Nico nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “The three of us must talk. We have important information to deliver.”
“Come inside.” She motioned toward the den behind her. “Pups.” The younglings at her feet snapped to attention. “Will you fix a meal for our guests, please?”
The younglings nodded eagerly before scattering. “You don’t have to do that,” I said.
Nico’s grandmother waved a hand dismissively before turning toward the den. “Don’t bother,” Nico said. “Wolves are a hospitable group.”
I nodded, ducking into the low door of the den, Nico’s hand warm on my back as he ushered me inside and down the stairs.
The den was larger than I had anticipated, the space bigger than the outside portrayed. The floor was dug deep into the ground, we descended stairs until we made it to the ground floor; we had to be at least six feet below. There was a room around the outer rim of the den, like a shelf of sorts with various items set apart and in compartments dug into the earth.
A hearth burned at the far end of the domed den, and tapestries hung from the walls in various colors, depicting wolves in various scenes.
The space was simple but homey. A kitchen with a large rectangular table took up the left side of the room, and a large couch with several oversized chairs sat around the hearth. There were two doors dug into the walls on opposite ends of the living space, which I assumed led to bedchambers.
For an underground dwelling, I was impressed.
Nico’s grandmother led us toward the sitting area infront of the hearth. She sat in an oversized chair while Nico guided us to the large couch opposite of her.
“Are you going to introduce me to your friend at least?” Nico’s grandmother said, her brown eyes narrowing at Nico. “We haven’t heard or seen from you in over three years, and you show up out of the blue, demanding an audience without even a hello. Not a single acknowledgment of your grandmother. Not even a hug.” Her eyes turned glassy. “I thought we all raised you better than that, Nico.” His grandmother blinked furiously.
Nico’s hand balled into a fist. “We’re not doing this now, not today.”
His grandmother furrowed her brows. “Fine, but we will have it out one day. I will not continue to allow you to ignore your family.”
Nico tensed, taking a deep breath before meeting his grandmother’s stare. “Luce, this is my grandmother, Diedra, my mother’s mother. One of the elders in the pack. Grandmother, this is Luciana Ambrose. She’s the heir to the Mystic Court throne.”
Her stare turned to me. “Caterina is your mother?”
“She is.”
Diedra nodded, turning again toward her grandson. “Good company you’ve decided to keep. Caterina is not one to be trifled with.”
“I know,” Nico cut in. “But lucky for me she’s fond of me.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, any other time I would have shrugged out of his hold, but right now I let him keep it. I had a feeling he needed me to help ground him. “She told me as such over a bottle of wine.”
I sighed. “You’ll never let that go, will you?”
“Nope,” he said, popping thep.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if my mother likes you more than me one of these days.”
“You’re with her?” Diedra asked, her eyebrows arched. “You’re in a relationship with the witch princess?”
“No,” I scoffed. “We’re just friends.”
“I’m still working on her.” Nico threw me one of his smirks that made my blood heat. “One day.”
“In your dreams,” I murmured.
He winked. “You know you’re always in my dreams, Lucy.”
I smacked his arm. “We’re in front of your grandmother,” I hissed.
Diedra only smiled. “You don’t know much of wolf culture, do you? I’ve heard my grandson say much worse.”
“Now I know where he gets it from.”
“Come in,” Diedra called out as a knock sounded at the door.
