Page 16 of Kringle and the Kraken

CHAPTER SIX

LEVI

It wasn’tthat I didn’t believe Kris when he’d said his family would descend on the food we’d brought like a horde of hungry holiday zombies, more that I couldn’t really visualize it. But as I watched his family completely decimate the sandwich box, I was grateful Kris had told me to stuff a sandwich in my pocket.

“Good call on this.” I patted the pocket where my sandwich was nestled.

He quickly covered my hand with his, then glanced around furtively. “Shh. Don’t let them see.” When he was sure the coast was clear, he leaned in closer and whispered, “This ain’t my first rodeo. They look all sweet and nice until you bring food into their midst. Don’t worry, though. They’ll settle down in a minute.”

Long tables with benches on either side ran through the barn from end to end, and Kris’s family all slid into place around the one in the center. His mom recovered from the feeding frenzy first.

“Oh dear.” She stood and strode my way with purpose. “Forgive our manners. Getting the workshop ready to open is hungry work, and we started early.” She held out her hand, and Itook it. “I’m Kris’s mom, Mary Kate Kringle. It’s so nice to meet you, Levi.”

I’d seen artistic renderings of Mrs. Claus before, and with the exception of white hair in a bun, she was a dead ringer. Her cheeks were plump and rosy, her smile soft and gentle, and even though she looked sweet, there was military precision in her eyes. This was a woman who would go mama bear on anyone who threatened to hurt her brood. I liked her immediately.

“No apology necessary, and thank you for having me, Mrs. Kringle.”

She clasped her hands together and giggled. “Oh, of course. Our pleasure. But please, call me Mary Kate. You know, it’s been a long time since Kris brought someone to meet us.”

“More like it’s been never.” The voice came from someone else at the table, and Mary Kate turned to shush them while Kris glared at whichever sibling had dared to rat him out.

“Katie, stop hogging the boy. The rest of us want to meet him too.” A large man with white hair and a neatly trimmed white beard stood and wiped his face with a paper napkin. He had to be Kris’s dad. I looked between the two of them and couldn’t help but notice the uncanny resemblance. Kris’s dad was a preview of what Kris would look like when the salt currently at his temples and in his beard took over.

“Yes, yes. We’re coming.” Mary Kate threaded her arm through mine and tugged me along until I was standing in front of Kris’s whole family.

“Kurt Kringle.” Kris’s dad offered his hand, and I shook it, getting a hearty pat on the back as well. “So glad you were free to help us today, Levi.”

“I’m honestly looking forward to it.” And it was the truth. Kris’s family was large and loud, but I could see how much they all loved him in the way they looked at me and teased him.

Kurt slid down the bench to make room next to him, and he gestured for me to sit down. The second my butt hit the seat, the rest of Kris’s family all started talking at once, throwing out their names and their relationship to Kris. Kris shoved his family members farther down the bench so he could squeeze in beside me.

“Whoa, whoa.” Mary Kate banged on the table just enough to bring everyone to order. “You’re going to send poor Levi running for the hills. I’ll do the introductions.” She pointed to each member of the family in turn, and while it was less chaotic than everyone talking at me at once, there was still little hope I’d remember half their names, especially when a lot of them started with aK.

“We’re grateful for the extra hands,” one of Kris’s brothers—I couldn’t remember if it was Kevin or Keith—said.

My tentacles twitched, and I was grateful I’d kept my jacket on. They were anxious to show I had more than one set of hands to offer. I must have made a face because Kris glanced my way.

“You okay?”

“Totally.” But I wasn’t sure he believed me. I had never wanted to tell someone who didn’t know I was a kraken about my true form so badly. It was starting to make me antsy, but until I knew Kris wouldn’t run away screaming, I couldn’t do it. And considering this was only our second date and we were in the middle of a full-on Kringle family convention, I didn’t think whipping out my tentacles would be appreciated. I didn’t want his nieces and nephews around the table to remember this as the year a kraken ruined Christmas.

“Good. You’d better eat. The second they’re done, it will be back to work.”

I pulled my sandwich from my pocket and tucked in. Kris was right. The flavors should seem off together, but they worked. The tart tang of the cranberry and orange relish was a reallynice complement to the turkey, which was moist and delicious. I’d never had Thanksgiving dinner before, but from everything I’d seen in pop culture, this sandwich felt like a pretty good approximation of the feast, minus the mashed potatoes and sage stuffing.

Conversation flowed around the table and effortlessly included me, and I was shocked to find I felt as comfortable with Kris’s family as I did with Kris.

With one major difference.

I didn’t want to wrap myself around his family and climb them like a tree. It was only Kris that made my tentacles wiggle and twitch with the desire to rub against him, to feel his skin under each sensitive sucker and hear the sounds he made as I brought him pleasure only I was uniquely shaped to provide. And sitting next to him, thigh to thigh, surrounded by his pine, cedar, and salt smell that was only amplified by the faint scents of cinnamon and peppermint on the air and remembering how soft his lips had been pressed to mine, I was hard-pressed to think about anything other than getting Kris naked and under me.

Almost in unison, half of Kris’s family stood, gathered their trash, and went back to work in various teams around the barn. Things were still very much in disarray, but I could see the vision coming together, and it was going to be spectacular.

The table shook as one of Kris’s brothers-in-law and one of his sisters dropped two huge plastic totes on the table in front of us.

“These are for you.” Kris’s sister smirked, and Kris groaned.

“What’s inside?”

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