Page 17 of The Krampus's First Christmas Gift

He opened his eyes.

No disgust or fear showed on Jasper’s face. Instead, Jasper stared at Kraghol, deep-brown eyes assessing. Kali stared at him too, tail swaying.

“Who are you?” Jasper asked. “And why have I been looking for you?”

“I am a krampus.” With great reluctance, he tore his gaze from Jasper’s lovely face. “And I do not know what you mean.”

He could not tell Jasper the truth, that he had created a partial mate bond between them. Jasper would be repulsed to learn what Kraghol had done, even if it had been to save his life. For several moments, Jasper didn’t speak.

Kraghol wanted to retreat into the shadows, hide his face, horns, tail, and hooves from this beautiful man. But Jasper had wanted to see him. So he stayed exactly where he was.

Chapter

Ten

Jasper’s heart stuttered in his chest as he stared at the krampus in front of him.

Black horns curled upwards. Dark fur covered his toned and very muscular body. Hooved feet pressed into the dirt. A long furry tail hung behind him. A bit of fabric tied around his waist covered his groin and upper thighs.

The krampus lowered his face, as if he didn’t want Jasper to see him. And he was tall too. He stood at least a full head higher than Jasper, and he was significantly wider and more muscular. Still, Jasper didn’t feel a shred of fear.

In fact, he felt a stirring of attraction inside his gut. He itched to move towards the krampus and touch him. He wanted to stroke his hands over those broad shoulders. He wanted to slide his fingers along those horns and explore the texture. Were his horns smooth or rough?

And he wanted to hold the krampus’s chin and force him to meet Jasper’s assessing gaze.

But why? Why do I feel this way?

“Who are you?” Jasper asked again.

“I am a krampus,” he said in a deep growling voice.

“But that is not your name, right?”

The krampus exhaled. He glanced from side to side, avoiding Jasper’s gaze. “I am a krampus,” he repeated. Then he hesitated. “My name is Kraghol.”

“Kraghol,” Jasper repeated. He shifted closer on the pile of furs. “Why am I here, Kraghol?”

Kraghol shrugged, upper lip curling. “I do not know why you came to the forest.”

“Not that. What am I doing here in this cave?” Jasper gestured around them.

Kraghol flexed his hands, still not meeting Jasper’s gaze. For several moments, he did not speak. Finally he answered, “You lay in the snow, unconscious. I brought you here so you would not die.” He shrugged again, as if saving Jasper’s life meant nothing. “Why did you collapse?”

Jasper did not want to go into his illness at the moment. Especially when he had so many of his own questions. “I’m just a little tired at the moment. Overworked and whatnot.”

“You should be more careful.” As he spoke, his sharp teeth glinted in the firelight.

All of a sudden, Kali hopped down from the bed and bounded over to Kraghol. She ran circles around Kraghol’s ankles. “Yip! Yip! Yip!” She rubbed against his furred legs.

Kraghol stared down at her, gaze flicking between Kali and Jasper…as if he was uncertain.

“That’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Kali is always nervous of strangers.” Except for when she’d found Jasper. For some reason, Kali had taken to his unconscious form immediately and refused to be parted from him.

Now here she was, begging Kraghol for a little attention. Affection flowed through the witch-familiar bond. However, ifKraghol felt the urge to pat her, he did not give in to it. He crossed his arms over his wide chest, ignoring the excited fox.