Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

Krampus and the Crone

An Alien Warrior Holiday Romance

Honey Phillips

Copyright © 2020 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover by The Book Brander

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Chapter One

Commander Krampasarian D’Marchandar stepped outside of his wrecked ship and sighed. A cold, wet substance was falling from the sky. Was there no end to the unpleasant surprises this primitive planet produced? He had already been horrified to discover that water dripped from the sky at random intervals, but this new substance was thicker. And colder. He shivered and returned to his ship to investigate.

After a quick search through his data files, he identified the new substance as snow - a phenomenon that would never have been permitted on Tandrok, the climate-controlled planet of his birth. Based on the information provided to him, the presence of snow could indicate the beginning of a cold season where it would appear with increasing frequency, covering the ground and leading to such terrible phenomena as ice storms and avalanches. Horrified at the prospect, he went to check on the progress of the microscopic nanites that were steadily, but very slowly, repairing the damaged sections of his ship.

Unfortunately, watching them work did not increase the speed with which they progressed, and eventually boredom drove him back to the bridge. Telling himself that it was his duty as a Tandroki commander to record the lifeforms he discovered, he turned on the feed from his drones. However, the eagerness with which he bent over the images was not entirely due to his scholarly inclinations. Would she appear today or would this disgusting snow keep her inside?

When his ship had first crash landed on K.R.S. Three, he had been too appalled to consider the possibility that the planet might be inhabited. The first few days had passed in a daze of horror, compounded by rage when he had discovered the distinct signs of sabotage. No doubt Commander Nicholsarian, his chief rival for the coveted position of Ambassador to Perchten, had been behind the disruption that had rendered his navigation systems useless before finally causing the explosion that had forced him to the surface of this primitive planet.

Once he had set the repair process in place - and realized how long it would take - he had turned his attention to the planet. His ship had crashed into a group of deplorably large and irregular landforms. Fortunately, the crash had half-buried his ship in the dirt of a small, flat area near the peak of one of the landforms, rather than plunging to the valley floor. Unfortunately, that meant that at some point he would most likely have to dig away some of the dirt. By hand.

He shuddered at the thought and returned to the contemplation of his surroundings. Only primitive, lower-level life forms existed in the vicinity of his ship, but as his boredom had increased, he had extended his survey and found additional life. Although still clearly primitive, they appeared to have some rudimentary level of intelligence. They constructed crude dwellings out of the materials surrounding them, engaged in trade, and exhibited communication skills.

Using drones disguised as native flying creatures, he began watching the small village at the base of his mountain. On the whole, he was not impressed. Their living conditions were primitive, and they relied on crude methods to cook, clean, and control their environment. What’s more, they frequently argued amongst themselves and did not treat each other with any level of respect. Of course, he had thought bitterly, while the Tandroki culture placed a great deal of emphasis on respect and manners, behind that polite surface just as much conflict existed. Given the fact that such a conflict had most likely led to his present predicament, he found a certain measure of appreciation for the openness of the villagers.

That did not, however, stop him from regarding them with some disdain. But since he had very little else to occupy his time, he began to spend a portion of each day watching the villagers. He grew interested enough that he prioritized fixing his translation system, downgrading some of the other repairs, simply so he could understand their primitive speech. Once that was accomplished, he was even more fascinated - and appalled - by their lifestyle.

And then, she appeared.

At first, he did not even realize that the newcomer was female, but the presence of a stranger in the marketplace had drawn his attention. The unfamiliar person was heavily cloaked, with a stooped posture, and seemed reliant on a wooden cane. As she moved amongst the stalls, his drones picked up whispers from the villagers.

“Witch.”

“Interfering old crone.”

“Stay away from her.”

This last was said by one of the males operating a stall to his bonded female – such a primitive concept – and she nodded her head obediently. But as he had already observed, the appearance of consent by a female meant very little. As soon as her male’s back was turned, she slipped away and went searching for the stranger.

The newcomer had seated herself on a small bench next to the tavern, tucked away from the majority of the marketplace, and set out a small array of pouches on a colorful cloth. The stall keeper’s wife edged up to her, casting a nervous eye over her shoulder to make sure that her husband was not watching.

“I need the potion, Jaelle,” she muttered.

“Aye? Still won’t leave you alone, eh?” the stranger said softly.

“No. Not even when I’m most likely to be fertile. I know it’s my duty to let him have his way, but I don’t need a fifth child right now.”

Jaelle quickly sorted through the pouches and handed one to the stall keeper’s wife. “You know the routine. A pinch in your tea every morning, then a week off once a month.”

The other woman pressed a small coin into her hand with a quick word of thanks and then disappeared back into the crowd. The so-called witch lifted her head to watch her departure, and for the first time, his drone could relay a picture of her face.

A tattered fringe of gray hair surrounded a heavily lined countenance, but he paid little attention to her features. All he could see were her eyes. Blue – as blue as the skies that covered this planet. But it was more than the arresting color that caught his attention. Intelligence sparked in those blue depths and he saw both compassion and sorrow in her gaze as she watched the stall-keeper’s wife disappear. After a quick, assessing survey of her surroundings, she dipped her head once more. He wanted to demand that she look back up. That she look at him.

As he watched in fascination, more people, mainly women, made their way to her bench. They stopped only briefly, usually after a nervous look around, then hurried away. Very few of them engaged in conversation with her. One exception was a stooped, old man, who hobbled over leaning on a cane, and procured some sort of cream. He then proceeded to settle down to chat. Was he trying to secure Jaelle’s interest?

Krampasarian found himself frowning. The elderly male was obviously unsuited for this female. He was relieved when she gently urged the old man on his way.

Within an hour, the cloth was empty, and Jaelle folded it up and placed it back in her basket. A basket that was now full of a variety of other items since many of her customers had offered trade goods instead of coins. As far as he could tell, she never set a price or disagreed with the offered payment and his Tandroki pride was offended by her failure to recognize the worth of her goods.

With her own sales complete, she proceeded to hobble around the marketplace and make some additional purchases of her own. Once she was in public view, her interactions were even briefer and occasionally accompanied by a sneer or a muttered insult. In a shocking reversion to his race’s own primitive background, Krampasarian’s claws threatened to emerge at the disparaging treatment. After he stared at his tingling fingertips in horror, he looked back at the screen and realized that she was gone. Where was she?

His drones searched uselessly until he finally thought to look outside the village and caught a glimpse of a faded red cloak taking a path up the mountain. Up his mountain. He immediately abandoned the village and sent the drones after her. As soon as she was out of sight of the buildings below, she straightened, rubbing her back and stretching, before resuming her journey with a brisk pace completely unlike her previous tottering steps. Fascinating.

She climbed for some time on the narrow path before coming to a halt in front of a small, well-kept cottage surrounded by a flourishing garden. A well was located in the front courtyard, and she stopped there to draw a bucket of water. As he watched, she scrubbed her face, then threw back the hood of her cloak and ran damp fingers through her hair, the gray disappearing to be replaced by shining dark waves. He sent a drone closer just as she stretched again and he could see her face once more.

No longer lined with age, her complexion was smooth and radiant. The rather coarse features of the villagers had been refined in her. She had high cheekbones, a straight nose, a pointed little chin, and a lush, red mouth that made him think of things he had not considered since his first coming-of-age. His sex actually stirred, a reaction as unwanted as it was unexpected. But he still couldn’t drag his eyes away from her. He was so wrapped up in his observations that he didn’t realize that she was approaching his drone.

“Hello there, little bird,” she whispered in a low husky voice that seemed to feather softly over his skin. “I haven’t seen you here before.”

By the Horns of Moroz, he should have realized that she would be observant. His drones had assumed the form of native flying creatures, but she was correct. They were rarely seen at this altitude.

“Did you lose your way? Are you hungry?”

While he hesitated, unsure if he should send the drone flying away, she ventured into her garden and retrieved a handful of seeds from a large flower and scattered them in front of the small creature. The drone did not, of course, need to eat, but he felt obligated to respond to her hospitality. He had the drone pick up several of the seeds before he remembered that it would not be judicious to have her approach and examine it closely. Despite his reluctance, he sent it flying into the trees. She laughed, a sultry note that sent a thrill of pleasure through his body, and lifted a hand in farewell. Still sitting on his ship’s bridge, he actually started to raise his own hand in response before he came to his senses.

Skef. What was the matter with him? He could not afford to be distracted by a female, especially not a primitive female, no matter how attractive she might be or how many intriguing questions were hidden behind that beautiful face. In fact, he should stop watching the village entirely and focus only on his own ship. Resolving to stay away from her, he returned to his work.

Chapter Two

“Good morning, Robin,” Jaelle said cheerfully to the small red bird perched on the top of the well. It was not a robin, of course, or even exactly a bird for that matter, but it bore a close enough resemblance that she’d named him after the Earth creature. Although the red birds were not usually seen this high in the mountains, this one had appeared every day since her trip to the marketplace. She had caught glimpses of other red birds flitting through the trees, but this one seemed to be the boldest.

“Do you think it’s going to snow today?” she asked him as she studied the sky.

Dark clouds were rolling across the valley below and the top of the mountain was already shrouded in fog. The scent of snow was in the air and she sighed. While she could get by without them if necessary, she was running low on flour and salt. If she wanted to bake bread before the storm hit, she would need to make another journey to the village today to get additional supplies.

As always, she had mixed feelings about the trip. Even though she appreciated the serenity of her cottage and her quiet life, she did get lonely. The interaction with the villagers, however brief, made her feel less isolated. But while the interaction with her patients was usually polite, if not overly friendly, the rest of the villagers were a different story. She was regarded with the same suspicion and distrust as her mother and her grandmother before her.

But that was never going to change, and with a sigh, she went to apply her makeup. That too was another source of mixed feelings. As her grandmother had pointed out, it made her less threatening and helped her to avoid unwanted attention from the men of the village. But the fact that a string of seemingly ageless old women had been coming down the mountain for generations only added to the suspicion with which she was regarded.

Her grandmother had found it amusing and joked about it when she first taught Jaelle how to disguise herself. The familiar pang washed over her. She still missed the wise, funny older woman. Unfortunately, no matter how skilled her family was in the healing arts, age eventually overtook everyone.

As she left the cottage in the familiar disguise, she blew a kiss at the small stone that marked her grandmother’s passing, snugly settled next to Jaelle’s mother, and her great-grandmother and all the women in her family back to the first ill-fated ancestor to land on this planet.

Since she was too far from the village to be observed, she could walk freely, enjoying the trip down through the evergreen trees that dominated this part of the mountain. But as the trees began to thin and the bare branches of the deciduous trees took over, she slowed her pace and bent over her cane. The posture was as familiar to her now as her real gait.

Robin had accompanied her down the mountain, flitting in and out amongst the trees and making odd little chirping noises. There was something about his call that didn’t sound quite like the other birds, and she sometimes wondered if he’d suffered some sort of accident. But it was nice to have him along as a companion on her trip.

As the village came in sight below her, she stopped to study it. The collection of sturdy wood and stone buildings climbing up from the river looked peaceful and prosperous. The new house that the miller was building was almost complete. Based on the rumors from her last visit, he would be asking for Nyssa’s hand in marriage as soon as it was finished. Since Nyssa was the daughter of the mayor of their small village – a man who regarded himself of high importance – Jaelle wondered if the miller’s suit would be successful. She followed the village courtships with great interest, knowing that no man would ever come courting her.

When the time came to have a child, she would have a quick, discreet encounter with a carefully selected villager. As soon as she knew she was pregnant, she would administer a drink that would make him think the whole thing a dream. Another family tradition that she didn’t intend to change, although she did spare a wistful thought for Lars. After her grandmother died, she had checked the carefully kept records and realized that the big, gentle woodcutter was her father. It might have been nice to have grown up as his daughter…

But the separation was necessary and she shook her head and returned to contemplation of the village. There were other signs of growth as well and she was glad to see them. From the history her family had passed down, it had taken several generations of struggle before the settlers had been able to flourish and expand.

They would be expanding even more rapidly if men like Knut had their way, she thought grimly as she resumed her journey. They didn’t seem to understand the toll childbirth took on a woman in these primitive conditions. But at least Jaelle could use her family’s wisdom to help those women who didn’t want to have a child every year. Although the birth control mixture was her most requested product, she was happy when the villagers would take any of her healing potions. The village did claim a self-professed doctor but his methods were untrained and dangerous.

As she entered the village, she noticed that most of the houses were decked out with green boughs around the windows and clusters of red berries on the doors. Of course, it was the holiday season. A mixture of heritages from the original ship and generations of isolation had resulted in a hodgepodge of holiday traditions centered around the winter solstice. Good spirits, evil spirits, and the birth of the new year came together in the weeks leading up to the Longest Night celebration.

The marketplace stalls also sported the holiday decorations, and a sense of suppressed excitement filled the air as people laughed and chatted. Fragrant spices perfumed the air from the hot punch being sold by a dozen vendors. She gave it a longing glance as she passed, but her small reserve of coins was needed for supplies, not frivolity.

Business was brisk after she assumed her usual position in the corner behind the tavern. Perhaps emboldened by the festive season, several of her customers even lingered to chat. But as the afternoon wore on, the conversations ceased. Instead, they cast frequent glances at the heavy clouds looming over the town and hurried about their business.

“Snow’s a-comin’,” old Christoph muttered to her when he stopped by to pick up some cream to help with his rheumatism.

“Looks like it,” she agreed. “Do you have enough firewood to keep you warm if you get snowed in?”

“Aye, don’t you worry about me.” He peered at her through rheumy eyes. “What about you? I worry about you up on that mountain by yourself.”

“I’m fine. I have everything I need up there.”

“You should be living here in town.”

It was a familiar argument and she smiled at him. “You know you’re the only one who thinks that.”

“Nonsense. You got a lot of friends here.”

Even though he’d said it many times before, it always made her heart ache a little. She knew it wasn’t true. The most she could hope for from the villagers was to be tolerated. But this was the path that her family had chosen and there was no point feeling sorry for herself. She forced a smile.

“I like my mountain. Besides, I have a new friend up there.” She pointed at Robin who was perched on the overhanging eave of the tavern. “He’s been keeping me company lately.”

Christoph frowned up at the bird. “Thought they were all gone for the season.”

“He seems to have decided to stick around. And I’ve seen a few others as well. Maybe they don’t migrate as much as we thought, or maybe it’s going to be a mild winter.”

As if in rebuttal to her words, an icy wind swirled around them.

“Doesn’t feel that mild to me.” Christoph shook his head. “But if you insist on staying by yourself, you better get going before the storm hits.”

“I will, I promise.” She smiled at him, for once not hiding her true smile, and he very reluctantly smiled back before he hobbled off. Her search of the records had revealed that he was her grandfather, and while she could never tell him, she liked the fact that they had become friends.

Despite her agreement with his warning to be on her way, it took her longer than she had expected to purchase her supplies. It didn’t help that she spent a few extra minutes searching in vain for the two orphaned children she had befriended, and the early winter sunlight was already fading as she headed for the edge of the village.

“Hey, you old witch.”

The rough voice accosting her made her look around and her heart sank. It was Knut and from the way he was staggering towards her, he had spent the afternoon drinking.

“What is it, Knut?” she asked, keeping her voice cool.

“It’s your fault, isn’t it?”

“What’s my fault?”

“The reason that no good wife of mine can’t get pregnant.”

The belligerence in his voice set off warning bells and she took a quick look around. Her pulse raced when she realized that they were alone. The combination of the early darkness and increasing cold had sent people scurrying home. Knut took a step closer, looming over her as the fumes of stale beer assaulted her senses. She shifted her grip on her cane.

“It hasn’t even been a year since she had little Hans,” she said soothingly. “Sometimes it just takes a while.”

“Shouldn’t take this long. It’s your fault,” he repeated stubbornly. “You stay away from her.”

“Just give her time-”

“She’s had time. I want another son.”

“More than you want a healthy wife?” She couldn’t keep the sharp note out of her voice and his heavy brows lowered.

“Ain’t none of your business. She’s my wife and I want her bred.”

A flare of anger overruled her common sense and she stepped closer. “She’s not a farm animal. Let her decide when she’s ready.”

He swore and raised a meaty fist. She lifted her cane to intercept the blow but although she managed to stop it from landing, he moved more quickly than she had expected given his drunken condition and grabbed hold of the cane.

“Don’t you raise your hand to me, woman. About time somebody taught you a lesson.”

He tried to pull the cane away from her and she clung to it desperately, afraid of what he would do if he managed to seize control. Her grip started to slip and he grinned triumphantly. But before he could pull it away completely, there was an outraged squawk and then Robin flew at his face. Knut swore and let go of the cane in his haste to bat him away.

“Don’t hurt him!” she cried as a big hand came dangerously close to the small bird.

Knut paid no attention to her as he tried again to grab Robin. Determined to stop him, she swung the cane, striking him behind the knee and throwing him off balance. His leg gave out and he fell to the ground. He roared again and reached for her but she danced back away from him. Maintaining her disguise was less important than escaping.

Before he could struggle to his feet, she grabbed her discarded basket and took off at a run, Robin flying ahead of her. Two other birds joined them as she dashed out of the village and raced for the tree line. She didn’t hear any sound of pursuit but she didn’t stop running until she was out of breath. As she bent over, gasping, she noticed the new birds circling, almost as if they were checking the path behind her. She cast an anxious look back over her shoulder but the woods were silent and no one appeared on the trail.

As she resumed the trip up the mountains, she realized her hands were shaking. The villagers might treat her with suspicion, but no one had ever physically threatened her before. She had promised her grandmother that she would continue to help them, but what would be the cost?

Chapter Three

Krampasarian roared with frustration. His fingertips tingled as his claws emerged and this time he didn’t feel shame. He only wished that he was in the village so that he could slash them across the neck of the imbecilic primitive male who had attempted to lay his hands on Krampasarian’s female.

His female?

The thought interrupted his rage. When had he developed such a possessive instinct towards her? Yes, he watched her each day but that was only because he was conducting a scientific inquiry into the life forms on this planet. But that excuse rang hollow in his own ears.

Putting the uncomfortable question aside to consider later, he verified that thanks to his intervention, the female was unhurt. As soon as she was safely back in her cottage, he considered the problem in greater detail. The male needed to be taught a lesson. If they were back on Tandrok, there would be a number of subtle, but effective, ways he could discourage the male without outright confrontation. As his temper cooled, he discarded his original, embarrassingly primitive desire to cause physical harm to the male. But perhaps there were other ways to make him pay…

He waited until most of the lights in the village had disappeared, then set out on his journey. This time he was prepared, although no less disapproving, for the scattering of snowflakes drifting down from the sky. His dark thermal suit kept him dry and warm as he made his way down the mountain. His path led him past Jaelle’s cottage. A small light still flickered in one of her windows. Was she awake? Should he stop and introduce himself? Explain that he was taking action on her behalf?

He had a sudden, intoxicating vision of her smiling at him, her tantalizing pink lips curling up as she placed her hand on his. His body stirred at the image, taking it further, imagining that he was touching her, pulling her body against his, ripping away the dull gown that concealed her from him so that he could explore –

By Moroz’s horns, what was he thinking? His people had long abandoned such primitive mating rituals. Physical contact was to be avoided. Alliances were arranged for mutual benefit, and if a child was desired, a carefully selected egg would be quickly and efficiently fertilized.

He forced himself to turn away from the lure of the cottage and resume his trip. The village lay in silence as he slipped past the first buildings, but as he made his way into town, he realized that a few small lights still shone here and there. In his impatience, he had failed to wait until everyone was asleep. No matter. The suit would conceal him. And if it did not? His claws tingled again.

As he reached Knut’s dwelling, he heard a raised voice from a small building at the rear and recognized the obnoxious blustering. He silently approached the outbuilding.

“Goddamnit, boy! Do I have to do everything myself?” The sharp crack of flesh against flesh sounded. “I am paying you to make my life easier!”

The muttered reply was too quiet for him to make out most of the words but he heard a fragment.

“… bad man…”

“You’ll see how bad I am if you don’t get those harnesses cleaned. Now get back to work - and do it right this time.”

Krampasarian faded back into the shadows as the male came striding past. He was tempted to carry out his original impulse and force a physical confrontation, but really such primitive methods were beneath him. Instead an idea - a wonderful, terrible idea - had come to him as he listened to the male rant. Whoever was in the shed made the male’s life easier. Therefore, he would remove him.

The fragments of the tales he had overheard came back to him. This was the time of year when one’s actions were judged. The male would understand that this was a punishment inflicted on him for his offenses.

Mind made up, he peered around the open door. The only occupant was a young male, his shoulders shaking as he bent over a cleaning instrument. This was the object of the male’s rage? His own anger threatened to reappear, and for a moment, he wished he had given into his primitive instincts. But no, this would be better. The male would suffer the child’s loss and Krampasarian would make sure that the boy was protected.

Approaching on silent feet, he puffed a small dose of a sleeping potion into the air in front of the boy, catching him as he sagged to the ground. The slight body weighed almost nothing, but he needed to keep his hands free in case he encountered anyone on the return journey. He pulled a utility sack from his belt and carefully placed the child inside. Made from the same material as his suit, it would keep him dry and warm as they went up the mountain.

With the sack over his shoulder, he slipped back through town and began to climb.

When he reached Jaelle’s cottage, the light had been extinguished. Giving in to temptation, he strode silently through the garden to the window that opened to her bedroom, well aware of its location due to his frequent observations. The curtains were ajar and enough moonlight made its way through the clouds that he could see her.

She was curled in a small bed, dark hair in a glorious disarray across her pillow. As he watched, she tossed restlessly, her covers slipping down to reveal a thin, white gown that revealed a tantalizing glimpse of the upper swell of her breasts. A desperate desire to see more consumed him, but even as he stared, her eyes opened, midnight blue and mysterious in the moonlight, as she looked back at him, unafraid. Then a warm smile curved those tempting pink lips before her eyes fluttered closed once more.

She had seen him, he was sure of it. And she hadn’t screamed or cowered. Perhaps his earlier, wishful thoughts weren’t so impossible after all.

But then a slight shift in the body tucked against his back reminded him of his mission. He would consider the possibility of an introduction another time. Right now, he had a child for whom he was responsible.

The rest of the trip was accomplished without difficulty, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he was safe aboard his ship once more. The episode had been entirely too stimulating. As soon as he took care of the child, he would practice some calming meditations.

As he removed the child from the sack and placed him carefully on a small bunk, it occurred to him that he might have made a mistake. Now that he had him, what was he going to do with him? He was almost tempted to keep the child unconscious, but he couldn’t quite convince his conscience that it would be for the best. With a sigh, he puffed the antidote into the boy’s face.

It worked immediately. The child’s eyes opened, then widened, and he scrabbled back across the bunk until he hit the wall. Krampasarian spread his empty hands wide in what he hoped was a universal indication that he meant no harm.

“What the fuck are you?” the boy asked, his eyes still wide.

Krampasarian frowned. “Aren’t you too young to be using such vulgarities?”

“You’ve got horns!”

“Yes, I do.” He nodded complacently, pleased with the boy’s observation. Carefully oiled and trimmed, his horns were a source of great pride. He had the largest set in his squad.

The child did not appear to be listening. Instead, he was scanning the cabin, his gaze coming to rest on the door behind Krampasarian. “Where am I? Why’d you bring me here?”

That was rather a difficult question. In the light of day and now that his anger had cooled, he rather regretted his impulsive decision.

“I wished to punish your… employer. Your legend speaks of a dark spirit that takes valuable things away from those of evil intent.”

“Dark spirit? You mean Krampus?” The child snorted, his disgust overcoming his fear. “Well, you got it all wrong. Knut doesn’t value me.”

“But you work for him.”

“Not hard enough, according to him.” A calculating look came into the boy’s eyes. “But maybe if I’m not there, he’ll realize what he’s missing.” He hopped down from the bunk. “You got anything to eat around here?”

Taken aback, Krampasarian stared at the boy until the child made an impatient noise.

“You understand food, right? If you’re gonna kidnap someone, you gotta feed them.”

Shaking off his shock, he nodded. The bonds of hospitality did require the offering of food. “Of course. Come this way.”

An hour later, he was beginning to wonder if his food replicator could keep up. The boy, after identifying himself as Whit, had consumed three full-sized portions, the remnants of which now covered his face and hands as he grinned cheerfully at Krampasarian.

“It might’ve looked funny but that sure tasted good.”

“You are full now?”

Whit rubbed his stomach thoughtfully, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. I could always have a snack later, right?”

“If you wish.” He studied the boy and tried to hide his disapproval. Whit was far too thin, his clothes were little more than rags, and he was in desperate need of a bathing facility. His caretakers were not doing an adequate job. “Who looks after you?”

“I take care of myself,” Whit said belligerently.

“You are not doing an adequate job.”

“I’m doing the best I can. Knut don’t pay nothing, and I have to give old Linnea most of it to take care of-”

“Take care of?” he asked, when the boy came to an abrupt halt.

“Nothin’.” Whit averted his gaze, obviously lying, but Krampasarian decided not to press the matter. “Now what?”

“Now, you will take a bath.”

“No, hell, I won’t.”

“Yes, hell, you will.” Krampasarian grabbed Whit as the boy tried to dart past him and lifted him into the air, his claws twisted in the boy’s shirt to hold him at arm’s length as he kicked wildly. “Bath. Now.”

By the time the bath was accomplished, he was as wet as his young victim. Wrapped in a large towel, Whit glared at him as he programmed his replicator to produce clothing for the child. Even clean, he was not a particularly attractive child. His ears were too large, his face was too thin, and he was covered with odd little specks of pigment. But there was something appealing about his brave defiance and his engaging grin. A grin that was sadly missing at the moment.

“I do not believe the experience was as unpleasant as you maintain,” Krampasarian said firmly.

“A little dirt is good for you. Protects the skin.”

“That wasn’t a little dirt. It was a lot of dirt.” Thank goodness the filtration system hadn’t been damaged in the crash. “And clothing is used to protect the skin. Here.”

“What’s that?”

“A thermal suit.” He kept his hand extended, but Whit only scowled suspiciously at the garment.

“That ain’t clothing. Where’s my pants and shirt?”

“In the disposal unit.”

“Well, get ‘em back.”

“It’s too late. They were filthy.” And inhabited by small insects. He shuddered at the memory.

“You got no right to take my clothes!”

“This is much better. It will protect you from both heat and cold, and it resists dirt.”

“Looks like some kinda underwear,” the boy muttered, but he finally took the suit.

“I assume you can dress yourself?” Taking the outraged glare as assent, he continued, “Once you are dressed, you can continue your studies. I have… observations to make.”

The sun had risen during the bathing struggle, and he wished to check on Jaelle and make sure she had recovered from the previous day’s experiences. He was halfway out the door before Whit responded.

“What studies?”

With a sigh, he turned back around. “You have no set course of learning?”

“Don’t need it. I already got a job, don’t I?”

“Don’t you want an education?” From the lack of response, apparently not. “Or a better job?”

Whit shrugged, but Krampasarian saw a flash of eagerness cross his face. “That might be okay. If I made a little more, I could get Cinna some nicer things.”

“Cinna?”

The boy’s face closed down and for a moment, Krampasarian thought he would refuse to answer.

“My sister,” Whit said finally. “She lives with old lady Linnea. She’s nice enough and she treats Cinna good, but she ain’t got much money.” He hummed thoughtfully. “If I could figure better, maybe I could get a job helping out Magnus. He’s got that big shop on the main street.”

“Once you are dressed, come find me on the bridge. Straight up the corridor. I will prepare your lessons.” His plans would have to wait until the boy was settled.

“Yeah, okay,” Whit agreed, then called after him as he turned to the door once more. “Hey, wait a minute. You never told me your name.”

“I am Commander Krampasarian D’Marchandar of the House of Strogar,” he said proudly.

Whit’s eyes widened. “You mean you really are Krampus?”

“Of course not. The names simply bear a very slight similarity.”

Whit ignored him. “Huh. Kidnapped by Krampus. Cinna is never going to believe this.”

Chapter Four

As soon as Jaelle opened her eyes, her gaze flicked to the window. She’d had the strangest dream last night that a man was standing there. No, not a man. Even though he’d been covered in a dark, tight suit that accentuated broad shoulders and a muscular chest. Even though he had long, white hair that curled down around his shoulders in silken waves. Even though dark, compelling eyes had looked back at her from a stunningly handsome face. But the two large horns that had spiraled up from his head had most definitely not been human.

Yet she hadn’t been afraid. In her dream, she had looked across at the window, the curtain parted just as it was right now, and their eyes had met, and all she had wanted was to go to him.

Don’t be ridiculous, she scolded herself. Perhaps she had been alone too long. Perhaps she should consider picking a village man to give her a child…

The thought held even less appeal than usual with the memory of her strange visitor still fresh in her mind. Perhaps he had been the dark spirit that the villagers said haunted them at this time of year, judging the unworthy. The thought made her smile - a smile that broadened when she caught a flash of red at the window and saw Robin peeking through that same gap in the curtains.

Throwing back the covers, she padded over to the window and opened the curtains completely to allow the pale winter sunshine to flood the room.

“Good morning,” she said to the bird as she pushed the window open a crack, shivering as the icy air came rushing in. “I don’t suppose I can tempt you to any breakfast this morning?”

It hadn’t escaped her notice that no matter what she tried to feed Robin, he only took a few small bites, almost as if he was trying to be polite. He chirped in response and hopped back a few steps.

She laughed. “No, I didn’t think so.”

Peering past him at the sky, she noticed the looming clouds on the horizon and frowned. How she longed for the weather forecasting skills of her ancestors but that technology had long since stopped working. All she had to go on was the information recorded in her family’s journals and a lifetime of experience.

“What do you think, Robin? Is there a storm coming?”

He bobbed his head in agreement, and this time, he hopped closer, almost as if he wanted to come inside. She hesitated, then opened the window a little further. Under other circumstances, she wouldn’t even have considered letting a wild creature into her cottage, but somehow, she wasn’t worried that he would cause any damage, either to the cottage or himself. And after her experience yesterday, she rather liked the idea of company. To her delight, Robin hopped across the sill, then tilted his head and surveyed the room with his bright, dark gaze.

“Not very impressive, is it?” she asked as she followed his eyes, but despite her words, she loved her room.

The single bed was covered with a quilt her grandmother had made and heaped with pillows. Shelves along the other wall held her childhood treasures, plus those of her mother and grandmother before her, and she had spent many hours curled in the worn reading chair. Although she had cleaned out the larger bedroom after her grandmother died, she could never bring herself to leave the small, cozy room where she’d grown up.

Pushing aside the memories, she smiled at Robin, now perched on one of her shelves, almost as if he was reading the titles of the few precious books that had been handed down to her.

“I’ll leave that window cracked so you can find your way back out.” She shivered as an icy breeze whistled through the opening. “But I’m going to take my bath in the other room in front of the fire.”

Robin seemed to freeze for a moment, but when she walked into the main room, he followed her.

Even though Krampasarian knew it was behaving irrationally, as soon as he had Whit settled, he sent his drone flying after Jaelle. He should be content. He had seen her flushed and sleepy, her body clad only in a long white gown, and even that had been far, far better than the bulky garments she usually wore. But when she said that she was about to bathe…

He had been examining the contents of her shelves, storing the image of her book titles for later translation, but just as something odd caught his eye, she had spoken and his curiosity had been replaced by sudden, unreasoning lust. Perching the drone on the top of a large cupboard, he watched eagerly as she went about her preparations.

The main room of the cottage was centered around a large fireplace with a stove insert for cooking. Several padded chairs were positioned to one side of the fireplace while on the other side, a table and chairs sat in front of one of the windows.

Jaelle took hot water from a reservoir on the stove and began filling a large metal object, supplementing it with water from the primitive pump in the kitchen area. Her living conditions really were appalling. If he only had her here on his ship, he could show her the wonders of unlimited hot water at the press of a button and -

She removed her sleeping gown and all thoughts of water were abandoned. He had seen enough of her to know that she was not the aged crone she appeared to be when she visited the village. He had expected that she would be young and healthy. He had not expected the vision of perfection that met his hungry gaze as she stepped into her primitive bath.

Her body was not dissimilar to that of a Tandroki female. Smaller of course, and to the best of his knowledge, no Tandroki female possessed those lush, tempting curves. His race valued tall, slender females, not oversized breasts that would be too large even for his hands or equally lush hips that made a male think of nothing but burying himself between them.

Raising her arms, she poured water over her body, letting it cascade down over taut, pink nipples and catch in a small patch of dark curls between her legs. Her actions were completely natural, unaware that she was watched, and he knew that he should turn away. Instead, his hand dropped to his hardened cock, pushing insistently against the tight cloth of his flight suit. He gripped his errant flesh, trying to remind himself that he was Tandroki and far above the primitive pleasures of the flesh, but then she picked up a small bar of soap and began rubbing it across her breasts and he gave up the fight.

Freeing his cock, he gave it a long, hard stroke as she circled her nipples, plucking gently at the rosy buds, her expression dreamy and far away. His grip tightened as her hand dropped down her body, parting those dark curls to reveal glistening pink folds. She worked the swollen pearl of flesh at the top of her sex, her movements faster now, and he matched his pace to hers, imagining that it was his hand, his cock, wringing those small cries of pleasure from her lips. Her back arched as she gave a louder cry, her body shivering with ecstasy, and he felt a corresponding streak of fire down his spine as he too cried out and a hot rush of seed covered his hand.

He collapsed back in his chair, still shuddering with pleasure, a pleasure that was quickly replaced by embarrassment. He had not touched himself in such a way since he was a young cadet, exploring the forbidden pleasures of the flesh before he fully understood the need to rise above such primitive instincts. But despite his embarrassment, he couldn’t stop watching Jaelle as she finished her bath, her movements efficient now rather than sensual. Even when she covered that tempting body with more of her voluminous clothing, it didn’t help. Now he knew the delights beneath.

A noise from the corridor interrupted his wayward thoughts, and he hastily tucked himself away before Whit came bouncing into the room.

“Are you finished with your lessons?” he asked.

“Mostly.”

When Krampasarian frowned at him, the boy shrugged and gave him that curiously endearing smile.

“I wanted to talk to you. Man to… Krampus.”

A feeling of foreboding settled over him. “Why?”

Instead of responding, the boy wandered around the bridge, inspecting the various instrument panels curiously but, fortunately, not touching anything.

“You know,” Whit said finally, looking at him from under his lashes. “You got a pretty good thing going up here.”

“A good thing?” he asked incredulously. “I have a ruined ship in desperate need of repairs and I’m a very long way from my station.”

“Ship? I seen pictures of ships and this don’t look like none of them.”

“It’s a special kind,” he said quickly, cursing his lack of discretion. The knowledge of space flight should never be shared with lower races.

Whit gave him a skeptical look but returned to his main theme. “You got plenty of food and the roof don’t leak. You even got clothes. Sorta.”

The last statement was accompanied by a scowl at the thermal suit, but Krampasarian realized the boy had a point. Even on the crippled ship, his life was considerably better than that of the villagers.

“I suppose I do,” he agreed.

“And since you have all this, you could share it.”

His mind immediately went to Jaelle. Yes, he could see her here on the ship. He could take care of her here, make sure she was adequately fed and let her experience the bathing room, so superior to that primitive tub. Although, that tub did have some advantages…

His body started to respond to the erotic memory until Whit’s voice brought him back to the present. The boy had asked him a question but he’d missed it.

“Yes?”

“That’s great! I knew you weren’t such a bad guy, Krampus!” Whit grabbed his hand and pumped it up and down enthusiastically.

“That is not my name. And of course, I’m not a ‘bad guy.’”

“She won’t be any trouble,” Whit said enthusiastically and Krampasarian barely managed to refrain himself from snorting.

Of course she would be trouble. Females were always trouble. But it would be worth it to have her near him, where he could see her, possibly even touch her…

“And she doesn’t take up much room.” Whit continued, “She can share my bed.”

What? Jaelle would be in his bed, not the child’s, but why would Whit even think… A sinking feeling filled his chest.

“Whit, what are you talking about?”

“Cinna, of course. You said she could come and stay with us.”

“I said your sister could stay here?” he repeated disbelievingly.

“Course you did! When can we go get her?” Whit beamed up at him.

Chapter Five

Krampasarian muttered to himself as he strode back down the mountain path that night. How had he let the child talk him into this? He certainly didn’t need another person on his ship. But Whit had sworn that if he was not there to take care of his sister, she might starve to death. How could he, in good conscience, allow that to happen? And letting Whit go so quickly would not serve to teach the cruel male a lesson.

His footsteps hesitated as he passed Jaelle’s cottage, but he did not want to delay his mission. Would she bathe again before retiring? Perhaps if he were quick, he could watch her once more.

He was earlier tonight when he reached the village - more windows still glowed with light and he heard conversations coming from the houses. He slowed as he passed them, catching glimpses of a male talking to his female as they sat close together, of a parent carrying a child to bed, a group of young people gathered around a fire and laughing. They didn’t seem to mind the primitive conditions or the lack of common conveniences, and he found himself curiously envious. If he had been at home on Tandrok, he would have been alone in his perfectly maintained house as he meditated before retiring. Or perhaps he would have been at an elegant social gathering, where polite words and elaborate courtesies disguised malicious intentions.

Foolishness. He shook his head and increased his pace, following Whit’s directions to a small building on the outskirts of the village, close to the nearby river. “Old lady Linnea,” as Whit had called her, was a widow who took in laundry and sewing from the wealthier townspeople. She had three children of her own, all girls. As he passed the lighted front window, he could see the female bent over a small garment, her fingers flying busily as she chatted with two older children.

The room was small, the furniture shabby, but everything was spotlessly clean. Neat piles of clothes filled several baskets. Nodding approvingly, he slipped around the back of the cottage to the room where Whit had said his sister slept. He peeped through the window, then swore silently.

The tiny room had a bed against each wall, both of them containing a child. How would he know which one was Whit’s sister? Even more unfortunately, he was far too large to climb through the small window. He would have to wait until the female finished her work and retired to bed, then enter through the front door. Casting a disdainful glance at his surroundings, he tried to decide between the doubtful pleasures of perching on a snow-covered rock or leaning against the equally cold stone wall of the cottage.

A small sound interrupted his musing, and he looked down to see a pair of wide blue eyes staring up at him through the window. He braced himself for the child’s scream as he searched hastily for his sleeping potion. Despite his immediate instinct to withdraw, he had promised Whit that he would return with his sister.

To his shock, the girl didn’t scream. All she did was stare up at him, and as he stared back, he realized that although her features were smaller and more delicate, the resemblance was unmistakable. He had no doubt this was Whit’s sister. He was even more shocked when, after a moment of silent contemplation, she opened the window.

“Hello.” Her voice sounded like tiny bells, completely unafraid.

He had never been at such a loss for words. It took a full thirty seconds before he recovered enough to return her greeting. “Hello. Are you Cinna?”

“Yes.” She gave him a trusting smile. “Did you come to take me away?”

“No, of course not - well, yes, I did. Your brother sent me.”

“I thought so. Penny said the bad man took him and I was next.” Her small face wrinkled as she scowled over her shoulder at the child sleeping in the other bed. “I told her I wanted to be with Whit.” Turning back to him, she lifted her arms. “I’m ready.”

Still dumbfounded, he bent through the open window and carefully picked her up. Two tiny arms wound around his neck as she smiled up at him. His chest ached at the look of utter trust in her eyes. Had anyone ever looked at him like that before?

Determined to honor that trust, he gently adjusted her in his arms. By the Horns of Moroz, she felt impossibly frail, and he cast a worried look at the sky. An occasional flake of snow had begun to fall, and she was clad only in a thin sleeping garment. He had the sack, of course, but it seemed wrong to place her in it when she looked at him so trustingly.

In the end, he compromised and simply wrapped it around her small body. She snuggled against him and her eyes drifted close. She was asleep before he reached the other side of the village. Focused on his precious burden, he didn’t even pause as he passed Jaelle’s cottage, although he did spare it a regretful glance.

The light tap on her door made Jaelle freeze. She had spent the previous day trying to decide the best way to protect herself from Knut when she returned to the village, but she had never expected him to follow her all the way here. But the quiet knock hadn’t sounded threatening - and what if someone needed her?

She cautiously opened the door to find a woman leaning against the wall and panting.

“Do you really have to live so far up the mountain?” she said breathlessly as Jaelle stared at her.

“Melissa? What are you doing here?”

The plump tavern keeper surveyed her from head to foot, then snorted. “Always suspected there was more to you than you let on.”

Jaelle blushed and put a hand to her tangled curls as she realized she had forgotten to assume her usual disguise. “I…”

The other woman shook her head. “You don’t need to explain. Probably sensible not to let those horny bastards see the real you.”

“That’s what my grandmother said.”

“She was a wise woman, was Elise.” Melissa’s brows drew together. “But I’m not here about your secrets. Whit disappeared two nights ago. Now the girl’s gone too.”

“Cinna? Are you sure?”

“Linnea told me when she brought the washing. She said Cinna’s bed was empty and there was no sign of her. No one in the village has seen her. Linnea has to work, so I told her I would come see you.” Melissa peered over Jaelle’s shoulder into the front room of the cottage. “We were hoping maybe they were here?”

“Why would you think that?”

The other woman snorted. “I’ve seen you with them. You care about them and they adore you. I thought maybe Whit had enough of Knut’s bullying and ran away. But then I found this on the way up here.” The woman held out a scrap of pink. Jaelle’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the ribbon she had given Cinna on a previous visit.

“We should organize a search party.”

“I’ve spread the word in the village, but no one’s very enthusiastic about climbing the haunted mountain. Knut has been going around saying it’s just some kind of trick the boy’s playing.”

“That bastard.”

“I know. But it’s easy to believe when it means you can stay in your nice warm house. And you know it’s not the first time Whit’s played a trick like that.”

“No, but he would never put Cinna in danger.” She cast a worried look over Melissa’s shoulder at the heavy clouds. Based on the way they were moving, the storm that had been threatening for the past few days was almost here.

Melissa frowned up at the sky as well. “Do you want me to help you look?”

Jaelle shook her head. “I know you have to get back to the village. You didn’t see any other sign of her on the way up, did you?”

“I’m afraid not.” Melissa hesitated. “Has anyone else been up here?”

“As you pointed out, no one is particularly enthusiastic about visiting a haunted mountain,” she said dryly. “Why?”

“It’s hard to tell because there isn’t much snow, I thought maybe I saw footprints.”

Jaelle’s heart skipped a beat. Could someone have taken the children? But why would they have done such a thing? And why would they have brought them up her mountain – unless it was a twisted attempt to punish her. “You’re sure Knut is still in the village?”

“I’m sure. I can understand why you think he might be behind this, but Kara told me he passed out early last night and I believe her.”

Damn. She cast another worried glance at the sky. “I’ll see if I can find them.”

“Look, Jaelle. I know you worry, but as much as I hate to admit it, Knut could be right.”

“Even if he is right, it looks like Cinna was here.” She nodded at the ribbon in Melissa’s hand. “Why would they come up here? Unless…” Her stomach clenched as she remembered. “Whit and I were talking about caves on my last visit.”

“Are there any caves around here?”

“A few, higher up the mountain.” Surely the boy wouldn’t have headed there. But the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t escape the sinking feeling that something was wrong. She had to at least take a look. “I’m going to go check them out.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Melissa was undoubtedly sincere, but Jaelle could see the worry in her eyes.

“No, really. The cave isn’t that far from here and you have a long trip back down the mountain.”

“All right. If the storm holds off, I’ll be back tomorrow. If you can’t find them, we’ll just have to get a larger group to search with.” The other woman must have read the doubt on Jaelle’s face because she gave her a quick smile. “Trust me, if I close down the tavern until they’re found, I’ll get a search party together.”

“Thank you, Melissa,” she said sincerely.

The tavern keeper gave her a quick smile, then hurried back down the path. Jaelle grabbed her cane and her heaviest cloak, then set off in the other direction. Robin fluttered around her head with a scolding chirp, but she ignored him.

As she reached the edge of her clearing, she paused to inspect the ground. As Melissa had said, there wasn’t much snow, but what was there was scuffed as if someone large had passed this way. The memory of her encounter with Knut made her palms dampen, but if the children needed her… She took a firm grip on her cane and set off.

Chapter Six

The woods surrounding Jaelle were oddly still, and within a few steps, the snow began to fall. At first it was almost pleasant, big white flakes drifting lazily down from the sky, but it accumulated with astonishing speed. The flakes came faster and faster and before long she was trudging through an ankle-deep layer of snow. She kept switching her cane from hand to hand, burying the free hand deep in the pocket of her cloak, but despite that, her fingers were beginning to go numb. Her face was also tingling from the cold as she peered ahead through the swirling white. The cave she and Whit had discussed shouldn’t be much further.

A branch concealed beneath the snow made her stumble, wrenching her ankle in the process. Robin chirped anxiously, but Jaelle managed to keep her feet. Even with the numbing effects of the snow, each step was increasingly painful. She leaned more and more heavily on her cane, and she was almost at the point of giving up, when she caught a glimpse of a darker patch ahead. The cave!

“Whit! Cinna!” she cried, stumbling towards the opening. As she did, she caught a glimpse of movement inside the cave and gave a sob of relief. They were here!

“What were you thinking?” she asked as she took another step in that direction. But instead of a child’s high-pitched voice, a low growl answered her. She froze as a huge animal came padding out of the cave entrance.

The settlers called them dire wolves, although their only resemblance to the Earth creatures was their size and the claws that extended from their massive paws. Her heart pounded against her chest so rapidly that she felt sick, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the enormous blue-furred creature studying her.

The dire wolves were rarely seen in these parts, but the villagers had encountered them during hunting expeditions. She’d heard enough of those stories to know how dangerous they were. She took a cautious step back, then another, as it watched her from gleaming yellow eyes. With the third step, disaster struck when her injured ankle crumpled. As she fell back into the snow, her head struck a hidden rock and dizziness washed over her. She watched in horror as the wolf prowled towards her.

Robin squawked and dove at the wolf’s head. It snapped at the bird, but he kept coming, still making those outraged noises, until the wolf caught him with a massive paw, sending him flying.

She tried desperately to focus on the dire wolf and saw it gather itself, saw it prepare to pounce. She fumbled for her cane, knowing that it would do little to stop the creature but determined to die fighting.

The dire wolf sprang, but before it could reach her, there was an even louder roar and a man came flying out of the snow, crashing against the animal’s body and sending it sprawling to the ground. As he followed it down, her dazed mind took in the broad shoulders and the white hair and suddenly recognized the man from her dreams. No, not a man, not with those horns. How could he be real?

But even as she struggled to believe what she was seeing, the two intertwined bodies rolled closer and she saw her rescuer grip the wolf’s neck with long black claws, penetrating the thick fur as the animal thrashed beneath him. A sudden gush of blood and it finally lay still. Without even sparing it a second glance, the stranger turned to her, his eyes glowing.

“Now you are mine.”

She tried to scramble backwards, but she put too much weight on her injured ankle and pain washed over her. Black spots danced in her vision, and the last thing she saw before darkness overtook her was the stranger reaching for her.

Krampasarian swore as Jaelle’s eyes fluttered closed. This was not how he had intended their first meeting to occur. He had seen the fear in her eyes. Fear of him, no doubt due to the savagery of his attack.

He had been too late. Distracted by the children, he had not realized that she had left her cottage until she was already on the path. A path that would lead to the top of the mountain and close to where his ship had crashed. If he did nothing to prevent it, they would meet in person at last.

The prospect had left him unexpectedly nervous, as nervous as he had been the day he took his final exams at officer training school. She hadn’t flinched from him when she had seen him at the window, but had she thought she was dreaming? It wasn’t until he had polished his horns for the second time that he realized that he – a Commander of the Tandroki Fleet – was primping for a member of a primitive race. Ridiculous. He resolutely strode back to the viewing screen, and that was when he had realized that she was in trouble.

The snow had grown increasingly heavy, and he could tell that she was struggling with each footstep, but she still continued up the mountain. Her determination was to be valued no matter how foolhardy, but watching her struggle made his chest ache. He also realized that she had gone astray. She was no longer heading for his ship, but rather towards the caves to one side of the peak. Caves that were inhabited by –

Shouting a quick warning to Whit to close up the ship, he took off at a run. During his initial studies of his surroundings, he had seen the inhabitant of those caves - a large, primitive beast equipped with far more deadly, natural weapons than those possessed by the villagers.

He dashed through the snowy woods, moving more quickly than he had since his last training run with Nicholsarian. The obnoxious snow was falling even more heavily now, but his thermal suit kept him warm and he ignored it. He reached the clearing just in time to see his female stumble and fall as the beast leapt for her.

A thousand years of civilization and a lifetime of training disappeared. He forgot about the blaster holstered to his right hip and the ceremonial sword on his left and attacked in the same way his primitive ancestors would have attacked - with his horns and his claws. The roar that erupted from his mouth was an ancient battle cry, echoing through the clearing as he intercepted the beast before it could hurt his female.

The animal fought viciously, but there was never any doubt in Krampasarian’s mind that he would win. The deathblow filled him with satisfaction as he turned to claim his female. He had fought for her and he had won.

“Now you are mine,” he proclaimed triumphantly.

But her eyes were wide, scared, and she tried to scramble away from him. He saw her wince and sway, her face turning the color of the snow, and automatically reached for her. Her eyes fluttered close as he lifted her into his arms, but he had seen the fear in those deep blue eyes. And when he looked down, he saw the blood staining his claws. What had he done?

Remorse washed over him as he carefully carried her back to the ship. How could he have abandoned his civilized ways and how could he expect her to understand?

Even now, his instincts demanded that he claim her. The feel of her soft curves against him had his cock stiff and aching, even though he would never press his attentions on an injured female. He would never press his attentions on any female.

Whit was standing at the open door at the top of the landing ramp, but Krampasarian didn’t have the heart to chastise him. The boy’s eyes widened as he saw who Krampasarian was carrying.

“You stole a lady too?”

“I didn’t steal her.” Although he hadn’t exactly asked for permission to bring her on board. He soothed his conscience with the knowledge that she needed medical assistance. “She’s wounded.”

Whit closed the door behind them and accompanied him to the medical lab, still shooting worried glances at the female in his arms.

“Who is she?”

“You know who she is,” he said shortly as he placed her on the exam table.

“No I don’t. And she’s pretty. That means someone is gonna come looking for her. You need to get rid of her.” The boy crossed his arms and scowled at Krampasarian.

“You would have me send an injured female out into the storm?”

“Well no, I guess not. But as soon as the storm lets up. We don’t need her.”

Krampasarian was running a scanner over Jaelle’s head when her eyes suddenly flickered open. Rather than focusing on him, she looked to the boy, and a smile crossed her face.

“Safe…” she whispered, and then her eyes closed again.

“That’s Jaelle!” Whit rushed over and took her hand. “I don’t understand. She looks so young.”

“She is young. She disguises herself when she goes into the village,” he said absently, studying the results of the scan. The damage to her head would be painful but it was not life-threatening. Her ankle was in worse shape, and he tried to use the medical bed to heal it. Unfortunately, its systems had also been damaged in the crash, and in the end, he was forced to attend to the injury himself as the medic machine provided instruction. She would recover, but it would not be as swiftly as he would have preferred.

“Is she going to be all right?” Whit asked anxiously.

“She will be fine.” Anything else was unacceptable.

He hesitated for a second, glancing around the small medical bay, but he didn’t like the idea of leaving her in here surrounded by these machines. Bending over, he lifted her back in his arms. By the Horns of Moroz, she felt so right there.

“Where are you taking her?” Whit bobbed anxiously next to him. “Do you want our bed? I can sleep on the floor, but do you think she would mind sharing with Cinna?”

The question brought him up short. He had automatically been heading for his cabin – that was of course where she belonged – but perhaps she would prefer a room of her own. Unfortunately, his cabin and the small crew quarters occupied by Whit and Cinna were the only sleeping accommodations on the ship.

“Thank you for offering, Whit, but I’ll put her in my bed.”

The boy scowled again, his speckled nose wrinkling. “That ain’t proper.”

“I do not believe there is anyone here to object,” he said dryly. “But do not be concerned for her honor. I will sleep in my chair.”

“I reckon that’s okay.”

“Thank you.” Despite the sardonic note, he found himself appreciative of the boy’s determination to protect Jaelle’s honor. Whit was quite right. Krampasarian’s own people did not believe that a male and female should share the same bedroom. But he had observed enough of the villagers’ behavior to realize that the same prohibition did not exist here, at least not for permanently bonded couples. A month ago he would have dismissed the idea as ridiculous, but it no longer seemed so unpleasant. He could actually imagine bonding with Jaelle, sharing a room with her…

What was he thinking? He was not remaining on this planet, and once he was back amongst his own people, he would be negotiating for a suitable mate to help advance his career. No matter how little the idea appealed to him.

Whit followed him into his cabin and watched critically as Krampasarian carefully placed Jaelle in his bed and then covered her with a blanket. Her eyes were still closed, but her breathing was deep and even, and the medic machine had indicated that she would sleep. He would watch over her until she awoke.

Chapter Seven

The sound of hushed voices, accompanied by a tiny giggle, penetrated Jaelle’s sleep. Was someone in the cottage with her? Her eyes snapped open, and the first thing she saw was Whit and Cinna grinning at her.

“You’re all right! Where have you been? How did you get… here?” Her eager questions came to a halt as she took in her surroundings. This was not her cottage.

Impossibly smooth walls in a deep shade of red outlined a space that was far larger than her small living room. An elegant seating area was precisely arranged in front of a large window panel that displayed the snow swirling around outside. A window that was far beyond the capability of their current technology. She was lying in an impossibly soft bed – a bed? – on a raised dais at the other end of the room, and the children were standing next to her, their expressions eager.

“I told you not to wake her,” a deep voice said sternly as a door panel slid to one side.

Her eyes flew to the man – no, she reminded herself, not a man – standing in the opening. It was the stranger. The one she had seen in her dream and the one she had seen so terrifyingly in the snow. But it was hard to reconcile the elegant figure in the doorway with the snarling warrior who had attacked the dire wolf. Neatly clad in what appeared to be some type of uniform - the dark blue fabric accented with an intimidating variety of insignia - with his silvery blonde hair pulled back in a tight knot, the only resemblance to that frightening figure was the impressive ivory horns spiraling back from his brow. She shot a look at his hands, but the long dark claws had disappeared, leaving short dark nails no longer than a human man’s.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

“I am Commander Krampasarian D’Marchandar, of the Tandroki Fleet. At your service.” The words were accompanied by a graceful bow.

“Damn, Krampus. What are you all dressed up for?” Whit piped up.

Did a touch of pink stain the smooth ivory skin covering his cheekbones? Before she could decide, Cinna skipped over to him and took his hand.

“You look very nice.”

“Thank you, little one.” The stern features softened as he reached down and lifted the little girl into his arms.

“I don’t understand.” The whole situation had an unreal quality that made her wonder if she was still dreaming, but the pain in her head and her ankle argued otherwise. “You were missing, both of you, and I came looking and then there was the dire wolf…”

“Krampus took us,” Whit said proudly.

“I don’t understand,” she repeated, rubbing her head.

“Does your head trouble you?” the commander asked immediately. “The scan said that it would heal, but it did not indicate how long it would take.”

He strode over to the bed and placed Cinna carefully on her feet before he pressed long, cool fingers to her temple. She still remembered those vicious claws covered with blood, and his touch should have terrified her, but she had the oddest urge to lean into that soothing touch. Instead, she forced herself to pull away.

“What scan? Who are you?” She waved an impatient hand when his mouth opened. “And don’t tell me you’re Commander what’s his name again. You obviously aren’t human. Is this your planet?”

The briefest hint of shock crossed his face before the stern mask reappeared. “I am a… traveler. I’m performing some repairs before resuming my journey.”

“By yourself?”

“I have some… machinery that is assisting me.”

She had the impression that he was choosing his words very carefully, but right now she was more concerned about the children – and herself.

“Do you mean us any harm?”

This time his shocked expression was easy to read. “Of course not.”

“Then why did you take the children?”

Not that they seemed particularly bothered by their abduction. Cinna was leaning against the commander’s leg, her eyes heavy, while Whit was following the conversation avidly. Neither of the children seemed the least bit afraid of the horned male.

Once again, that faint touch of pink crossed his high cheekbones. “It is a long story. Perhaps it would be best to wait until you have recovered. Would you care for something to eat?”

Her stomach rumbled in response, and she realized that it had been a long time since her meager breakfast. Could she trust his food, she wondered.

“It’s really good,” Whit said enthusiastically.

“I believe that I could feed you coal dust and you would not object,” Krampasarian said dryly and the boy grinned.

“I suppose I am a little hungry,” she admitted.

“Then we will return with food at once. Come, Whit.”

She might have bristled at the demanding note in Krampus’s voice, but the boy didn’t object, simply hopping down from his perch on the far side of the bed. Hopping…

“Oh no! What happened to Robin?”

“Robin?”

“The little red bird who’s been keeping me company for the past month. He tried to stop the wolf.”

“Are you sure? I was not –”

“You were not what?” she asked impatiently. “Of course I’m sure.”

“This is of importance to you?”

“Yes, of course. It may be too late, but what if he’s only wounded, and he’s out there by himself in the snow?”

He hesitated, his expression distant, then gave a quick nod. “As soon as you have eaten, I will go look for him.”

“I can wait.”

“As soon as you have eaten,” he repeated, his voice just as authoritative as it had been with Whit.

Ignoring her glare, he turned to the door. If he wasn’t going to help her, she’d do it by herself. She swung a leg over the side of the bed, but as soon as her foot hit the ground, a flash of pain shot up her leg and she couldn’t prevent a small cry.

He immediately returned to her side, positioning her back in the bed with those cool, strong hands. “You have not yet recovered. You will remain in this bed.”

Every part of her wanted to argue with him, but the throbbing in her ankle couldn’t be ignored.

“Fine.” She subsided back against the pillows. “But if I had my medicines, it wouldn’t take long to heal.”

“You can heal this injury?”

This time, the heat rushed to her own cheeks. She did have medicines which would aid in healing, but if her ankle was sprained as badly as she suspected, only time would fully resolve the problem.

“It would help, but no, it wouldn’t heal it completely,” she admitted.

“If it will help you, then I will return and procure whatever you need.” Despite his overly formal phrasing, he looked genuinely concerned.

“Go and look for Robin first,” she said firmly, then nodded. “But I do have a few things that might help.”

“You will prepare a list while I prepare your meal.”

She arched a brow. “Do you read English as well as you speak it?”

For the first time, a smile crossed his face – a devastatingly attractive smile. She suddenly remembered her dream and the way she had pleasured herself afterwards to the memory of him. Her nipples tightened beneath her gown, and she was grateful that it wouldn’t be apparent through the thick cloth. But his eyes heated, as if he knew what she was thinking. Their gazes locked, and she didn’t know who would have looked away first if Whit hadn’t piped up.

“I’m hungry.”

“You are always hungry.” Krampus frowned at the boy, but she could see no sign of annoyance on his face and Whit only grinned. “We will feed the females first.”

“And then us,” Whit added, glancing back at Cinna. “You stay here.”

“Okay,” Cinna said sleepily.

She had been leaning against the bed the whole time, and now Jaelle patted the spot next to her. “Hop up here with me, sweetie.”

Cinna took her literally, climbing up onto the bed as Krampus and Whit left and snuggling up against Jaelle’s side.

“I was worried about you,” Jaelle said softly.

“I’m fine.” Cinna yawned. “The bad man took Whit and then came back to get me.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “The bad man?”

Cinna nodded. “That’s what Penny called him. But I don’t think he is. I likes it here.”

Jaelle couldn’t find it in herself to argue. She knew that Linnea worked hard and did her best to look after Cinna, along with her own girls, but money was short. She had thought of offering to have Cinna live with her, but she knew that if she did, the girl would be ostracized from the village, and she didn’t want that fate visited on the child.

But Krampasarian had said that his presence here was only temporary. What would happen when he left? And where was he from? He had been evasive when she had asked him if this was his planet. Was he from another world? Her heart began to pound as she considered the obvious level of technology surrounding her. Was there a way off this planet at last?

“Tell me a story,” Cinna whispered.

Pushing her hopes aside for the moment, Jaelle gathered the girl close and began to spin her a tale.

Chapter Eight

“Why are you all dressed up?” Whit asked Krampasarian as soon as they left the cabin.

“It seemed appropriate since we had a female visitor,” he said as calmly as possible, even though he suspected the boy knew that it was not the entire truth.

Once he was sure that Jaelle was sleeping soundly, he had asked Whit and Cinna to watch over her while he went to change. He was determined to erase every sign of his primitive reactions, scrubbing the blood from his claws and polishing his horns until they shone. After securing his hair in a formal knot and donning his dress uniform, he had surveyed himself in the mirror. Once more, he appeared to be the legendary Commander of the Tandroki Fleet, but now he knew that there was another side to him.

The primal savagery with which he had defeated the animal threatening his female, the urge to claim her, the overwhelming primitive need to join their bodies together in ways long abandoned by his race – he was no longer the male that he had been when he landed on this accursed planet. That knowledge had only strengthened when he returned to his cabin and saw her looking at him from his bed. His primitive side roared with approval. This was where she belonged. In his bed, in his arms, in his life…

Why did that thought keep resurfacing? But really, was it so far-fetched? Did she belong on this primitive planet with a group of people who obviously did not appreciate her? What if he took her with him when he left?

He was so lost in thought that Whit had to tug twice on his sleeve before he realized that the boy was speaking. “Don’t you think that’s enough?”

Looking down, he realized that he had filled two entire trays with a variety of delicacies, unsure what would appeal to his female. “I did not know what she would like.”

“I like all of it.”

“So I have observed. But females can be more discriminating. You will let Jaelle and Cinna choose first.”

“Okay.” Whit sighed and looked up at him with big soulful eyes. “Can I have something now? I’m starving.”

Krampasarian laughed and handed the boy two of his favorite wafer bars. “I trust this will alleviate immediate starvation.”

“Tank you,” Whit said thickly, half of one bar already filling his mouth.

“I hope you never encounter my etiquette teacher,” Krampasarian muttered as he picked up the trays.

But as he walked down the corridor, he reconsidered his words. If he was going to remove Jaelle from this planet, why not take the children as well? They had no ties here, no one to care for them. The idea pleased him and he was smiling when he reentered his cabin.

The sight that greeted him only reinforced the idea. Jaelle was holding Cinna close, telling her some type of fanciful tale, and the sight of the two of them made him long for something he had never had.

A family.

True, he had parents – a stern father and a socialite mother – but he had been brought up in accordance with Tandroki tradition, paraded out on special occasions, neatly dressed in an appropriate outfit, and ordered to behave politely and correctly. Unlike Whit, who had somehow managed to tear the sleeve of his thermal suit and acquire a smudge across his face. But the boy didn’t care, charging across the room and jumping up on the bed with a whoop of pleasure. Krampasarian would never have dared. In fact, to the best of his recollection, he had never entered the bedroom of either his father or his mother. He firmly pushed the wistful thought aside. It would be good for the child to learn some discipline.

“I have brought sustenance,” he announced. When Jaelle frowned at him, he realized how stern he sounded and attempted a smile. “I hope there is something you will enjoy.”

“I’m sure there is, but…” Jaelle bit her lip and looked over at the seating area. “Could we eat over there? I’d rather not get crumbs in the bed.”

He nodded abruptly and placed the trays on the low table, turning to see her gingerly swinging her injured leg to the ground again. Crossing the room in two quick strides, he huffed with exasperation as he lifted her into his arms. “I told you not to put any weight on your ankle.”

“I can hobble over to the chair,” she said defiantly, but he ignored her.

Once more, she was in his arms, and she felt as right there as she had before. But this time, she was awake, her face only inches from his as she glared at him, her succulent mouth tempting him. Her breath caught, and a small pink tongue flicked across her plump lower lip. His cock sprang immediately to attention, pressing painfully against his tight uniform pants as he imagined her tasting him. Her eyes widened, but she did not look afraid, and he could scent her arousal. And as he bent his head towards her, she did not pull away…

“Put her down so she can choose,” Whit said impatiently, interrupting the moment.

Jaelle’s cheeks flushed as she looked away from him, and he had to bite back an impatient snarl. Instead, he carefully placed her in the most comfortable chair, arranged a pillow at her back, and pulled the table closer.

“Please, help yourself. There is plenty more.”

“That’s not what you tell me,” Whit muttered.

“That is because you would eat your way through the entire supply and blow up like a mapallo if I let you.”

“What’s a mapallo?” Cinna asked. She had curled up on the floor at Jaelle’s feet and was nibbling daintily at a sweet biscuit.

“A very large, round animal that bumps across the plains, consuming everything it finds,” he said lightly. He didn’t mention that it was actually an aggressive pest that had been hunted almost to oblivion in the quest to protect their crops.

Both children giggled and Jaelle smiled, but he saw her give him a speculative glance. How much could he tell her – how much should he tell her? Would she believe any of it? He felt quite sure that the majority of the villagers would instantly reject the notion that he came from another planet, but he was not as sure about Jaelle. And he could hardly expect her to go with him if he didn’t tell her where they were going. Before he could consider the idea further, Whit began asking him about other strange animals.

The meal passed pleasantly, both children amused by his anecdotes. He saw Jaelle relax and suspected she had decided that he was spinning tales for the children’s amusement. To a certain extent he was - softening the more vicious characteristics and highlighting the more amusing aspects of some of the animals he had encountered - but they were all based in reality.

As soon as they were finished eating, he saw Jaelle cast an anxious glance at the viewport. The early winter day was fading and the snow was still falling.

“I will leave now,” he assured her.

“Thank you, but are you sure?”

“Do you not want the medicines from your cottage and to know the fate of your… bird?”

“Yes, of course. But it’s getting dark, and what if there are more dire wolves?”

“They will not trouble me,” he said firmly and patted the holster on his hip. There would be no more regression to a primitive state.

Her eyes flicked from the gun to his hands and then up to his face. He saw the question in her eyes, but she did not voice it aloud, and he chose to ignore it.

“Whit, you and Cinna prepare for bed. That includes washing yourself from head to foot,” he added as the boy’s face drooped.

“I washed this morning.”

“And you will wash again tonight.”

Whit sighed but didn’t make any further protest.

“I will not be gone long,” he promised, then ducked into the adjoining dressing room to replace his uniform with the thermal suit.

When he emerged, Jaelle’s eyes widened, and he saw her scan his body, her gaze drifting down over his chest and lingering between his legs for a fraction of the second before she blushed and looked away. For the first time, he realized just how closely the thermal suit clung to his body. He recited a calming mantra in a desperate attempt to keep his cock from responding to the appreciation in her eyes. Now was not the time.

“I will be back,” he said firmly, leaving the room with more haste than dignity.

The wind roared around him, still thick with snow, as he left the ship. He paused on the landing ramp long enough to lock the door this time. While he didn’t imagine that any living thing would be foolish enough to be out on a night like this, he wasn’t about to take any chances with the safety of the ship’s inhabitants. The snow came almost to his knees as he stepped off the landing ramp, and he gave it a disgusted glance. Really, these conditions were most appalling. Jaelle and the children would be much better off in the more controlled environments of the Tandroki system.

He started down the mountain path, then realized he would have to detour to check on the drone. Not that it was strictly necessary, of course. He had several more of the drones, and he could easily substitute another one, but this particular one intrigued him. Even though he had not been monitoring the drone in his mad dash to the caves, it had still attempted to defend Jaelle. Was there something different about this machine?

With a sigh, he took the longer route towards the caves. The snow had continued to fall and there was no sign of the small red drone, but he had brought along a tracker, and he quickly located it, half-buried beneath a large tree. When he retrieved it, the small wings fluttered and a faint mechanical whirring reached his ears as the drone tilted its head anxiously.

“Don’t worry, she’s fine,” he said, then immediately wondered at the foolishness of addressing the mechanical device. But the drone settled down, nestling into his hand. He placed it carefully into a pocket of his thermal suit where it would be dry and warm and turned to leave.

A low whimper sounded, barely audible over the swirling wind. It had sounded like a child and he quickly checked the clearing. Had one of the children followed him? He couldn’t see anything and deciding that the wind was playing tricks on him, once more turned to go down the mountain.

This time the small cry was unmistakable and he followed it back to the mouth of the cave. A dire wolf cub stood there on uncertain legs. When it saw Krampasarian, it froze, then gave a joyful yelp and started to scramble towards him. It immediately disappeared into the deep snow and whimpered again as it frantically tried to dig its way free.

By the Horns of Moroz, what was he going to do now? A quick end, he decided grimly. It would be better for the cub then letting it starve to death. He grabbed it by the nape of its neck and lifted it out of the snow, bringing it up to face level. He expected it to snarl or fight. Instead, it yipped again and tried to lick his face. Skef. He couldn’t do it.

If the one he’d killed earlier had been its mother, he was responsible for this cub. He would have to bring it with him. Unfortunately, it was too large to fit in one of his pockets, and with a sigh, he unfastened his suit and tucked it against his chest. Tiny, sharp nails dug into his skin as it wiggled around, then it settled down against his stomach. He refastened his suit as best he could and hurried down the mountain to finish his errands.

The door to the cottage was unlocked, and he frowned when he realized that it had little more than a small latch to secure it. Completely unacceptable. He forced himself to concentrate on his mission instead and began gathering the supplies she had requested. Before he left, he found himself drawn to her small bedroom. Her sweet fragrance permeated the small room, and he could still envision her nestled in the bed. The knowledge that tonight she would be in his bed filled him with satisfaction.

As he was about to leave, he noticed the small bookshelf and remembered her telling Cinna a story. Perhaps she would enjoy having her books with her? As he began placing them in his sack, he came to an abrupt halt. Amongst the collection of paper books was an electronic device of obviously superior technology. It was no longer functioning, but where had it come from? Pushing the question aside to consider later, he finished gathering her belongings and headed for the door.

By the time he was on his way back to the ship, he was regretting his compassionate impulse to rescue the cub. It awoke on the trip back and, based on the way it was whining and licking his skin, he could only assume it was hungry. The crowning indignity was when he felt a warm flood of liquid against his stomach and realized that the creature had urinated on him. But despite his frustration, he still couldn’t bring himself to put the animal out of its misery. Or his.

Chapter Nine

The door was still safely locked and Krampasarian slipped inside, hoping that he could clean up before anyone saw him. His hopes were quickly dashed when Whit appeared, his damp hair sticking straight up.

“You were gone a long time. Cinna was worried. Not me. But she was –” Whit broke off and wrinkled his nose. “What’s that smell?”

He sighed and pulled the cub out of his thermal suit. “It is this.”

Whit jumped back. “Is that a –?”

“A dire wolf cub? Yes, it is. Its mother attacked Jaelle.”

The club dangled from his fingers, looking around with wide, interested eyes, then yawned, revealing a mouthful of small, sharp teeth.

“Why did you bring it here?” Whit scowled.

He sighed again. “Because I could not leave it there to starve.”

“You’d better not let Cinna see it –” Whit started, but it was too late.

Cinna came skipping down the hallway towards them, then came to a halt when she saw the cub in his arms. Her mouth opened wide as he hastily tried to tuck the cub back in his suit so that it wouldn’t scare her. Too late, he realized that Whit had not been concerned about his sister being afraid. The little girl came rushing over, reaching eagerly for the cub.

“Oh, you have a puppy. Is he yours? Can I hold him?” She reached up and gently brushed the cub’s soft fur with the coo of delight.

“Puppy?” he asked Whit over her head.

“It’s from a book our mother used to read to her before she...” The boy’s face shut down, then he shook his head. “She’s wanted one ever since.”

“Did this ‘puppy’ look like this?”

“It was furry, but that’s about all. Cinna, it’s not a puppy.”

“Yes it is.” Big blue eyes filled with tears and her lip trembled. “It is a puppy. Krampus brought him for me, didn’t you?”

Double skef. How could he destroy the child’s faith in him?

“Only for a little while, I’m afraid. Just until he gets big enough to take care of himself,” he said gently, but he had a feeling he might as well have saved his breath.

Cinna’s eyes lit up and she held up both hands. “Please let me hold him.”

“Not until after he’s had a bath.” Which gave him an idea. Only the bathing facility in his quarters had a tub. Perhaps Jaelle would know how to respond to the child better than he had. “Is Jaelle asleep?”

“I don’t think so. She was still awake when we heard you come back.”

“Then let’s show her the… puppy.”

The three of them headed for his cabin, Cinna watching anxiously to make sure that he was carrying the cub carefully. Jaelle was still in her chair, and he realized he should have returned her to the bed before he left, but someone had placed a pillow on the table in front of her, and she had her foot elevated. She smiled when he entered, then her eyes widened as she realized what he was holding.

“Is that a dire wolf cub?”

“I am afraid so.”

“He’s my puppy,” Cinna said cheerfully and Jaelle shot her a horrified glance.

“I told her it was just until he was old enough to take care of himself,” he said firmly but he saw Jaelle study the little girl’s face before giving him a skeptical look. He sighed as he handed Whit the bag with Jaelle’s belongings. “Right now he needs a bath.”

“Is that what smells?” she asked, her nose wrinkling.

“He urinated on me.”

All three of them looked at him, then Whit burst into laughter, Cinna giggled, and Jaelle ducked her head but not before he saw her grin as well.

“I’m glad you all find it amusing,” he said as he stalked to the bathing room, but as more laughter emerged from behind him, a smile crossed his own face.

By the time he emerged with a clean, damp, unhappy cub, Jaelle had directed Whit to prepare a bowl of food which the cub descended on in a flurry of eager grunts and tiny growls.

“What are you feeding him?” he asked.

“It’s supposed to be a combination of cereals and chopped protein and broth,” she said doubtfully. “Whit didn’t seem entirely sure about the workings of your kitchen.”

“Whatever he prepared seems to be a success. He is a very intelligent child.”

“Yes, he is. It’s a pity not everyone sees that,” she said thoughtfully, and he looked over to find her watching him. “Why did you take him?” she added softly.

“We can discuss that after the children are in bed,” he promised.

“I suppose that after finding the cub, you didn’t get a chance to look for Robin, did you?”

“Oh, I forgot. Hold on.” He had removed the unpleasant smelling thermal suit while he bathed the cub. The only replacement that had been available was a pair of lounge pants that left his chest bare. He had seen Jaelle cast a quick, appreciative glance at him before they discussed the cub. At least, he hoped it was appreciative. Tandroki were not that different from the native males, although much larger and with a better developed musculature.

When he returned from retrieving the small drone, her eyes flicked across his chest again and this time he was sure that they were appreciative. She was quickly distracted by the small limp figure in his hand.

“Oh no. He was so brave.”

At the sound of her voice, the drone’s head tilted towards her and she gasped. “He’s all right?”

“He needs repairing but I believe he is fundamentally undamaged.” Now she had him referring to the drone as if it had a personality.

“Repaired? Don’t you mean healed?”

He hesitated, all of the prohibitions about revealing advanced technology to primitive races echoing through his mind, but in the end, he couldn’t bear to disappoint her.

“He’s not exactly alive.” Before she could ask any further questions he retrieved a small toolkit from the storage unit and bent over the drone. She gasped when the drone’s chest opened to reveal its biomechanical circuitry, but he ignored her and concentrated on repairing the disrupted circuits. The damage was less than he had assumed and within a few minutes he was able to close the chest. As soon as he did, the drone whirred softly and hopped up in his palm.

“He looks as good as new,” she said wonderingly.

At the sound of her voice, the drone’s head turned in her direction, then it hopped out of his hand to flutter over to her. She stroked his head with a delicate finger.

“He seems so real.”

“I programmed them to assume the characteristics of this form.” But even though he spoke the truth, he too wondered at the drone’s actions. It almost seemed as if it had bonded with her. But before he could consider it further, Whit yelled.

“I think he’s going to pee again.”

With a muffled curse, Krampasarian raced for the cub and carried it into the bathing room. He didn’t quite make it but only a trickle reached him this time. With a sigh, he washed and changed again as the cub urinated happily into a pile of discarded towels. He really should have known better than to rescue it. But when he carried the cub back out into the bedroom and the three of them smiled at him, he couldn’t regret saving the little creature.

Jaelle watched approvingly as Krampasarian was drawn into a game with the children and the dire wolf cub, now known as Puppy. He was quite a contradiction. One moment he behaved with a formal reserve, and the next he was crawling around on the floor with Cinna on his back. His behavior was just as mercurial towards her, flipping from dictatorial to distant to hungry with dizzying speed. And she couldn’t forget the way he had come to her rescue. As fierce, as primitive, as that battle had been, some primal part of her responded to the way he had fought for her and won.

Although, she did feel guilty about the cub. Perhaps the mother wolf had only been trying to defend it? But then again, she remembered the way it had sprung at her and she had no doubt it would have killed her if Krampasarian hadn’t prevented it.

Puppy had tired of the game and settled down in Cinna’s lap. She was stroking his fur and whispering to him, but Jaelle could see her eyelids were drooping also.

“I think it’s time for bed.”

As she spoke, Krampasarian lifted his head and their eyes met. There was that fire again. A fire to which some part of her instinctively responded. She had felt an occasional mild flash of attraction before, but only in passing. Why was she reacting now? And why to him? For all she knew, he could be part of an advance party sent to capture the human invaders on their world. But as she watched him bend over and gently lift Cinna and Puppy in his arms, she couldn’t believe it.

“Come along, Whit. It’s been a long day for all of us.”

The boy scuffed his feet but he didn’t protest overmuch. She suspected that an early bedtime and a warm, safe bed were unexpected luxuries for him.

But where did that leave her, she wondered as Krampasarian and the children departed. She had no doubt that she was in his bedroom and she gave the large bed a suspicious look. Did he expect them to sleep together? Or perhaps he was giving her this room and he was sleeping elsewhere?

Thanks to the medicine he had retrieved for her, her head no longer throbbed, and her ankle didn’t bother her as long as she didn’t put any weight on it. If she only had a stick, perhaps she could hobble out of the room and find another place to sleep. Nothing she could use as a crutch was immediately obvious, but perhaps she could make her way over to the storage unit and see what was there. Placing her good foot on the ground, she tried to maneuver herself into a standing position. Robin chirped scoldingly in her ear, but it was all too obvious that she was not capable of walking and she slumped back with a sigh. As much as she hated to admit it, she would have to wait until Krampasarian returned.

He was gone longer than she had expected and she was just beginning to wonder if he had deserted her when the door slid open. Oh my. No longer obscured by children or animals, every inch of his upper torso was visible. Smooth alabaster skin covered a broad chest and a heavily muscled abdomen leading down to the low-slung waistband of the casual pants he was wearing. Once again, her gaze was drawn to the massive bulge beneath the thin fabric. Not that she had any experience in these matters, but surely human men were not so well endowed. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she hastily looked away.

“You were gone a long time,” she said, wishing her voice didn’t sound quite so breathless.

“I apologize for the delay. Cinna insisted on Puppy sleeping with them so I took him out for another opportunity to relieve himself.”

“You went out in the snow? Dressed like that?” For the first time she noticed that his hair was damp and curling around his shoulders, no longer confined. Were those silvery locks as soft as they looked?

He shrugged. “It seemed better than the alternative. But I am running through my clothes at an alarming rate. I must cleanse them tomorrow.” His eyes swept over her, leaving a trail of heat behind. “Would you prefer something else to wear for sleeping?”

“You just said you were running out of clothes.” She tried to keep her voice light but it still sounded disturbingly husky.

“You are welcome to anything that I have.” The words dropped into the quiet room with unexpected intensity.

“I must admit it would be nice to get out of this dress,” she conceded.

He immediately walked over to his storage unit and returned with a selection of tunic length tops. Or at least they would be tunic length on him. She suspected they would come down to her knees. She reached for one in a deep shade of blue, then realized the problem.

“I, um, need some help getting out of this dress.”

“Of course. What would you like me to do?”

“Could you find me something to act as a crutch? To support my bad leg?”

“I will support you.”

Before she could protest, he lifted her easily to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist so that only the tip of her good foot touched the ground. When she fumbled at her buttons, he took over, supporting her against his chest as he opened each one.

Mmm. His skin felt warm and silky beneath her cheek as she leaned against him and he smelled so good. She had the oddest desire to lick him. His fingers traced lightly down the open back of her dress.

“You have another layer of clothing.”

“Yes, my shift. But it only ties –”

She might as well have saved her breath. He had it unfastened before she finished speaking and started to slide both her dress and her petticoat down over her shoulders.

“Wait a minute. I’m not going to get undressed in front of you.” She looked up in time to see that tinge of pink on his cheekbones again. Did the idea of her naked body make him uncomfortable?

“You cannot stand long enough to remove your clothing,” he pointed out, his voice stiff.

He was right but she wasn’t prepared to completely abandon her modesty. “What if I free my arms and you put the tunic over my head? Then I can just let the dress drop to the ground.”

It was an awkward maneuver and she had the uneasy suspicion that he had seen more of her body than she had intended, but he made no comment. He also was successful in preventing her from putting any weight on her injured ankle, and she smiled up at him once she was safely dressed in his shirt.

“Mission accomplished. Do you mind helping me to your bathroom?”

Instead of responding, he simply lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. It was larger than she had expected with both a shower and an enormous tub, as well as a sink and a toilet that looked fortunately familiar. After a brief argument, he deposited her on it and left the room, muttering unhappily. She took care of business and then managed to hobble over to the sink to wash before she called him back. As much as she would have liked to return on her own, even that brief period on her feet had tired her out.

He came as soon as she called, frowning disapprovingly when he found her on her feet and leaning against the sink.

“I would have attended to you.”

“I managed just fine.”

He snorted as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back into the bedroom, starting to place her back in the big bed.

“I don’t have to sleep here,” she said quickly. “I’ll be just fine in another room.”

“There is no other bedroom except the one the children are in. And you are not sleeping there,” he added firmly.

“What about you? Where are you going to sleep?”

“If you do not object, I will sleep in the chair.” He nodded at the chair she had been sitting in earlier. “If you do object, I will spend the night in the command chair, but I think it would be better if I stayed closer in case you needed me.”

She bit her lip, then nodded. Perhaps it was foolish to trust him but nothing about him aroused her suspicions. Despite his foreign appearance, he had treated her better than she suspected many of the men in the village would have done. But then her attention was distracted by his choice of words.

“Command chair? What are you commanding?”

Chapter Ten

Krampasarian froze at the question but he knew it had been inevitable. She was too intelligent not to pursue her questions.

“You said we would talk later,” she reminded him. “It’s later.”

“Very well.”

He started to put her down again but she shook her head. “I think I would prefer to be sitting upright for this conversation.”

Picking up a blanket, he carried her back to the chair, then hesitated. He didn’t want to let her out of his arms. Instead he took her to the padded bench beneath the window. It was large enough for two people - barely - but she didn’t protest when he arranged her at one end with the blanket around her shoulders. Despite the fact that it violated all rules of social protocol, he then sat next to her. He placed her injured ankle gently across his lap and did his best to ignore the fact that she was soft and warm and completely naked beneath his tunic.

“I told you that I am Commander Krampasarian D’Marchandar, of the Tandroki Fleet,” he said carefully, forcing himself to concentrate.

“You did. You did not, however, tell me where Tandroki-”

“Tandrok.”

“-Tandrok is located or what type of fleet you command.”

He hesitated, considering the best way to frame the answer. “If I told you I came from the stars, would you believe me?”

She gave him a considering look, then nodded. “Yes.”

He should have known she would surprise him.

“I do not think that most of your people would believe me.”

“They have forgotten - they have chosen to forget. But a woman in my family flew a ship amongst those stars.” Her eyes turned sad and distant. “The ship went off course and crashed on this planet. It was carrying a load of settlers, making their way to a new world. They were… sleeping during the flight. Do you understand that?”

Some type of stasis? Yes, he understood the concept.

At his nod, she continued. “She was the only member of the crew to survive the crash. When she realized that the ship was beyond repair, she made the decision to wake the settlers. They had expected to wake up somewhere else, somewhere more prepared for their arrival, and they were… angry. They blamed her and banished her from their settlement.”

She pulled the blanket tighter, staring out at whirling snow. “But it was more than that. She blamed herself and agreed to the banishment as her way of atonement.”

“You live your life in isolation because your ancestor may have made a mistake?”

“Not just for that reason. She wanted to preserve the knowledge we once had. Keeping a distance helped, especially after…”

“After what?” he prompted.

“The settlers did their best to destroy what was left of the ship. Within two generations they had convinced themselves that they had always lived here.”

“Why? Why would anyone choose ignorance?”

“Maybe it’s easier to put your faith in the things you can see and touch.” She absently stroked the blanket and he had a sudden vision of those soft fingers caressing him the same way. “And the knowledge would have disappeared - is disappearing - anyway. Most of the technology she preserved no longer works. We - I - have to rely on what my ancestors have written down. At this point it’s little more than some healing skills and a few historical records.”

“Are there other survivors?” he asked. “Besides your village?”

“Oh yes. Groups broke off several times. There is a settlement down by the great sea, another on the central plains. Twice a year a merchant caravan comes through.” She shook her head. “The villagers don’t really trust the merchants either, but they trade with them, just as they trade with me.”

“And your family stayed here?”

“Yes. It is quiet on our mountain - or at least it was until you arrived.” Her melancholy seemed to vanish as she smiled at him. “And they needed us the most. The other settlements have grown and prospered.”

The village did not deserve her. The knowledge only renewed his determination to remove her and the children from this primitive place. He considered broaching the subject, then realized that her eyes were drooping and her body had slumped lower against the wall.

“I should not have asked you so many questions,” he apologized as he stood and gathered her up in his arms. “You are injured and exhausted.”

“I was supposed to be asking you questions.” Her soft, sleepy smile made his chest ache.

“You can ask as many as you like. But perhaps, tomorrow?”

He didn’t want to put her down. When he placed her gently in the bed, and she smiled up at him again, he had to force himself to step back. He wanted to join her in the soft sheets, to curl around her even softer body. The intensity of his own desire shocked him. The Tandroki had put the urges of the flesh behind them so many years ago. And yet, her people did not seem to have the same restrictions. Perhaps…

“I wish to kiss you.” His voice was stiff, and he waited for her to react with shock or even worse, horror.

Instead, she only looked up at him, the deep blue of her eyes mysterious and enchanting as she considered his request.

“Why?” she asked at last.

“It is not an act in which the Tandroki engage.”

“And you’re curious?”

Her voice was absolutely neutral but he thought he detected an underlying note of disapproval. He rushed to explain.

“No, that is not it. Well, perhaps it is a portion, but only a small portion,” he added hastily. Greatly daring, he reached out and traced his finger across the silky smoothness of her lower lip. “I have never entertained the idea before. The thought of performing such an act with anyone else…” He shuddered. “But with you… I suspect I would find great pleasure.”

Her face had softened while he talked and now she put her hand over his. “I don’t know that I can promise great pleasure, but I’m willing to try.”

She kissed his exploratory finger and the soft, wet brush of her mouth sent a spike of excitement down his spine as his cock jerked in response.

“Just a kiss,” she whispered as he lowered his head.

Her lips were still half parted as he pressed his mouth against hers and some hidden primal urge had him forcing them wider, opening her to the possession of his tongue. He had thought it would be pleasurable? By the Horns, he’d had no idea of the raw exquisite ecstasy of a kiss. He explored her mouth eagerly, frantically. Soft and wet and delicious.

He growled against her lips, his whole body on fire with longing and desire. His hand clenched in the silken waves of her hair, holding her in place for his desperate need. She met him just as eagerly, the fragile claws on one hand digging into his shoulder while her other hand clasped the base of one of his horns. He groaned as her grip tightened on the sensitive area. Dampness covered the head of his cock and he knew he was seconds away from exploding. Only the shame of that thought finally penetrated his urgency and he forced himself to lift his head. But he could not bring himself to move more than a breath away from the heady delights of her mouth.

“Oh my,” she whispered, her sweet breath tantalizing his lips. “You’re sure you’ve never done that before?”

More shame swept over him at the reminder of how quickly he had forgotten generations of Tandroki training. He started to sit up but her hands were still clinging to his shoulder and his horn, and he couldn’t bring himself to break that grip.

“I told you. It is forbidden.”

“That’s not exactly what you said,” she said, her look of dreamy pleasure beginning to fade. “Why is it forbidden?”

“We were once a very violent people. We fought many wars. Moroz was one of our ancient kings. He was skilled in battle and won many, but he came to realize that his path could only lead to further destruction. He came up with a list of guidelines to lead us away from that fate.” He couldn’t resist stroking his finger across her damp swollen lower lip again. “One of those guidelines was to abjure the pleasures of the flesh because they lead to possessiveness and violence.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean you don’t even have sex?”

“It is no longer necessary. We have artificial ways of reproducing now.”

She frowned thoughtfully. “Do you think Moroz intended for it to go that far?”

Her question startled him. He had always accepted the Tandroki ways without questioning. “Perhaps not,” he said finally. “They say he had a very beautiful queen who he kept locked away.”

“Maybe he just didn’t want anyone else thinking about her that way.” She shook her head and smiled at him. “Male logic can’t be trusted. That’s why my family has only ever had daughters.”

He wanted to protest, but he couldn’t deny that the thought of locking Jaelle away so that only he could experience the pleasure of her company was surprisingly appealing. But then he remembered her with the children, even with the villagers as she did her best to help them. She would not be happy locked away and he would never ask that of her.

“I should let you rest now.” Despite his words, he didn’t move. She was still looking up at him, her eyes dark and mysterious once more.

“Probably. But maybe… One more kiss?”

His mouth was over hers before she completed the last syllable. The kiss was even better this time, now that he knew what to expect. He explored her even more hungrily and she rose to meet him, her tiny little tongue dancing along his, soft, sweet, and unbearably tempting. Her body rubbed against him, the soft lushness of her breasts cushioning his hard muscles. The memory of her naked in her bath swept over him and he wanted more, to truly feel what he had seen.

His hand curved over her breast, soft and full, the hard peak of her nipple an intriguing contrast. He explored the taut nub, rolling it between his thumb and finger, and she gasped in his mouth. He pressed it more firmly and her whole body shuddered. The sweet scent of her arousal filled his head and his hips thrust forward instinctively as his cock jerked in response.

When she had pleasured herself, her hand had moved from her breast to between her legs and he mimicked her action, impatiently tearing away the cloth so he could reach the deliciously wet, swollen folds. She cried out as he touched a small hardened pearl of flesh and he remembered that she had lingered there. He circled it carefully and heard her whisper his name, both hands on his shoulders now, the tiny sting of her claws driving him on. Her body tensed as he pressed more firmly, and then he felt her explode, felt the convulsions sweeping through her as liquid flooded his hand. His own body responded helplessly, instinctively, as desire roared through him and he too erupted, his seed leaving him in pulse after quivering pulse.

He collapsed against her, drained, satisfied, and… horrified as the realization of what he had done swept over him. She had only asked for a kiss but he had done far more and disgraced himself in the process.

“I apologize,” he said as he drew himself hastily to his feet. “I must… clean up.”

Afraid to look at her and see the condemnation on her face, he headed for the bathroom without another word.

Chapter Eleven

Jaelle stared after Krampasarian, too shocked by both his abrupt departure and the intensity of the orgasm that had swept over her to speak. She had touched herself before, of course, but she had never come close to the pleasure of this experience. The closest had been when she had been remembering the stranger in her dreams.

Of course. It hadn’t been a dream. It had been him. She shook her head. No wonder she had experienced so little desire towards the men of the village. It turned out her ideal man – male – was a massive alien with ivory horns and a ridiculously long and agile tongue. A quiver went through her still sensitive body at the thought of what that tongue could do to other parts of her anatomy.

But it was more than just his physical appeal. When he looked at her, she felt as if he really saw her. There could be no future between them but perhaps, just for now, she could have someone who she truly wanted. Someone who would remember her.

Unfortunately, he seemed to have some fairly restrictive ideas about sex. The way he had leapt out of bed indicated that her reaction had made him uncomfortable. She sighed and reached down to pull his tunic back into place. As she did, her fingers encountered a small, hot pool of liquid where he had been lying. Oh. Perhaps there was another reason for his hasty departure.

He didn’t look at her when he returned, simply turning off the lights as he headed for one of the living area chairs. His face was set in a stern mask but she saw the flush of color on his cheekbones before he plunged the room into darkness.

“Why did you say that you were sorry?” she asked softly as silence filled the room.

“You asked for a kiss. I went too far.” His voice was strained.

“No you didn’t. What you did felt wonderful.”

“But you didn’t ask me to touch you like that.”

Despite his denial, she heard a note of hope in his words.

“Maybe not verbally, but my body was certainly saying yes.” When he didn’t respond, she added, “I didn’t ask you to stop, Krampasarian.”

“Then I am glad that you enjoyed our encounter.”

His voice was still stiff but she was beginning to suspect that it was as much from embarrassment as anything else.

“Didn’t you enjoy yourself?”

“By the Horns of Moroz, I never dreamed that a physical sensation could be so overwhelming,” he burst out. “But I disgraced myself.”

“I don’t think it’s disgraceful,” she said firmly. “It’s… flattering that you want me that much.”

“Truly?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“What?”

He sounded so horrified that she had to bite back a laugh. “It’s just an expression. It means I swear that it’s true.”

The whirling snow outside had paused momentarily and enough light reflected off of the fallen snow that she could make out his figure as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair. Even though it was a comfortable chair, it was clearly not designed for sleeping.

“Do you want to sleep in the bed with me?” she asked impulsively and saw his body freeze. “Just to sleep,” she added.

As much as he tempted her, she needed to think about what she was doing. And if she did choose to succumb to her attraction, she needed to make sure that there would be no consequences. A momentary vision of a baby with Krampasarian’s silvery blonde hair flashed through her mind and her heart ached, even as she firmly pushed it aside. The village was hard enough on its fellow humans. They would never accept a half alien child.

“You are sure?” he asked. “Whit told me that it is not acceptable behavior.”

Ah yes. The village morality had devolved to that of their medieval lifestyle. Not that it stopped them from indulging in either premarital or extramarital activities, but they did their best to keep them hidden.

“We aren’t in the village,” she said lightly. “But if you would rather not –”

He was across the room and settling down next to her before she finished speaking.

“I guess you would rather,” she laughed.

“I always want to be close to you.”

There was no laughter in his voice and her heart skipped a beat. She could think of nothing to say but she reached across the space between them and put her hand in his. She fell asleep still holding on to him.

Krampasarian awoke to an arm full of soft fragrant woman and a cock that was so hard it felt like a metal bar. It was wedged between the lush curves of her ass and he couldn’t resist a small thrust of his hips. Just the tiniest motion really. Skef. Sliding between that lush warm flesh was an irresistible temptation. He rocked his hips again, a little harder this time, and almost groaned as the pleasure swept over him.

“Is this your version of a wake-up call?” Jaelle said sleepily as she rolled over to face him.

He wanted to protest the loss of her flesh surrounding him, but looking down at her smiling face more than made up for it.

“I apologize. I did not mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t wake me. That large and demanding appendage between your legs did.”

“Large?” He couldn’t resist a proud smile and she laughed.

“Don’t Tandroki boys compare themselves?”

“We compare the size of our horns. Mine were the largest in my squad.”

“Maybe large horns mean a large cock,” she whispered, and he felt her fingers skate across him. “Very large.”

Her voice was breathless as she drew her hand away and he – or rather his demanding appendage – was about to pull it back when a disapproving voice interrupted.

“You said you were gonna sleep in the chair.” Whit scowled at him from the doorway, his hair sticking up in ten different directions.

Cinna was at her side, her eyes still heavy with sleep, but she didn’t seem to have any objections to the fact that they were sharing a bed. She drifted across the room and climbed up next to him, nestling down with a contented sigh.

“It ain’t proper. You’re gonna have to marry her now.” Whit said belligerently. “I heard the mayor tell Nyssa that she would have to marry the miller now because of something about a bed.”

Marriage? Longing rushed through him so quickly he felt dizzy. What an impossible, delightful thought. But was it impossible?

“Krampasarian was just staying close by in case I needed him,” Jaelle said soothingly. She gave him a rueful look. “It doesn’t count when one person is injured.”

Whit still looked suspicious but he gave a reluctant nod.

“What are you doing up so early anyway?” Krampasarian asked.

“Puppy wants to go out,” Cinna said, her eyes wide and innocent.

At the thought of what the cub could be doing to his ship, he jumped hastily out of bed. Fortunately the conversation had softened his rampant cock. As he raced through the door, Whit turned to join him.

“I woulda taken him but the door’s locked.” The boy scowled up at him, obviously still annoyed. “Why did you lock us in?”

“I was not locking you in. I was locking the rest of this planet out. It is for your protection.”

Unfortunately it had backfired where the cub was concerned. By the time he had let it out, cleaned up its mess, cleaned himself, and returned to his cabin, his earlier encounter with Jaelle was only a tantalizing memory.

He frowned when he found her sitting on the window bench once more, Cinna curled on her lap and his drone perched on her shoulder as they all looked out at the wintry woods. “You should not be walking.”

“Cinna brought me my cane.” She shrugged a little wryly. “I never expected to be using it for real but it definitely helped. I could probably make my way down the mountain…”

He looked out the window as well and saw, to his relief, that the snow was falling heavily once more. “You should not attempt it in the storm.”

“All right,” she said, smiling at him. He smiled back at her and it took longer than it should have before he realized that Whit was tugging on his sleeve.

“Isn’t it time for breakfast? I’m hungry.” The boy shrugged when they all laughed, his own grin flickering across his face at last. “Well I am.”

After breakfast, Jaelle sorted through the bag of belongings that he had brought her, smiling happily when she encountered the books. “Thank you for bringing these. And this.” She held up the electronic device. “It doesn’t work anymore but it belongs to that first ancestor I was telling you about.”

“I cannot promise but I may be able to get it working.”

“Really? That would be wonderful.” She pulled out the smaller bag containing her medicines and gave him an odd look. “Do you have a laboratory? Or at least some type of measuring instruments?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I wanted to mix up an additional potion,” she said lightly but he had the uneasy feeling she was not telling him the entire truth. Still, he could refuse her nothing, especially if it kept her happy and close at hand.

Rather than have her walk to his small science lab, he brought her the measuring instruments she requested, and watched in fascination as she carefully measured and combined three types of powdered leaves.

“How did you learn to do this?”

“From my grandmother. She learned from her mother and her mother before her. My family knew that the medicines we had brought with us would not last forever. They used an… analyzer to study the chemical composition of the native plants and came up with substitutes.”

“That is very clever,” he said sincerely. How much effort her family had put into saving the settlers who, in his estimation, showed little sign of deserving their efforts. Well, perhaps not all of them, he amended as Cinna climbed up on his lap. The children deserved everything, and he longed to give them more than what this limited planet could provide.

“I think someone is getting sleepy,” Jaelle said. “Why don’t we have lunch and then I’ll read Cinna a story before her nap.”

“I ain’t taking a nap.” Whit scowled at them from the rug where he had been wrestling with Puppy.

“Did I suggest one for you?” Jaelle raised an eyebrow at the boy and he gave her a reluctant grin.

Despite Whit’s protests, when Krampasarian carried a sleepy Cinna back to their cabin, the boy accompanied him. Jaelle had given him one of her books and he had decided to look at it while he kept his sister company. By the time Krampasarian returned Puppy after another outdoor excursion, both children were sound asleep.

“You are a devious female,” he said when he returned to Jaelle. “You knew he would fall asleep.”

“I didn’t know, but I hoped he would. That horrible man works him so hard and he never has time to rest.”

“He is an intelligent child. Why does he put up with it?”

“To care for his sister. There are not many opportunities in the village and he thinks he is responsible for her.”

“Where is his male parent?”

“Whit’s father died not long after he was born.”

“His father? He and Cinna do not have the same father?”

She shook her head, looking out the window. “Cinna’s father was one of the merchants who come through the village twice a year. I doubt he even knew that Kara was pregnant when he left. And he never returned. We heard he had gotten married and stopped traveling.”

“He abandoned the child?” The idea horrified him. The Tandroki system of reproduction had its disadvantages but no male would fail to provide for his offspring.

“Like I said, I doubt that he knew - but I doubt that he would’ve done anything about it if he had known.” Her fingers traced the cover of the book she was holding. “There always seems to be a rash of babies nine months after a caravan comes through. I even considered…”

“Considered what?” He did his best to keep his voice calm even though his fingertips were tingling.

She gave him a level look. “Considered having a child by one of the merchants. Eventually I will have to have a daughter to continue our work.”

He growled, the sound shockingly loud in the quiet room, as his claws sprang free. Jaelle looks startled but not afraid.

“It is our way,” she said quietly.

“I do not like it.”

“I can see that. Sometimes I’m not sure that I like it either, but it is my duty.”

The words stopped any further protest. He knew what it meant to sacrifice your desires for duty. He would be doing the same when he left. With an abrupt nod, he went back to working on her electronic device.

Despite the lingering threat of the future, the rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly. When the children awoke, they were obviously restless. The weather was still too harsh to take them outside so instead they played an energetic game that Whit called hide and seek. It primarily involved hiding in small spaces and jumping out on an unsuspecting pursuant.

By the time he herded the exhausted children and the happily panting Puppy back to Jaelle, he couldn’t control his smile.

“You missed a most enjoyable game,” he informed her.

“That’s all right. I was quite happy sitting here with my book. Did you have fun?”

Fun? It was an unfamiliar concept but he found himself nodding. “Yes. Most unexpected.”

“What kind of games did you play when you were a child?”

“I did not play games,” he told her truthfully. The memory of his rigid, disciplined childhood threatened to remove his joy in the occasion. He had not behaved like a Tandroki warrior. But then he looked at Cinna, happily cuddling Puppy, and Whit excitedly telling Jaelle how he had surprised Krampasarian, and he regretted nothing.

Chapter Twelve

What a terrible childhood he must have had, Jaelle thought as Krampasarian went to prepare the evening meal. Perhaps it was not surprising that he seemed so conflicted about giving and receiving pleasure.

Was it foolish to think that they could come together, even for a short time?

No, she decided. He could relax with the children and if he didn’t exactly relax around her, he was gentle and passionate enough to make up for it. While the three of them had been playing, she had taken a dose of the birth control medicine she had assembled that morning. She had no intention of trying to get him to do anything he was uncomfortable with, but if he wanted to take it further tonight, she was prepared. A pleasant shiver trickled down her spine and her nipples tightened. She saw him give them a hungry look when he returned with their dinner.

After they ate, he showed all of them how to play a rather complicated board game. She and Cinna teamed up against Krampasarian and Whit. She suspected that he was cheating his team in order to let them win, and she was pretty sure that Whit realized as well, but the boy didn’t protest. He smiled happily when his sister declared the girls’ team the winner.

After more stories and hugs and kisses, the children went off to bed. Krampasarian rejoined her after his nightly trip outside with Puppy. She was back in the window seat, Robin perched on her hand as she gently stroked his feathers. Of course now she knew they weren’t actually feathers, but they were remarkably realistic.

“You have some amazing technology,” she told him.

“We do.” He sat down next to her, his big body warm against her side, and gently lifted her legs into his lap. “But now I realize how much we paid for it.”

“What do you mean?”

“All this.” He waved his hand around the room. The chairs were no longer in a neat formal arrangement, books and blankets were scattered around, and there was a suspicious stain underneath the table. “It would never have been allowed. My family home was always perfect, and I was expected to maintain that perfection.”

“It sounds very cold.”

“Perhaps.” He leaned his head back against the wall, the tips of his horns scraping softly against the metal. “I did not know what I was missing.”

“So you were happy?”

“I was not unhappy. I had achieved considerable success and I was in line to become Ambassador to Perchten. It is a very prestigious position.”

“I see.” She had to swallow around the lump in her throat. For all her musing about his barren life, he appeared to have been successful and probably even content. “How did you end up here?”

“First my navigation system, and then my engine, were damaged by a rival.” He put a big warm hand on her calf as he gave her a rueful grin. “We may not be as violent as we were in Moroz’s time, but our rivalries are just as intense. Nicholsarian and I have been butting horns since we were at the academy together.”

“How long ago was that?”

“I was younger than Whit when I entered.” He stroked her leg thoughtfully, his eyes looking off into the distance. “It was a very different life.”

“But you can repair your ship?” She found herself holding her breath as she waited for his reply.

“Oh yes. It is not a rapid process but it is quite feasible.”

The lump appeared in her throat again. He had confirmed her suspicions. Their time together would be limited. And yet, was it really so different than an encounter she would have had in order to carry a child? At least this time, she would be doing it for no other reason than because she wanted to be with him.

“I think it’s time for bed.” Her voice was shockingly low and husky, and his fingers tightened around her leg.

“Do you wish me to accompany you?”

“Oh yes.”

He seemed to swoop at her, lifting her into his arms in one powerful movement. Robin squawked and fluttered away.

“I think you scared him,” she said breathlessly.

“He is not needed.” He lowered her onto the bed, then glanced at the door. “And tonight I am locking the door.”

As she watched him, she remembered what Whit had said that morning. “Did you lock the ship as well?”

“Of course.”

“Could I unlock it if I wanted to?”

“You wish to leave?”

He looked so hurt that she gave him a reassuring smile. “Not at all, but the idea of not being able to get out makes me uncomfortable.”

“Ah.” He went to his storage area and returned with a small flat device. “Put your hand here.”

She obeyed and watched in fascination as the outline of her fingers appeared. He pressed a few buttons, then smiled at her. “Now you have complete access to my ship.”

“I don’t need that,” she protested. “I only want to be able to open the door.”

“Complete access,” he said firmly. “I have nothing to hide from you.”

Her pulse increased and she lifted her hand to the fastening of the tunic she was wearing. “In that case, I have nothing to hide from you.”

His eyes heated as he watched the first sliver of bare skin appear, but he didn’t join her on the bed. She patted the spot next to her invitingly. “Sit down.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. We did spend last night together, remember?”

He finally sat down next to her. “I know and I enjoyed it immensely. It is just… my people do not believe in becoming overly familiar.”

“Not even when they’re attracted to someone?”

“Especially not then. As I told you, our history has taught us that correct behavior helps to overcome our primitive instincts.”

“You mean instincts like attacking a dire Wolf with your bare hands?”

He ducked his head. “That is an accurate example.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“You were in danger and all I could think about was protecting you. I didn’t even stop to consider using my weapon.”

“Why me?” she whispered.

“Since the first moment I saw you, you have intrigued me. You are not like the other villagers.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I have watched you.”

Her fingers twisted in the bed covers. “I didn’t dream you, did I? It was you at my window that night.”

“Yes. I wanted to talk to you but it was not the right time.”

“What did you want to say?” Her voice had dropped to a low, sultry note that she barely recognized.

“I wanted to tell you that I was attracted to you. That you were brave and intelligent and beautiful.”

Unexpected tears filled her eyes. It wasn’t even the compliment as much as the fact that no one had looked at her so intently since her grandmother had died.

“I did not mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t upset me. Thank you for saying that.”

“I speak only the truth.” He very carefully reached over and ran a finger down her cheek. “Is this permitted?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

His finger drifted down her neck, awakening the sensitive nerve endings, and lingered at the very top of her breast. “And this?”

“Do your people allow such a touch?”

His hand drifted even lower, to where a taut nipple pressed against the thin cloth, and she had to bite back a moan of pleasure as he gently circled the small bud.

“No,” he said finally and it took her dazed mind a moment to realize that he was answering her question. The light glimmered on his horns as he continued. “Sexual pleasure leads to possessiveness and possessiveness leads to the emergence of all those instincts we have tried to suppress.”

He wasn’t looking at her face any longer. Instead he was focused on where both his hands were manipulating her breasts, harder now, tugging at her nipples with a firm pressure that made her want to arch into his touch. He gave a hoarse groan, then she saw a quick flash of claw and a moment later the tunic fluttered open over her breasts.

“So beautiful,” he muttered as his hands returned to her now naked flesh, his claws no longer in sight.

Startled, she started to pull back, but then he made another lightning fast move and his mouth closed over one of her nipples, shockingly hot and wet. Had anything ever felt so good? Her body hummed with pleasure as he licked and tugged at the small bud with that amazingly agile tongue. Her hands went to his head and even she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to push him away or pull him closer, but when her fingers brushed across his horns, he growled. With another burst of speed he sliced open the rest of her tunic, then paused to look at her.

Color rushed to her cheeks. She felt exposed, vulnerable, but also more excited than she had ever been in her life. She thought she had been prepared, that she had made a rational decision, but her careful plans were a far cry from actually lying naked beneath his hungry gaze. She could put an end to this, a small voice inside her insisted, but she didn’t want it to end. She wanted him looking at her so hungrily, she wanted the pleasure of his touch. She didn’t want to be alone any longer.

The caution that had been ingrained in her since childhood vanished and she reached for him. “Kiss me,” she whispered.

Fire danced his eyes as he started to lower his head, but then he hesitated.

“You must tell me if I do something you do not like. I have no experience with this.”

“Neither do I,” she admitted. “But we will find out together.”

Chapter Thirteen

Krampasarian stared down at his female in shock, even as a completely unexpected primal feeling of satisfaction roared through him. “You have never experienced the pleasures of the flesh before?”

“No.” Her cheeks flushed under his scrutiny and she started to pull the sides of her tunic together again. “Remember that I have spent most of my time around other people disguised as an old woman.”

“Your disguise did not stop me from wanting you,” he admitted. “As soon as I saw your eyes, I was fascinated.”

“Oh.” Her face relaxed and she gave him a teasing grin. “You mean you’re not interested in my more… youthful parts?”

“I am interested in every part of you.” He stroked his thumb across her damp nipple, watching it furl into a tight bud at his touch. “But you asked for a kiss.”

“Yes, please,” she whispered.

He bent his head and obeyed. Her mouth was as intoxicating, as delicious, as he remembered, and he could have lingered there for hours, days, but her body moved restlessly against him and his cock ached with need.

Remembering the previous night, he slid his hand between her legs and she immediately arched into his touch. He played with the small pearl until he felt her climax but this time, he managed to control his own reaction. He raised his head so he could watch her face as he traveled lower, to the small entrance to her sex.

Her eyes opened as he touched her there, gradually pressing his finger inside the heated clasp of her body. By the Horns! He had never experienced anything so tight and wet and enticing.

“This gives you pleasure?” he asked as she bit her lip.

“Oh yes. It’s just...different.” Her channel tightened around his finger, then softened as she smiled up at him. “Don’t stop.”

He obeyed, sliding deeper into the silken fist of her body as his cock throbbed impatiently. He reached down and freed his aching erection, already so sensitive that even the brush of the sheets had him on the verge of exploding.

“Are you ready?” he growled, urgency overcoming his determination to let her lead the way.

Her teeth fastened on her lip again but she nodded. He could wait no longer. He notched his cock at that tiny opening, the damp kiss of her flesh almost shattering what was left of his control. His hips thrust forward involuntarily. For the briefest instant her body resisted, and then she opened to him and hot, silky flesh surrounded him. She gasped and he tore his eyes away from the erotic picture of their bodies coming together to find her watching him, her eyes wide with shocked pleasure.

The sight was too much for him. A climax roared through him so quickly that his vision actually darkened. A Tandroki warrior, the victor of a hundred battles, brought to his knees by the touch of this female. Perhaps he should have been ashamed but the knowledge that he had planted his seed inside her, that he had claimed her, filled him with immense satisfaction.

As his senses returned, he felt her hands stroking his shoulders and looked up to find her smiling at him.

“I did not know,” he gasped.

“Neither did I. But we aren’t finished yet.”

The head of his cock was still lodged inside her and as she spoke, she lifted her hips. He slid deeper, the silken fist of her sex enclosing more of him. His cock returned to full, aching life.

“More?”

“Oh yes.” She arched again and he growled and took over.

Her body was still tight, resisting his advances, but the remnants of his seed helped to ease the way, and he worked his way deep inside the small passage until he was buried completely. Instinct urged him to move, to thrust, but she was biting her lip again.

“Are you all right?”

“Just full, so full.”

Her channel fluttered as her body tried to adjust, and he remembered the way it softened with her climax. He found the pearl of her pleasure, completely exposed to his touch by the pressure of his body inside hers, and gave it a gentle stroke. A quiver ran through her and he stroked again. She gave a wild cry and convulsed around him, milking his cock in long, rolling waves.

His restraint vanished. He thrust wildly, lost to everything but the need to fill her, to claim her again and again, to show her that she belonged to him. Her soft cries urged him on as her hands came up to grip his horns, the added stimulation only increasing his urgency. His body tightened as fire licked down his spine, and then he was exploding again, his seed leaving him in wave after wave of heated pleasure until he was limp and drained.

He collapsed to the bed, pulling her tighter against him, unwilling to allow any space between their bodies. He had just violated every principle that he’d been taught but he had absolutely no regrets. How was he ever going to let her go?

She pushed lightly at his shoulders, and he very reluctantly slipped free of her body. When he raised his head, he realized that her eyes glittered with unshed tears.

“What is wrong?”

“Nothing. That was amazing. I just don’t know…”

“Know what?” His heart thudded against his chest. Did she feel the same way?

“I… Nothing.” She blinked and gave him a watery smile. “I suppose everyone is emotional after their first time.”

Was that the reason he felt this way? No. There was much more between them than sharing a new experience. But if she didn’t feel the same…

His heart aching, he rose to his feet.

“I will cleanse you.”

Jaelle bit back a protest as Krampasarian stood. She didn’t want him to leave her; she wanted to stay wrapped in his arms. Her emotional response to their lovemaking had taken her by surprise - yet another thing for which she had not been prepared. How could anyone else ever compare to him?

No. She was not going to think about a future without him. Instead, she watched as he rose and stretched. His body gleamed in the moonlight reflecting off the snow, all smooth, pale ivory. He was perfect, she thought wistfully, her gaze traveling down across wide muscled shoulder to a ridged abdomen to that long, thick cock, impressive even in its softened state.

It twitched as she stared at it and she heard him give a low, satisfied laugh. Startled, she looked up to find him watching her.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I will forget my task.”

“I wouldn’t want you to do that.” Actually, part of her did want him to forget and just come back to her, but she waved him on his way.

He returned almost immediately, and the warm, damp cloth soothed her swollen flesh. She sighed happily as he discarded it and drew her into his arms.

“You don’t mind being improper and sleeping with me?” she asked hopefully as she nestled closer.

“There is nowhere else I would rather be.”

Refusing to think about the future, she let the sincerity of his words accompany her into sleep.

She awoke the next morning to find him watching her. Although she could tell it was daytime, the light was still dim. She glanced at the window to see the snow falling heavily once more.

“Looks like the storm hasn’t passed after all,” she said, smiling up at him.

“Good.” He was still studying her face.

“Good?”

“It means there is no possibility of you leaving me.”

“I…”

Words failed her, but perhaps it didn’t matter. He bent his head and kissed her and she poured all of her unspoken emotion into their kiss. His response was as passionate as she could have hoped for, but just as she began to writhe beneath him, a sharp, determined knock sounded on the door.

“Why is this door locked now?” Whit yelled. “Puppy has to go out.”

“Back to reality,” she whispered.

He flashed her a smile, dropped a last kiss on her lips, and went to take care of their… family. Longing swept over her but she forced it aside.

But it was hard to keep it buried as the day progressed. They passed the time much as they had the previous day. Watching him with the children, having Cinna snuggle against her for a story, and listening to Whit tell her about a wild scheme he’d just concocted made it all too easy to forget that this was just a moment out of time. An artificial slice of happiness created by a legend and a snowstorm.

That night, he didn’t hesitate. As soon as the children were in bed, he picked her up and carried her to the bed, his mouth hungry and demanding.

The feeling that time was running out haunted her, and she didn’t want to waste time sleeping. After the first round of lovemaking, she took him in her mouth, and his shocked cries of pleasure were so loud she was afraid he would wake the children. Fortunately, they remained undisturbed and he insisted on reciprocating. Despite his lack of experience, he proved to be a fast learner, his long, agile tongue drawing climax after climax from her quivering body until she finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

The next morning the snow stopped.

Chapter Fourteen

Jaelle spent the morning peering anxiously out of the window but despite her muttered prayers, the storm did not return. The clouds covering the mountain dissipated and the sky turned a clear, sparkling blue. At last she sighed and went looking for Krampasarian.

She found him sitting in his command chair, staring thoughtfully at the bank of instruments. Her courage almost failed her, and she was about to depart silently when he looked up and saw her. That devastatingly attractive smile crossed his face as he reached out his hand to her.

“You are walking well,” he observed as she crossed the room.

“I can manage well enough with the cane.”

When she reached him, he pulled her down into his lap and kissed her with unexpected fierceness. She was breathless by the time he raised his head.

“What was that for?”

“Because you helped me solve my problem.”

When he didn’t continue, she poked his side with an impatient finger. “Well go on. What problem?”

“You remember what you told me about your ancestor? That the ship went off course?”

The familiar wave of sadness washed over her. “Yes, I remember. She never forgave herself.”

“I do not think that she was to blame.”

“That’s sweet of you, but how can you tell after all this time?”

He held up her old electronic device. “I managed to get this working.”

“That’s wonderful. Thank you!”

“You are very welcome. But in the process of repairing it, I read the first few entries. The experience she described is exactly what happened to me. My navigation system became useless also. I assumed that it was the result of sabotage, especially given the destruction in the engine compartment.” His dark eyes glittered with excitement. “But I no longer think that is the explanation. While the other damage was definitely due to sabotage, I believe there is something in this sector of the galaxy that affects navigation. It happened to me just as it happened to your ancestor.”

A story flitted through her mind. Some ancient legend that her grandmother had told her. “There was a place on Earth that was supposed to be like that,” she said slowly. “A place where ships – ships that went on water – lost their way. But my grandmother said it was just a fanciful tale.”

“Perhaps not.” He tugged her more closely against his chest as he stared out of the window. “This area is not well known and our ships tend to avoid it. But I was impatient to reach my destination, and it appeared to be the fastest route.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the sun sparkle on the snow, and she considered his theory. Was it possible that her many times great-grandmother’s guilt had been misplaced all these years? That her family’s need to atone was based on nothing more than natural phenomena?

She expected to feel anger, but instead, she felt only sadness. And oddly enough, a sense of pride. Whatever their motivations, her family had done their best to keep the darkness of ignorance at bay and she was proud to have had even a small part in that.

“Do you realize what this means?”

She was so lost in her thoughts that Krampasarian’s voice made her jump.

“No, what does it mean?”

“It means that there is much less work to be done than I had anticipated. The physical repairs are completed. I had assumed that it would require an equal amount of time to repair the navigation system, but as the navigation system is not broken, then the ship can leave almost immediately.” He smiled triumphantly.

“Leave?” The thought of losing him made her heart ache but pride made her force a smile. “We will… miss you.”

“Miss me? Why would you miss me? You are all coming with me.”

He spoke with complete certainty and for a moment she wanted to believe him, to believe that she and the children could accompany him and be a family. But…

“You know that’s impossible,” she said as she tried to climb to her feet.

He refused to let her go. “Of course it’s possible. The ship will be quite safe. Are you worried that I will lose the way again? Do not be. I am sure that I can retrace my path based on the ship’s records.”

“And then what?” She reached up and brushed her fingers through the silky waves of his hair. “Will your society accept an alien female and two alien children?”

He had told her enough about the Tandroki that she already knew the answer. She saw the moment that he came to the same conclusion.

“I am Commander Krampasarian D’Marchandar. Of course they will accept you,” he said firmly, but she could see the hint of doubt beneath the arrogance.

“No, my love. They will not. And even if by some slim chance they did, that way of life would not make me happy or make the children happy.”

“But you would have everything – a suitable house, suitable clothes, a suitable education for the children. You would never have to worry about things like snow.”

“I don’t think we could afford the price of those ‘suitable’ things.” She forced another smile and attempted to stand up again. This time he let her go. “And I… I like the snow. It will always remind me of you.”

Her voice trembled on the last words, and she turned and fled. She didn’t want him to see her cry.

Krampasarian stared after Jaelle, anger rapidly replacing his sorrow. She refused to accompany him? She would rather remain on this primitive planet than leave with him? There was so much that he wanted to show her, so much that would delight her, and yet she had turned him down. And the children too – they would have so many more opportunities in his world.

But would they? The specter of doubt crept past his anger. It was true that Tandroki society was insular and resistant to outsiders. They, of course, negotiated with other races and arranged for trade deals and mutual protection, but those relationships maintained an even more stringent formality than they practiced amongst themselves.

But this would be different, he argued with himself. He had an impeccable background and an unblemished reputation. Of course they would accept his family.

Family.

The word brought his racing thoughts to a halt. It meant something very different in his society. It meant connections and heritage, not love and affection. She was right, he realized. When he returned to his world, he would have to give up everything that he had found here. He couldn’t ask them to give it up as well.

The ache in his chest felt like a physical wound. He rubbed the spot but found no comfort. Outside the sun reflecting off the snow made a mockery of the darkness sweeping over him.

But perhaps the brightness was deceptive. Perhaps another storm was on the way or the path too clogged with snow. Even though he knew that additional time together would not remove the agony of parting, he sent his drones out to investigate, hoping to find a reason for them to stay.

Whit came to join him just as he was bending over the screens. “Whatcha doing?”

“I sent the drones - the birds - out to see what conditions are like outside.”

“Wow. It’s like you can see through their eyes. There’s Jaelle’s cottage and the village and - look!” The boy leaned closer, his eyes widening. “Look at all the people coming up the mountain. Do you think they’re coming to find us?”

“Yes.” His eyes closed in despair. He should not allow the villagers to find the ship, to find him. It would only raise questions they had put aside long ago.

“I gotta tell Jaelle!”

Whit rushed away, and Krampasarian forced himself to stand. As he walked slowly through the ship, he felt like the old man he had seen in the market, but he was crippled by sorrow rather than age. Jaelle was already gathering her belongings while the boy chattered excitedly. Her smile wavered as she looked at him.

“Whit tells me that there’s a search party. We should probably go and meet them before they make it all the way up here.”

No! His mind shouted the rebuttal but he forced himself to nod instead.

Everyone was dressed and at the door before Cinna suddenly seemed to realize that he wasn’t joining them. She looked up at him, her lip trembling. “Aren’t you coming with us?”

“No, little one. I don’t belong down there.” He was afraid he no longer belonged anywhere.

“Then I wanna stay with you.”

“We have to go, sweetheart,” Jaelle said gently. “Everyone is looking for us. You don’t want Linnea to be worried, do you?”

“I ‘spose not.” The little girl nodded, but then she flung her arms around his legs. “I love you, Krampus.”

The lump in his throat made it almost impossible to speak as he dropped his hand to her soft curls. “I love you too, little one.”

She squeezed his legs again, then turned and buried her face in Jaelle’s skirts. Jaelle’s eyes were bright with tears, but she didn’t speak. Whit sniffed, then extended his hand the way the males in the village did when they greeted each other.

“Bye, Krampus. Thanks for taking us.”

His fingers tightened on the boy’s small hand, before he reluctantly let him go. “It has been a pleasure having you here.”

The boy sniffed again, then turned and stepped into the snow. A small blue bundle of fur darted after him, yipping happily. At least one of them was happy. Cinna finally released Jaelle’s skirts and followed Puppy.

Jaelle turned to him. “I meant what I said. I will think of you whenever it snows.”

And he would think of her always.

“Thank you,” she whispered, and then she too was gone.

He couldn’t stand to watch them walk away. Returning to the bridge of his ship, he tried to take comfort in the smooth efficiency of the now working equipment, but all he felt was cold and empty. An inquisitive chirp sounded and he looked up to see her drone perched on the instrument panel, watching him with what looked like curiosity.

“She is gone. They are all gone,” he found himself saying, his voice shockingly dead.

The drone seemed to droop in response and Krampasarian had an idea. He couldn’t stay himself but the drone was made to resemble the native creatures of this planet. Perhaps…

“Do you want to stay with her, Robin?”

The small creature hopped up and down in seeming excitement.

“Then go. The outer door is open.”

Without hesitating, the drone took off and he watched it fly away with a wistful smile. He knew she would appreciate the small creature and the technology that supported it would last many generations. It would be here to see Jaelle live out her life, to see the children grow, to see…

Unable to resist, he turned on Robin’s visual feed, watching as it winged swiftly through the woods. He rubbed his chest as Jaelle and the children appeared on the monitor, still walking away from him down the mountain. He would send Robin ahead, he decided, so that he would be waiting for them at Jaelle’s cottage.

But as the drone flew through the trees, it suddenly turned to one side. He frowned at the controls, trying to decide why it wasn’t responding, and then he noticed the picture on the monitor. The male who had attacked Jaelle was sitting in a small clearing, drinking, and his family was headed straight for him.

He ran for the door.

Chapter Fifteen

Jaelle stumbled through the woods, fighting the urge to return with every step. The only thing that kept her moving was the two children at her side. Cinna and Whit were staying with her from now on, she decided. She would do whatever she could to make sure that they were accepted by the village, but the love they shared was more important than any narrow-minded prejudice.

But even that decision didn’t heal her aching heart. She was so wrapped in her misery that she didn’t realize they were not alone until she heard the familiar, unpleasant voice.

“I knew you weren’t lost, you worthless little bastards,” Knut growled. “That damn woman didn’t have to close the tavern so everyone would search for you.”

She froze in place, automatically reaching for the children. They had reached a small clearing, barely more than a wider space between the trees, and Knut was perched on a boulder on the far side taking a swig from a brown bottle. He drained it and cast it aside, wiping a hand across thick lips that began to smile unpleasantly as he took in her appearance.

“And who are you?” He leered at her, his gaze traveling over her body with undisguised lust.

“She’s Jaelle, of course. Anybody could see that,” Whit said contemptuously. The boy stepped in front of her before she could stop him, his hands on his hips as he glared at the big man.

“Don’t you smart mouth me, you little bastard. Left me to do all the work, you did.” Knut advanced across the open space, licking his lips. “So you’re the real Jaelle. Tired of hiding behind those ugly clothes, are you? Looking for a real man?”

“I already have a real man.” Had, her aching heart reminded her. “Now please move aside. I want to tell everyone that the children are safe.”

“Not so fast.” A big hand clamped down on her wrist with disturbing strength. “You owe me, you know.”

Even though her heart was beating wildly, she lifted her chin. “I don’t owe you anything.”

“Oh yes you do. That no good wife of mine finally confessed that you’ve been giving her something to stop me breeding her. You owe me a child.” He licked his lips again as he reached for the neckline of her dress. “Be a nice change from that useless bitch.”

“No! Don’t you touch her!” Whit grabbed Knut’s arm, but the big man slung him aside with contemptuous ease.

The boy’s small body went flying, and the crack echoed through the woods as his head hit a tree. Cinna gave a high-pitched scream while Puppy growled and bit ineffectually at Knut’s boots. Knut snarled and turned to Cinna with his hand raised.

“No!” Jaelle grabbed his fist. “Run, Cinna. Get help.”

The girl hesitated for a fraction of an instant, then took off, a small blue streak following along behind her. For a moment Jaelle thought she saw a familiar red bird circling Whit’s head, but then Knut snatched her attention back to him as he laughed cruelly.

“Who do you think is going to help you? You’re just an old witch.”

His breath stank of alcohol as he pulled her closer, despite her struggles. “Let me go. I have to help Whit.”

“He’s just a useless fucking orphan. No one cares about him, just like no one cares about you.”

“I care.”

The harsh voice reverberated across the clearing, and she looked up to see Krampasarian stalking towards them. His face was etched with rage, his claws extended, a terrifyingly alien sight. She had never been so glad to see someone.

“What the fuck are you?”

She could hear the note of fear behind Kurt’s usual bluster and took advantage of the moment to renew her struggles. His grip tightened and Krampasarian snarled.

“I am Krampus. I have come to render judgment on the unworthy.”

Knut’s fingers finally loosened and she wrenched herself away, racing across the clearing to Whit’s side. He sprawled limply in the snow but when she gathered him in her arms, she could feel his pulse beating steadily. Robin perched on her shoulder, chittering anxiously.

Krampasarian had been watching her, but when she nodded, grateful tears streaming down her cheeks, he turned back to Knut.

“And I find you unworthy.”

Without another word, he flew at him. Knut was a big man and for a moment, she was frightened that he would prove a challenge for Krampasarian, but it was no contest. The big man was on the ground within seconds, and then a spurt of red sprayed across the snow. Krampasarian roared triumphantly and rose to his feet, blood dripping from his claws. He took a step towards her just as Cinna raced back into the clearing, a crowd of villagers behind her.

“He hurt him,” Cinna sobbed. “He hurt my brother!”

“That demon?” The mayor stared at Krampasarian and stepped protectively in front of the others.

“No!” Cinna and Jaelle spoke simultaneously.

“The bad man,” the girl continued. “The one in the snow.”

Whit moaned in her arms and Melissa appeared at her side. “What happened?”

“He was trying to defend me.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Knut attacked me.”

“Who are you?” the mayor demanded.

“Jaelle, of course.” The weak voice came from her lap and she looked down to find Whit’s eyes open.

“Whit! How do you feel? How’s your head?”

“Aching,” he muttered, but he pushed himself upright with a hint of his usual grin. “What happened?”

“Krampasarian came and rescued us. Again.” Her voice shook as she looked across the clearing to where he was standing.

But he was gone.

Krampasarian forced himself up the mountain, away from his mate, away from his family. When he had defeated the male who would have preyed on her, for one moment he thought he had won them back. But then the villagers had appeared. He had seen the shock and horror on their faces, seen the way they had gathered protectively around Jaelle and the children. There was no place for him here.

And even though he suspected there was no longer a place for him amongst the Tandroki, he would return. He would fulfill his responsibilities and live out a meaningless, empty life of tradition and duty. His chest ached as if he had been physically wounded, but he ignored it as he began the pre-flight checks. He wouldn’t even allow himself to turn on the monitor for a last look.

As he pressed the ignition controls, he remembered the dirt that had been packed around the back half of the ship. He half-hoped, half-dreaded, the possibility that it would prevent him from leaving, that it would force him to stay longer and clear it away. Instead, the ship trembled for a brief moment, then lifted easily into the air.

He should have headed immediately for the upper atmosphere, but he couldn’t do it. Bringing the ship around in a long circle, he turned back to face the mountain. Their mountain. His hands hesitated over the controls, still unwilling to take that final step, and he saw it.

A white plume of snow rose into the air, slowly, almost poetically, but already beginning to gather speed. An avalanche!

His heart pounding, he studied its path and realized that it was headed straight for the village. Jaelle’s village. The one her ancestors had tried so hard to help. The one that in the end had gathered around her. He couldn’t let it be destroyed.

Even before he made a conscious decision, he was already steering the ship to intercept the mass of snow and rock tumbling down the mountainside. He couldn’t stop it, but he thought he could divert it enough that it wouldn’t take the village. White clouds of snow covered the view port but his hands were steady on the controls. Jaelle’s face appeared in his mind, smiling at him, smiling down at the children. He couldn’t be with them but at least he wouldn’t have to leave them behind.

He was smiling when the ship crashed into the mountain.

Chapter Sixteen

Jaelle and the rescue party were almost to the clearing overlooking the village when she heard the roar. To her shock, the villagers had insisted that the three of them return to the village to recover. Ingrid, Knut’s wife, had been amongst the searchers, and Jaelle had braced herself for her recriminations. Instead, she had given Knut’s body a cursory glance, then turned away without a word. As she did, Jaelle saw the massive bruise discoloring the other woman’s cheek.

Whit had insisted on walking, and excitedly described their adventures on the ship to the curious villagers while she did her best to keep her face composed despite the pain in her chest.

Small, cold fingers slipped into hers. Cinna looked up at her, blue eyes shining hopefully. “He’ll come back. The story says he comes every winter.”

Her heart cracked again. How was she going to explain to the little girl that he wasn’t returning? Before she could respond, she heard a low rumble that grew rapidly louder.

“Avalanche,” the mayor yelled, urging everyone back towards the tree line.

The first flurry of loose snow tumbled past them and she watched in horror as it streaked downhill towards the village.

Melissa started to dart past her and Jaelle grabbed her arm.

The other woman struggled wildly. “My children are there!”

“You can’t help them if you get caught up in it.” Her voice sounded strangely calm despite the way her heart was pounding. “Maybe it will pass by the village.”

Melissa sobbed and clung to her hand. She suspected the other woman knew as well as she did that the chances were very slim.

And then there was a bright flash against the sky. Krampasarian’s ship appeared, heading directly towards them. Surely he didn’t think he could rescue them again? But then the angle of the ship changed slightly, and she realized where he was heading.

“No!” she screamed, even as she pulled Cinna’s face against her skirts.

The ship’s path never varied and she watched in horror as it headed straight into the mass of falling snow. The roar increased, deafening her, and then silence descended around them as the mass of snow finally came to a halt.

A vast, empty field of white spread out in front of her, only a few last puffs of snow floating in the air. The village appeared almost untouched, the majority of the fall further up the valley.

She searched the expanse of white desperately, looking for any indication of where the ship might be. Tears kept threatening to obscure her vision and she dashed them away impatiently. There! The faint silvery line breaking the surface was the only indication of where the ship had gone, but it was enough. It had to be enough.

She thrust Cinna into Whit’s arms and took off. The thick snow made for treacherous footing and it seemed to take forever before she reached that distant line, but she reached it at last. The icy metal burned her fingers but she followed it along the surface as far as she could, then started to dig. The soft snow was easy to sling aside but it was also heavy and her arms soon began to ache. She didn’t care.

“Here.” The gruff voice startled her and she looked up to see the mayor handing her a bucket. “This will be faster.”

More voices sounded and she watched in shock as more of the villagers appeared, equipped with shovels and buckets, and began to dig.

“I… I don’t understand.”

“We all saw it. He deliberately crashed that flying machine of his to stop the avalanche.” The mayor dropped a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get him out.”

He turned away to direct the digging, and she shook off her shock to resume her own efforts.

It was slow, cold work. Her arms ached and her hands burned, but she refused to give up until Melissa forced her to pause long enough to drink some hot soup.

“But I…”

“You need to take a break. You won’t do him, or anyone else any good, if you’re half dead from exhaustion.” Melissa pointed at the tree line where several of the women were preparing more soup over a blazing fire. “Don’t you at least want to get warm?”

“I can’t. I have to get to him.”

Melissa studied her face, then nodded. “All right. But at least take the soup first.”

She gulped it down impatiently, but the warmth and the nourishment helped, and she turned back to her task with renewed urgency. They had cleared enough of the snow that she could see the front end of the ship crumpled against the mountainside. The bridge had been destroyed. If he had been sitting there…

No. She refused to consider the possibility. He was alive. She knew he was.

As she bent back to her task, she saw two small determined hands next to hers and looked over to find Whit digging just as fiercely. His face was pale with exhaustion, but he did his best to smile at her.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get him out.”

“Yes we will. Where is Cinna?”

“Linnea is watching her. She wanted to dig, but I told her she had to look after Puppy. That Krampus would want her to do that.”

Tears threatened once again, but she managed a watery smile. “That was smart thinking.”

He sniffed defiantly and turned back to the snow.

A short time later, a shout when up. They had reached the door. As much as she wanted to be the one to dig, she reluctantly agreed to let a few of the larger villagers concentrate on that area. The snow flew as they all gathered around, and Whit’s hand clenched in hers.

“I don’t know how to open it.” A man yelled as they finally uncovered the entire door.

“I can do it.” I hope.

Willing hands lifted her down into the cleared area, and she pressed her hand against the lock, praying that it worked. With an agonizing creak, the door started to open but it only made it part way before freezing into place.

Too impatient to wait while they dug out more snow, she forced her way through the narrow opening. The ship was in almost complete darkness. Only a small line of emergency lights flickered at the base of the walls, walls tilted to an angle that made them more like floors. She made her way along the twisted corridor, metal creaking with every step. Everything looked oddly compressed - as if a giant hand had squeezed the ship. The corridor grew narrower, tighter, and her heart thudded against her chest as she approached what was left of the bridge.

Even the lights were damaged here, and she was in almost complete darkness, but she kept going on her hands and knees, feeling her way. And then silky strands of hair met her outstretched fingers.

“Krampasarian,” she whispered, her hand shaking as she explored further. She felt the familiar ridges of his horns and then his head, wet beneath her fingers. It took a moment before her shocked mind realized that it must be blood.

“Please be all right. Please.” She found his face, his features so familiar to her touch. “I love you.”

“Then it is just as well that I decided to return.” His voice was shaky, weak, but somehow he managed to retain a hint of that familiar arrogance.

“Oh thank God.” She burst into tears.

By the time more of the villagers made their way onto the ship, he had passed out, but his heart beat steadily beneath her hand. Somehow they managed to maneuver him down the twisted corridor and out of the broken ship. More villagers waited to lift him onto a blanket, and she heard the muttered exclamations as they took in his appearance in the full light of day.

She didn’t care. He was alive and he was hers and no one was going to keep them apart. She knelt down next to him to examine his injuries. To her great relief, the only serious injury was the gash on his head and although it was bleeding profusely, it appeared to be only a surface wound.

When Whit flung himself down next to her, she was able to give him a reassuring smile. “He’s going to be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” She put her arm around his thin shoulders and hugged him. He buried his head against her for a moment before he pushed away, swiping impatiently at his nose.

“Here.” Melissa handed her a damp cloth, and she carefully cleaned the wound.

Fortunately, she had wiped away most of the blood before a small blonde figure threw herself at him. Cinna’s shoulders shook with her sobs and Jaelle reached for her, but before she could pull the girl into her arms, a big hand came up and gently patted her back.

“Do not cry, little one.”

“You’re all right!” Cinna cried.

“I am now. Now that I am back with my family.” Dark eyes studied her face as he extended his other hand to her.

Smiling through her tears, she took his hand and drew Whit with her. “Our family.”

More murmurs came from the villagers and she looked up defiantly, but she didn’t see the hostility that she expected. Several of the men looked suspicious, but most of the women were smiling. Perhaps she had more friends here than she realized.

But these three were the ones who really mattered, she thought, looking back down at Krampasarian, Cinna still clinging to his neck and Whit tight against her side. Then Puppy came tumbling over, Robin flying past him to land on her shoulder. A mismatched family to be sure, but one she was never letting go.

Epilogue

One year later…

Anakarian D’Marchandar stared up at Jaelle from big, blue eyes as he nursed hungrily. He had his father’s silvery blond hair and tiny, adorable nubs where his horns would grow, but his eyes were all hers.

A son. After generations of an uninterrupted female line, she had finally broken the tradition and allowed nature to dictate the sex of her child. Krampasarian had been delighted, but considering the attention he lavished on Cinna, she was sure he would have been just as delighted with a daughter. Perhaps next time…

Just the idea that there could be a next time filled her with delight. Her son would never need to be alone. Of course, he might not appreciate that fact, she thought wryly, as Whit came rushing in. Puppy, who was almost as big as Whit now, bounded after him. Despite his size and a fearsome array of teeth, he had maintained his sweet, playful nature.

“Mama!” Whit yelled.

Anak shot a suspicious glance in Whit’s direction and suckled harder.

“What is it, sweetheart?”

“Papa is going to teach me how to fight.”

“What?”

She frowned at Krampasarian, who had followed Whit into the room. Despite her frown, her heart still skipped a beat, just as it did every time she saw her tall, handsome husband.

Cinna grinned from her position perched on his arm. “Me, too!”

“Don’t you think we should have discussed this first?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I am just going to teach them some simple self-defense moves,” he said soothingly. “It will discipline their minds as well as their bodies.”

“Let’s go practice,” Whit shouted with his usual exuberance and Cinna nodded enthusiastically, demanding to be let down.

The children and Puppy scampered off and Krampasarian came to join her, dropping a brief kiss between the nubs of Anak’s horns before pressing a much longer kiss to her lips.

“Don’t try and distract me,” she scolded him when he finally raised his head, even though her body hummed with pleasure.

“Would I do such a thing?”

“Absolutely. You were trained from birth to be manipulative.”

“I would never attempt to manipulate you, my love,” he said earnestly.

“I know you wouldn’t.” He did, of course, but only ever with the intention of making her happy. And his knack for diplomatic maneuvering meant that the village had accepted him with surprising ease. “But I’m still not sure about this fighting thing.”

“Do you not want our children to be able to defend themselves? In case someone else like Knut appears in our lives?”

“You’d never let him hurt us.” She put a finger over his lips when he started to respond. “But I understand your point. I’ll withdraw my objection.”

“Thank you, my love.”

Anak’s suckling had finally slowed to an occasional lazy pucker and his eyes were closed. She pried his mouth away and Krampus took him, burped him, and carried him to his crib. He turned back as she began buttoning her top.

“You do not need to cover yourself on my behalf.” The hunger in his eyes sent an answering thrill of desire through her body as he prowled back over to her. He circled a distended nipple with a careful finger. “I very much enjoy the sight of your body lush from motherhood.”

“I think you’ve made that clear,” she said breathlessly, arching into his hand. His passion for her had never diminished.

“Perhaps we should take a nap while our son naps,” he whispered, his fingers clamping down on the sensitive bud just enough to send a streak of pleasure straight to her aching clit.

She swayed towards him, but as she did, a shout came from outside. They both froze, then she sighed as she heard Whit yelling instructions at Cinna. “As much as I would love to take you up on that, you know we’d be interrupted.”

“Not if I am fast enough.”

“Those are not words that thrill a woman’s heart.”

“I am sure I could prove differently.”

She was quite sure that he could, but she laughed and shook her head, buttoning her blouse. “I know. But tonight you can take as much time as you want. After the celebration.”

“Are you really going to make me wear that ridiculous costume?”

Despite his protests, she knew that he was looking forward to the evening. After the events of the previous year, the legend of Krampus had been modified, transforming him from a dark spirit to a generous one, and tonight they would celebrate.

“After the celebration,” she repeated, just as the door swung open and Whit appeared.

“I’m hungry,” he announced and she laughed.

When her husband appeared in costume that evening, her heart swelled with pride - and more than a little lust. A tight-fitting red thermal suit showed off his broad shoulders and wide chest and clung lovingly to thick muscled thighs. The fringe of white fur around his neck mingled with his silvery curls while his horns reared tall and proud over his head. Over his shoulder he carried the same dark bag that had brought Whit and Cinna into their lives, but now it was filled with small gifts for the children of the village.

“Oh my,” she murmured.

“Does that mean you approve?”

“Very much so.” She gathered up the children and herded them towards the door as she lifted Anak into his carrier. As she moved past him, she added softly. “I have a costume too. I hope you will approve of it.”

His eyes heated, but she whisked past him before he could ask any questions.

Although they still spent time at her grandmother’s cottage, they had decided to move closer to the village for the sake of the children. Krampasarian had arranged for them to take over an abandoned house and they had been gradually restoring it.

They left Puppy at home for the short walk into the village, but Robin perched on her shoulder for the entire trip, observing everything through bright little eyes.

Once again the houses were decorated for the season, and this time she could partake of the hot punch as she wandered through the streets with her family. As they passed through the market, open late for the occasion, she saw Ingrid working Knut’s stall. The other woman looked tired but her face was peaceful and she smiled at Jaelle as they went by. Christoph came to join them as they headed for the village hall. She had never told him that he was her grandfather, afraid that he would think less of her grandmother - or himself - but he had become part of their family and he treated the children as if they were his own great-grandchildren.

They sat down together at the hall to take part in the shared feast, then her husband distributed presents to squeals of delight. Even the more suspicious villagers seemed to relax tonight. Perhaps it was easier to think of him as a legendary spirit than as an alien.

She sighed with contentment as they walked home afterwards.

“Happy?” he asked.

“Very. But I am a little tired. I’m not sure how much longer I can stay awake.” She yawned deliberately. “Do you think you could put the children to bed?”

“Of course,” he said immediately. “Do you want me to carry you?”

“I said I was tired, not incapable of walking.”

“I enjoy carrying you,” he grumbled.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She did her best to hide her smile.

As soon as they arrived home, she kissed the children and hurried off.

Their bedroom was the last room they were renovating, and it contained little besides the big bed. But it was bright and spacious and she didn’t need anything else. She rummaged through the box that was serving as a temporary wardrobe and drew out her surprise.

Despite the severity of the crash, a surprising amount of technology on Krampasarian’s ship had survived, and he had managed to repair much of it. The ship would never fly again but it offered other benefits. She had been working with the replicator and finally managed to produce the right fabric. She grinned as she went to change.

The children were still giddy with excitement, but Krampasarian finally managed to settle them into bed. Whit was still talking when his eyes finally closed and he stopped in mid-sentence. Cinna gave him her usual sweet smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Night, Papa.”

“Good night, little one.”

He gave Puppy an admonishing look as he left the room. “And you stay on the floor.”

The door had barely closed behind him when he heard the betraying creak as the wolf climbed into bed with his daughter. He grinned and shook his head. He wasn’t going to fight that battle tonight.

Anak was sound asleep with Robin perched on the head of his crib.

“Watch over him,” he said softly, wondering as always how much the drone really understood.

But that was a question for another day. He was concerned about his wife. She rarely admitted to being tired. Had the celebration been too much for her?

He slipped quietly into the bedroom, unwilling to disturb her if she had fallen asleep.

A lamp was still on but the warm glow only illuminated an empty bed. A slight noise made him turn, and he saw her standing in the entrance to the bathroom.

She was wearing a slip of thin red silk, so sheer he could see the soft curves of her body beneath the fabric, and she glowed in the dim light like a vision of lush perfection.

All of the blood in his body raced straight to his cock.

“Do you like it?” she purred, sauntering towards him. “I told you I had a costume.”

“That is a costume?” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“Of course. I’m Mrs. Krampus.”

He wanted to roar with pride but experience - and three children - had trained him to control himself. Instead, he reached out and stroked a finger across her nipple, watching as it hardened beneath the thin cloth. The fabric was cool and silky beneath his touch but alluring as it was, it only stood between them.

“Take it off,” he growled.

“You don’t like it?” She made a disappointed face but he saw the gleam of satisfaction in those deep blue eyes.

“It is beautiful. Now take it off before I tear it off of you.”

Both nipples were hard now and he saw her shiver with excitement. She pushed the thin straps off her shoulders and the gown fluttered to the floor.

“Better,” he said as he lifted her into his arms and felt her soft bare skin against him.

“I guess you ended up carrying me after all,” she whispered before she started pressing eager little kisses along his jaw.

“Because this is exactly where you belong. In my arms,” he said as he carried her to their bed.

A very long time later, Krampasarian smiled up at the ceiling. Jaelle was snuggled against his side and deep silence filled their house. It was similar to the type of silence that had once filled his life, but this silence wouldn’t last. It would be filled with the sounds of children and animals, with the sounds of love and even occasional arguments, with the sounds of family.

He gave a silent prayer of thankfulness for Nicholsarian and his sabotage. That single act had transformed his life from empty to complete, and he would never be alone with the silence again.

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for reading Krampus and the Crone! I really enjoyed writing this sweet holiday tale with my favorite theme – that families are built from love, not biology. I hope it makes you smile and helps bring this challenging year to a more joyous conclusion.

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As always, I have to thank my readers for joining me on these adventures! Your support and encouragement make it possible for me to keep writing these books.

A huge thank you to the fabulous Bex McLynn for stepping in at the last moment and making sure I made it to the finish line!

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

What’s up next? Coming in 2021, a whole new series featuring human women naked, afraid, and fighting for survival on a strange new planet with a hot alien warrior at their side! Alien Survival!

And if you would like more sweet, hot stories about families coming together, check out the Treasured by the Alien series. Click here to start with Mama and the Alien Warrior!

To make sure you don’t miss out on any new releases, click here to sign up for my newsletter!

Other Titles

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Standalones

Jackie and the Giant - A Cosmic Fairy Tale

Krampus and the Crone - A ScFi Holiday Tale

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

About the Author

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of 5. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

Honey loves to hear from her wonderful readers! You can stalk her at any of the following locations…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/honey-phillips

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

Website: http://www.honeyphillips.com