The Little Wolf and Her Demon King

Chapter 6: The Garden

Several days later, I felt like I was finally starting to get in the swing of things. Ella freaked out when she found out about me and Nikos. She took it upon herself to start planning a huge party to announce us as mates. I talked her into prolonging it a month and a half to give me time to get settled. Nikos was giving me the necessary space he thought I needed. Each day, he showed me a new part of the castle for an hour or two. I still hadn't had the courage to fully open up to him but maybe with time, I could. Today, he was showing me the massive gardens behind surrounding the castle.

"I think this might be my favorite place here." I told him as we walked along a path, passing by a large fountain. "It's so quiet and peaceful."

"I know what you mean. I find myself in the gardens more often than I should." He said with a laugh. "Ella and I used to play hide and seek out here all the time. I mean, even when we were in our teens. Just know that when you play hide and seek with demons, there's a lot of cheating involved."

"I can see that happening" I said, laughing with him. "Ella can be very competitive. The day we went to the city, we played all kinds of games. She won every one of them."

"Not surprising at all. She's been like that all our lives. It used to drive our parents nuts." He said, plucking a rose from a nearby bush. He picked off the thorns and handed it to me with a smile. "I think she still plays hide and seek out here with Luka. He's such a lovesick puppy when it comes to her."

"Oh I definitely can tell. When I see them together, it's like he can't stop staring at her." I said, thinking about how he goes from this powerful warrior to this loving man within seconds. "When he's around her, she's the only one in the room."

"I know how he feels." He murmured, looking at me. I smiled and looked away, trying to hide the blush. I wasn't used to this kind of attention. "How would you feel about having dinner with me? Maybe out here in the garden."

I stopped walking and looked up at him. In that moment, he looked so hopeful and vulnerable at the same time. I couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across my face.

"I'd like that a lot. On one condition." I said, almost laughing when his face went from happy to very serious. A king, awaiting his instructions. "You plan the whole thing. Surprise me."

"I think I can handle that." He said, laughing loudly. He offered his arm and I linked my arm with his, surprised at how natural that felt. "I'll come by your room tomorrow night around seven. Does that sound good?"

"That sounds perfect." I told him as we continued with our walk. "Maybe Ella can help me get ready. I have a feeling she'd be more than eager to help."

"I have no doubt that she'd jump all over that opportunity." He chuckled. "I'm glad that you warmed up to her quickly. She doesn't have many friends here."

"Well I definitely consider her a friend. In just a few days, she's helped me more than she knows." I smiled as I talked. "She's this bright ray of sunshine in a very dark world. My best friend would love her."

"You miss your old pack, don't you?" He asked, placing his hand over mine.

"Some of them." I told him honestly. "A few of them are genuinely good people, stuck in a bad situation."

He nodded at that, looking off in the distance, lost in thought. We kept walking around the gardens for awhile after that, just talking. I didn't want to trust him when I first found out he was my mate. Mostly because I didn't want to be in an abusive relationship with another person. But the more time I spent with him, the more I realized that he was different. He was kind and patient. He was someone I could easily fall in love with.