ll do whatever it takes to help you. We are here to serve, sir. Don’t forget that.”

My chest rises with a deep breath as I attempt to latch onto the assurance in his words, but it’s a struggle. I wasn’t born into this life. Even though my mother and I came to live at the North Pole when I was young, stepping into the role of Santa didn’t come naturally to me. Bernard’s abrupt passing has forced me to find my own way through the transition.

It has taken me years to become confident in the job, and I expect it will require many more years for me to be content with my progress. My discipline has always been my driving force, but now my emotions for Damien have clouded even that.

And speaking of the Devil…

“There will be a delegate from the supernatural mail system here later for a meeting with me and The Lucifer.”

“Very well. I’ll be on the lookout for their arrival.” He hesitates, and when I glance at him, there’s a familiar curiosity in his eyes. “How much longer do The Lucifer and his companion plan to stay in the North Pole?”

“Why? Is it causing issues?”

“No, no, it’s just that… the elves have been talking and…” My hackles rise knowing they’ve been gossiping.

“And?” I ask, my voice colder than I intend.

“And, well, I can’t help but wonder if he’s a bad influence on the elves.”

I sit back in my seat, pulling the side of my cheek between my teeth. “Has there been trouble I’m unaware of?”

“No, sir, but—”

“Has The Lucifer been causing problems, or disrupting work, or speaking inappropriately to the elves?”

“Not that I’m aware of— ”

“Then what exactly is the problem?”

Caddy stares at me for a long second before he gives a slow shake of his head. “There is no problem.”

“We don’t have the luxury of idle gossip and running mouths while we’re this far behind schedule. If there’s time to indulge in rumors, they can find the time to help me get this Christmas caught up.”

“Of course, sir,” he says, bowing his head. “Is there anything else you need from me?”

“No, that’s all.” He bows again and leaves me to my thoughts, but they just keep returning to one place.

“Thank you for joining us today, Arryn,” I say as I lead the shapeshifter into our formal dining area. The governing body for supernaturals is diverse, with representatives from all factions, but the communication department is primarily run by shapeshifters. This gives them the ability to move between realms unnoticed and blend into their surroundings.

Right now, Arryn appears as a human woman with long brown hair and a soft smile, and it’s no doubt meant to put us at ease. Their natural appearance is much more sinister, with an unnaturally large mouth filled with needle-like teeth .

Not something you want to be on the wrong end of.

“I must say, everyone at the office was very intrigued when we received a request for a joint meeting with The Santa and The Lucifer. It was quite the competition to decide who would attend.” Her eyes take a slow perusal up my body, an obvious suggestion in them.

Damien narrows his eyes at her. “And how did you win?”

She flashes him another of those unnervingly serene smiles. “Brute force, naturally.”

“Naturally.” He matches her sinister smile with one of his own, and I clear my throat before either of them gets any wild ideas about testing their strength. I don’t think Arryn would be stupid enough to challenge Damien, but one never knows.

People are always a little dumber than we give them credit for.

My hand lands on the small of Damien’s back, and I steer him towards the table and pull his chair out for him. Arryn’s brows fly up, but she smartly doesn’t say a word. She sits before I can offer the same courtesy to her, and I take my seat right as a group of elves walks in with our meal.

Once everything is sat in front of us, I gesture at the food—a shrimp scampi with asparagus that smells divine. “Please, this is informal. Eat while we talk.” She nods and takes a bite, letting her eyes roll up in her head as she releases a delighted moan.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Damien purrs as he leans over and grips my forearm, giving it a light squeeze. “Nik—oh, excuse me, The Santa is so good at spoiling his guests.”

“And… how long have you been a guest here?” she asks, cocking her brow as she takes another bite.

“Long enough to be quite spoiled.” He slides his fork between his lips and holy fuck, it should not be as provocative as it is.

I put some warning into my throat clearing, and he glances over and tosses me a wink. “We’ve called you here to discuss some distribution issues with the mail system… although it’s no fault of yours,” I quickly add as I see her defenses rise. “It’s mere human error, but something we really can’t eliminate at the source.”

Placated, she settles back into her chair and gestures for me to continue. “Alright, I’m listening.” Startled by a light touch on my leg, I glance down to find Damien’s tail flicking playfully on the inside of my calf.

“Something wrong, Nik?” he asks as it skates higher, swirling in circles around my knee.

A second clearing of my throat gives me the composure to smile calmly. “Of course not, I apologize. The Lucifer has been getting the occasional letter mistakenly made out to Satan instead of Santa , and it is becoming a hindrance.”

“Just how many letters are you receiving for it to be a problem, Lucifer?”

I open my mouth, but he speaks over me as his tail lashes against my thigh like a whip, and I suck in a sharp breath at the sting. “Enough for it to be annoying, and enough for me to deem it needs to be fixed.”

“Alright, I’ll bite. What exactly do you want us to do about it?”

“We’ve thought that through as well,” I say, attempting to maintain my poker face as Damien’s tail slithers up my thigh like a snake, my cheeks heating as it brushes between my legs. “Da—The Lucifer and I have agreed to split a task force. One of his minions or one of my elves will help sort through his intended mail for the day and reroute any letters that are obviously meant for me.”

“Obvious how?” she asks, and I shudder as his tail drags up the length of my cock.

“Oh, you know,” he purrs, stroking in a rhythm now. “Anything with candy stripes or Christmas trees drawn on the envelope.” My knees spread as I scoot forward in my seat, giving him access as my erection pushes against my pants. His smile is scandalous as he leans his elbows on the table.

“Alright, that makes sense, but some will still sneak through.”

“You just let me take care of those.” Damien tosses her a wink as she shrugs.

“I see no issue with it, provided that they finish sorting before the mail is sent out and don’t impede the workers.”

“Fantastic!” Damien says with a giant smile. Up and down, his tail strokes me, and I’m content for him to carry the conversation as I soak in the pleasure that’s rippling through my body .

“Well, this was… surprisingly uneventful,” Arryn says, unaware of what’s happening under the table. Something tells me if she knew, her opinion about the eventfulness of this dinner would change in a heartbeat. “While I’m here, do you think I could see the workshop? Check it off my bucket list?”

“Uh, of course,” I stutter, trying to figure out how to stand without putting my rock-hard cock on display, when Damien solves my conundrum and yells for Cadbury.

Mere seconds later, his head pops in the door. “You rang, Lucifer?”

Damien’s catty grin suggests he is enjoying having my staff at his beck and call. I shake my head and turn to Cadbury. “Would you be so kind as to offer Ms. Arryn here a tour of the workshop?”

“Of course, sir.” He gives her a cheerful smile, which she returns as she stands from her chair. “Right this way, Arryn, and let me treat you to a mug of hot cocoa.”

As soon as the door closes behind them, my attention snaps to Damien, who drops to his knees beside my chair and cups my cock through my pants. He drags his hand along my length as I groan, rolling my hips into his touch. “You are going to get me into so much trouble,” I mutter as he leans in and nips my bottom lip before giving me an insistent kiss.

“You can cheat and take your name off the naughty list, I won’t tell,” he teases, and I laugh as he drops onto all fours and disappears under the table. “Dam—” My words are cut short as he yanks my chair forward, causing the edge of the tabletop to jab my ribcage. He pushes the tablecloth over my lap, and I can’t see him… can only feel his hands as they slide up my thighs.

“Fuck,” I moan as he unbuttons my pants and slides my zipper down, pulling out his prize.

“You’re so fucking big,” he purrs as a drag of wet heat meets the tip of my cock, and I moan louder as he chuckles. “Someone’s sensitive.”

“It’s like you’ve put a blindfold over my eyes, Damien.” His chuckle forms, low and raspy, deep in his throat as he takes the head of my cock inside his mouth and gives me a gentle suck, and my head falls against my shoulders as my hips snap forward, wanting more. Every sense is heightened as fingers wrap around my shaft, swirling his tongue as he pumps me slowly.

My knees spread further, my eyes rolling into my skull at the warm swipes and insistent draws. “Fuck, that’s amazing,” I groan as I reach under the table to find his head. His tail grabs my wrist and holds it still, not allowing me to take charge as he sucks me deeper into his mouth. I try to thrust forward again, but he expects it and uses his other hand to pin my hip in place.

“Goddamn it, Damien, you’re driving me crazy,” I mutter as I struggle against his grip, wanting nothing more than to fuck his mouth until tears streak his cheeks. Instead, he holds me there, sucking me with a patient, controlled rhythm. “Think you can take charge, do you?” I murmur as he hums a contrite little sound that tells me he does. His lips tighten and his suction increases, and I struggle, needing more, as spit slicks down the length of my dick.

Footsteps in the hallway cause me to freeze. “Damien,” I hiss, but he only releases a quiet moan as he sucks the tip of my cock. “Damien!” I fight against his hold, then sit up straight as the door swings open and Arryn and Cadbury return.

If I thought this would be enough for Damien to stop, I was sorely mistaken.

Cadbury nods as he heads into the hallway, and Arryn glances around before sinking into her chair. “Where did The Lucifer disappear to?” she asks right as he takes a few more inches in his mouth, not even attempting to hide the slick sounds of his sucking.

“Something important came up,” I say with the straightest face possible, a huff of breath blowing against my groin as he laughs. “How was… ngh … how was your tour of the workshop?” I clear my throat as Damien’s tongue slides along the base of my cock, slathering me in his spit that drips a slow trail down my length.

“Delightful! It really is fascinating to see how things are done up here.”

“Fascinating,” I parrot. It’s all I can manage, because my brain has been reduced to mush. Damien’s lips seal around me in a tight ring and he slides down until the head of my cock bumps the back of his throat. “Very… very fascinating.”

“Um, yes, well… When you’re ready to implement your plan, just send word directly to me in a letter and we’ll finish coordinating. ”

“Very well… a letter.” Arryn stares at me, bewildered, for a few seconds, because I’ve turned into a bumbling idiot, and she’s no doubt waiting for me to be a gentleman and escort her out. A quiet gag sounds from under the table, and I cough again to cover it. “Excuse me for being rude, but stress has me under the weather. If you’ll step into the hall, Cadbury will see you out.”

“Very well. I look forward to hearing from you, Santa.” She has that sultry expression on her face once more, and I jolt as Damien lightly sinks his teeth into my shaft.

“Likewise,” I breathe, and she finally, finally , walks out the door and Cadbury’s voice fades down the hallway as he escorts her. My chair pushes away from the table with a loud, protesting screech as I toss the tablecloth aside, exposing Damien. He’s beautifully desperate, on his hands and knees, flushed face glistening with saliva and cock pressing against his pants. The whimper he releases is obscene as he humps the air, the fabric soaked with his pre-cum until a clear, glossy thread precariously hangs.

“Get out here,” I growl, standing with my spit-slicked cock jutting out. He crawls out and kneels in front of me, rubbing his cheek against my erection and spreading the sticky dampness between us. He tugs at my pants until they bind around my thighs, then ducks his head and sucks one of my balls into his mouth .

“Did you enjoy that? Listening to me talk to her while she had no idea you were under there, choking on my cock?”

“Mm hmm,” he moans, slurping and licking along my sac, tugging the skin between his lips.

“And what if you’d been caught?”

There’s a wet pop as he releases me, resting his cheek against my hip as he stares up at me with those honey-brown eyes full of lust. “Then I guess she’d have to decide whether she wanted to watch or get the fuck out while I finish what I started.”

“Cheeky thing,” I mutter, dragging my thumb over the mess on his chin, tilting his face even higher. “On your feet.” He scrambles to stand, and I lift him with eager hands, throwing him over my shoulder. Needy little slut that he is, he moans and grinds his hips, rutting his cock against me as he shamelessly searches for relief. My free hand sweeps over the tabletop, clearing a spot before I drop him on it.

He’s nothing more than putty in my hands as I shove his shoulders, his back hitting the table with a thud. I circle around to the opposite side and pull him towards the edge, watching as his head drops to hang freely. “Good boy,” I purr as his lips pop apart, waiting obediently. “Your mouth is going to be occupied, little prince. If you need to stop, tap my leg three times, okay?”

He barely has time to nod before I thrust, burying myself in the heat of his mouth as he coughs in surprise. I hold there, with my cock lodged in his throat, and lean in to drag my fingers through the damp spot on his pants. “Such a leaky boy, with that pretty little cock getting so wet.”

My hips pull back and he sucks in a quick breath before I drive forward again, loving the pulse of his muscles spasming around me. He tries to catch suction, but my movements are too rough as I plunge into his mouth, and he pops off with a wet slurp every time. I work his zipper open and free his cock, his red skin flushed and his crown slick with his arousal.

My palm drags over his cheek, massaging the spit into his skin. “I’m going to fuck your throat now, sweet Damien.” His watering eyes widen as I press forward, meeting the resistance of his muscles as his body tries to push me away. “Relax,” I murmur, rubbing my hand along the column of his neck. “Relax and let me in.”

He takes a stilted breath through his nose, and I groan as the muscles yield, allowing me to break through their barrier. My eyes are locked on his neck, watching the bulge of my cock stretch him. With a snarl, I give a final thrust, and I’m seated inside him so deep, his lips push against the skin of my groin.

“You’re doing so good, taking all of me like this,” I murmur as I pull back a few inches and thrust forward, and his body tightens in a muffled cough.

I place my palm on his throat as I do it again, punching my hips with more power this time. “Fuck, I can feel my cock inside that slender little neck. It barely even fits, but look at how well you take it, sitting perfectly still like a good boy.” Movement catches my eye, and I glance up to watch his dick bounce, a small burst of white leaking from his slit and rolling down his length.

“You’re about to come just from being used, aren’t you?” He chokes on another cough as I slide in and out of his throat, squeezing his neck from the outside as the grip around my cock tightens. “Such a good little cocksleeve, letting me use all these holes however I want. I’m going to fill you from every end, little prince, until it drips out of you, and then I’ll do it again. You’ll be too limp—too used —to do anything but fucking take it.”

A muffled cry vibrates up my length as he thrusts into the air. A deep chuckle leaves me at his needy desperation, and I speed up, holding his throat for support as I fuck it. “That’s right… you’ll be laying there, too blissed out to even move, and I’m just going to keep fucking you until your holes are all stuffed and raw.”

His hips jerk up once, then a second time, and on the third, he falls apart. He's as beautiful as a work of art as his back arches and he lets go, eyes squeezed closed and pink lips stretched around me. Streams of his release roll down his cock as it twitches, pitiful wails muffled between his lips as I stare, enraptured.

“Gods, you’re fucking perfect,” I rasp as I thrust faster, and spit explodes from the corners of his mouth as I drive into him, flooding his flushed face in rivers.

Covered in his own thick release, his cock is still hard, and I groan as my every muscle tightens. “That wasn’t enough for the greedy little prince, was it? You want more.” His body jolts as I drive between his spit-slicked lips, clear strands webbing between our bodies, soaking my crotch and his face. My head throws back as I mindlessly fuck into him, fighting my need to let go and holding out until I feel like I’m being ripped apart at the seams.

With a shout, I bury myself as I let go, gasping in relief as the tension wrings itself from my muscles. My hand squeezes over his neck, feeling the pulses of my cock as my cum floods his throat. His name becomes a chant as I thrust forward, trying to get even deeper, until the table scrapes over the floor with the power of my thrusts.

His hips are lifting off the tabletop again, desperate and ready to blow. Once the final waves of my orgasm fade into aftershocks, I pull out and he fills his lungs with a drawn-out gasp. Tears and spit streak his cheeks, his skin is flushed and angry, and his lips are swollen with droplets of cum leaking from the corners.

“Wrecked for me… so fucking beautiful this way,” I whisper, rubbing my hand down his filthy face as he stares at me, adoring. “You just sit right there, sweet boy.”

Circling the table, I grasp his legs and drag him to the far side, licking him clean and savoring the taste of his release while he struggles to push deeper into my mouth. “Watching you come like that? The way you lose control is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” I murmur as I tease him.

“Please, Nik,” he whines, his voice throaty and used. “I can’t take any more… just give me what I need. ”

“Since you asked so nicely,” I say, holding his eyes while I drop my head, taking him all the way to the base. He whimpers, a hand threading into my hair, then gives a single pump into my mouth. Another thrust and a loud, pleading moan tears its way from his throat, and his knees lift, the bottoms of his feet landing on the table. I suck harder as he thrusts with more power, his tail thrashing as he fucks into my mouth.

“Daddy, please… please, Daddy, please,” he whimpers, his entire body quivering as his knees fall apart, hips tensing as his mouth hangs open in a silent shout. The base of his cock thumps against my lips as he spills over my tongue, gasping and moaning as his thighs quiver and shake.

When his body slacks against the table, I suck up and off his cock and let it land on his stomach. I hover over him with my hands on either side of his head, and his sated, hooded eyes cause my heart to thunder inside my chest. It’s like we don’t even need words as he parts his lips, ready and waiting as his cum slides from my mouth, dripping onto his tongue in a creamy puddle.

“Good boy,” I whisper, watching his tongue swirl his release, holding it for me obediently until I press my lips to his. I kissing him lazily, like we have all the time in the world, as both of our pulses slow. I pull back and rest my forehead against his, terrifying, forbidden thoughts racing through my head. “Come on,” I say, voice rough, “let’s get you cleaned up.”