"Okay," I said, trying not to sound disappointed. "I just wanted to know you were safe in this blizzard. I'll go home now."
He didn't respond. The curtains didn't move. That was it. Sighing, I turned around, ready to leave.
Then the door creaked open.
"Wait, Angelo," Karl said.
When I glanced over my shoulder, I didn't expect what happened next.
Six
Karl
I didn't wantto abandon Angelo after our kiss. Far from it. As soon as our lips touched, that sealed the deal for me. Angelo was absolutely my fated mate. I wanted to claim him. I wanted to crush him against my chest and hold him there forever.
But I'd been so caught up in the magical moment—the carolers, the snowfall, the intimacy of holding hands and kissing in the twilight—that I lost track of time.
If I hadn't run when I did, Angelo would've seen my body. My true form.
Krampus.
Despite knowing in my soul we were fated, that didn't stop the fear stirring in my stomach. What if Angelo didn't accept my true form? What if he thought I was hideous, or unattractive? What if he wanted nothing to do with me?
Those were the doubts plaguing my mind when I stood behind that door and listened painfully to the sound of his sweet voice calling for me. My alpha instincts screamed at me to open that damn door and relieve Angelo from the blizzard, but my fear of rejection fought back. My hooves were frozen to the ground. I couldn't move.
How did the little human do it? Somehow, he'd followed me all the way from the market. After shifting, I had extra fur to face the elements, but Angelo only had a coat. He must've been freezing.
Even though Angelo's presence at the door confounded me, I was glad I kept my boots on instead of taking them off and walking on my hooves. If I'd done that, I don't think he would've kept following those tracks. But now those same hooves were a problem. Just because he liked reindeer didn't mean he'd likeme...
Finally, Angelo said, "I just wanted to know you were safe in this blizzard. I'll go home now."
Gods, the way my heart smashed into pieces! He'd come all this way for nothing—only to make sure I was safe.
Tail and horns be damned, I opened the fucking door.
Instantly, the frigid blast of wind hit me. The snowy gale made my eyes water. Poor Angelo had stood outside in this weather for gods knew how long. But no more. He’d come inside even if I had to put a paper bag over my head to avoid scaring him.
"Wait, Angelo," I called.
Angelo stopped and looked at me. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open in a small gasp.
I knew what he saw—the goat horns jutting out of my forehead, the black cloven hooves on my feet, the long whip-like tail, the shaggy fur at various points of my body. To a human, I must've looked like a demon. Hell, my appearance was about as un-Christmasy as it could get.
Before Angelo could speak, I went first.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kept you out in the cold. Butthisis why," I said, gesturing to myself. "I didn't want to scare you."
Angelo blinked. "Karl?"
"That's me. Horns and all."
The powerful wind howled against his back. He squeaked as the force of it pushed him towards me. I held out my arms instinctively as Angelo flopped against my chest. It was the same as my human chest but with a streak of thick fur down the middle—right into which Angelo's cheek landed.
"Oh," he murmured. "It's warm... and soft."
My cheeks heated up. Warm and soft?Thatwas his first reaction?
"L-let's go inside before snow piles up in your house," Angelo said.
