21. Mel

CHAPTER 21

MEL

M y knuckles whiten on the steering wheel as I scan each passing street. No sign of blue fur or horns anywhere. The streets blur together after three hours of searching.

"Where are you, you oversized blueberry?"

The phone buzzes against the cup holder. I swerve to the shoulder and grab it before the first ring ends.

"Krampus?"

"Miss me already?" His gravelly voice sends relief flooding through my chest.

"You stupid alien, I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere!" My hand trembles as I press the phone closer.

"Your concern is touching. Though I should point out that Earth ditches pose no threat to me."

"Where have you been? I've been driving all over looking for you."

"Staten Island. I'll text you the address. Bring coffee - the good kind, not that instant will you drink."

"You disappear for hours and now you're making beverage demands?"

"I prefer to think of it as providing detailed mission parameters." He says.

The text comes through with an address. I punch it into the GPS while trying not to smile at his ridiculous coffee snobbery.

"Fine. But when I get there, you better have a good explanation." I say.

"Don't I always?" He says.

"No. No you don't."

His rumbling laugh fills the car before he hangs up. I merge back into traffic, following the GPS directions toward Staten Island. The relief of hearing his voice mixes with irritation at his cavalier attitude. Still, knowing he's safe lets me breathe easier than I have all morning.

The GPS leads me to a run-down warehouse district. Broken windows and graffiti decorate the concrete walls. Perfect alien hideout material. I park behind a dumpster and grab the coffee carrier.

"This better be worth the forty-minute drive." The winter wind whips my hair as I hurry to the rusty door.

"In here." Krampus' voice echoes from inside.

Red scales shimmer across humanoid features. A forked tongue flicks out to taste the air. My fingers go numb around the coffee carrier.

"Mel, meet Pyke." Krampus takes the coffee before I drop it. "Don't worry, he's mostly harmless."

The lizard man - Pyke - inclines his head. "Ms. Carson. We've been monitoring your situation with great interest."

"Monitoring?" My voice comes out higher than intended. "Who's we?"

"Veritas. We're an organization from the future, like your other alien acquaintances. Our sole purpose is protecting the human timeline from grolgath interference."

My head spins. More time travelers? More aliens? "Wait, so you're telling me there are good guy aliens?"

Pyke's scaled features remain impassive. "That's correct."

The implications hit me like a truck. I turn to Krampus. "But that would make you..."

"One of the bad guys," Pyke finishes.

Krampus throws back his head and laughs, the sound echoing off the warehouse walls. "You say it like it's a terrible thing."

"I don't care about your war or your timeline or any of that." The words burst out before I can stop them. "I just want my daughter to be safe. To grow up happy and normal without looking over her shoulder for aliens."

"We can help with that." Pyke's scales shift in an iridescent pattern. "Both of you."

I cross my arms, studying his reptilian features. "Why do you even care? What's one human timeline to you?"

"Well, I am married to a human woman," Pyke says.

The coffee cup slips from my fingers. Krampus catches it before it hits the ground.

"You're... what?" My mouth hangs open. "That's possible?"

"Very possible." His forked tongue flicks out in what might be amusement.

"Do you have..." The question feels invasive but I can't help myself. "Children?"

"Grandchildren," Pyke answers with a wink. "Some of our children are younger than our grandkids, which kind of makes family reunions weird."

Pyke pulls up a holographic display from his wrist device. The familiar shape of my office building rotates in blue light.

"This isn't just an office building. It's a fully functional starship in disguise."

"A what now?" I squint at the image. "I've worked there for over a year."

"The perfect cover." Pyke's tongue flicks out. "But if we activate the launch protocols, Gregor and his people will have no choice but to leave Earth."

"And go where exactly?"

"Back to their own time. With their cover blown, they can't stay here without drawing attention."

Krampus crosses his arms, his fur bristling. "What's stopping them from coming back?"

"The temporal displacement costs too much energy. One-way trip only." Pyke zooms in on the building's lower levels. "We just need to reach the control room here."

My finger traces the path through the hologram. "That's near my old desk. I know every security camera and guard post."

"Perfect." Krampus grins, showing those impressive teeth. "When do we start?"

"Tonight." Pyke switches off the display. "The night shift has minimal staff."

I take a deep breath. Breaking into my workplace to launch it into space - definitely not how I expected this week to go. But if it means keeping Sam safe...

"I'm in."

"Excellent." Krampus cracks his knuckles. "I've been wanting to punch Gregor in his smug face again anyway."

"No punching." Pyke's scales ripple. "This needs to be quiet and clean."

"You're no fun." Krampus pouts, but I catch the gleam in his eye. He's already planning something, I can tell.

"So we sneak in, flip some switches, and they blast off?" I ask. "Seems too easy."

"The simple plans often work best." Pyke hands me what looks like a key card. "Everything you need to know is loaded on this."

Krampus snatches the key card from my hand, examining it with those piercing eyes. "Let's get moving. Your parents' place first."

The drive feels shorter than usual, probably because my mind keeps drifting to what's coming next. My hands tremble slightly on the wheel.

"Too bad I won't get to give you your Christmas present." I glance sideways at him.

"Oh?" His ear twitches. "What kind of present?"

I shift in my seat, letting my leg brush against his thigh. "The kind that comes unwrapped."

His fur bristles, and a low rumble escapes his throat. "Is that so?"

I pull into my parents' driveway and cut the engine. Before he can move, I slide onto his lap, pressing myself against his broad chest. His arms encircle me automatically.

"Promise me something." I trace a finger along his jaw.

"Anything." His voice comes out rough.

"Promise you'll come back to me. Alive."

His mouth captures mine in response, hot and demanding. My fingers tangle in his fur as he deepens the kiss. When we break apart, I'm breathless.

"That's my Christmas present to you." He brushes his thumb across my lower lip. "I'll be back by morning to watch Sam open her gifts."

"You better be." I rest my forehead against his. "Or I'm returning your present."

His laugh rumbles through both our bodies. "Now that would be truly criminal."

"Kevin got called in for an emergency surgery." The lie slides off my tongue easier than expected as I hang up my coat. "A little girl needs heart surgery."

"Oh, the poor dear." Mom clasps her hands together. "And on Christmas Eve too."

"That's the kind of man you need, Melinda." Dad nods approvingly. "A doctor who puts others first."

"He's certainly...unique." I bite my lip to keep from laughing.

"And so handsome." Mom sighs. "Those blue eyes of his. Did you see how they sparkle?"

If she only knew those sparkles came from alien tech. "Yes, Mom. I noticed."

"Well, we should get some sleep." Dad yawns. "Big day tomorrow. Will Kevin join us for Christmas breakfast?"

"He...promised to try."

They head upstairs, still gushing about my wonderful doctor boyfriend. The moment they're gone, my smile falls away. The coffee maker gurgles as I start another pot, though I'm already jittery from the last three cups.

The grandfather clock ticks away each endless second. My bare feet wear a path in the carpet as I pace. What if something goes wrong? What if Gregor catches them? What if I never see him again?

The thought squeezes my chest until I can barely breathe. When did this happen? When did this crazy blue alien become so important to me?

I press my forehead against the cold window pane, watching the empty street. Snow falls in lazy spirals, coating everything in pristine white.

"Please come home to me." The words fog the glass. My heart aches with the truth I've been avoiding. "I love you."

The confession hangs in the silence of the sleeping house. Three words I never thought I'd say again after Mark left. Yet here I am, in love with an alien fugitive from the future.

The clock strikes three, and I've given up pretending to sleep. My mind races with thoughts of Krampus. Blue fur, sharp teeth, alien tech and all - none of that matters anymore.

"This is insane." I pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders. "I'm in love with an alien."

The words should terrify me. They don't. Instead, a warm certainty spreads through my chest. When did his gruff voice and ridiculous demands become the highlight of my day? When did his protective nature and genuine care for Sam become more important than his otherworldly origins?

My ex-husband was human, and he walked out on us without a second thought. Krampus might be from another planet, but he's stayed. He's fought for us. Protected us.

The sound of movement downstairs makes me bolt upright. Heavy footsteps - too heavy for Mom or Dad. My heart pounds as I slip out of bed.

I catch my reflection in the mirror. My hair's a mess, I'm wearing ratty pajamas, and I probably have circles under my eyes from no sleep. But I don't care.

"To hell with it." I smooth down my hair. "I'm telling him everything."