Page 34 of Trapped in the Christmas Cabin

Shewent out into the living room and saw the bigKindredsitting on the floor beside the couch.Hehad a brooding look on his face, which didn’t bode well for any frank and open conversation.Still,Kellitried.

“Hey, what are you doing down there?”she asked him.“Whynot sit on the couch?Itwould be much more comfortable.”

Heglanced at the couch and made a face.Therewere dark circles under his eyes and it looked like he hadn’t slept a wink.

“Itjust now reappeared.It’sbeen gone all night.”

“Soyou’ve been sitting out here like this all night?”Kelliraised her eyebrows.

Heshrugged.

“It’sfine.”

“No, it’s not!”Kellicouldn’t keep her feelings in check anymore.“Whathappened last night?Whydid you run off like that?Wasit somethingIsaid?”

Heshook his head tiredly.

“No, sunshine.It’sall me.”

“Butwhat?—”

“Ireally don’t want to fucking talk about it, okay?”he growled.Hoistinghimself to his feet, he walked over to the front windows.“Lookslike we can get out of here now.IfIcan find any fucking clothes.”

“Ithink the cabin left you some, but you’re not going to like them.”

Kellipointed to the couch, where a neatly foldedSantasuit had appeared, complete with a thick black belt and big black boots.

Klausturned to look and gave a low, frustrated groan.

“Thisfucking cabin!Iswear to theGoddessifIcould rate itI’dgive it no stars!”

Asif in answer to his voice, the cabin suddenly spoke.

“Wenotice that the two of you have not consummated your relationship, as was expected during theMaximumRomanceprogram,” it said in its soft, feminine voice.“Couldyou please give an explanation for your non-consummation and subsequent distancing from each other?”

Kelliwanted an answer to those questions herself, but there didn’t seem to be any forthcoming—not from herProtectoranyway.

“Shutthe fuck up,” he growled at the cabin irritably as he pulled on theSantasuit.Stompingto the door, he twisted the knob, clearly meaning to yank the door open and go.

Butthe door didn’t budge.

“Pleaseanswer the query before you go,” the cabin said pleasantly.“Wecannot allow you to exit until we find out why our experiment has failed.”

“Experiment?”Klausdemanded, looking angrier than ever.“You’vebeen doing an experiment on us?”

“Wehave,” the cabin acknowledged coolly.“Wewished to test the efficacy of using classic romantic scenarios in facilitating mating in real-life conditions.”

“Whichis a fancy way of saying you wanted to know if a plot from aHallmarkChristmasmovie would really make people want to jump in bed together,”Kellisnapped, frowning.

“Affirmative,” the cabin’s voice said—thoughKelliwas beginning to think they were no longer talking to theAIthat controlled the cabin.Shehad a sneaking suspicion it was theQuestarionscientists they were conversing with.

“Wehave been monitoring the broadcasts fromEarthfor centuries,” the voice continued.“Inthe past few decades, we have become especially intrigued by the genre your people call ‘romantic comedies,’ especially the subgenre ofChristmasrom-coms.Wewished to learn if such scenarios would lead to actual mating behaviors but it appears that they do not if the two of you are any indication.Ifyou would please clarify why you did not engage in coitus, we will allow you to go.”

“Sothis whole fucking town is just a giant experiment,”Klausgrowled.“Youjust want to see ifChristmascheer will make people fuck!”

“Essentially,” the voice acknowledged coolly.“Pleaseanswer the question—why did you not mate last night?”

Kellilooked at the bigKindred, but his jaw was set and it was clear he wasn’t going to say a thing.Well, maybe she could get some answers out of him later, when they were out of theChristmasVillage.Butfor now, someone had to answer or the cabin would never let them out.

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