Page 40 of Kraved By Krampus

The house settles with a normal creak. Not Magnus’s voice like I keep hoping for, just old wood adjusting to temperature changes. Each mundane sound drives home what I’ve lost. The magic. The wonder.

Him.

I curl deeper into the chair, wrapping my arms around myself where his should be. The memory of his touch haunts me—the way his shadows would caress my skin, how his hands could be both gentle and commanding.

My mate.That’s what he called me. The word echoes in my mind, mocking me now.

“Some mate you turned out to be.” My bitter words hang in the air. “Just disappeared the moment things got complicated.”

I stand abruptly, pacing the library floor. The more I think about it, the more my chest tightens with something darker than sadness.

He promised to protect me. To cherish me. To show me who I really am.

My fingers curl into fists. “But the moment I made a mistake, you ran. You took everything—the magic, the wonder, even Magnus.” I kick the chair, achieving nothing but a stubbed toe. “Real mature, oh mighty Winter King.”

The pain in my foot feeds my growing anger. Here I am, drowning in guilt over denying him, while he’s probably off sulking in whatever dark realm he calls home. After all his talk about destiny and belonging, he abandoned me at the first test of our bond.

“You’re supposed to be ancient and wise.” I snatch a book from the shelf and hurl it across the room. It hits the wall with a satisfying thud. “But you’re acting like a spoiled child, taking his toys and going home.”

Did any of it mean anything? The intimacy, the vulnerability, the way he claimed me as his?

My reflection catches in the window—tear-stained and wild-eyed. I look exactly like the weak, confused human he probably thinks I am. The thought makes my blood boil.

“You don’t get to make me feel all these things and then just vanish.” I slam my palm against the windowpane. “You don’t get to awaken something in me and leave me alone to deal with it.”

A bitter laugh escapes my throat. “Some dark deity you are. Can’t even handle a moment of rejection without throwing a supernatural tantrum.”

The anger feels good—better than the hollow ache of loss. It burns away the fog of confusion, leaving clarity in its wake. Yes, I hurt him. Yes, I made a mistake. But his response? Taking away not just himself but every trace of magic that made this place feel like home?

That’s not love. That’s punishment.

I straighten my spine, standing up and letting the fury wash through me. “Well, Krampus, two can play at this game. You’re not the only one who can disappear.”

A gentle knock at the door interrupts my angry pacing. Mrs. Redmond stands there, a thermos in one hand and an ancient-looking key in the other. Her silver hair gleams in its perfect French twist, not a strand out of place despite the wind outside.

“My dear, I thought you might need this.” She holds up the thermos, the scent of her special blend wafting through the air.

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve. “How did you even get here? The roads are...”

She tucks the mysterious key into her cardigan pocket and brushes past me into the kitchen. “Some doors are always open to those who know where to look.”

Her sensible shoes make no sound as she moves to the cupboard, retrieving two mugs as if she’s been here a thousandtimes. The familiar routine of her movements brings a fresh wave of tears.

“He took everything.” My voice cracks. “The magic, Magnus, all of it.”

Mrs. Redmond pours the tea, steam curling in impossible patterns. “Did he? Or did he simply stop maintaining the illusion?”

I slump into a kitchen chair. “What’s the difference?”

“Drink your tea, dear.” She slides a mug toward me. “It’s a special blend for clarity.”

The warmth seeps into my hands as I cradle the mug. One sip and my racing thoughts begin to settle.

“You know what he is.” It’s not a question.

Mrs. Redmond adjusts her glasses, the enchanted chain catching the light. “I know many things about many beings. Including you.”

“I’m nobody special.” I stare into my tea. “Just a fraud who writes happy endings she doesn’t deserve.”

---