Chapter 15

Niklaus

“Are you sure everything is loaded?” Damien, every inch the pint-sized dictator has a group of elves beside the sleigh nodding like synchronized puppets. “You’re positive? Nothing has been missed?”

“No, Luci…” My brow arches as the elf speaking sneaks a gaze towards me before clearing his throat. “No, Master Damien, we didn’t miss anything. We have protocols in place that we’ve been following for centuries.”

Oh, there’s definitely a touch of haughtiness behind that one, I just wonder if…

Damien’s eye twitches at the same rate as his tail.

Yep. He noticed.

“Do not sass me, little SHIH TZU !” Damien’s eyes narrow into tiny slits as he takes a threatening step towards the workers, who scatter, and I can’t help my chuckle as I walk over.

“Are you causing trouble?” I murmur, swooping in to kiss him behind his ear, and he shivers as he turns around with an incredibly innocent smile.

Terribly suspicious.

“Me? Little old moi? What is this… trouble that you speak of?” He pronounces it ‘trub-lay’ like he doesn’t understand what it means.

There’s not a soul on this planet that would believe the devil isn’t a handful.

But he’s my handful.

My sleigh, gleaming under the moonlight, is ready for departure, the final check completed by the group Damien so effectively scattered, leaving only the hushed anticipation of the night.

The reindeer are majestic in their crimson harnesses, the quiet jingling creating a merry tune as they shift restlessly between their hooves. An occasional, impatient bleat will ripple through the herd from time to time, the others mirroring it with their soft, downy noses shaking impatiently as they wait for their cue.

Through the cargo bay windows, the snowy landscape unfolds, fat snowflakes softly falling, a silent, shimmering spectacle against the backdrop of a star-studded sky.

It’s something I thought I’d miss this year.

Something I thought I’d have to give up forever.

Fate, however, has a wicked sense of humor, and it often throws a lifeline at us from the most unexpected places.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the elves and the demons, along with some heavy-handed managing by me, Damien, Cadbury, and Xalreth, we met our production goals with a day to spare. It left just enough time to sort and load the sleigh, and now we’re ready.

The entire North Pole is exhausted, including the legion of Hellions that are staying one more night to reap the benefits of their hard labor.

My unexpected saviors.

The demons were surprisingly pleasant to work with, despite the… trouble… with the curse filter. For the first couple of days, it was non-stop chaos, a symphony of random words being shouted in every corner of the overcrowded workshop.

OSHA, forgive me.

Once they got used to it, things calmed down. There were a few pranks, a handful of arguments, but by and large, everything went much smoother than I ever expected it to.

“I have a surprise for you,” I say as Damien smiles at me again, more genuine this time. From the bag at my side, I whip out a Damien-sized Santa coat—fluffy, red velvet with white fur-lined sleeves and neck. Imbued with my magic, it will keep him warm regardless of the icy winds or biting cold, at high altitudes and even higher speeds.

He grins as I slide it over his slender shoulders. “You think this looks better than my old coat? You clearly know nothing about fashion here in the North Pole,” he teases, but I notice the way he draws it around him and sinks into the warmth.

“You’ll need it tonight,” I say as I gesture towards the ladder onto the sleigh, and his smile fumbles.

“What?”

I lean in and drop a kiss on his surprised, pouty lips. “Christmas only made it this year because of you, Damien. You better be prepared to see this through to the finish line, because I’m not going anywhere without you.”

He licks his lips, then narrows his eyes, attempting to hide the way he’s affected. “Are you sure this isn’t an excuse to keep a closer eye on me?”

I chuckle, dropping another kiss on his temple. “A mere coincidence, I assure you.”

“So, I really get to ride with you in the sleigh? With…” His already wide eyes grow even rounder. “With the reindeer?!” That makes me laugh, a rich one straight from my belly that threatens to become a stereotypical Santa laugh, and he’s still doe-eyed as he stares. “But… but how does it work? There’s so many houses and so little time.”

I shrug, nudging him towards the sleigh. “Magic. ”

He climbs up, awe-struck, as the elves finish the preparations, poking and prodding at every switch and button, needing to touch everything as he explores. When we receive the final thumbs up, he grabs my hand and squeezes as I take the reins.

And then we’re off.

Being a gentleman, I won’t mention his rather undignified, almost childlike, squeal during takeoff. Or the way he holds onto me so tight, I’m convinced he’s caused a few hairline fractures.

Once the sleigh stabilizes, he relaxes, soon becoming brave enough to hang over the sides and stare down at the landscape far below. After he does his second round of exploring, he snuggles in beside me with a sigh, and I throw my arm over his shoulders.

High in the sky, moonlight shines through the snow that falls around us, framing his features in its gentle glow. “Thank you,” he whispers, so quietly I barely hear him.

“For what?” I tuck him into my side, where he nuzzles his face against my chest.

“For showing me what I was missing in life… and forgiving me when I was an idiot.” He tilts his head up, and I oblige him with another soft kiss. “For taking care of me and for teaching me what it’s like to be loved.”

“I have one more surprise for you. Reach into my sack…” I ignore his delighted snort of laughter, “… and pull out a present.”

“Oooh, is it for me?” he asks, diving towards the back and pulling out a gold-wrapped box .

“Sort of.”

He cocks a brow at me, and I wave at the box. “Open it.”

Paper goes flying as he rips into the gift, and his mouth sags as he stares into the packaging. “Is that…”

“A red-gemmed Decked Halls buttplug? Yes, Damien, it is.” He tilts his head at me in question, and I laugh again. “I had a discussion with the elves, and we figured out that people have been asking for more… risqué gifts for centuries, and they’ve always been ignored because it wasn’t ‘proper.’”

I lean in and grab his chin, forcing his eyes to mine. “And then a cheeky little Devil forced his way into my life and made me realize that sometimes, a bit of debauchery isn’t a bad thing.”

His grin stretches all the way across his face, wrinkling the corners of his eyes. “So, what you’re saying is Santa’s bringing sex toys this year?” Another loud laugh booms from my belly as the first town comes into sight in the distance.

“This Christmas, Santa’s doing things just a little differently.” I hesitate, and his eyes find mine in curiosity. “And as it turns out, I might need someone to head that department… if you know of anyone who might be sticking around for a while.”

His smile is sweet, lacking the normal sass that he carries, and he leans in for a kiss that I happily give him. “As it turns out, I think I might know just the guy.”

We kiss for a few minutes as we edge closer to civilization, and I begrudgingly separate us and gesture at the box in his hand. “There’s lube in the side compartment. You’re to put that in and leave it until we’re back. I want you stretched and ready for me.”

He reaches over, finding the bottle and shaking it at me. “You going to come down my chimney, Santa?”

“Only if you stay on the Naughty List, Damien.” We both laugh at that, because there’s no risk of his name being moved to the nice list. He’s the Devil… he doesn’t need a title to be mischievous and sneaky, crass and demanding, but most of all?

He’s mine.

Horns and all.