Chapter 17

CHAPTER17

He’d meant to tell her early on. Once they’d connected and he’d begun to feel things for her, he’d known that he needed to get it over with, but somehow… it never seemed like a good time.

The longer he left it, the harder it was to bring it up. He was always going to have to tell her, because she still had a choice to make. He just didn’t want to do it. Putting it off seemed better. It gave them more time.

In the beginning, he’d assumed any mate he chose would say yes, because of everything he could provide. His memories told him that mates often stayed because of the better quality of life, and he would give her that.

It had taken him very little time to realize it wouldn’t work that way with Aline. She didn’t care about the expensive things. The wealth was nice, and she certainly liked not having to scrimp or go hungry, but it wasn’t enough to keep her.

So he’d worried, because she seemed happy most of the time… but there were moments when he’d feel her sadness. Something was missing and he wasn’t sure what it was. There was a need that he wasn’t filling, and he had to have time to sort it out before she realized she wasn’t bound to him.

Days flew past, turning into weeks and then months. Now they were nearly at the end of the year, and he still hadn’t told her. When she asked, again, he made himself go through with it.

He wasn’t sure how it had gone. She hadn’t yelled or acted angry, but her questions had been pointed. They made him think maybe he’d done other things wrong in her eyes. She hadn’t said so but…

Was she upset that he hadn’t rescued her during the mugging? She’d been perfectly fine and hadn’t needed his help, so he couldn’t see why that would upset her. He didn’t know why him having her bag before they’d made the deal mattered either, but she’d had emotions about it. Lots of them.

She’d gone off to think and he’d left her alone for the rest of the day.

But the next morning they had breakfast together and everything seemed okay. She didn’t bring up the conversation from the day before, except to ask, “Do I have to decide now?”

He suppressed the flicker of disappointment. “No, you can decide any time before Krampusnacht.”

With a nod, she went back to her food. He relaxed, thinking she’d worked it through and put it out of her mind.

The November days passed quickly. He kept hoping she’d give him her decision early, but she didn’t. Still… everything seemed to be going well. Every day with her was a new adventure and he couldn’t wait to make everything final with her.

He started thinking about a gift to commemorate the day they became truly mated. It was difficult because he’d given her everything she could possibly want already. Most of it hadn’t impressed her much.

It had to be something special, something sentimental. Those were the things she liked best. Then an idea came to him.

Like most immortals he had developed a number of hobbies to fill the long span of time. He’d focus on one for years, only to set it aside once he’d mastered it. Then, maybe a decade or so later, he’d remember how much he enjoyed it, and pick it up again.

It had been a long time, but for a while he’d enjoyed making jewelry and he’d become quite good at it, before he’d moved on. Somewhere there was a workshop full of materials and old pieces he’d made, and he went to find it.

Something made by his own hands would be perfect. She would love it for the sentimental value. But he was going to make a specific item that would make it even better.

Master spent the next couple of weeks crafting an elegant silver collar, during the hours she slept. It was a lot of skills to relearn, and for the first week he struggled and had to start over repeatedly, but it gradually started to come back to him.

He wanted it to be simple, because she liked simple things, and light so it wouldn’t bother her to wear it daily. It ended up being two thin bands with filigree connecting them. He placed a row of small green stones at the center of the intricate metalwork, going all the way around.

It was finished on the last night in November, and he wrapped it carefully and hid it away to give to her at just the right time.

But that time never came.

On the first Day of December she came to him. “Master, can we talk?”

He set aside the book he was reading and smiled. “Of course. Do you want to come sit with me?” He held out his arms.

She shook her head and moved to sit in the seat opposite him. “I wanted to tell you that I’ve decided not to stay.”

His heart lurched in his chest. “What? Why?” I thought… are you still upset that I didn’t tell you about the deal?”

Aline hesitated and then shook her head. “I am a little, but it’s not that. I’ve just been thinking that maybe there’s someone better for you out there. Your choice was completely random. I just happened to be there. I know you’ve been trying to make it work anyway, but I don’t think that’s a good enough reason to stay together.”

“Trying to make things work? Aline, why would you think I don’t want you?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s how I feel.”

“Aline—zaychik, if there’s something I’ve done, we can talk about it.”

She looked away from him. “My answer is no. I won’t be your mate.” She said it so firmly he knew there was no point in trying to reason with her.

After a few seconds she continued, “If it’s okay, I’d just like to enjoy the time we have left. I’ll understand if you would prefer to avoid me for the next few days though.”

Master stared at her, frozen. There was a sense of disorientation, as if he was somehow distant from the scene. His upset was enough to attract the Collective, but he blocked them out of his mind without replying.

His bunny was running away again, and this time he wouldn’t be able to stop her. The rules were clear. She had to consent, or she had to be returned.

Krampus was set on her as his mate, and it was a struggle to make that side of him accept her choice. The beast wanted to bellow and destroy things and demand she stay.

He left the room, retreated to the deepest part of his home and vented his frustrations for hours before he felt it was safe to return to her. He resented that wasted time when he had so little left to spend with her, but it had been necessary.

When he returned, he was composed, though maybe a little distant. That was also necessary to keep his emotions in check. He did his best to enjoy the next few days with her.

There were moments when he could even forget she was leaving if he tried hard enough. It was harder when she was asleep. He didn’t want to let her go for even a minute, but holding her there while his thoughts raged was too difficult.

He decided to put the time to good use and began setting up a new life for her. Money was never an issue for any of them, and he wasn’t going to allow her to go back to that barren existence. Her apartment and everything she’d left behind would be gone, so he set her up with a new home.

He’d have given her a mansion, by his own choice, but she wouldn’t be happy alone in a sprawling pile of stone. And a visibly wealthy young single woman would attract the wrong kind of attention.

Instead he bought her a small place far outside of the city, with plenty of nature around. It was the kind of place she’d love. His wealth and power could make such things possible in a short window, and with a little time manipulation, he had the papers in her name by Krampusnacht.

Some shape-changing and illusion allowed him to set up a bank account in her name so that she wouldn’t want for anything. It was all very modest by his standards, but for her, it would mean a whole new life.

If she couldn’t be with him, then at least he’d know she would be safe and content. That was the most important thing in the end.

The fifth arrived. It was supposed to be his day… Krampusnacht. There was no celebration in him this year.

He knocked lightly on the bedroom door. “Aline? Are you ready to go?”

She swiped the back of her hand across her red eyes and nodded as she closed the suitcase she’d been packing. “Yes. Um… since I’m breaking our deal, I know you don’t owe me anything, but I didn’t think you’d have much use for the clothes and I left all my stuff behind so…”

“Of course, take anything you want. If you want I can transfer it all back to Earth.” He waved a hand at the closet. “It belongs to you.”

Her mouth turned up the corners slightly, an attempt at a smile. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’m going to need a lot of fancy clothes. I just took some of the regular stuff to get by until I can find a job.”

He came over and lifted the case off the bed. It was the same one he’d given her, but it was much lighter now. “Don’t forget you’ll feel a little sick when we travel,” he warned her. “Maybe hold onto my arm in case you get dizzy.”

She looped her arm around his and held it with barely any pressure. The affection he’d grown used to was absent in her touch. The funny thing was that he could still feel all her emotions crowding around in her mind. She didn’t actually want to leave, which made it hard to fathom her decision.

He took them directly to her new home and held onto her until she got her balance. It hadn’t affected her as much this time.

Once she was stable, she took a look around and then let go of him to slowly turn in place. “Uh… where are we?”

“Your new cottage.” His tone turned officious as he started ticking off the high points. “There are two bedrooms so you should have plenty of space. You mentioned once that your mother used to garden, and you missed it in the city, so I found a place with enough land for that out back.”

He took a few steps to the back door and opened it so she could see. But the cold winter wind swept in, and he closed it again quickly. “There’s electric heat, but there’s also a woodstove and plenty of logs just outside the back door.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m told the electricity can be spotty out here sometimes. So I wanted to be sure you had a way to keep warm. The water should be fine; you have a well, but the pump does work on electricity, so if it goes out, you’ll have to draw it up with a bucket. Now, the neighbor down the road is the one who sold me the house. He’s happy to come over if you have any problems. Apparently, this was his mother’s home and he’s—”

“Master.”

His name cut off the long ramble and pulled him up short. “Yes?”

“Why did you bring me here?” She folded her arms over her chest.

“I told you… this is your new home. The paperwork is in your name.” He reached down and scooped a folder off the table. “This has everything you need in it.”

“Why… how do I have a new home?”

“You always did like to ask a lot of questions, zaychik.” He sighed. “Did you really think I was just going to drop you on the street and leave?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t owe me anything. I broke the agreement, remember?”

“I don’t care about the agreement.”

“Listen, I don’t need you to throw money at me out of pity. I’ve been making my way for a long time, and I’ll be fine,” she said firmly.

“Pity? Is that what you think this is?” He shook his head. “This has nothing to do with pity.”

“Then what is it?” She stared at him, demanding an answer.

“It’s me making sure you’re taken care of, so I don’t have to worry about you.” He tried to keep his voice calm.

“Why would you worry about me? Listen—”

“Why?” The question burst from him at full volume. “Did you seriously just ask me why?”

“Yes! I broke our deal. I messed up the mate thing and now you’re going to be embarrassed in front of your family. You have no reason to want to do all these nice things for me.”

“No reason? She thinks I have no reason?” A snarl burst from him as he began to pace the length of the room. The second time he passed her, he turned and grabbed her by both arms.

Her feet left the floor as he yanked her up to eye level. “How about because I’m not leaving the woman I love destitute? Isn’t that enough of a reason, you ridiculous brat.”

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes rounded like plates, not blinking, just staring. “You… love me?”

“Of course I do!” He gave her a furious shake, and then put her down before he accidentally hurt her. “How can you even ask that? You know I love you.”

“How? How am I supposed to know you love me? You never told me, not even once.” She spat the words at him.

“Of course I did.” Then he stopped, frowning. “Didn’t I?”

“No.”

“I’m sure I did. I must have.”

She glared at him. “You definitely didn’t. I said it to you so many times, and… You. Never. Said. It. Back.” Each word stabbed at him.

“Oh.” Master swallowed, squinting as he tried to recall. He had a very good memory for details and… he couldn’t actually remember ever returning the words. “Well, I do.”

“Do what?”

“Love you! What have we just been talking about. I love you! I love you so much that I’ve been losing my mind at the thought of not having you. I love you so much that even though you chose to leave, I’ve been coming over to Earth while you slept, to make sure you had a place where you would feel safe and happy.”

She drew in a long deep breath and held it. Her eyes shut for several moments and when she opened them, she seemed calmer. “Why didn’t you just tell me that you loved me?”

“I don’t know.” He couldn’t keep the frustration out of his rising voice. “I’m not used to it. I’ve never loved anyone before. I didn’t realize that I’d never said it back.” He sighed and threw up his hands. “I guess I assumed you’d know from my actions.”

“Sometimes, Master, we need to hear the words too.”

“I’m starting to understand that now.”

“Since you never said it… what I assumed was that you didn’t want to be the first in your family to fail at getting a mate. I assumed that you were going to go ahead with this like an arranged marriage and hope to develop feelings later.”

“Where on Earth did you get an idea like that?” he demanded.

She just stared at him without answering.

After a second, he realized she’d thrown his own words back at him. “Oh. Right.” He sucked his teeth and blew out a loud breath. “That was the original plan, before I actually brought you home. Everything changed after that.”

“It probably would have been nice if you’d let me know that.” The anger was starting to drain out of her voice, but there were still two bright red spots at the center of each cheek. Her eyes sparkled with a glimmer of tears.

He wanted to pull her into his arms, but clasped his hands behind his back instead. “Would it have made a difference? Would you have said yes?”

Aline rolled her eyes. “Obviously, I would have said yes. I just told you I was in love with you, didn’t I?”

It really was a shame they hadn’t communicated better— okay, it was a shame he hadn’t communicated better. He was still getting the hang of emotions and relationships and he was fully willing to admit it was all his fault, but was it too late?

He poured through his memories and what he knew of the laws that bound him. He couldn’t recall anyone changing their mind after saying no, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t allowed. There was an easy way to find out.

“Aline.” She looked up at him. “Will you be my mate? Will you come home with me and be mine forever?”

There was a small gasping sound as she drew in a breath. “Is… am I allowed to change my mind?”

“Yes.” He hoped. Generally magic laws were impossible to break. If it wasn’t allowed, then it simply wouldn’t happen. She didn’t speak or move for nearly a minute. He wasn’t even sure she was breathing.

“I will.” The words were so faint he could barely hear them, but then she added, “Yes,” in a louder, firmer voice.

There was a feeling of connection as the bond kicked in between them. The magic tied them together in a tactile way that they could both feel. She looked startled and then a soft smile tilted her lips. “I can feel you.”

Relief shook him and his knees felt weak. He’d come so close to losing her, but she was his after all. His forever.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her so tight she squeaked. She was there in his mind now too, but he needed the pressure of her body against his to believe it was real.

She clung to him, trembling and they just stood like that for a while. “Master? What are you going to do with this house?”

He looked around the room and shrugged. “It’s yours. I gave it to you, so it’s your decision. Sell it? Summer home? A retreat for when I get on your nerves?”

“It’s a lovely gift. I would like to keep it, I think.”

That reminded him. “Actually, I have another gift for you.” He released her and felt around in his pockets. He’d been carrying it with him since he’d finished it, even though it seemed pointless.

“You’ve already given me too much, Master.”

“Hush, bunny. We’re mates now. That means everything I have is yours. But this…” He drew out the package and handed it to her. “I made this for you with my own hands.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? You made me something?”

“I did. Years ago I used to make a lot of things, but this one is special.”

She met his eyes, smiling, and then looked down at the package in her hands. She gave it a quick shake. “It’s light.”

“Yes.” When she just stood there looking at it, he laughed. “You know I’m not just giving you the package. There is something inside if you’ll just open it.”

The sarcasm made her roll her eyes, but she did untie the ribbon and pull the square of velvet open so she could look inside. A long ‘ohhhhhh’ of delight escaped her and she dropped the cloth on the table so she could hold the collar up to the light for a better look.

“It’s a necklace!”

He cleared his throat. “It’s a collar actually. If you look at the little medallion it’s engraved.”

She found the silver tag dangling from the front. “Master’s bunny,” she read.

“Flip it over.”

“So she always has someone to run to.” She looked at him and then burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.

He’d learned by now that emotional tears weren’t always bad, but he still had a flash of worry that he’d upset her. “Do you like it?” he asked as he wrapped her up in his arms.

The response was garbled and thick, but it sounded like a yes. “I know in the human world collars are considered appropriate sometimes, and I thought, well, I hoped, you’d be happy to wear this one.”

It took him a while to calm her down. The emotional catharsis was probably good for her, and it sounded like she’d been pushing things back for a while—so had he for that matter. Holding her was just as cathartic for him.

But once she finally stopped sniffling and clinging to him so desperately, he was able to place the collar around her neck. It fit perfectly… and set off another spate of tears, but those cleared up quickly.

He tipped her chin up so he could see her eyes. “Are you ready to go home, zaychik?” The question had weight to it. It meant something deeper.

She knew and took a deep breath before she nodded firmly. “I’m ready.”

“Good girl.” He pulled her into his arms, and they vanished, leaving the cottage empty.

He’d have to leave her later, to go pick up his victim for this Krampusnacht. Luckily, he already knew exactly who he would be torturing for the next twelve months. There was a certain garage owner, Lev, who was definitely due for a reckoning.

But he’d twist time so he could wait until she was asleep to take care of that matter. First, they were going to bond in a very physical and enthusiastic way. They were newly mated after all. It was expected.

The End.

If you haven’t read the rest of the series yet, you can find them here: The Krampus Collective Series