Chapter 8
Ileaned against the counter, crossing my arms as I looked at Liam. He was still sitting at the table, his expression a mix of confusion and guarded curiosity. I knew he wanted answers, but I wasn’t sure how much I could give him without making things worse.
“Your dad didn’t know,” I said finally, my voice soft but firm.
Liam blinked, leaning forward slightly. “He didn’t?”
I shook my head. “No. I left the supernatural world behind before I met him. I didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. Not after the way they treated my mother. And me.”
His brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. “What do you mean?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to find the right words.
“The supernatural world isn’t as… inclusive as you might think.
They don’t like hybrids. To them, we’re…
an anomaly. Something unnatural. My mom was a cougar shifter, but her abilities were latent.
When she had a baby with an incubus, it didn’t exactly win her any points with the community. ”
Liam’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt, so I kept going.
“Mundanes aren’t supposed to know about the supernatural world,” I explained.
“It’s safer that way. Safer for everyone.
There are exceptions—humans born to empowered parents, like the mastria.
They don’t have magic, but they’re trained to protect and work with the supernatural.
But hybrids? We’re not exactly accepted.
And a tri-bred—someone with three bloodlines?
” I shrugged, a bitter laugh escaping me.
“There’s no record of that. I’m the first.”
Liam stared at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed everything. “So, you hid all this to protect me and Dad?”
“Yeah,” I admitted, my voice heavy. “I didn’t want you to grow up in a world that would judge you just for existing. And I didn’t want your dad caught in the middle of something he couldn’t understand. It was easier for everyone just to leave it behind.”
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. “But now I’m in it.”
I nodded, meeting his gaze. “Yeah. Now you’re in it. And I’m going to do everything I can to protect you.” It was true, even when he didn’t remember this conversation.
He didn’t say anything for a long moment; he just looked at me with his sharp eyes, much like his father’s. Finally, he nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction.
“Okay,” he said quietly. “But no more secrets. If I’m in this, I need to know the truth.”
I swallowed hard, his words settling in my chest. Some truths—like the one about Luke—were too dangerous to share, at least for now.
Liam looked at me, his brows furrowed, his gaze unwavering and piercing. “Why did you come back?” he asked, his voice quiet but weighted. “And why did you leave Carnell in the first place? You seem to have a good relationship with him now.”
I sighed as the memories I’d tried so hard to bury clawed their way to the surface.
“It wasn’t them,” I said, glancing briefly at Carnell and Cal.
“It was the others. The way they treated me, the way they treated my mom. It was suffocating. Like we didn’t belong, like we were a mistake just for existing. ”
Carnell’s expression darkened, and his jaw tightened as he looked away. “I should have done more,” he said softly, his voice edged with regret. “I should have protected you.”
Cal nodded, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “He’s right. We both should have.”
I shook my head, my voice decisive. “No. It’s not on you. If I hadn’t left, I never would’ve met Luke. I wouldn’t have had Liam. Leaving gave me a chance to live a life outside of all this.”
For a moment, the room was silent, the shadow of everything unspoken pressing down on all of us. Then Cal’s deep voice broke through, his tone softer than I’d expected. “And if you hadn’t come back, you wouldn’t have met Greyson.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his words. My lips twitched into a reluctant smile as I glanced at him. “Yeah,” I admitted quietly. “There’s that.”
Liam looked between us, his confusion giving way to a flicker of understanding. He didn’t say anything for a long moment, but the tension in his posture softened just a little more. He was processing, piecing together the fragments of a life he’d never known existed.
“Coming back wasn’t easy,” I said finally, my voice steady. “But it was the right call. For me. And for you, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.”
Liam nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the table. “It’s just… a lot,” he admitted, his voice quieter now.
“I know,” I said gently. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to help you through it.”
My phone buzzed, cutting through the tense silence in the room. Glancing at the screen, I saw Victor’s name and quickly answered. “Yeah?”
“We’ve got another murder,” he said without preamble, his tone grim. “And it looks like Krampus again.”
I exhaled, gripping the phone tighter. “Where?”
“Between Ravenholde and Mystic Falls, near the trailhead. It’s bad, Faith—same M.O.—bindings, birch branches. You need to get here. I will text you the address.”
“On my way,” I said, already moving toward the door. The call ended, but Liam’s voice stopped me in my tracks before I could pocket my phone.
“What’s a Krampus?” he asked, his brows furrowed as he looked between me and the others. Victor’s voice traveled.
I hesitated, my stomach twisting. After a beat, I sighed. “The jerk who attacked us earlier,” I admitted. “Krampus is a supernatural bounty. All of my bounties are supernatural here.”
Liam stared at me, his expression shifting from confusion to something sharper, more determined. “Then I’m going with you.”
“Liam, no,” I started, holding up a hand. “It’s dangerous.”
“All the more reason I should go,” he shot back. “You’re not doing this alone. You need backup.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he stood firm, crossing his arms in a way that reminded me way too much of myself. It was clear he wasn’t going to budge.
“Just a moment,” I said, stepping away and pulling Eve aside. My voice dropped to a whisper. “Why does he still remember? When will the potion kick in?”
Eve glanced at Liam, her brow furrowing. “I was wondering the same thing,” she admitted. “I think it’s Salima’s healing power. It’s stronger than my potion. You may have a few hours before his memories start to fade.”
I ran a hand through my hair, the gravity of her words sinking in. A few hours. That wasn’t much time, and it definitely wasn’t enough to keep him from digging deeper. But right now, I didn’t have a choice.
Turning back to Liam, I forced a smile. “Okay,” I said, my voice calm. “Let’s go.”
His eyes lit up, and he grabbed a jacket, ready to follow me into the unknown. I swallowed hard, ignoring the knot in my chest. This wasn’t how I’d planned for him to step into my world, but there was no turning back now.
We drove across town, and I spotted the house as soon as we turned onto the street.
“Wow,” I muttered, slowing the car as I took in the spectacle before me.
The place looked like the Griswolds’ Christmas cannon had hit it.
Every inch of the yard was covered in twinkling lights, glowing candy canes, and inflatable decorations.
A giant Santa waved cheerily from the roof, while a glowing reindeer setup blinked in sync to Christmas music, piping faintly through outdoor speakers.
Even Liam, sitting in the passenger seat, let out a low whistle.
“Subtle,” he said, smirking.
“Festive overkill,” I replied, pulling into the driveway.
Victor was waiting for us at the front door, his expression as grim as the holiday display was cheerful. He motioned for us to follow him inside, stepping past a wreath on the door that could’ve doubled as a shield.
The house was quiet, almost eerie in the glow of the decorations. “The family was gone for the weekend,” Victor explained as he led us into the living room. “They came back yesterday to find a dead guy in their house.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Dead guy? As in Krampus’ latest victim?”
Victor nodded, gesturing toward the sofa, where a stack of papers sat neatly arranged. “He broke in while they were away. The homeowners called the cops, but by the time the SNPD arrived, it was clear this wasn’t your typical break-in.”
Liam glanced around, his brow furrowed. “So, why this house?”
Victor pointed to a set of photos on the coffee table. Two kids, a boy and a girl, sat on Santa’s lap, their faces glowing with holiday cheer. “They had these taken at the village three days ago,” Victor said.
I stared at the photos, the pieces clicking into place. “So Krampus is using the village as a hunting ground,” I said, my voice flat.
“Looks like it,” Victor confirmed, crossing his arms. “He’s tracking families with kids. I’m not sure how the dead guy fits in yet. I’m waiting for a report on him.”
I exhaled slowly, glancing at Liam out of the corner of my eye. He was taking it all in, his jaw tight, but he didn’t say anything. I could tell his mind was racing, trying to fit the supernatural into his understanding of the world.
“Great,” I muttered. “A demon with a Santa complex. Just what we needed.”
Victor’s lips twitched, but the faint humor didn’t reach his eyes. None of this was funny—not the murders, not the pattern, and definitely not the fact that Krampus was still out there.
The inside of the house was just as over-the-top as the outside.
Every inch of the living room screamed Christmas.
Garlands wrapped in twinkling lights hung from the ceiling beams, stockings the size of small children were pinned to the fireplace, and a train set circled a massive tree that was dripping with ornaments and tinsel.
There were nutcrackers on every available surface, and even the lampshades had been swapped out for ones shaped like Santa hats.
“Wow,” Liam muttered, glancing around. “It’s like Christmas exploded in here.”