Chapter 0299

“No,” I laugh, wrinkling my nose at him and smacking him playfully on the chest. “I don’t want to give

you any encouragement.”

Luca growls, snatching me closer, willing me to tell what I’m thinking. And I can’t help it – I just

laugh and lean back against his arm. “I kind of like it when you’re bossy with me,” I whisper,

blushing a little because I’m not sure I even knew I liked that. And I’m sure I wouldn’t like it with

anyone else, not at all.

But with Luca?

He just groans, his eyes fluttering half shut, tugging me closer and taking a long languid sniff of my

scent. “I’ll boss you around all you want, Princess,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “I’ll

even –“

“Not in real life,” I say, pointing my finger into his face and narrowing my eyes. “Just in bed. Or…

locker room. As it were.”

Luca grins, and nods once, and snaps his teeth just millimeters from the edge of my finger, making

me jump and laugh again.

But then we both jump, and then go still, at the pounding at Luca’s locker room door.

“Your grandmother is waiting for you, Luca!” his uncle’s voice shouts from the other side.

And I gasp and press my hands to my mouth because – oh my god, because I completely forgot.

Completely lost entire track of the world outside of this room, if I’m being honest.

“Yup,” Luca says, glancing up at the clock with a grimace. “We’d better go.” Hastily he stands up,

setting me on my wobbly feet, and I frantically spin for the mirror, wanting to make sure I at least

look like I haven’t been making out with my boyfriend in his private the locker room.

“Coming!” Luca calls when his uncle knocks again. Then Luca moves to the little pile of clothes that

we knocked to the floor a few minutes ago, grabbing his undershirt and pulling it over his head. He

turns to me and grins as the shirt pulls over his face, ruffling his wet hair.

And everything is just so perfect in this moment I can’t help but grin right back at my mate before I

turn to the mirror and fix my hair. Because I’m a Princess, after all, about to meet my mate’s family.

And the least I can do is be presentable.

A huge cheer erupts when we walk into Luca’s house, hand-in-hand, and I gasp, completely undone

by it.

“Sorry,” Luca says, giving me a grimace even though he can’t stop smiling. “I told them that not

everyone could come and meet you today – just the essentials. But I guess they…didn’t listen.”

I flick my eyes up at him, grinning like crazy, but there’s no time to respond before Luca’s family

swarms forward, reaching out their hands to me, eager to make me welcome. So, I just pass all of

my feelings down our bond, letting him know that I love it, and I feel so warm and loved already, and

I’m thrilled to meet all of them – every single one.

Luca introduces me as his girlfriend, telling me a lot of names I unfortunately won’t remember as I

shake hands with his family members, saying my hellos and giving everyone my best Princess

smile. But then I find myself facing a woman who holds both hands out to me, a beautiful smile on

her face. I take her hands in mine, and as I look up into her warm brown eyes, and take in her own

set of perfect dimples, I know instantly that it’s Luca’s mom. “Welcome, Ariel,” she says, beaming at

me. “It’s so nice to meet you –“

“It’s so nice to meet you too!” I say, eager, walking with her as she leads me forward – but we don’t

get far before a very tiny, very eager little woman steps towards us, both of her hands out, smiling

so hard that her eyes are two little half moons on her face. “La Principessa!” she shouts, thrilled,

and then before I know it I’m wrapped up in her arms.

I laugh, hugging her back, letting her rock me back and forth. Behind me, I hear Luca laugh

goodheartedly.

“Ariel, this is my grandmother,” he says, and I turn my head to smile at him before pulling away from

the old woman a little bit and beaming down into her face. She shakes her head at me like she can’t

believe I’m real. But then she blinks and looks around behind me. She murmurs something in words

I don’t understand, and I turn with real surprise when Luca responds in the same language.