Page 38 of Courting the Krampus
“We love you.” Jasper’s voice cracks on the last word, just as the final bricks around my heart tumble down.
“Well, thank fuck because I don’t know what to do with all these feelings. I’m pretty sure I love you too. So, sign me up. I’m in!”
Cole tackles me into Jasper and rains kisses down on both of us until we’re a tangle of limbs on the floor.
Chapter nineteen
Jasper
Is this real life or am I living in one of my many fantasies?
I have mates. Fated mates. It’s something whispered about in monster conversations, a myth we can only dream about. The thought that it’s real and that Cole and Natalie are mine, feels like hot chocolate and freshly whipped cream spreading out from my heart, the deliciousness warming me from the inside out.
We’re on the floor in front of the crackling fireplace, having fallen off the couch when Cole surged over us with his kisses, and love. I’ve tucked Natalie into my side, Cole straddling my left thigh and Natalie’s right thigh as he hovers over us.
Framing my face in his hands, Cole stares deeply into my eyes when he says, “Jasper. I love you. I’ve loved you for a very, very long time. I—”
“I love you too,” I say, interrupting what I’m sure is going to be a very nice speech, but the words burn on my tongue, needing to be said out loud.
Cole’s lips crash against mine with so much pent-up emotion, it robs me of breath. He sucks my tongue into his mouth, dominating our kiss, and I sink into it, sink into him. I pull Natalie tighter into my side as Cole lowers his body down on us, needing to be closer, and I grind against him, his cock hard against mine.
Before I lose my train of thought, I break away from the kiss. Our lips remain close, our breaths mingling. “I’ve loved you since day one. I know we’ve never talked about it exactly, but I want more with you. I want everything with you.”
Cole’s face transforms to one of pure bliss as his lips stretch into a brilliant smile. “Me too. Stay with me.” He weaves his free hand into Natalie’s hair and looks at her. “Both of you.”
Natalie’s eyes are wide, brimming with affection and need. She bites her lip and nods. “Okay,” she whispers, and the word stamps onto my heart, sealing the final part of my soul.
Unable to resist any longer, I turn my head and place a firm kiss on her lips. “I know this is really fast, but it all makes sense if we’re fated mates.”
Cole gently traces his thumb across Natalie’s cheek and asks, “Little vixen, do you know what that means? Have you heard of fated mates before?”
She shakes her head, and I close my eyes, telling my heart to slow down. I want Natalie to understand what she’s signing up for. When,if, she chooses us, she needs to do so knowing all the facts.
I sit up and drag her into my lap, wrapping her legs around me as I explain, “It means we were made for each other. Think of it like soul mates. Real soul mates. Two souls, or in our case three, that are each pieces of one whole—and the fates have brought them all together. We fit. It’s super rare, like mythical-levels rare, and to have it not only between two people, but three… It’s like a fantasy.”
Natalie is silent as she listens, her brow furrowed as she catalogs each word. After a couple of seconds, she tilts her head and asks, “So it’s a magical meet-cute?”
Cole smiles, but there’s a trace of sadness pulling at his mouth. “It’s a bit more than that. If you choose to be mated to us, it’s a lifelong commitment. An unbreakable bond.”
“Oh. That’s… intense,” Natalie says, her pulse visibly galloping at the base of her neck. “I like you. A lot. Like,a lota lot to the point that it’s love. And I want to be with you. But can we maybe date first before jumping into something sounding pretty much like marriage?”
“I think that’s good,” Cole says. His throat works on a swallow before he continues, “I’m bound to the Arctic Circle. That’s quite a lifestyle change to consider, and I want you to be sure before you commit. You just left Arizona, wanting adventures and to gallivant across the world. I’d hate for you to have feelings of regret later if you didn’t have the opportunity to explore to your heart’s content like you planned.”
Despite not wanting to freak her out more, I decide to give her more information about what it would mean to be mated to a krampus. “So, um… krampuses also have their own eccentricities you might need to consider.”
Natalie pulls back from our touch and crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s starting to sound like you’re trying to talk me out of staying.”
I grab her shoulders and lower my face until we’re eye level. “Fuck no. We want you to stay. But we love you enough to make ityourchoice.”
Cole gets on his knees and gently pries her hands free, lacing their fingers. “Your heart, your choice. We’re all in with you, but we know the weight of those words and the commitment that will come with them. This bond was fated to bring the three of us together in perfect harmony. If it’s not all three of us, it’s none of us.”
Natalie’s cheeks brighten to a beautiful crimson color. Her smile is soft, and she looks anywhere but directly at either of us. Shyly, she says, “How can we be sure this is love if we’ve only known each other for such a short time?”
I place a finger under her chin and tilt her head up until she’s looking directly at me. “It’s the fated bond. It speeds things up.”
“Magic, huh? That makes sense, I guess. Everything about this trip, about you both… it’s been magical.” Tucking some strands behind my ear, Natalie prompts gently, “Tell me about the krampus stuff.”
“So, remember I told you about my parents living together in the Alps? Well, once they were mated, they basically removed themselves from society because they felt like they didn’t need anyone besides each other. Their bond is so strong and they’re not even fated mates. Also, there’s the mating bite.”
