Chapter 3
My body trembles as the monster watches me, its face still twisted into a malicious grin, its eyes gleaming in the firelight.
“You’ve been a very, very naughty girl, Nicolette,” it says in its low, smooth voice, the flames of the fire flickering with every word.
“And I’m here to cash in on the debt of your deeds. ”
My hands scrape against the wood floor as I scramble back into the kitchen.
“Tell me who the fuck you are,” I screech as I reach up and grip the counter, pulling myself to my feet without taking my eyes off the monster.
I yank a large knife from the butcher block, quickly raise it over my head, and fling it across the room.
All my practice with chopping wood and teaching myself the art of axe throwing over the years gives me confidence that whatever the fuck this thing is, it will be dead in just a few seconds from my blade lodging itself right between its eyes.
The knife flies through the air, seeming to land right on target, but at the last second, the monster reaches out, and its long, black-tipped fingers curl around the handle, stopping it just inches from its face.
My heart drops into my stomach as its devilish grin widens, revealing sharp teeth while it chuckles darkly.
Its long, forked tongue flicks from its lips, grazing the blade, as if slicing it open on purpose.
Blood coats the edge of the blade and drips from the tip of its tongue.
Its sharp teeth are stained with crimson as it casually tosses the knife into the air, catching it once again by the handle.
“You are a very naughty girl for that, Nicolette.” Its eyes flash. “And do you know what happens to naughty girls like you this time of year?”
I keep my eyes on the monster as I pull another knife from the block, my fingers curling tightly around the handle of the serrated blade, prepared to throw it if it makes another move.
My heart pounds loudly in my chest, rattling my bones as the creature takes a deep breath through its nose—seemingly inhaling my scent.
Its smile widens as it says, “They’re chained, whipped, and punished. ”
Holding the knife between us, with the sharp tip ready to impale, I stand my ground. “Get the fuck out of my cabin or I’ll fucking kill you.”
That same cold breeze I’ve been feeling seems to crawl up my body and wrap around my neck, like a phantom hand.
The cold fingers press into my throat, choking the air from my lungs.
I drop the knife, where it lands with a clatter, as I desperately try to grasp the invisible hand, but I only manage to scratch my own throat.
I blink, trying to clear the darkness that edges into my vision while the monster moves toward me.
Its eyes burn and flicker in the firelight.
It grips my hair, claws scraping across my scalp as it yanks my head back to look up at it, the phantom hand loosening its grip slightly.
I suck in a breath, ready for it to tighten again, but it just holds me like that, pressing its invisible fingers into my throat.
My breathing becomes erratic as I stare up at the monster licking its lips, prepared to eat me alive.
“Who are you?” I choke out from around the phantom palm pressing against my throat. “And what the fuck do you want from me?”
The monster chuckles, the sound echoing as if it's inside my mind, slamming the knife tip into the countertop. “All I want for Christmas is you, Nicolette. All of you.”
My eyes widen as its free hand brushes my cheek, the golden rings on its fingers icy to the touch.
“Leave me alone,” I sob, the realization that I’m alone in the middle of the woods and a monster has me in its grip settling into my chest, choking me as much as the phantom hand that still holds me firmly by the throat.
“If you’re here to rob me, take whatever you want. Just please... leave.”
The monster steps closer, its breath warm against my skin as it whispers, “You act as though I am nothing more than a stranger to you, Nicolette, when I have visited you every chance I could get. I always knew when you were sleeping and when you were awake.” He pulls back.
The endless depths of his eyes draw me in, and I find myself getting lost in the blackness.
My eyes flutter closed, and the next thing I know, I’m standing at the end of the long hallway—the same one that’s been in my dreams for nearly half my life, but this time, it's not a window at the end, but the monster.
“Tell me who you are right the fuck now.” My voice echoes down the hall, bouncing all around me.
The monster tilts its head to the side, watching me with curiosity.
“You really don’t recognize me?” it asks as it steps toward me, and in a flash, it’s on me again.
“After all these years?” It tsks, the same monstrous grin spreading across its face, showing its sharp teeth. “Then I suppose I need to remind you.”
The image of the hallway fades away, and I find myself back in my cabin, standing in my kitchen. Its long tongue gently glides across my jaw, sending a shiver down my spine as a familiar warmth ignites inside me. I gasp at the sensation, and a flush creeps up my neck.
Its free hand grips my waist, claws pricking my skin as it pulls me closer.
“I’m the dark companion to the jolly Saint you all worship and hold in such high regard, but where he allegedly gives, I get to take,” it whispers, its words filling my mind with images of whips and chains as the sounds of moans fill my ears.
My moans.
“You’re... Krampus?” I choke on the words. This is unbelievable. I must still be dreaming and have clearly read too many monster romance books if this is the kind of shit I’m into.
It grins, curling its fingers tighter through my hair as I glance at its sharp cheekbones and chiseled jaw. “While that is the name mortals have given me throughout the centuries, you, little vixen, can call me Kryx. But only you.”
My mouth falls open. “You... you’ve been the one in my dreams all this time, haven’t you? The one watching me through the window.” But how? How is this even possible? They were just dreams.
Weren’t they?
He bares his teeth, running his tongue along the sharp edges. “That other fucker isn’t the only one watching the people on his list.” His claws press against my skin, pricking me and sending a shiver down my spine. “And you are at the top of mine.”
I swallow hard to suppress the lump in my throat. “But... why are you here?” My eyes scan the countertop, looking for a weapon or anything I can use to defend myself. Those crimson eyes belong to a predator, and I’m his fucking prey.
His laugh is as dark as the storm ridden sky. “Because it’s finally time to cash in for all the naughty things you’ve done in your life, and for every debt, I intend to leave a mark.”
He presses his center against mine, his length hardening between us, pushing into my stomach. “Please,” I whisper, the only word I seem able to choke out. And I don’t know if it's begging as my body betrays me, or a plea as fear crawls beneath my skin.
He drags his sharp teeth across my skin, running his tongue along the sensitive area of my neck. "More, Nicolette. I’ve always loved it when you begged for me, especially in your dreams, and I love it even more now that you’re here in front of me, saying it out loud.”
His large body cages me against the kitchen counter.
I look into his fiery gaze, and as if his words were a sledgehammer breaking a dam, my mind floods with images that could only come from dark, repressed dreams. Images of this exact monster holding me down and doing every other deed but actually fucking me.
His long, forked tongue flicks over every inch of my body, pushing me over the edge again and again, not bothering to catch me as I fall but grabbing my hair and yanking me back to him.
Heat floods my core, making my clit pulse as if it has been zapped by electricity.
My body seems to hum, my muscles ache, and my skin prickles—craving to be touched. .. by him.
I blink, and the images fade, pulling me back to the cabin, still caught between him and the counter.
I press my hands against his hard, muscular chest, trying to push him away, but he doesn’t move.
I try to deny that he’s been haunting my dreams, but now that my mind feels clear, I can recall many times I’ve woken up with my fingers between my legs, an orgasm washing over me.
All because of him.
The Christmas demon, who is akin to the devil, has been appearing in my dreams and watching me for almost my entire adult life.
Waiting. He’s as familiar as the monsters lurking in my closet, along with the ones slithering under my bed, threatening to grab me by the ankles and pull me under to eat me alive.
My mind screams at how fucked up this is, but my body has other ideas—recreating the devious things he’s already done to me, which seem to be hidden deep in my mind, far out of reach and buried beneath the trauma that already consumes my thoughts.
“You’re a sick fuck,” I snap, clawing at his skin, desperately trying to push him away and attempting to reach for the knife that’s just out of reach. “Stalking me and trying to take over my mind. How dare you do that to me?”
He lowers his head, pressing his nose against mine, forcing me to look at him as the phantom hand around my throat tightens, while others seem to grip my arms and legs, holding me in place.
“That’s not what you were saying when you willingly let me into your dreams, and that’s certainly not what you’re thinking now,” he growls, the rumble vibrating through me.
Heat begins to curl in my lower abdomen.
“Lying will only make your punishment that much worse, Nicolette, and it’s already going to have you begging. ”