6. Gruffydd

Chapter 6

Gruffydd

I down the rest of my drink in one gulp, slide off the bar stool, and nearly faceplant on the stone floor.

Dammit, gravity strikes again.

I steady myself, swaying only slightly. The room spins a bit. Maybe that last quart was a mistake, but mercifully, my soulstone is quiet.

Taredd eyes me warily. "Where are you going?"

I blink, trying to get the room to hold still. "Home. To bed."

Olwydd smirks. "Alone?"

I glower at him.

He holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, no judgment."

I snarl menacingly and he shrinks. Furry-ass bitch boy.

I weave my way through the winding, dimly lit corridors of Grotto about as steady as a newborn foal.

I’m a mess and I know it.

But who cares? I'm too busy replaying the disastrous first meeting with my mate over and over in my inebriated brain.

God, she was stunning. Her fresh, lightly floral scent wrapped around me like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

I wish I knew why she screamed like that. Was she scared? Disgusted?

I stumble along, my feet carrying me in the general direction of my cave. But with each step closer, a sense of dread pools in my gut. An empty cave, an empty bed. Funny, it never bothered me before. I've been flying solo my entire life and it's never felt as lonely as it does right now.

Knowing my fated mate is here in Grotto, it's like a sucker punch to the heart. Suddenly that empty bed seems as appealing as a bed of nails. No thanks, I'll pass.

In a stroke of drunken genius, I change course, steering my large, slightly uncoordinated self towards my private oasis—my bath. There’s a network of mineral hot springs running through Grotto and many of us lay claim to our own private pool of soothing, mineral-infused waters. Mine just happens to be nestled close to my cave.

I release a pleasured exhale as I slip into the steamy pool. Ahh, that's the stuff.

As I sink to my chin in the deliciously warm water, I can't help but be bitter about how the universe dangles a proverbial carrot in front of me only to yank it away when I try to bite it.

Up until recently, I was destined to a lifetime of bachelorhood, never to be given an opportunity for my soulstone to be heard. Then BAM. In walks this fierce, pint-sized, human dreamgirl and suddenly it's a regular Rock Concert below the waist. Not a euphemism, I swear. My soulstone not only lights up, it literally sings. Or vibrates. Loudly.

I lean my head back against the smooth stone edge of the pool, gazing up at the sparkling quartz crystals embedded in the cave ceiling. Bioluminescent fungi line the limestone walls giving the entire bathing cave a soft, soothing glow.

What would it be like to have a partner, a mate to share a warm bath? Or to share secret smiles with over breakfast? Someone to snuggle up to during long, winter nights.

I heave a sigh, watching the steam curl off the surface of the water. Who am I kidding? The way she reacted, you'd think I was Quasimodo's uglier, hairier cousin.

I run a hand over my face, fingers catching on damp fur. Maybe it's hopeless. Maybe this whole interspecies mating thing is just a big old cosmic joke.

But then I remember the jolt of electricity that shot through me when I first caught her scent. The way my soulstone practically vibrated out of my body.

She’s mine .

Closing my eyes, I conjure up her image once more. That fiery spark in her eyes, the elegant curve of her jaw, the fullness of her lips. What I wouldn't give to pull her into my arms and just breathe her in.

I can't give up. Not yet. Not without a fight. So what if our first encounter was a disaster of epic proportions? The best love stories are those forged in the fires of adversity. The ones where lovers have to claw and fight for their happily ever after.

Fuck, I’m drunk.

Spouting off flowery, foo-foo nonsense. Giir will do that to a Squatch.

I just need a quick rest to clear the old noggin and maybe sleep off some of this Giir.