đșDominic's POV:
I hugged that naked fool and cried for 15 minutes straightâok, fine, 15 minutes GAY. Don't care. He didn't complain once, just clung on tighter like I was his personal oversized teddy bear. The cake almost got burnt, though. Figures. My second time opening up and the damn oven wants to betray me.
I ended up saving it. Barely. He insisted on decorating the gingerbread into gingerbread men afterward, which is a nightmare in itself because his "artistic vision" is apparently making them all look like drag queens in candy outfits. One even has a licorice boa. I told him gingerbread was supposed to be festive, not auditioning for RuPaul's Gingerbread Race. He threw frosting at me.
But⊠we ate them anyway. And they weren't half bad.
After that, Lean suddenly got all fidgety, bouncing around the kitchen like some squirrel on espresso. Then he announcedâvery dramatically, of courseâthat he had to "pop out for an important quest." Didn't say where. Didn't say why. Just grabbed his hoodie, kissed my cheek without warning (yeah, I nearly combusted on the spot), and ran out the door. Almost tripped on the house plants I have.
Now I'm sitting here surrounded by bread crumbles and cake fosting wondering what the hell that vampire is up to. And why my chest feels so damn empty when he's not in the room.
Ok lemme finish the fruitcake's decoration before the Rascal returns.
Finally, I finished the cakeâslapped on some candies, threw a handful of jimmies over it, and stuck Lean's ridiculous gingerbread drag-queen army all over the top. Done. We'll murder this thing at dinner.
âŠNow where the hell is that fool? It's been almost an hour.
Not that I'm worried or anythingâhe's probably out there harassing some poor shopkeeper into giving him extra ribbons for free, or buying three things he doesn't need just because they were "sparkly." Still. Place feels too damn quiet without his squeaky voice bouncing off the walls.
Tch. Idiot better be back soon. Cake's not cutting itself.
SuddenlyâBAM! The door explodes like it's auditioning for a horror film, and my brain registers⊠twoâno, three boxes stacked precariously like some leaning tower of Pisa.
"Who the fuck are you?!" I bark, tail flicking, ears on high alert. No way I'm getting jumped by a robber who'll probably faint the second they see me.
"Puppers!! It's me!!!!!!"
âŠOh. Right. That voice. That voice I both want to throttle and hug until it can't breathe. It's My vampire.
He barrels in like a caffeine-fueled freight train, boxes wobbling in his arms, andâoh shitâthe pile tips toward the sofa. Reflexes engage: I snatch the cake like a damn superhero. Saved. Barely.
"What the fuck are all these?!" I bark, trying to sound grumpy while my brain is on full-alert adore mode.
He stands there, grin wide, little fangs poking out like some mischievous Disney sidekick, eyes sparkling with pure chaos. And I can't decide if I should yell, groan, or tackle him into a cursed cuddle.
"Ok! So I went to my boss, got my Christmas bonus, and I bought all this for us to decorate!" His grin is bigger than a five-year-old on a sugar rush. I swear, this guyâhow is he real?
"Ahg, ok fine⊠you wanna show me what you got?" I glare, half-expecting something ridiculous.
Then he attacks the first box like a rabid cat. Paper, cardboardâeverything flies everywhere. AndâBAMâa five-foot Christmas tree flops out onto the floor.
"Ok! I got it in a last-minute sale! We'll decorate it together! I got decorations too!" His eyes sparkle, trying not to burst from excitement.
"Ain't no way I am doing that!" I bark.
âŠOkay, okay, I cave. His pleading eyes are lethal. He pulls out the full box of decorations: stars, bulbs, candy canes, bells, drums, little Santas, a wreath, and a warm, aesthetic yellow fairy lightâwhich, I'll admit, is actually kind of cool.
It takes us an hour to put everything up. Why? Because apparently vampires cry when scolded, and this one did when I told him to focus instead of talking nonsense. Then he got us tangled in the fairy lights, nearly electrocuted both of us, and promptly started playing with the little elves and Santas like he'd discovered a magical toy kingdom.
Finally⊠it's done.
The room looks⊠different. Warm. Bright. For the first time, it doesn't feel like a dark, sad alpha wolf's den. It feels like home. A home. Not for meâwell, maybe a little for meâbut for us. For a family.
My family? Maybe it's only this vampire, standing proudly (well, smugly) next to the Christmas tree, clearly pretending he helped.
I feel pride too. Proud of myself? Maybe. But prouder of himâbecause he did something no one else ever has: made me feel at home again. Made me feel loved. Made me feel like I belong. I love you, vampire. Maybe⊠Alex would have been so happy to meet you. Long sigh. After all, it was me and Alex every Christmas. We decorated the whole house together. That's why I never thought of doing this again, but⊠I guess I got defeated by this guy.
For the first time in my life, I am defeatedâdefeated in love by this feral, oversized fluffball mosquito! And I am glad I got defeated.
"Ok, Vamps, what's in the third box? We haven't touched it yet!" I point at the last box, trying to sound commanding, but he's already giving me that nervous, gleeful chuckle.
"It isn't something stupid, is it?" I squint.
"Well⊠you know⊠I got something for us. Hehe. Just don't get mad, ok?"
"Vamps! You are staring at me!!" I exclaim.
What the hell has he got now?
He digs into the last box with that ridiculous grin⊠and what the hell. Two costumes tumble out: a tiny elf outfit for himâand a reindeer costume for me.
"âŠYou serious?!" I growl, tail flicking like it wants to detach and hit him.
"Absolutely! You'll be the best reindeer ever!" he chirps, eyes sparkling like he just discovered magic candy.
No. No way. I plant my feet, arms crossed. "I'm not wearing that. Ever."
But he's already pouncing, tossing the outfits at me like a hyperactive tornado. We devolve into a chaotic wrestling match on the living room floorâme trying to stay dignified, him shrieking like a possessed squirrel while clinging to my furry ears.
Then he whispers the forbidden words: belly rub bribe.
"I will give you 15 minutes of belly rubs if you wear this!"
"What the hell do you think I am? I'm a wolf!! Not a DOG!!" I snap, tail flicking.
"Agh! Ok⊠30 minutes of belly rubs. Nothing less than that!!"
"Fine. Deal!"
"Deal!"
My knees give out. My tail gives out. My pride gives out. And⊠fine. I accept defeat.
Minutes later, I'm standing in the living room looking like a grumpy, oversized holiday meme in a reindeer costume, a red nose like the killer clown, ears drooping, tail wagging against my will, while he's fully elf-ed out and snapping picture after picture.
"Stop! Stop! Vamps! Youâughâthis is humiliating!" I bark.
He doesn't stop. He clicks, flashes, giggles, and somehow manages to make every single photo more perfect than the last. I glare, growl, but deep down⊠my chest feels annoyingly warm. He even made me do some stupid couple pose! Is it even legal? We're not dating yet!!
And that tail⊠yeah, it's wagging. Because despite every grumble and curse, I'm loving it. Loving him. Loving this ridiculous, perfect chaos.
"Ok⊠it's almost 12. Get to the tableâwe'll cut that cake together!".
Finally, we settled at the table. The clock? 11:54. Almost midnight. Almost Christmas.
"Here! Try this!" I slid a plate of marshmallow cookies and a glass of warm milk toward him.
"PUPPERS! You made them!!!"
"Yeah, just try them and tell me how they are!"
The fool shoved three cookies into his mouth at once, pours half the milk in, and chews like it's a competitive sport.
Well⊠he can work that pretty mouth. I briefly wonder how it would look stuffed with my dicâ
No. Dom. Bad wolf. No naughty thoughts. I slap myself.
The vampire chokes in surprise, spraying wet cookie bits across my face.
This is my life.
"Puppers, whyâ"
"BUG! IT WAS A BUG!"
"AGH, OH!"
"Okay, okay, tell me how it is!"
"It's amazing!! Chocolaty, gooey inside, and⊠and I love it! I bet you should go for Master Chefâyou might just be the first werewolf Master Chef!"
"Flatterer! Well, it was Alex's favorite: marshmallow cookies and warm milk!"
"Hell yeah, it should be!!"
Then the clock strikes twelve. Fireworks explode outside. The whole world seems to burst into light and chaos.
"Merry Christmas, Vamps!" I grin, holding his hands.
He? Jumps on me and covers my face in cookies and sloppy kisses.
"Merry Christmas, Puppers!! My golu-molu sholuâŠ"
Well, I have no idea what the hell he just said in Hindi, but⊠it doesn't matter. His laugh, his warmth, the messâit's perfect. And I laughed too!
"Okay, I gotta ask⊠aren't you⊠scared or something?" I squint at him.
He blinks at me like I just asked if the sky was blue. "Scared of what?"
"Like⊠Christmas? I mean, you're a vampire. This is kind of⊠a holy day, isn't it? Doesn't it bother you?"
He leans back, tapping his chin like he's doing some deep historical calculation. Then he launches into a full fifteen-minute lecture. Apparently, vampires and monsters in hell have this whole Anti-Christmas vibe. Also, he says, Jesus wasn't even born on Christmasâit was summer. Some Roman thing. Early Christians apparently just⊠borrowed the date.
I just sit there, nodding along, brain going, Okay⊠cool⊠my chaotic little vampire is casually schooling me on historical inaccuracies while smothering me in marshmallow cookie kisses earlier. Yep. Totally normal life.
Ok, after all that, he sets up a glass of warm milk and a plate of cookies under the tree. Because apparently, this 21-year-old vampire still believes in Santa. I⊠don't even know where to start with that.
Finally, he settles into his bed. Full-blown war over wanting to sleep with me, but nope. Not happening. I'm already on edge, horny as hell, and I can't trust myself. So, I baby him insteadâthree gentle forehead kisses, promise him we'll hit a Christmas party tomorrow, and then retreat to my own room, flopping onto the bed like a defeated yet smug wolf.
"Wow⊠finally over. What a day."
I take a moment for myself, shake off the chaos, and eventually crash into a messy, wet satisfying sleep.