Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 13121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 66(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 66(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
And that villain is a towering figure clad in horns, fur, and chains. His crimson eyes gleamed from behind the Krampus mask.
He stalked me through the festival, his shadow merging with the eerie glow of lanterns. I feared him… but there was also something obscene that called out to my deepest desires.
When the masked demon finally had me alone, cornered me so I was away from anyone who could help, giving in seemed easier than fighting.
He whispered promises of monstrous pleasures, his voice laced with sin and vile obsession. Each stolen touch and growl from this predator pulled me deeper, twisting me tighter with a desire I didn't want to explore too deeply… because it felt so right.
But when I ripped away the allure of his beastly mask, one that promised pleasure became even more salacious when I stared back at a man I had no business being with.
A man twenty years older than me.
The one person who held a power dynamic over me that made a relationship with him forbidden.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
SOPHIA
Iloved this time of year, when the air was cold and brisk, and the scent of baked goods and candied items surrounded me. People stood around, everyone enjoying the annual festivities. Even the children were excited to see Krampus.
The streets were a blur of red and gold with lanterns flickering against the new falling snow. Laughter from couples rang through the frosty night, and I smiled as I sipped my cider and people-watched.
The Krampusnacht celebration was in full swing, and my intimate, little town was buzzing with life and excitement. Everyone started choosing their spots on the cobblestone streets to watch the show for the evening. Mothers held mugs of steaming mulled wine, and children snacked on cookies and other delicious goodies as they stared wide-eyed all around.
I clutched my drink and inhaled deeply, the air smelling of roasted chestnuts from the wooden stall to my left. I curled my fingers around my mug, the warmth seeping into my gloved fingers as I hunched into myself to stay warm.
A few of my friends—who were also my coworkers—milled around me, chatting about the festivities and how we’d get together after this for dinner.
We all agreed to come here to the event together after we’d gotten out of the office, and I even invited our boss, Lucian. We always joked between our small group how he had a perpetual stick up his ass and about how unbearably proper he was. He needed to loosen that tie and relax.
Our boss declined—no surprise—so the rest of us met here just to take a break from the monotony of our daily lives.
Yet, as I sipped my wine, my thoughts strayed to Lucian. It seemed I was doing that more and more often lately.
I shouldn’t have thought about him tonight when there was so much going on around us to distract me, but he lingered on my mind like the forbidden temptation he was. He was just so… magnetic, with his brooding, apathetic nature and demeanor.
I shook those thoughts away, forcing myself back into the present. Tonight wasn’t about Lucian or the naughty feelings he brought out in me.
“Earth to Sophia. Are you even listening?”
I turned my attention to Clara. She nudged me with her elbow, her smile tipping up the corners of her lips.
I blinked and smiled back, bringing my drink to my mouth and feigning nonchalance. “Sorry, what?”
“Look at that one,” Clara said, pointing to a Krampus actor who seemed to tower above the crowd.
I focused on the creature. He wore a horned mask, his body draped in dark, tattered robes, and under those was thick fur that covered him from head to toe. The heavy beat of drums sounded all around us as he stomped and swayed, scaring children and then making them giggle.
Chains clinked as he moved, his feet covered in hoof boots, and his theatrical, glowing eyes of the mask swept over the crowd.
“I’ve ever seen this one before,” Henna—another coworker—said as she watched on with awe. “He’s massive.”
I watched the Krampus move closer, and when his gaze flew over the growing crowd once again, I didn't miss how his focus halted on me the moment he saw I was looking at him.
Instantly, my chest tightened because, although I couldn’t see his face, I felt his stare. I could feel that our eyes were locked even though I couldn’t see his, deep in the Krampus costume. Behind that mask, there was something unsettling about him. Something far too… aware of and solely concentrated on me.
“Fuck, he’s creepy,” Helga, our third friend, said.
Clara laughed. “Leave it to Helga to say it like it is.”