by Sarah Makela
He knocked on the door twice. Vera found herself compelled to answer the door. Even though she struggled to stay away, she couldn’t stop her feet from moving toward the door. She unlocked the door and opened it for the stranger outside.
The man towered over her. Only now did she notice his eyes. While his facial features were covered in a tangled mess of hair, his eyes were black and feral. The intelligence behind them seemed malicious, drunk with power and age.
He spoke, but what she heard didn’t match the words she understood. The words made her queasy and violated, like a mall Santa dirtily asking a small child what she wanted to have. “Hey there, young one. Care to help an old man in the storm? I would like to sit by the fire and relax with a meal.” The tone of his voice demanded her compliance, and to her amazement, she felt like a six-year-old, unable to refuse his forceful request.
She walked to the pantry, getting out a couple cans of soup to make for the man. Fear clenched her chest, but she couldn’t stop herself from obeying his request. Who was he and why did he have so much control over her? Why couldn’t she run from him? Why had she even opened the door for him in the first place?
If only Pekka were here, he’d know how to handle what was going on. Damn it. Coming to Finland to search for him had only invited mischief upon her. If she’d been smart, she would’ve gotten his phone number or his address. Did he even own a phone, though? He was an elf... Who knew?
Her thoughts kept spinning as she cooked for the stranger. He munched noisily on the snowman cookies she’d made, but he never took his gaze from her.
“You are not from around here.” He gulped down another bite of cookie, and she returned her gaze to the pots, not wanting to look at him or his scary antlers anymore.
Stay calm, Vera. Stay calm. This will all be over soon enough. Yet, even as she thought that, her brain went into overdrive. What if it was over soon enough and not in a good way?
Dread filled the pit of her stomach, and she pushed the thoughts from her mind as far as she could. Stop thinking that way.
When she’d finished cooking the soup for him, she turned with the pot in her hand, frozen as if waiting for direction.
The goat man nodded to her. “Put it in a bowl. I’ll wait. I’m not going to eat it out of the pot. While I don’t look civilized, I’m not a wild beast.” The empty plate where her cookies had been sat in front of him. Her heart sank.
She set the pot back on the stove, then fetched a bowl and spoon. Once she’d put the soup in the bowl, along with a spoon, her feet drew her toward the dining table.
As he started eating, the tight hold on her slipped as if he was letting her loose from the spell. She stumbled against the wall at the sudden sensation of being able to move freely again. If she didn’t do something now, she might not have the chance later. The second she recovered, she ran for the door, nearly slipping down the slick steps.
Vera slogged through the waist-deep snow, desperate to get away from the goat man. Her heart hammered in her chest. Last year had been bad until she met Pekka, but this Christmas Eve was turning into a nightmare.
The goat man trudged behind her, gliding through the snow like it didn’t affect him. He stalked her like the villain of a horror movie. He wasn’t in a hurry, but he had an air of confidence that he’d catch her when she least expected it.
She turned her gaze back to where she quickly shuffled since she couldn’t call it running. The cold chilled her since she’d taken off before getting either her tundra pants or her jacket on. Now she wished she had, but with the goat man, it was either get away and freeze or be his servant for however long until he decided to...to do whatever it was he wanted with her.
“Little girl, what do you think you’re doing trying to get away from someone as old as I am?” He chuckled. “Much less in that attire. You are most definitely not from around here. Stop running if you know what’s good for you.” The tone of his voice was more exasperated than angry, but that didn’t stop her. “Stop running, young one.”
Uncertainty filled her, and her pace slowed a little. No...she couldn’t. This felt peculiarly like the compulsory need to cook for him, and she refused to be subject to his whims if she could help it.
Chapter Two
The reindeer herd stirred, shuffling their hooves. The Ancient One, the eldest, wisest reindeer of the herd, met Pekka’s gaze. Something was startling the reindeer, and it was Pekka’s job to protect them. Santa would soon need them for his journey across the world, so they had to stay safe.
An ancient presence drifted over Pekka, and he would know. He’d lived for centuries. A frustrated, female cry had him shifting his appearance to the more human one he defaulted to, and he ran to see what the trouble was.
The one woman he’d known who was silly enough to be out in weather like this was probably enjoying the holidays with friends and family in her far-away home.
He bit back his bitterness. Then again, they could never be together. Vera was human, and he wasn’t. He had an important job that took up most of his time. Unfortunately for him, things were probably better this way, even though he wished for his own Christmas gift. The gift of Vera being in his arms again.
When he reached the source of the sound, he spotted the shadow of a woman clawing her way out of the snow and trying to wade through it as fast as possible. What was going on? He swung his gaze behind her. Understanding washed over him. Now he knew why he’d picked up the familiar presence. It was Knuutti, a very old version of Santa. One people feared...an anti-Santa, instead of the jolly Santa Claus people of the modern age knew and loved.
This wasn’t good. If Pekka didn’t get the woman out of here, she’d be in for an unpleasant evening. He grabbed her by the upper arm, pulling her to her feet as she tripped again. Her hair parted, revealing her face, and shock jolted through him. “Vera?”
Vera jerked in his arms, and their gazes met. “P-Pekka? Is that you? Oh, God. I’ve missed you so much.”
Relief swam through him. Maybe he’d get his gift after all. However, this wasn’t quite how he’d imagined their reunion this past year. If they didn’t get out of there quickly, Knuutti’s sights would remain on Vera. If they didn’t give him the satisfaction of easy prey, he’d find someone else to “haunt.”
“I missed you too. This isn’t the time to talk about that, though. Let’s get you to safety.” He lifted her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. Her skin felt cold, and she was wet from all the sloshing through the snow. “Damn it, woman. You’re set on making me fret about your health and safety, aren’t you?”
“Elf, you should release the human. I’m not done with her yet,” the goat man said in their native tongue.
“She’s mine, Knuutti. I have a personal interest in this one.” He waved a hand in the direction of the city. “There are many cabins in this area. Many other people for you to visit. Don’t spend all your time on this one.”
Knuutti stroked his big beard, considering Pekka’s words. “I’m not pleased to be turned away from what I want.” The Ancient One walked up beside Pekka, shaking his massive set of antlers. “But I see you have the Ancient One on your side, so I’ll back off from the young girl.” He started to head off, then he turned his gaze back to them. “That one is rather irrational. You’re better off with one of your kind, herder.” He trudged off, whistling an old tune.
“Wow, what did you say to make him go away?” Vera asked, drawing his attention down to her. She stared up at him with her wide eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. He won’t hurt you anymore. He’s—”
A loud scream cut off his words, but it almost immediately stopped.
Pekka grimaced, turning away to take her back to the safety of his home. While he knew the goat man wouldn’t bother her anymore, he didn’t feel comfortable with the fact the goat man knew where she was staying. It was better for them to be somewhere safe, even if it would mean bringing her farther into the village where Santa’s elves lived.
Chapter Three
Vera shivered. The adrenaline from running from the goat man had kept her blood pumping, preventing her from getting too cold. Unfortunately for her, the adrenaline was starting to wear off.
They traveled farther into the forest until she wondered where in the world Pekka was taking her. While she wasn’t as used to this area as he was, she knew her cabin hadn’t been this far away.
She started to say something. Maybe ask him to take her back to his cabin? But she trusted him. He wouldn’t bring her out into the middle of the woods to die. He was more compassionate and caring than that.
At least that was what she was hoping. She hadn’t seen Pekka for a year, and things could change, but the look in his eyes told her he’d do what he could for her. She let out a deep breath, feeling a lot more at ease.
Lights shone in the distance, and she wondered where they were. This was definitely not her cabin. She opened her mouth to say something, but Pekka shook his head.
“Stay quiet. Let’s get in here quickly before someone spots me bringing you into the village. While it’s not exactly forbidden, it wouldn’t be looked upon too well by my kind. My people at least like notice before humans are brought amongst us. Besides, a few hope I’ll take one of the female elves as a mate.” He shifted his cloak over her, covering more of her. The warmth chased away some of the bitter cold nipping at her flesh but not nearly enough.
Pekka looked behind them then nodded to the reindeer. The largest reindeer, who seemed so wise, led the others off, presumably where Pekka had wanted them to go. She watched in awe.
“How do you make them obey you?” she asked.
He chuckled, that masculine, sexy sound reverberating in his chest. “They don’t obey me, necessarily. I have a relationship with them. They know it’s beneficial to acknowledge what I say. We’ve spent a lot of time together. Besides, the Ancient One leads them, and we have a good understanding of one another.” He kissed her forehead, and heat swept through her body.
That one small gesture flared the bond between them, something she thought she’d only imagined before. Now, she knew her attraction to Pekka was more than a wild fling with a sexy elf at Christmas time. This was something meant to be for longer than just a few nights.
Pekka dashed toward one of the cabins. It looked quite a bit different from the one where she was staying. They looked so much older. For a moment, she wondered exactly how old Pekka was, but maybe that would be more than she wanted to know right now. If she found out too much too quickly, it might terrify her.
Shoving those thoughts away, she still couldn’t believe she’d found him again. Her heart sang with joy.
They entered the cabin, and while it was laid out in a similar fashion to hers, this was more rustic, and she liked it just fine. Reindeer hides lined the bed, and a larger one lay on the floor before the fire for someone to relax.
He headed over to the fireplace where a fire warmed the cabin. Heat caressed Vera’s body again, but it was in no way as good as what she’d felt when Pekka’s lips had touched hers. She held her hands out, soaking in the delicious warmth. Within moments, Pekka came back to her with a wool blanket, draping it over her shoulders.
“At least you’re not as bad off as you were last time.” He smiled as he sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her into the warmth of his body.
Vera enjoyed being this close to him. It felt so, so right. “Then again, I wasn’t out as long as last time. I was also running for my life as opposed to wandering lost for what seemed like hours.” She laughed.
“Point taken.”
A shiver shuddered through her. Her feet were wet and cold as well as her legs. She needed to get out of her clothes, and while she wasn’t as shy as she’d first been with Pekka, she wasn’t exactly the most brazen woman in the world. The idea of disrobing in front of him was a little uncomfortable.
He glanced down at her clothes then up at her face, and as if he’d read her thoughts, he nodded. “If you want me to, I’ll help you out of them unless you’d want me to turn around? You’re not quite so frozen this time, but you need to remove your clothes or risk getting sick, or worse, hypothermia. I wouldn’t want either of those things happening to you.”
“I…” She paused, not sure what to do. She wouldn’t mind his help, but she didn’t want to seem like she was making things too sexual. They’d just met again after all this time, and she didn’t want to look like too much of a hussy even though her body called for his. “I’ll get them off. No worries.”
He leveled his gaze at her as if waiting for her to change her mind. She opened her mouth to do so but closed her lips. He nodded. “I’ll be right over there making some tea. If you need anything at all, just call for me.”
She tugged her lower lip between her teeth, missing the calming heat of his presence. Darn it. Why did she have to have some level of propriety? They’d had sex, yet she was nervous about taking off her clothes in front of him? She could call him back to her, but that would only be confusing for them both. Shaking her head, she set about disrobing, starting with her shoes. She placed them beside the fire to dry. Next went her socks, pants, shirt, then bra. Her underwear was cold and wet, but she couldn’t bring herself to remove that last strip of fabric covering her privates.
“I’m done undressing,” she said, pulling the blanket around her.
The soothing scent of hot tea preceded Pekka. Setting the cups on a table, he looked between her and the neatly laid out pile of clothes. “You’re either not wearing underwear, or you’re not done undressing. Should I assist you?” A wicked glint shone in his eyes.
She bit her lower lip. With him looking at her like that, she wouldn’t mind if he assisted her, but no words came out of her mouth.
He spread the blanket, and his palms left behind a trail of heat down her sides as he slipped the wet material from her hips, pushing it down her thighs. The bulge in his pants told her exactly what his body was feeling.
Maybe she wasn’t the only one burning with desire. The fact his body still reacted to her now thrilled her. She wouldn’t be alone this Christmas as she’d started to fear.
She’d been in Finland for the last few days with no hope of finding him, and now, here he was. All because the goat man came after her. Maybe it hadn’t been such a horrible thing; however, she wouldn’t want to repeat that. She didn’t want to know what would’ve happened if Pekka hadn’t been there to help her when he did.
Vera didn’t know a thing about Finnish folklore, fairy tales, or whatever the heck that man had fallen under. Before meeting Pekka, she hadn’t thought anything fantastical was real. Her parents had nearly killed her Christmas spirit when they’d told her Santa wasn’t real. How cruel to build up the belief in children only to shatter it later. Why even tell of the magic of Santa and Christmas in the first place?
Now she knew. Santa wasn’t make believe.
Pekka lowered his gaze to focus on them, then he slowly licked his lips.
On second thought, that was the wrong thing to be thinking of at the moment.
He trailed his hands along her back, cupping her butt and pulling her deeper into his arms. “You need to be warmed up. I know just the thing to make you hot.”
Her heart jumped in her throat, knowing exactly what he meant. “I’m already warm with you here like this.”
Pekka pressed his lips against her forehead, kissing her gently. His tongue swept over skin tentatively at first, but that soon changed. He slid his mouth down to her throat with such intensity, as if he wanted to devour her. She wouldn’t mind, either. His lips on her like that caused moisture to dampen her thighs.
She dropped the blanket, no longer feeling it necessary, but he grabbed it before it could hit the ground. His reaction time was exceptional. He scooped her up in the blanket and laid her down on the floor on top of the reindeer hide, which was exceptionally soft. Much softer than she’d have ever imagined for such animals.
“I’ve missed you, Pekka. I was afraid I wouldn’t find you.” She shivered, not wanting to think about that. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she hugged him, bringing him closer to her. She didn’t want him to ever leave her again, not when they’d been apart this past year. However, that wasn’t just her decision.
Would she move away from her friends and family to be with him?
Damn straight.
Chapter Four
Pekka pulled back a little, a smile caressing his lips. “You certainly have your ways in knowing how to find me.” He placed a fingertip against her lips. “Sshhh... Let’s savor our moments together. I’m so glad to have you in my arms again.”
“Likewise.”
He kissed her, taking any further words from her. He slid his hands down to her breasts. They were so soft, smooth, and round. Cupping them in his palms, he flicked his thumbs over her nipples.
The way she looked up at him, the uniqueness of her shining through in both nationality and race, made her so different from the female elves he’d had sex with. He couldn’t help the fact there was something about Vera that felt right to him, even if their differences meant they probably shouldn’t be together, at least not permanently. That was why he’d slipped away before. Not because he wanted to.
Besides, she’d gone back to her friends and family, and he’d taken care of the reindeer. As the goat man said, he was a herder. That was his specialty. Their ways of life were so different. However, more than ever, he knew that while she should be with her people, there was nowhere else he’d rather her be than by his side.