Page 42 of Guarded By the Krampus

“Flipped over the mattress. Let’s just give up on those sheets though.”

“That was my last clean set,” she said with a wince. “But—I know—just don’t give me shit, okay? I go to a lot of fancy things,”she said, heading into her on-board closet, and coming back with a small fortune in furs to pile onto the bed for us, like we were cavemen indeed.

“Was your mother a fur-trapper?” I felt compelled to ask.

“Shush,” she said, putting a silencing finger out—and I found it with my nose, which made her giggle.

We both made things work, with her mostly curled up on top of me, but not long after she closed her eyes she murmured, “From here on out Ace—your fur is the only fur I need.”

“That’s right,” I promised, feeling her drift to off sleep.

As for me…I didn’t quite want to pass out yet.

Somewhere, not that very far away, there was a raging Monster Security Agency Christmas party happening at Ellum’s—and next year, for the first time,Iwould be there too. And I’d lean into the whole Krampus thing, because why not? I’d shine my hooves and paint my horns red, wrap myself in rattling chains, and bring a three-month-old baby I “stole” in a basket, along with my loving wife.

I couldn’t wait.