A folded stack of material I’d never seen before lay in the middle. “What’s this?” I asked, picking it up to shake out the contents.
The material was iced over, frosted, stiff, but I got it worked out enough to tell it was some kind of fur lined coat and pants. Curious, I lifted the material up, a pretty royal blue with light blue fur lining the collar and cuffs, silver embroidering lining it, and brought it to my nose for a quick sniff. It smelled like materials and the caves, nothing exciting. I knew what I’d been hoping for. Chagrin filled me. He wasn’t coming back.
“You found these for me?” I asked.
A grunt left Baumb and he gestured at something on the bed. Following his gaze, my attention snagged on a bit of folded paper. Picking it up gingerly, trying not to get my hopes up, I frowned at the slip nestled inside it that fell out, a funny picture, like a diagram, a map like outline in black ink with little red Xs scattered throughout and one giant green X. Glancing to the paper it was within, I saw a spot of curving script in an elegant hand and my heart nearly lept. “You found this in the cave cell,” I croaked out. My hands trembled as I carefully unfolded the missive and read over it.
Haven’t much time. Too much afoot. He has eyes everywhere. He is ever watchful over Hinter.
Lumi-
My heart begs your forgiveness for what my mind knows was right.
It begins soon. Hide when the fruit appears. Don’t eat it. Don’t let them find you. Use the map I’ve provided. Stay safe.
Once we are safe, I will endeavor to-
The next part was blurred, ruined with water. There was a whole section more but moisture had gotten the better of it. And lower down the rest read:
Think of me when you wear my gentafelkens. I think only of you.
I am truly sorry for what I’ve done. I wish with all my might you can forgive me.
Ever faithfully yours,
-S
Staring blindly at the missive, my hands curled in the fabric of his gentafelkens, tempted to cuddle into their warmth. The material was unusually warm, yet I couldn't quite absorb the warmth. He’d left me to the mercy of a pack of Krampus like it was no big whoop, like he’d come back and all would be well. What did he honestly think was going to happen to me, leaving me like that? Did he mean it, what he wrote? Was he really coming back for me, or was his jacket and pants to help his butt arsed naked, abandoned female and this note so I didn’t just give up hope? A part of me, no matter what, kept asking, But what if this is all to ease your parting? What if this is really it?
The idea of the big day coming and him leaving me holding the bag, waiting for him like an idiot, had my stomach twisting.
“Loo-me?” Baumb murmured tentatively.
Swiping the moisture gathering in my eyes as discreetly as possible, I glanced up to find not just the Baumbel of my choosing but the Krampus still stuck in the wall staring at me with odd looks.
“They’re really nice, huh?” Holding up the clothes for Baumb to see, I made no move to slip into the disgustingly soft jacket or pants. There wasn’t even a faint trace of Shnikel’s scent to the material. My suspicious side won out, wondering if they were truly even his, if it was naive of me to believe my antlered prince was really going to come and collect me after the Krampus harvesting that was due very soon.
What about Baumbel or Ded? What would become of them? Could they, would they, come with us too if Shnikel did show?
Why culling the Krampus herd coincided with The Big Day, I wasn’t quite certain of. If I could make it to one of these passages on the map Shnikel drew for me in time, and it looked like there were several throughout the mountain caves, I may never have to discover the big secret. From the way Shnikel had reacted to whatever he’d witnessed, I wasn’t keen on figuring it out.
“You know what’s warmer than these?” I said with a sly look at Baumb as I set the material aside and stood on the bed. Grinning as he rumbled loudly at my outstretched arms as I waited for him, he collected me into his bloody arms. His mouth pressed to mine automatically, eager for more of his human’s kisses. “Baumb-Lumi,” he groaned against my lips. A thick hand cupped my ass and gave it a squeeze.
“Again?” I said on a laugh as he urged me to wrap my legs around him.
“Baumb Lumi,” he murmured.
My beast of a male shivered when I nipped his lip playfully and kissed him back. “Okay, but maybe we should, uh, let him go first,” I mumbled between frantic kisses as his hands grew adventurous. “No need to keep him like that if he can be on his merry way.” Hooking a thumb at the Krampus, I asked of the male readying to maul me, “Don’t you want some privacy? I mean,” my voice lowered, “he likes to watch, and I was thinking of trying this thing I thought you might like...”
A deep, possessive noise left Baumb as he paused to mull my proposal over. Grunting, he grumbled out, “Thing. Like. Baumb like thing,” and quickly set me on the bed. Starting to walk away, he frowned at the way Ded’s blue gaze fixed on my body, rushed back, and tossed a pelt over me.
Snorting, I pulled my head free of the blanket in time to watch Baumb jerk Ded free of the wall and lift him up, Ded’s feet kicking as he snarled and fought like he didn’t want to not be a mount on the wall, to walk him out of the cavern. Ded’s growls were soon a funny noise in the distance as Baumb escorted him out.
“Think he’ll stay gone?” I asked Yule ti, who glanced my way but otherwise snubbed me. Someone didn’t like me very much.
Baumb loped back on all fours, the twin fluffy ends of his tail jerking over his back behind him. My Baumb boy was in an all fired hurry. He didn’t slow down as he bounded closer.
“Baumb!” I burst out as he leapt at me, pounced, and landed gracefully atop me. Jargling me with a bounce, he grinned down at me. I laughed as his feelers shot free, swaying with the happy swish of his tail. The rumble of a growl he let loose was playful, bordering on flirtatious. Glowing, cat-like eyes brightened as I smoothed my hands up his shoulders to cup the back of his neck.
“Are you going to settle, roll over, and give me my way?” I murmured, lifting up to bring our lips flush.
My mouth tingled as I broke our soft lip lock, the vibrations from his purr rattling me from my head to my toes.
“Baumb Lumi,” he garbled out as he began nuzzling his way down my body, which meant, Yep, sure thing, but me first. Taking my hands in his, he laved one and set it down, then the other was treated to the same, and he let loose a warning rumble to keep them there.
“No fair,” I muttered, staring at the ceiling, biting my lip as his main tongue dipped and he found a nipple to suckle it for a minute, then the other, to move lower. He wasn’t wasting any time.
A frisson of worry niggled at me for Ded but, fearing Baumb might sense it through our connection, I tried to quell it. A loud noise left him as his quest to check out oral drew him to my belly button. His main tongue traced the dip to then move lower.
Ded will be fine. He’ll do like Shnikel, turn Elkfen to return to his herd by the Big House, as Shnick had called it, and then forget all about me.
A snarl of sounds echoed from the entrance to the cavern. A Krampus was pissed and sounded like they were chewing him out.
A wall rattling rumble left Baumb, but I was distracted. I was too busy fretting over Ded, staring into space, then straining to listen to the Krampus rant to notice Baumb’d stopped or hear that telltale noise his jaw makes as it segments. Cool warmth slid up under my backside and four blunt thumbs on each hand pressed into my thighs, pinning me open for him. The low growl as Baumb muttered something was all the warning I got before he made his move.