Chapter 18
Nia
“YOUR GUIDE TO SUPERNATURAL COMPATIBILITY.” —THE STELLA RUNE GAZETTE
Nia stepped into the townhouse, exhaustion draped like a blanket over her shoulders.
Behind her, Lochlan locked up just before Jade barreled into him.
He caught the large dog with ease, and her tail thumped lazily.
Summoning what little energy she had left, Nia went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Jade’s forehead.
The dog huffed contentedly, her tail wagging harder.
“Someone’s spoiled,” Nia murmured.
Lochlan smirked, his closeness sending a quiet hum through the air between them. “She’s not the only one.”
Nia’s gaze dropped to the enormous stuffed bear that was almost as big as Jade, cradled in her arms, then rose to meet Lochlan’s. His eyes were warm and entirely too knowing, like he could see every thought flickering through her head.
The moment lingered, faintly charged.
He was catching her off guard again—he’d been doing it all night. And she had been avoiding this man? The one who made sure she ate, who gave her what she needed before she even thought to ask? The one who somehow managed to make carnival games look… hot?
Her face flushed, and she quickly stepped back, shrugging off her leather jacket. It fell carelessly onto the armchair as she made her way to the couch, flopping onto it with a sigh. The oversized bear Lochlan had won cushioned her fall, its soft fur enveloping her as she sank into the plushness.
Behind her, Lochlan’s voice rumbled low as he set Jade down, the door opening and closing softly as he let her out into the yard, and for a moment, Nia let herself relax into the bear’s warmth.
She must have drifted off, because the next thing she knew, Jade’s tongue was on her cheek, wet and insistent.
Groaning, Nia opened her eyes to see Lochlan leaning against the doorway, his sleeves rolled up and his gaze steady. The sight sent a flicker of hunger through her—one she was too tired to fight. Maybe she was too tired to fight her feelings, too.
“Would you like to shower first?” he asked.
“Shower?” She cleared her throat, quickly pushing aside the unhelpful thought of him naked under the water. “No, go ahead. I’ll wash the night off after I decompress with Jade.”
Their eyes met for a moment, Nia’s chest tightening with every heartbeat, until Lochlan nodded and turned. Her gaze trailing over the lines of his broad shoulders down to the curve of his ass as he walked down the hall and disappeared up the stairs.
Making a soft and embarrassingly desperate sound, Nia dropped back onto the couch. The dog licked her cheek once more, then flopped down with a yawn.
“What am I going to do about your dad?” she murmured, running her fingers through Jade’s fur.
The dog fixed her with what could only be described as a judgmental stare.
Nia gave Jade a small smile and scratched her head. “Yeah, I don’t know either.”
And what was she going to do about her dad?
Her feelings for Lochlan were becoming harder to ignore, and after tonight, all she wanted was to jump his bones and thank him in ways words couldn’t manage. But these feelings didn’t mean marriage, she told herself, firmly.
She just didn’t believe it the way she had a few days ago.
The sweet scent of apple cider clung to the plush bear, filling her senses as sleep pulled her under. Jade’s warm fur was the only pillow she needed. Then—
A voice slipped through the haze of sleep, cold, sharp, and far too familiar.
“Why are you sleeping on the couch?”
Pressure crushed against her chest and—
She floated into existence.
The living room pulsed faintly with a purple hue, the atmosphere wrong—heavy, distorted. Nia sat up, the air around her shifting like a slow, rhythmic heartbeat.
No. No. No.
She knew this place: she was in the astral plane, the place her father loved to hunt. A memory slammed into her, unbidden.
The attic, candles flickering in a perfect circle.
Her father sitting cross-legged in the center, eyes milky white, lips moving in a soundless chant.
The room’s energy dense and oppressive, pressing against her lungs.
Her father finally coming back to himself, looking at her like this wasn’t scary for a child to see.
“I’m watching our enemies,” he said calmly.
“The ones who believe magic should rule out in the open. The ones who would tear down everything we’ve built.
” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Making sure no one gets too close.”
Nia swallowed hard, pulse pounding in her throat. She turned her head and her breath hitched.
Her own body lay curled on the couch, Jade no longer resting at her side. The dog stood rigid, her gaze locked onto the space just behind Nia. A low, warning growl rumbled in her chest.
Nia turned slowly. And there he was, floating like a nightmare, his presence suffocating the room.
Her father.
“I’ll ask again, daughter,” Wulfric said, his voice low and dangerous. “Why are you sleeping on the couch?”
Nia stiffened, trying to keep her breathing steady. “How did you get into my head? I have things in place to stop this.”
“Your guards fell. I took that as an invitation,” he said, almost gently. Then his voice cooled. “But the one who let you end up like that, on a couch, unshielded, should be ashamed.”
Her father’s fury was a force she had only witnessed a handful of times, and never directed at her.
He thought Lochlan had forced her here, and she didn’t correct him.
Not because it was true. Not because she was afraid.
But because saying so meant acknowledging how much of her heart was already his, and that scared her more than her father ever could.
“Where I sleep is none of your concern,” Nia replied, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m here because of you.”
She loved it here—being in Lochlan’s home, surrounded by his quiet care—but she couldn’t admit that to her father.
“You don’t even have a blanket,” Wulfric muttered, his form turning as he rubbed his face in frustration.
Jade’s growl deepened, her stance stiff and protective.
“I’ll do something about this,” Wulfric declared.
“Stay out of it!” Nia snapped. “Stay out of my life!”
He turned back to her, his expression softening in a way she didn’t trust. He sounded sincere when he said, “I just want what’s best for you.”
But she didn’t believe him.
“It’s my right to decide what that is,” she said, her resolve hardening. “Let me choose Lochlan on my own.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them. Her chest tightened as Wulfric’s brows lifted, his expression shifting—not with anger, but something far worse.
Curiosity.
“Well, well,” he murmured, amused. A knowing smile curved his lips. “Let’s do dinner Sunday. We have much to discuss.”
Then he vanished, leaving her stranded on the plane, the purple haze thickening for a moment before fading. Nia exhaled shakily, forcing herself to focus. She had been astral projecting since she was young—finding her way back to her body was second nature.
Before she could settle, though, she noticed Jade approach her sleeping form, her growl dissipating as she nudged Nia’s face with her nose.
“Leave her,” Lochlan’s voice murmured, gentle but firm enough to stop the dog.
Nia’s astral form stilled as she watched Lochlan move closer, shirtless and wearing only sweatpants. For a moment, the sight of him was enough to obliterate every thought of her father. She would deal with Wulfric and his meddling tomorrow.
Right now, there was only Lochlan.
He crouched beside her sleeping body, his expression soft in the dim light. Slowly, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering against her temple. His touch was maddeningly gentle, like he thought she might shatter if he wasn’t careful.
Her sleeping form shifted slightly under his touch, her lips parting faintly as he traced the edge of her cheek. The look in his eyes was one she was getting used to—quiet wonder.
He gazed at her, his expression still and focused in a way that tugged low in her stomach.
By the time Lochlan slid his arms under her and lifted her off the couch, she’d forgotten about Wulfric entirely.
She drifted back into her body halfway up the stairs, the familiar weight of her limbs settling in sync with Lochlan’s steady movements.
His clean, earthy scent filled her senses, and she couldn’t resist nuzzling against his chest, letting out a soft, contented sigh.
The sound made him stiffen, his breath catching.
“I can put you down, if you prefer,” he murmured, his voice low and rough.
“And miss out on being carried like Jade?” she teased, her arms looping lazily around his neck. “Not a chance.”
A soft laugh rumbled in his chest as he carried her into his bedroom, the sound pulling at the edges of her self-control in all the wrong ways.
“Too tired to clean up?”
“No,” she said softly. Leaning up, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you for today.”
For a moment, he held her tighter, his arms reluctant to let her go. Then, slowly, he set her feet on the ground. Nia stepped toward the adjoining bathroom, pausing to glance back at him.
His eyes were on her, dark and restrained, but the heat in his gaze was unmistakable.
The tension sent a ripple through her, made her wonder what would happen if he let go of that restraint. If she asked him to.
She finally felt unafraid to admit to herself that she liked that look—the way it made her feel like anything was possible.
Her gaze traveled to and then lingered on the faint outline in his sweatpants. For once, she decided not to hold back. “Did carrying me get that going,” she asked, nodding to the bulge in his pants, “or the idea of me naked on the other side of the door?”
Lochlan hesitated. He didn’t look away or ashamed, didn’t pretend she had no effect on him—but the intensity of a moment ago yielded to something deeper, gentler, but still heated.
“All of you, Nia.” His lips quirked into a small smile. “Even the parts you think no one can see or reach.”
Nia’s breath caught.
She hadn’t expected him to be so… honest. Part of her wanted to return that honesty. Another part was too afraid of what might happen if she did.
Heart pounding, she backed into the bathroom, the door clicking shut. She rested her forehead on the cool, smooth wood of the door.
All of you.
The words looped in her mind as she turned on the water, stepping under the spray before it had time to warm.
Even the parts you think no one can see or reach.
She was sure she washed her body, her face, maybe even brushed her teeth, but it was all a blur. His words lingered, filling and tangling in every corner of her mind.
By the time she climbed into bed, the room was dark, the air still.
Lochlan’s arm reached for her instinctively, gently pulling her against him. His warmth enveloped her, and she let herself relax into him as his breathing slowed and deepened with sleep.
All of you.
The echo of his voice was the last thing she thought of before sleep pulled her under.