I hugged myself, tucked my chin low, and trudged through the snow to meet the three returning men in my yard. Agony burrowed through me as I kept picturing Krampus carrying Britta in his sack. Her cries were knives to my heart, and agony sat in the pit of my stomach. I remembered the time Dad had shoved Britta into the closet when she wouldn’t stop crying. He’d forbidden me from letting her out until she quieted down. She’d cried for hours. I’d hated my father while she’d cried, wanting him to die a cruel death. All the while, he’d laughed at our misery, while our mom had never said a word. Since that incident, Britta had been scared of the dark, and now… Tears pooled in my eyes.

Every time I thought we were getting ahead, something happened to snatch away the hope of our brighter future.

My fingers clenched at my sides as I fought to contain the fury inside me.

I should have returned home last night, regardless of the storm, but how the fuck was I supposed to have known Santa and everything that went with him was real? Fuck! We’d come this far changing our lives for the better, only for me to lose my sister? The fight in me flared, but I struggled to stop the numbness overtaking me. I was well aware that if I lost Britta, I’d have nothing left.

Jax marched toward me, his eyes pleading, his lips downturned. He dragged me into his arms so fast, my head spun. No words, just warmth and his tight embrace. I cried hard against his chest, a flood of emotions ripping through me.

But I’d let her down. Like I had when I couldn’t get her out of the closet.

The icy wind roared around us, my coat flapping against the back of my legs, chilling my skin beneath the long, tousled hair around my neck.

“We’ll find her,” Leven said, and I lifted my head to find him standing so close, he might as well be hugging me as well. He reached over and caught a tear running over my chin.

Tatum approached. He slid a loose strand of hair caught in my lashes away from my face. “He won’t harm your sister. Krampus will be back. It’s you he wants.”

“And Britta is his way of ensuring he gets that,” Leven added.

Anywhere else, I might have been swept off my feet by three gorgeous men paying me so much attention and giving me so much affection. But dread clung to me, and I couldn’t stop crying. I felt as I’d fallen into hell and had no idea how to get out. I never should have picked up that stupid hat in the snow. I should have taken Manuel up on his offer to come with me. I detested living with regrets, but I couldn’t stop feeling as if I were sinking.

Leven stepped aside and knelt by the path Krampus had used to escape. He stared down at the oddly-shaped footprints in the snow. “I can try tracking him, but Tatum’s right, Krampus will be back. He’s fast and could run rings around us before we catch him. So we’re not leaving you alone. We’ll fortify your place and ambush him when he returns.”

My stomach roiled. As much as I feared facing the goat-creature, he had Britta, and every time I imagined what she was going through, I hiccupped a strangled breath.

Trepidation swept over the men’s faces. And I saw the truth on their expressions. They weren’t convinced this would work, but they offered me false smiles. I swallowed the boulder in my throat, feeling torn about what to do next.

“I can’t sit around and do nothing,” I said as I pulled free from Jax’s arms and turned away, wiping my wet eyes. “My sister is out there, terrified by a goddamn real-life monster.” I paced back and forth in the snow, creating a worn path, hugging myself. The world closed in around me, and panic dragged through me, feeling like barbed wire. My breaths raced, and I barely struggled to contain my scream of anger.

The sound of footfalls came from behind me. A hand fell gently on my shoulder, but I shook it off and spun around.

“Don’t touch me,” I snapped, then met three mournful gazes. I regretted my outburst. Regretted how I’d reverted to a scared child in the face of this dilemma. Regretted that I’d shown them that part of myself. I needn’t have feared their touch. They weren’t my father.

“We’d never harm you,” Leven said, his arms by his side, making no move to come closer. “But we’ll lay down our lives to save yours.”

I exhaled loudly, my gut twisting in a knot. “How can you say that?” I sniffled. “What about your lives? I don’t want anyone giving up their life for me.”

“Would you not give up everything for your sister?” Tatum asked, one of his brows arching.

“Of course,” I replied at once, aware how hypocritical I sounded. “But this is different.”

“How?” Jax asked, his head tilting to the side, studying me, and I fought the urge to look away. “We’ve trained for years as warriors in case the moment ever arose that we would need to fight for Santa. I made the vow and accepted my fate long ago. So how is that different from you sacrificing everything for Britta?”

I couldn’t even process what they were saying. They’d only known me for a day. But I didn’t want to get into argument. My anger rose from fear. That part of me I’d locked away so many years ago—now the darkness leaked out. Trapping me. Reminding me I was useless. I wanted to vanish, but I couldn’t leave my sister. Part of me clung to the hope that the men were right because it killed me to think of Britta hurt or worse.

Jana emerged from the front of the house, clasping her overnight bag, and I rushed over to her, wiping the tears away.

“Nickie, are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, it’s all right. My friends are here, and I’ve called the police.” My lie sat like a stone in my gut because I wanted to speak to the reindeer guys before I called the cops and dragged the entire town into a search for a mythical monster. Okay, the monster wasn’t fabricated, I knew that now, but I also didn’t need to have Jana injured and her safety on my mind. It was better she was home and protected.

She took my hands in hers, her eyes watering. “I’m so sorry. She was in her bed last night and I didn’t hear a sound.”

So perhaps Krampus could enter homes as easily as Santa did through chimneys?

I hugged Jana, and she trembled against me. “Britta could have gone into the woods to look for me,” I said, but I couldn’t even convince myself as the tears kept falling, and my heart was broken. “We’ll find her.”

Jana broke away, her eyes gleaming, and I hated that she felt responsible when the fault was mine.

“Nickie, please contact me when you find her. I beg you.” Her pleading ruined me, and I couldn’t find any words, so I simply nodded.

I watched her climb into her car, drive down the path, and out past the gates that automatically opened and shut behind her.

When I returned to the guys, they were huddled closer, whispering. Jax looked my way first, then the others followed.

“What happens now?” I asked. “Maybe we ought to call the cops. The more people who search for Britta, the better.”

Tatum shook his head, the bridge of his nose creasing. “They’ll get in the way and put your sister in worse danger. Krampus wants you, so we’ll set up a trap.”

I had no problems being the bait if it meant rescuing Britta. I’d do anything to help her. “Let’s do this.”

Leven stared out toward the distillery. “We need an indoor area where we can draw him to us.”

“There’s definitely room in the bar area. Let me grab the keys and we can get started.” I turned away when Tatum seized my hand, his warmth spreading up my arms, and I turned to face him.

“We’re in this together. Trust us.” The sincerity of his voice touched me in ways I’d never expected. I was falling apart, yet these three men offered me hope. I couldn’t bear to face this adversity on my own. For so long, I had shut everyone out, taken on every challenge on my own, but I was no fool to think I knew the first thing about defeating Krampus. And these men offered their aid, wanting nothing back it seemed.

Their friends were somewhere out there too, and I’d been caught in my own nightmare this whole time. We were tangled in this together now.

I softened my hand in his. “Sorry I didn’t believe you earlier.”

“We all know what it’s like to lose someone close. We’ve been at war with Krampus for years.” That was all Tatum said, his gaze falling from mine. His hand slipped away before he marched to the other men, ordering them to search the parameter. It had never occurred to me that as warriors, they would have seen death, their comrades fallen in battle. It was bizarre to think that a fun place like Santa’s Workshop was a war zone and lives had been lost.

Growing up, I’d received several presents in foster homes, and I’d assumed they’d been left at the foot of my bed by the family, though they’d never said anything about them. Could it have been Santa?

I hurried toward the house, determined to do whatever it took to save my sister and help these men find their friends. I had no brain capacity to think about what came afterward. Not when our survival was the priority.

“We’re not splitting up,” Tatum growled as Leven drew a circle on the floor of the distillery. The bells on his clothes jingled softly, but I’d gotten so used to hearing them now, I barely noticed. He poured the schnapps that smelled of honey and citrus direct from the bottle, the contents splashing everywhere, but he’d managed to create a connecting circle.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of the time Grandma had made circles with whiskey to ward off demons. Then Dad had done the same one night with rum, and it had stunk so much. And now that I watched Leven do the same, maybe there was more to what I’d seen as a child. Maybe Grandma had been protecting us before she passed away. Regardless, if Leven treated Krampus as a potential evil spirit, did that make him a demon?

“Just saying,” Leven continued. “We need birch branches to trap Krampus. Jax said he saw some deeper in the forest, so I’ll collect them on my own.” He stared my way, and I shrugged, having no idea why we need these branches.

“The birch switches are used by Krampus to swat kids,” he explained, “but they can also be used against him. Coupled with schnapps and a bit of Christmas enchantment, we can trap him.”

“No!” Tatum barked, and I flinched at his anger. “We’re stronger together. Alone, he’ll take us out.” Tatum folded his arms across his broad chest.

Jax sat on a barstool alongside me. “Bossman has a point,” Jax said, swiveling in his seat. “All four of us go into the woods while it’s still daylight, collect the branches you need, and return. Either way, as long as we all stay near Nickie, we’ll keep her safe.” He glanced over and winked my way, and I shyly looked away like a schoolgirl, which was insane. Around them, my insides had me burning up. But my hormones were at war within me at the grief I felt about Britta’s capture. But I also understood she wouldn’t be killed, not so long as Krampus needed me. That small reprieve helped me from crumbling into a pile of tears and sorrow. I’d fight alongside these reindeer men, do whatever it took to save her. Part of me was still unable to believe they existed, and yet everything about being near them felt so right. Talk about complete contradictions.

Leven straightened his back, shadows dancing under his eyes. He banged the empty bottle down on the counter and marched outside, letting the door slam behind him.

After a few moments of silence, I hopped off my stool and followed him outside, well aware of how it felt to be forced into situations. And I wanted to understand what his problem was and if it was because of me.

Leven stood several feet away from the door, his back to the building, one leg bent, his foot resting against the wall, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket. His sandy-colored hair swayed in the wind, and he was deliciously hot. My insides fluttered.

He turned to stare at me. “Are you okay?” His voice was deep and gravelly, and it turned me on when it shouldn’t have.

“Thought I’d get fresh air. So much has happened recently.”

“Yeah.” He returned to staring out in the distance, and I joined him, resting my back against the cobblestone wall, still unable to believe what I’d gone through since we’d arrived in Austria. Adjusting to a new home and business, then discovering Santa Claus was real—and so were magical reindeer shifters. Yep, I had definitely stepped into the twilight zone.

I broke the silence. “What was that about inside? You walked off without saying a word.”

“You’d be safer here with two of us looking after you instead of taking you into the woods. Krampus could split us up, and we’d be easier to defeat.”

“Both options have their merits,” I said.

Leven shrugged.

I twisted to face him, yet he didn’t meet my stare. “I’m sure Tatum has considered all options. It kind of makes sense that we all stick together.”

Leven huffed and pushed off the wall to walk away, but I grabbed his wrist. “What are you so pissed about?”

“I don’t agree.” He pulled his hand free from mine. “I’ve seen similar missions go haywire. What if he’s out there watching and planning to split us up? One wrong move and he’s got you. He’ll kill you without hesitation.” His brow wrinkled in a dozen lines and worry crammed behind his gaze.

The darkening of his voice troubled me because if he was this worried, maybe we should reconsider the whole plan again. But the more I thought about it, the more I hated the idea of splitting up from the men. Being around all three felt safer.

Yet the fear lining his words reminded me of the times I’d lived in foster homes. Everything in my life always came back to my parents and what they’d done to me. I feared they’d find a way to hurt me again. So was Leven’s reaction to the plan due to his past and less to do with me?

“I’ve lived my life with the fear that my parents would one day kill me.” The words were sour on my tongue, but if I wanted him to open up, I had to be willing to do the same. For too long, I’d kept the past hidden, and in a strange way, it was liberating to unleash those dark memories.

“Why would your parents ever want to kill you?” He turned to face me.

This was the time I’d normally shy away and make a lame excuse to change the topic, but staring deeply into his eyes, I wanted to be honest. To finally tell another person about my past so I didn’t have to pretend to be someone else. That sometimes I’d snap, or I’d feel trapped and claustrophobic for no reason, that I yearned more than anything to have a normal life without always looking over my shoulder. I gave Leven a quick rundown of my horrid parents, my upbringing, their imprisonment, foster homes, and right down to arriving at this place. Okay, it was an extremely fast rendition, but I couldn’t stop the babbling. And he simply listened and somewhere along the way, he’d taken my hand into his.

He drew me into his arms. My head reached his chest, and he wrapped me into his arms. “No one will hurt you again.” His embrace tightened, and I let myself melt against his rock-hard body. I inhaled his musky, sexy scent. If being protected involved such closeness, well, I needed it twenty-four-seven. I couldn’t deny I was attracted to Leven, in fact to all three guys, and I normally pushed people away. But with these three, I desired nothing more than to have them touch me all over.

“Three years and two months ago, I took my parents and sister on a trip into Alaska,” Leven began, but he didn’t release me, so I stayed locked in his arms, listening.

“Before we arrived, Krampus ambushed us. He demanded I take him into the Workshop undetected or he’d kill my family. I was stupid and called his bluff. I made the worst mistake of my life.” Leven’s words hung in the icy air, and I looped my arms around his waist, holding him, well aware that such a loss was like having your insides scooped out with a rusty bulldozer.

“That’s so fucked up. What the hell is wrong with Krampus?” I lifted my chin to look up at Leven, meeting his darkening gaze. His cheeks were rosy from the cold, and all I thought about was taking him inside and holding him until all the sorrow ebbed from his body. But I knew better than anyone that such darkness never left. I just learned to live with the grief and blame and not let it own me. Some days were easier than others.

“Krampus is an original enchanted being. No one knows how old he is. History says Krampus and the first Santa were both created by the gods of heaven to bring cheer to the world. They were brothers meant to uphold the balance of joy at Christmas time, to bring families together, to elicit smiles from children who weren’t fortune enough to receive gifts from family. Krampus kept the troublemaking kids in order. The pair was inseparable and both lived at the Workshop. But something went wrong one year, and legend explained that Santa fell gravely ill. On his deathbed, one of the elves who worked in the shop put on Santa’s hat as a way to cheer him up, but when Santa died, the elf, still wearing his hat, drank a glass of whiskey to salute his passing and kissed him as a final gesture.”

“He became the next Santa, didn’t he?” I said.

Leven nodded. “He felt the power surge through his veins at once, but ever since then, the hat keeps finding a new owner every thirty to forty years, even if the previous Santa is still alive. It’s as if the hat just can’t find the right owner. And now it’s become a custom to find the next heir to the sleigh.”

“I’m guessing Krampus is pissed he’s been stuck living all this time on his own?”

“Well, the first elf Santa banned Krampus from the Workshop because he never treated elves well. Since then, Krampus has been furious and threatening to take back the throne he claims belongs to him. And in the last few years, his attacks have escalated. He’s angry and maddened by the rejection from the Workshop. He only thinks of bloodshed. The time for peaceful talks is long over.”

Processing everything he’d told me left me stunned because he was right. Krampus would never stop fighting, yet part of me pitied him for losing his brother, then being outcast from his home. Anyone would be pissed. But that didn’t excuse him killing innocents, such as Leven’s family. The bloodshed had been going on for so long now, and both sides were seeking retribution. And here I was part of that cycle now. So how safe was Britta?

My thoughts circled to Leven doing a circle similar to my grandma to ward off evil. But if Santa and Krampus had been brothers, had they been the representations of the good and evil sides of humanity?

“I’m so sorry about your loss,” I said.

Leven tucked a finger under my chin, lifting my head to meet his eyes. He stared with such intensity that I let myself fall into the pools of his green irises, which were like a clear lake in a dark forest. He had that kind of face that would stop me in my tracks if I ever passed him on a sidewalk. His nonchalant gaze and soft smile probably made women fall for him. There was something of the warrior in him that made my heart rush. And he knew the impact he had on women by the light twitch at the corners of his mouth.

I couldn’t help but blush, and a genuine grin spread across his face, morphing him from gorgeous to absolutely divine. Now my entire body flushed because he was a man I could stare at for eternity.

When he leaned closer, my breath caught in my throat. His lips grazed against mine, soft and passionate, his fingers digging into my back with a desperation that did delectable things to my insides. My world vanished instantly. I closed my eyes and all I could feel was his touch and warmth.

I raised myself on tippy-toes and met his kiss, opening my mouth for him, accepting his tongue. I loved how sweet he tasted, almost like candy canes. We mashed together, chest to chest, his teeth gently gnawing on my lower lip. I slid my hands to the back of his neck, pulling him toward me. Our breaths tangled together, and my whole body craved more of him—he was intoxicating.

He lifted me with ease off my feet and pinned me to the wall, his hardness pressed against my lower stomach, despite the layers of clothes between us. His hand sailed over my stomach and up to my breast. He pinched my nipple, kneading me. I swallowed the groan of pleasure.

“Leven,” I breathed into his mouth, and he kissed me hungrily. His body pressed against mine harder. I clenched my thighs together.

My whole body tingled with urgency to have more of him, and all I could picture was him naked in the sauna and how divine he’d looked.

Someone cleared their throat, and Leven broke our kiss, but he remained over me, protective.

Tatum and Jax watched us from the doorway, wearing grins, or was that arousal in their eyes? My face burned up at having them catch us kissing.

“We’re about to leave,” Tatum said. “Get ready. Nickie, you may want to put on warmer clothes.”

They both headed down the path toward the woods while Leven turned back to me. Our faces were less than an inch apart, and his lips brushed my ear as he spoke. “We’re not finished here by a long shot.”

He kissed my nose, my cheeks, and my mouth, then he pulled away, taking my hand. I walked alongside him, hand in hand, unable to believe that I’d feel such a strong attraction and arousal in a time when grief swallowed me. But being near Leven eased the agony, and for the first time too long, my loneliness was bearable.