Betrayed by a lover, Jamie rents an isolated cabin on Lake Huron, wanting only to be left alone. Instead, he is pulled from his solitary existence as an artist and tumbles headlong into the legend of Saint Nicolas.<br><br>As a young man, Nicolas accidentally killed a man intent on murdering three children, only to have the man's malicious spirit rise up against him. Fleeing through the centuries from the Krampus, the evil troll-like creature that dogs his steps, Nico finds refuge with the young artist who takes him into his home and bed. But Jamie has questions. Who is Nicolas, and why does the Krampus want to destroy him?<br><br>When the Krampus begins to torment and torture anyone Nico comes in contact with to punish him, Jamie's life is put in danger. And Jamie isn't sure whether he can help Nico defeat his nemesis or if he's merely a pawn in the Krampus's game.

Nicolas

“Will I ever be enough?” he whispered to the melting lump of rice and chicken. Twenty-seven years old and he’d never found anyone who could love him for himself. He wasn’t expecting love here, but it was hard to deny his heady attraction to his guest. Swallowing his self-pity, he hoped a stray tear didn’t make the soup as bitter as his thoughts.3


Nico clawed his way from the nightmare, the smell of brine and blood choking his breath. He coughed, and pain knifed through his chest. Damn. Why wasn’t he healing? The weight of pneumonia had lifted, but the lingering congestion sapped his strength. The crackle of the fire caught his attention and he smiled as he gingerly sat up. His host must have built up the fire again, a fresh log lying atop bright coals. The cabin felt warm and safe, something he hadn’t experienced in a long while.


Chapter 7