“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
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Website: http://www.honeyphillips.com
Krampus and the Crone: A SciFi Alien Warrior Holiday Romance Page 11