Chapter 3

Holly woke the next morning to the sound of soft purring and the weight of something warm and solid nestled against her side. Blinking her eyes open, she found Hexi sprawled lazily next to her, leaning on her hip.

His tail flicked in what was his typical early morning irritation. It didn’t matter what time she woke up, it was never early enough for him and his feeding schedule. Hexi liked his breakfast. And to be honest, his lunch and dinner, too.

“Good morning to you, too, you handsome grump,” Holly mumbled, rubbing her eyes as the events of the previous night slowly came back to her. The storm, the vampire, the hot chocolate … and the fact that she had somehow fallen asleep on the couch. She didn’t remember moving from the chair. Had Demetrius put her here?

Someone had also covered her with one of the knitted blankets, and Moonshadow was curled at her feet, not seeming to mind the company in the slightest. Even her knitting had been placed back into her yarn bag.

Demetrius, on the other hand, was no longer in his armchair. In fact, he was no longer in sight. Had he gone to sleep in the other bedroom? The space where he had sat was empty, save for a neatly folded blanket draped over the back.

Holly stretched, carefully moving Hexi off of her, and got up. The fire was still going, so Demetrius must have added wood to it. She made her way to the window. The snow had stopped falling, but everything as far as she could see was blanketed in a thick layer of glittering white. The world looked peaceful and serene, as if Nocturne Falls itself had been wrapped in a cozy winter spell.

She yawned, her breath fogging up the window slightly, and turned back to the room. Demetrius’s absence worried her for a moment—had he gone out into all of that snow? Vampires weren’t exactly known for taking early morning walks, but she wasn’t sure what his usual routine was like.

What she did know, although it had briefly slipped her mind, was that Demetrius, just like his siblings, had been born a vampire from two vampire parents. Not turned. That made it possible for them to daywalk, unlike their parents, who had both been turned.

With the sun’s rays not an issue, maybe he’d made the trek to his family’s place to check on things. No doubt that would be on his mind.

Before she could dwell any further on what he might be up to, she heard the soft creak of the kitchen door, and a moment later, Demetrius appeared, carrying a bundle of firewood. He stepped inside, little clumps of snow still stuck to his boots, his angular features made even sharper by the morning light.

“Good morning,” he said, his voice low and smooth, as if he had already been awake for hours. Which he probably had been. Vampires didn’t need as much sleep as everyone else, did they?

“You’re up early,” Holly remarked, brows lifting. Despite what she’d just been thinking about, she decided to tease him. “I thought vampires slept until noon.”

Demetrius shot her a look as he set the firewood in the log holder by the hearth, then went to hang his coat up. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t sleep all day. Or in a coffin.”

“Did you sleep at all?”

“I did. Some. I made coffee, too.”

“Thanks. I’ll definitely be having some of that.” She headed for the kitchen but stopped halfway. “Want some breakfast? I was thinking pancakes and bacon.”

“None for me, but thanks.”

“Really? You can say no to pancakes and bacon?” With a shrug, she went into the kitchen.

“I can say no to a lot of things.” Demetrius followed her into the kitchen, and Holly could feel his aura behind her—quiet but steady and very much present, like a shadow that was more than it seemed.

“Come on,” Holly teased, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Once she’d fixed that with creamer and sugar, she opened a cupboard to pull out a bowl and the box of pancake mix. “You’ve got to eat something . How do you get through the day without the magic of carbs and the power of protein?”

Demetrius leaned against the counter like none of this interested him, and yet, he was still there. Watching her. Being part of what she was doing. “I manage. Besides, I thought witches survived on potions, herbal tea, and sage smoke.”

Holly laughed, shaking her head as she went back to the fridge for the bacon and an egg for the pancake mix. She measured the mix into the bowl. “Not hardly. I run on sugar, caffeine, and a healthy dose of chocolate. But mostly, this witch needs pancakes like vampires need blood.”

The look on Demetrius’s face was somewhere between amused and skeptical, but Holly didn’t miss the way his eyes softened ever so slightly. There was something about Demetrius—something deeper than his brooding exterior—that intrigued her. He wasn’t just some grumpy vampire lurking in the darkness. He had a past, a story, and beneath it all, a heart.

As hard as that was to believe at times.

She cracked an egg into the batter and stirred, feeling his eyes on her, watching her work with a quiet intensity. It was a little unnerving but not entirely unpleasant. The cabin, usually so still and solitary, felt different with him there. Less lonely for sure, but there was an energy she’d never felt before.

She chalked it up to the vibrations of his vampire magic. Like most witches, she was in tune to such things. That had to be what she was picking up on.

Once the pancakes were sizzling on the griddle and a tray of bacon was in the oven, Holly turned to face him, leaning against the counter just like he was. “So, tell me. Why Nocturne Falls? I mean, it’s kind of a strange choice for a vampire who seems to want nothing to do with the whole ‘community’ thing.”

Demetrius’s gaze shifted from her to the floor and back again, as if weighing how much to say. “It’s quiet in the mountains,” he replied after a moment. “For the most part.”

Holly raised her eyebrows. “Maybe it’s quiet up here, but not in town. This place celebrates Halloween every day. There are tourists everywhere, events every month, and the occasional gargoyle flying overhead. Quiet is not a word I’d use to describe the town.”

Demetrius smirked. “Which is why I never go into town if I can help it. Although when I do, no one bats an eye at someone like me. This place thrives on strange and different. The tourists probably think I’m part of the scenery. In fact, I blend right in.”

Holly snorted, carefully flipping the pancakes, then dipping her head to check on the bacon through the oven window. Nearly done. “Sure, that’s what you do. You blend.” She gestured to him with the spatula, taking in his most likely cashmere sweater, expensive jeans, polished boots, and the general vibe of I’m too cool for this . “You totally scream ‘normal guy.’”

Demetrius pursed his lips, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Fair enough, but for Nocturne Falls, it works.”

Holly had to give him that. The town was a haven for supernaturals that wanted to hide in plain sight. She lifted the cooked pancakes off the griddle and set them on her plate, then got the bacon out and added two slices alongside the pancakes. She turned off the oven and poured two more circles of batter onto the griddle, her mind buzzing with curiosity about the vampire standing in her kitchen. “But seriously, Demetrius. You don’t exactly strike me as the type to settle down in a small town. You really think you’ll stay here?”

Demetrius hesitated, then shrugged, his expression guarded. “I’ve lived in a lot of places over the years. Nocturne Falls might as well be one of them. Yes, it’s full of strange, magical creatures, but that’s part of what I like about it. It feels more welcoming. A little more like home.”

Home. The word lingered in the air, more fraught than Holly expected. She sat down at the table, surprised when he joined her. She watched him carefully. She wanted to ask more, to dig deeper, but something told her to tread carefully. Demetrius wasn’t the type to spill his entire life story over pancakes. Especially when he wasn’t even eating them.

Still, the fact that he had shared even that much with her felt like progress. Maybe there was more to Demetrius Voss than met the eye.

There had to be, right?

As Holly dug into her pancakes, the warm, cakey taste bringing her comfort on the cold, snowy morning, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to know Demetrius beyond his razor wit and dry humor. He wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met before—both frustrating and intriguing all at the same time.

“Well, for what it’s worth,” Holly said, finally breaking the silence, “I’m glad you ended up here. At my cabin. Even if it took a blizzard to make you hang out with me.”

His mouth nearly formed a smile. “I’m glad I ended up here, too. Maybe the snowstorm wasn’t so bad after all.”

Later that morning, after the breakfast mess had been cleaned up and the fire was crackling merrily again, Holly decided to take advantage of the clear skies. The snow hadn’t started back up again, and the sunlight streaming through the windows made the idea of venturing outside for some fresh air pretty tempting.

“I’m going to check the barrier,” she announced, boots already on. She pulled on her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck before tugging on a hat, both items she’d knitted. “Make sure the Winters family magic is holding up the way it’s supposed to.”

The barrier was impervious to weather, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to be sure it was still in good shape. The storm had been a whopper, and this was Nocturne Falls, a place where stranger things had been known to happen. Stranger things like yetis, for example, but thankfully, their appearance had happened years ago.

Demetrius glanced up from where he sat on the couch reading a thriller he’d plucked from her bookshelves, his long fingers idly stroking Moonshadow’s fur. “Want some company?”

Holly blinked, surprised by the offer. She hadn’t expected Demetrius to volunteer for a walk in the snow, let alone that he’d want to spend more time in her company. Still, she wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity. Maybe he’d open up to her again.

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “An extra set of eyes might be useful.”

He got bundled up, too, then they stepped outside. The cold air struck Holly’s cheeks like a slap, but it was refreshing, especially after the cabin’s fire-roasted interior. Their breath made plumes of icy vapor.

The world was silent, save for the occasional creak of branches weighed down by ice and the crunch of their boots in the pristine snow. The cabin looked even cozier from the outside, with smoke curling up from the chimney, a soft layer of white covering the roof, and the windows glowing with warm light. Even her little Christmas tree was partly visible in one window.

Demetrius walked beside her, his long strides making it easy for him to navigate the snowdrifts. His black coat and dark hair stood out against the white backdrop, but there was something rather serene about him as they walked in silence.

After a few minutes, they reached the edge of the property, where the magical barrier that protected the Winters and Voss properties shimmered faintly in the air, at least to Holly’s eyes, although she imagined Demetrius could probably see it too. She pulled off her glove and placed her hand against the invisible wall of magic. It pulsed under her palm, warm and familiar. It was a little like touching a hot water bottle.

“Looks and feels intact,” she said, glancing at him. “As it should. Winters family magic is weatherproof. In fact, this barrier is as strong as the day it was placed here.”

Demetrius nodded, his eyes scanning the tree line. “Good. I’m glad to hear that. Nice to know your family’s magic is that solid, hmm?”

Tugging her glove back on, Holly couldn’t help but smile at the compliment, even if it was more directed at her family’s magic than her own abilities. Still, she felt a sense of pride. “It is. Does that mean the Winters magic is stronger than you thought?”

Demetrius looked at her, something unreadable in his gaze. “Perhaps. Maybe even stronger than most people realize.”

Holly opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a sudden crackling sound ripped through the air, followed by a distinct ripple in the barrier and the crackle of magic on her skin. Her heart skipped a beat, and she took a step back, her eyes widening in alarm. “Did you see that? Or feel it?”

“Both.” Demetrius’s expression darkened, and he stepped forward, his hand brushing against the shimmering wall of magic. “Something’s interfering with it. Or trying to.”

Holly’s stomach twisted with unease. The barrier was supposed to be unbreakable—nothing should be able to penetrate it without the Winters family’s permission. But whatever that ripple was, it didn’t feel right.

She turned to Demetrius, her voice steady but laced with concern. “We need to figure out what’s going on. If something can mess with the barrier, it could mean trouble for the whole town. And that could be catastrophic.”

Demetrius’s eyes met hers, his expression serious. “Agreed. Let’s not wait to find out.”

As they turned back toward the cabin, Holly couldn’t shake the feeling that something far bigger than a snowstorm was headed their way.

Something magical. Something unknown.

And something that could very well turn Christmas into a catastrophe.