18. Gruffydd
Chapter 18
Gruffydd
The hootenanny at Taps is in full swing. Music's blaring, Squatches are getting their groove on, and there’s chatter and laughter in the air. I guide Kiki to a table in the back, my arm around her shoulders possessively.
As we settle in, I signal Huw for a round of drinks—Giir for me and lemonade for Kiki.
"So," I clear my throat, trying to act casual. "How do you like Grotto so far?"
Kiki takes a sip of her lemonade, considering. "I love it. It’s fantastic.”
“There are other levels. Levels you haven’t toured yet. I’d like to show them to you.”
"Other levels?" she sputters. How far down does this place go?”
“Miles.”
Her eyes widen as she absorbs that tidbit.
I take her tiny hand in mine. “I’m really hoping you’ll stay beyond the thirty days. As in indefinitely.” The words tumble out before I can stop them.
Her eyes go wide and I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t have blurted it out so casually. But after last night, she must know how I feel, right?
"Gruffydd, I...I don't know what to say." She sets down her glass, fidgeting with her napkin. "This has all been so wonderful, so surreal. And you've been amazing. But..."
My heart sinks. She’s not ready to commit.I can see it in her eyes.
"I can't give you a definite answer right now," she continues softly. "But I can say that I've had the best time since I arrived here. And, well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go. So...I'm yours. For now, at least."
For now. The words echo in my head. It's not a yes, but it's not a no either. It's a maybe. A possibility.
"What do you mean, nowhere else to go?" I lean forward, searching her face. "Kiki, what happened up there? In the human world?"
She tenses, her gaze darting away. "It's...complicated."
I open my mouth to press further, but she happens to catch the wink and brow waggle Enfys shoots me and Kiki’s eyes narrow.
"You two know each other well?" Kiki's gaze flicks between us. I see suspicion with a hint of anger cloud her features.
Is she jealous? She is.
"Very well," I confirm. Enjoying my mate’s jealousy.
“Very well,” she repeats. “Then she leans over the table bringing her face closer to mine, “How well?”
It’s good to know my mate feels possessive over me, but I won’t play games with her.
"Enfys is…” I pause, managing to keep a straight face, although not without some degree of effort. “My mother."
"Your…?" Kiki's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline and then she laughs. Just like that, the tension dissipates. “She’s your mother.”
“What about you?” I ask. “Tell me about your family. Do you have any siblings? Crazy aunts and uncles?"
Kiki's smile falters, her eyes taking on a distant look. "No. It's just me now. My mom passed away when I was young, and my dad died a few years back. Heart attack."
My own heart clenches at the pain in her voice. "I'm so sorry, Kiki. That must have been difficult."
She nods, fiddling with her straw. "It was. I have a step mom. We get along alright I guess. Or we got along until I had to cut contact. Out in the world. Um, the human world, I was in WITSEC."
I frown. "WITSEC?"
Kiki sighs, her shoulders slumping. "Witness protection. It's a program that provides protection for witnesses who testify against criminals. In my case, I testified against a dangerous drug cartel. And let's just say they aren't too happy I’m still on the planet."
I know all this, of course. Olwydd looked into her background just after she arrived, but still, a growl rumbles in my chest at hearing her say the words. At the thought of anyone threatening my mate. "So, you had to go into hiding?"
"Basically. New identity, new location, the works. I've been living as Maria Garcia for the past year, hopping from one location to another."
The thought of Kiki, my brave, beautiful Kiki, living in constant fear, always looking over her shoulder, is unimaginable.
She shrugs, but I see the weariness in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders.
"It is what it is. I don't regret testifying, but I do miss my old life."
I reach out to cup her cheek silently vowing that as long as I'm breathing, no one will ever hurt her.
She leans into my touch, and we just hold each other's gaze until she seems to remember herself and she breaks the spell.
"So, how about you?” she tilts her head, curious. "You got a father?"
I smile, memories of long ago flooding back. "My father was kind and hardworking. He was much older than Enfys. He passed about fifty years ago."
"Fifty years?" Kiki sputters. "How old was he?"
"Around two-hundred and eighty, give or take." I shrug. That's a pretty average lifespan for our kind.
"Two hundred and eighty!” Her mouth drops open. “How old are you?"
"Seventy-five."
"Seventy-five," she repeats faintly. Her hand goes to her forehead and she rubs it as though she’s wiping away a smudge of dirt. "Seventy-five. Holy shit, I'm dating a geriatric."
I snort. "Hardly. Seventy-five is young for my kind. We live to be about three hundred or so."
Kiki leans back in her chair, clearly trying to process this information. Her eyes are as wide as saucers. Her hand trembles and she appears quite shaken.
“Are you alright, Kiki?”
"I…I…uh, I need a drink. Gimme that." She motions to my stein of Giir.
I hesitate. Giir is strong stuff, even for Sasquatches. "I don't know if that's a good idea. It's pretty potent."
But she's already reaching across the table. She takes a healthy swig before I can stop her. The effect is instantaneous. Her eyes bug out and she starts coughing, sputtering. Her face turns an alarming shade of red.
"Holy...paint thinner..." she wheezes. "I’m…on…fire..."
“I tried to warn you…” I thump her on the back wishing I would have tried harder.
She's not listening. She's fanning herself between hiccups.
Ten minutes later, I really, really regret not trying harder to caution her about the Giir when she climbs up on the table and begins belting out what I can only assume is a popular human song as she squats and wiggles her ass back and forth.
I shake my head, chuckling. Until she starts to sway dangerously.
Scooping her up, I throw her over my shoulder. "Alright. I think it's time we get you to bed."
“Aww,” she pouts. Then she pounds on my back with her small fists, giggling uncontrollably. "Put me down, you big lug! I want to walk!"
Out in the corridor, I set her down gently, keeping a steadying hand on her as she weaves and bobs like a drunken bumblebee.
As we make our way from Taps to my cave, Kiki serenades the caverns with her off-key warbling. I can't keep the grin off my face. This ridiculous, adorable, infuriating woman has thoroughly bewitched me.
I walk a few paces behind her, ready to catch her should she stumble. As she rounds the corner, Kiki suddenly lets out a yelp before falling backward. I lunge to catch her, but she's already sprawled on the ground, blinking up at a scowling Wmffre.
His lip curls in disgust as he looms over Kiki, staring down his nose at her.
Red hot fury rushes through my veins. A feral growl slips from my throat.
Wmffre scowls, his fists clenched at his sides, but doesn’t back down.
I’ll wipe that look off his face. I’ll tear his head off his shoulders for daring to touch my mate, for scaring her and causing her to fall.
I lean forward, snarling ferociously and flashing my fangs menacingly. Wmffre does the same so we’re snarl to snarl.
Kiki's words from last night echo in my head. And the promise I made her—no killing.
“ She ran into me ,“ Wmffre spits out, his eyes glowing red with the fires of anger.
The rage still runs red hot through my veins as well, but a promise is a promise,
“Keep your hands off my mate,” my words sound more like growls from a feral beast than a demand from a civilized creature.
For a moment, I think Wmffre might actually challenge me, push me further. Good I’m ready. But he must see something in my eyes, the willingness of a male to fight to the death for his mate, no doubt, because he merely scoffs and says, "Gladly."
He takes a step back, his eyes never leaving mine. “Look at you. Threatening me when we have always been friends, Gruffydd.” He shakes his head. “I warned you that humans in Grotto would lead to nothing but trouble.”
Anger still simmers in my gut as he sidesteps me and stalks off.
Kiki stares up from the ground, a dreamy smile plastered on her face. Crouching, I scoop her into my arms. She lays her head against my shoulder patting my chest, her eyelids drooping. "My hero," she mumbles into my fur.
The last of my desire to fight drains out of me as I look down at her sleepy, trusting face. "Let's get you to bed, sunshine. You've had quite a night."
I carry her to my cave and tuck her gently under the blankets. She's out like a light in seconds.
Climbing in beside her, I gather her close, marveling at how perfectly she fits against me.
As I hold her, listening to her loud snores fill the space, I know one thing for certain. I will move mountains to keep this woman safe and happy. I will care for her with every fiber of my being.
And I will love her forever.