Sven sat close to the fire. It crackled and popped, sending sparks into the chimney in front of him. The wash of heat was a welcome relief from the howling wind and snow outside the small shack. Night had fallen, and the winds were really blowing outside. Freezing air seeped around the windows and through the cracks in the old walls.   

He missed his family, his pack. The warmth of lying in a giant pile of bodies at night. Being able to smell their skin against him. The loneliness was the hardest part. He ached for their touch. But he could not go back.  

Their idea of a Christmas gift was his second cousin, Amelia, wrapped in ribbons, and nothing else. She was beautiful, voluptuous, with eyes you could drown in. Legs that went on for days. A body worthy of worship. But, she was family. He had known her since she was six. The idea of having sex with her, breeding with her, made his skin crawl. His pack wanted true-bred members. They were old-fashioned that way.   

On Christmas Eve, they had presented her. Wrapped in green and gold ribbons, her breasts were barely covered. Only those thin ribbons between her legs. She blushed and smiled at him. But the horror of it had been too much. He ran out the door and headed north. Until he was so deep in the snow, he could barely move. Then he spotted the shack, pulled himself inside, and started a fire.  

Sven shivered. More from the memory of Amelia than the cold. Snow had never bothered him. He remembered rolling around in the snow, playing with his friends and family, half-dressed, throwing snowballs, and making snowmen. But the idea that his family wanted him to breed his cousin, who felt more like a sister, was appalling.  

The door burst open behind him. Sven jumped to his feet, the blanket around his shoulders falling to the floor as he ran over and forced the door shut. The wind gusted through the open door, bringing in snow. Sven braced and forced the door shut. Then he threw the meager locks and wedged a chair under the handle to hold it shut.  

When Sven turned back towards the fire, he noticed tiny footprints in the snow. He crouched down to look closer. Six-inch human footprints in the snow that had blown in the door led towards the fire. Confused, Sven looked up towards the fire and saw that the blanket was wrapped around a small figure crouched by the fire.  

Sven stood, circled to the far side of the fire, staring at the strange figure.  

“Thanks for the fire,” said a high-pitched female voice.  

Sven dropped casually to the floor, sitting cross-legged where he could see the tiny woman wrapped in the blanket. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, pouty red lips, and pointed ears. Sven blinked, shook his head, and looked again. Pointed ears. She smiled at him. She had the blanket pulled tight around her body.  

“Never seen an elf before?” She asked, her voice soft and amused. Sven shook his head. The woman laughed at him. “Don’t believe in elves?”  

Sven furrowed his brows. “Not until now.”  

The woman smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief and secret knowledge. “A big bad were-leopard like you, and you don’t believe in elves?”  

“Snow leopard,” Sven corrected.  

The woman laughed. “Pish-posh.”   

Sven’s gaze darkened at her dismissal.  

“I know all about you, Sven,” the little woman said softly.  

“Who are you?” Sven asked in a low growl.  

“I’m Astrid, your Christmas Elf!” she said proudly, rolling her shoulders back and sitting up as tall as her two-foot frame could. The blanket around her slid back, showing that she was wearing a tiny green outfit that hugged her small frame and made her breasts look round and perky. Sven’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead as he looked at her.  

“My what?” Sven growled in confusion.  

Astrid’s eyes filled with delighted enthusiasm. “Christmas Elf! You were such a good kitty this past year that Santa wanted to do something REALLY special for you. He sent me along to make your Christmas dreams come true!”  

Sven laughed. “Good kitty? Me? I ran from my family. Broke our alliance. Nearly exposed our lineage.”  

Astrid smiled. “But you didn’t expose them. You saved your cousin's dignity. You protected your family when it counted. You are too hard on yourself, Sven.”  

Sven shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I have no Christmas dreams. Leave me be.”  

Astrid drew back, shocked. “No Christmas dreams? No wishes? No desires?”  

Sven shook his head. “No. Now leave.”  

Astrid looked crestfallen. “You’d cast me out in this weather? To freeze to death?”  

Sven twitched uncomfortably. His gaze flicked to the windows where he could see snow already piling up over the level of the sills. The wind howled loudly against the walls. He looked back at Astrid, who sat there, shivering in the blanket, tears prickling the edges of her eyes. Sven sighed heavily.  

“Fine. Make yourself at home. Just leave me be.”  

“Yay!” Astrid said with a sudden smile. She darted across the room to the bed, dragging the blanket with her. She dove onto it, rolled in the blanket, then curled up on her side, watching him. Sven glanced once at her, growled, then turned back to the fire. He stared into the flames, pondering the events that had led him to this place. Sven watched the flames dance as the fire burned low. He piled in more logs, stoked it, and got the fire going brightly. He settled back on the floor, sitting, watching the flames.  

“Sven?” That tiny female voice came from behind him. Sven hunched his shoulders.  

“I’m cold.”  

“That sounds like a ‘you’ problem.”  

“Please?”  

Sven growled. He glanced over his shoulder. Astrid was lying on her side; the blanket wrapped tight around her, shivering. Her eyes were wide and pleading as he watched. Her lower lip quivered. Sven rolled his eyes and turned back to the fire. He could hear her teeth chattering behind him. He stood and started peeling off his layers-flannel, pants, T-shirt-until all he still had on were his boxers.  

Sven walked to the bed. Astrid held the edge of the blanket out to him. He picked it up, revealing her tiny frame. Tiny shorts hugged her hips, and a top was little more than a bra across her chest. She smiled tentatively. Sven held the blanket in one hand as he lay down on the bed at her back. He put one hand on her stomach and pulled her back against his chest. Then he lowered the blanket over him, tucking it around them.  

“You’re so warm.”  

“It’s a lycanthrope thing. We run hot.”  

Sven’s body started to respond to her closeness. Astrid’s tiny hips gently pressed into his stomach. She squirmed against him, pressing back . Sven tried to keep his hand on her stomach, gently holding her, but she shifted, sliding her body lower along his body. His hand ended up on her chest. Astrid laughed softly. Then moved lower, pressing her tiny ass into his groin.  

“Oh!” Astrid gave a small, startled sound. She twisted in his arms, turning to face him fully. Her little face inches from his. Her big eyes met his gaze.  

“Can I see? I’ve never seen kitty-cock before.”  

Sven blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. “You are too small to do anything with it. Not that I’d know what to do with you...”  

“You're a virgin, I know. Let me help you with that.”  

Sven’s jaw dropped open. He tried to speak, but no sound would come. Astrid lay in his arms watching him. Her tiny hand shifted down to touch the tip of his arousal through his boxers. His entire body shuddered at that soft touch.  

“Please?” Astrid pleaded softly. Sven gulped and nodded. Then he felt a prickle of energy. Astrid’s body shifted against him. He stared in shock as her body began to swell. Her arms and legs stretched. That prickle of energy grew. Marching along his skin like tiny ants biting at his flesh. In moments, she was as tall as he was. Her breasts were perfectly proportioned for her new size. Astrid grinned as she gently pushed Sven over onto his back.  

Sven lay there in shock as Astrid pushed the blankets back and pulled his boxers down. She squealed with glee as she gently stroked and held his manhood. Then she pulled off her shorts and swung one leg over his waist, straddling him. She looked him in the eye as she reached down and guided him into her.  

They made love all night, trying every position Sven could think of. He fell asleep curled around her, his face buried in her throat. When he awoke, she was gone. The door was open. Tiny footprints in the snow. Sven shook his head.  

“Best Christmas ever.”