“I want a future with you too, Jasper,” Kraghol said softly.
Jasper exhaled, and a smile split his face.
It still felt too much for a krampus like him. But if Jasper thought he should have it, Kraghol would not deny him. “I want you, Jasper. Even if I still don’t believe I deserve you.”
Jasper opened his mouth, clearly about to protest, but Kraghol kept talking. “But I will try to deserve you and be worthyof you. I pledge that I will love you and cherish you and protect you and give you everything I have.”
Kraghol took a deep breath. “I have loved you more than anything I have ever known. For months, I worshipped you from afar and believed that was more than I deserved. But I will dedicate my life to loving you and worshipping you at your side.”
“Kraghol.” Jasper’s smile softened.
“I will try and make you happy. I will protect you. I will love you. I will do everything in my power so you never believe that loving me was your mistake.”
Jasper’s fingers threaded through the fur on Kraghol’s neck.
“Because you are not my mistake, Jasper. You are the best and most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me.”
Then Jasper surged forward and kissed him. His lips moved against Kraghol’s, and Kraghol opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. Jasper’s tongue pressed inwards, entwining with his. For several moments, they just kissed and touched.
And Kraghol let himself believe for the first time that he and Jasper had a real future.
“I have something else to tell you,” Kraghol said when the kiss broke.
“What?”
“We can complete the mate bond.”
Jasper’s eyebrows shot up. “But you said?—”
“I know. It turns out that much of what I have known is a lie. They tell us that a krampus cannot mate a non-krampus, but that isn’t true. So if you truly want me, I can complete the mate bond. We can be mates.” His chest tingled. “So do you want to be proper mates?”
Jasper’s eyes gleamed. “Of course I do!”
Kraghol smiled so hard he thought his cheeks would burst. Then he lifted his free hand and showed the red ball. “ThenI won’t be needing this anymore.” He crumbled it between his fingers and dropped it onto the snow.
Jasper threw his arms around Kraghol’s shoulders, squeezing him tight. Kraghol returned the embrace. Kali made excited little squeaks. She rubbed against Kraghol’s ankles. It appeared she had forgiven him.
“So how do we do this? How do we complete the mate bond?” Jasper asked.
“I can do it now, I think,” Kraghol said.
Jasper nodded without any hesitation. “How?”
Kraghol placed his hands on Jasper’s chest. On where he’d poured his life essence months ago. “Are you sure?” He stared into Jasper’s brown eyes, giving him a chance to back out.
But Jasper placed his hands on top of Kraghol’s. He leaned closer. “I’m sure. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
“Okay.” Kraghol focused his gaze on their hands. Then ever so slowly he drew his hands backwards. Jasper gasped.
A thin thread of glowing golden light followed Kraghol’s hands from Jasper’s chest.
My life essence.It had been sitting inside Jasper for months.
The thread vibrated. It felt warm, tingly, and familiar against his palms. Steadily Kraghol moved his hands backwards towards his own chest. The thread grew longer.
When his hands touched his chest, a lightness filled his torso, followed by a sense of love and connection. He glanced into Jasper’s eyes. Jasper gaped, staring at the golden thread that bound their chests.
His sister had said to only take some of the life essence back. Taking a deep breath, Kraghol released his hands. The thread snapped, retreating back into each of their chests. The light between them disappeared.
