10. Gruffydd

Chapter 10

Gruffydd

As I turn and continue my pacing in front of the large cave that’s been set up as a dorm, the door creaks open and out steps my Kiki, looking adorably rumpled and sleepy with her curly hair and large glasses. She stretches, yawning wide, and I get a glimpse of smooth skin as her shirt rides up.

"Good morning," I greet her, probably a little too enthusiastically judging by her wince. "Sleep well?"

"Mhgfm." She blinks at me blearily. “I don't suppose this place has a Starbucks?"

“A Starbucks?”

"You know, for coffee?"

"Coffee?" I frown, puzzled. "What is coffee?"

Kiki stares at me in disbelief. "You don't have coffee here? Like, at all?"

I shake my head apologetically. "I don't believe so. What is it?"

She groans, slumping against the wall. “The nectar of the gods. The elixir of life. The sweet, sweet fuel that keeps the human race functioning."

I can't help but chuckle at her theatrics. My mate is so expressive.

She pats my arm sending little zings of electricity through me. "It's a drink. Made from roasted beans. It has caffeine in it, a stimulant. Most humans are pretty much useless without it, especially in the morning."

"Fascinating," I say, trying to understand the appeal. "How about this? I'll show you around Grotto, and maybe we can find a suitable substitute for this coffee of yours."

She perks up at that, linking her arm through mine. "Lead the way, big guy."

As we stroll through the winding corridors, I point out various points of interest—the dining hall, the recreation areas, the workshops where we craft our furniture and tools.

"Wow, this whole set up is incredible. It’s so much more than I realized.” Kiki gestures around us and I feel a tinge of pride. I want her to like Grotto. I want her to love it so much she chooses to stay here permanently. "Do you use money? Do you have jobs?"

I shake my head. "No and yes. We don’t use currency here. We do take jobs. We all contribute based on our skills and interests, and everyone's needs are met. It's a cooperative system."

She looks impressed. "That's actually really cool. So everyone just pitches in?"

"Exactly. We grow and harvest most of our own food down here, and those of us whose job it is to hunt venture topside to bring back game. Usually venison."

I stop when we reach our final destination of the day. I hope she likes this. She’s my mate, so I’m fairly certain she will, but even so, I find myself a little tense. This is important to me.

“What I’m about to show you is my pride and joy," I announce as I lead her into the giant cavern, the biggest one in Grotto by far. “Welcome to Eden.”

Her sharp intake of breath and stunned expression are a boost to my ego. I know it's an impressive sight—a sprawling underground garden, lush and verdant, with towering fruit trees, colorful flower beds, and neat rows of vegetables. UV lighting mimics natural sunlight so closely it’s virtually the same thing , and a complex irrigation system keeps everything watered and thriving.

"This...this is incredible," Kiki breathes, stepping inside and turning in a slow circle. "It's like a little slice of paradise."

Pride swells in my chest. "Thank you. It's my contribution to the community—my job is to oversee the planting, the harvesting, and the maintenance here in Eden."

She runs her fingers over the velvety petal of a rosebush, her face soft with wonder. "You manage all this?"

I shrug modestly. "I have a good team. But yes, this is my baby."

We stroll through the garden, and I point out the different crops, the beehives that pollinate the flowers and provide us with honey, and the little seating areas peppered throughout where Squatches frequently come to relax and unwind.

As we approach the center of the garden, Kiki stops short, her mouth falling open. "Oh my god! A waterfall!"

I grin, taking her hand and leading her closer. "We constructed it for both practical irrigation purposes and aesthetics. The sound of running water is soothing, don't you think?"

She nods, still staring at the cascading water in awe. "Gruffydd, this is...I don't even have words. It's magical."

Warmth blooms in my chest at her praise. I want to impress her, to show her the beauty and wonder that exists down here in Grotto. To make her see that maybe, just maybe, a life here with me will be worth forsaking her human existence.

We walk down a row of fruit trees and past some vegetable gardens before I lead her to a grassy area where we sit watching butterflies as they flit around the lantana and lilac bushes.

“So your community makes EVERYTHING here in Grotto?”

I pause, considering the question. "Not everything. Just the basics. We have a human liaison, we call him a custodian, who gathers and purchases things at our request from the human world.”

“That boy...I mean, young man? Frank?”

“Frank is the custodian in training. It’s his grandfather, Dewey Scruggs, who has been our custodian for nearly fifty years.”

“How do you pay for things? Because, I have to tell you, some of the stuff I’ve seen so far is super high tech.”

I don’t have the heart to tell her that our technology far exceeds that of the humans. “Well, we have investments in your economy which yield us a decent amount of your currency.”

“Investments?”

“Stocks, bonds, real estate, that sort of thing. It's how we fund some of our equipment purchases. And those supplies that we can't produce ourselves."

Kiki's eyes widen. "Wait, wait, wait. You're talking about a diversified investment portfolio? Like, Sasquatch, LLC?"

“Something like that.” I laugh, enjoying her enthusiasm. "We may live simply in many ways, but we're not ignoramuses.”

“Clearly not,” she mumbles.

“Is it so surprising?”

"I guess not. How else would you have been able to avoid detection from us...I mean, from humans, for…” She trails off, raising her brows questioningly.

“Centuries.”

“No frickin’ way! Here I was thinking all those Bigfoot theorists were kooks.”

“It’s what we want you to think.”

“Apparently.” Kiki shakes her head in wonder. “I’m impressed. What else are you hiding down here? Flying cars? Teleportation pods?"

I waggle my eyebrows mysteriously. "Stick around and find out," I quip, enjoying our easy conversation. It feels natural, comfortable, like we've known each other for years instead of a day.

We spend hours in Eden, talking, laughing, and eating the picnic lunch I asked Enfys to pack us.

"We should head back," I say reluctantly. “It’s getting late.”

"I had a really nice time with you today, Gruffydd," Kiki says softly, looking up at me as though the admission surprises her. "Thank you for showing me around."

"It was my pleasure," I rumble back, resisting the urge to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "But we’ll see each other again very soon."

She cocks her head, curious. "Very soon?"

I nod, unable to contain my grin. "There’s a hoedown tonight. And I will be your date." I grin widely, showing full-fang.

She arches a brow. "Oh you will, will you?"

“That’s right,” I confirm with a wink. "I am courting you, after all.”