“What is this place?”
“The elves call it the kingdom, but it’s just always been here. Whenever the elves decide to marry, they usually have the wedding here.”
“Can elves have babies?”
“Yes, it is very rare and only happens around every half a century or so,” I say, grabbing Candy by the waist and carrying her safely down the hill.
“Krampus, this is amazing.”
“It is.” My eyes remain on the cupid in front of me, not the ice castles as I reply.
“I think I really love it here,” she says, her gloved hand dragging against the stagnated ice surrounding us.
“You could stay, you know? I could add on to the cabin to make more room for you and Mortem. We could make this home base. Maybe I’m being presumptuous, especially since you and Mortem still have jobs, but?—”
Candy stretches, wrapping her hands around my neck.
“I’ll have to work something out with Cupio and talk to Mortem, but I think I could see this place being home.”
Relief fills me as I adjust her pink knitted hat.
“I want to make you happy,” I tell her.
“Then we both want the same things,” she says, her eyes full of hope.
I put that hope there, that happiness there. I’m not used to being the catalyst of someone’s joy, and it feels wholly fulfilling.
“Follow me,” I tell her, leading her to an ice cave formation where hot chocolate and snacks are waiting for us along with a bench covered in blankets and pillows.
“This place really is magical,” Candy says, sipping her hot chocolate before turning to face me. She has a little touch of whipped cream on her upper lip. I rub it off with my thumb and place it in my mouth. “I meant what I said last night.”
“Going to need to refresh my memory. Candy, darling, a lot of amazing things were said and done last night.”
“About not being afraid of the other side of you. You’re not going to scare me away.”
Her eyes are pleading, and I swallow thickly. “All right,” I concede.
It’s evident that she needs this from me, that she needs to know every part of me. If she’s truly willing to move here, if we are going to make this work, then I need to put in every effort I can.
“We will need to go out to the forest—some of the elves don’t like my true form,” I admit, and Candy grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly.
“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
Her hand stays firmly in mine as we leave the ice castles and I portal us into the forest. Ancient trees covered in snow surround us as we stand in an opening. The air is brisk with a sharp bite, and the surrounding area is quiet as I look down at Candy.
“Stand by that tree.” I point to the one furthest away, and she follows my orders as I begin undressing.
I’ve lost so many clothes from shifting unexpectedly. I have multiple cloaks Calanis has made me for my true Krampus form, but Candy is going to have to deal with me completely nude.
Once my clothes are off and placed carefully on the snow, I look out into the forest. What’s the worst that could happen? If she runs away in terror, I could immediately transform and promise to never shift in front of her again, even though I need the shift. My body craves to be let out in this way, but I can give her and Mortem alone time when I need to release this form. I can come out here and be alone as I always have.
I take a deep breath and I let it happen.
My feet turn into hooves, longer hair covering most of my body, mainly my legs and forearms; shorter hair riddles my chest, abdomen, and groin. My cock enlarges and hangs heavy between my legs. My horns grow, curling slightly around my elongated ears. What were once fingers are blackened claws. My forked tongue lolls out of my head, and I know my face looks different.
I’m no longer the handsome man she was instantly attracted to. I’m the monster who frightens children, whose legacy is based in fear. My tail swishes behind me and I worry about turning and letting Candy see all of me.
The petite cupid is already so much smaller than me in my human form that I’ll completely dwarf her in this one.
