Chapter 40
Nia
“FAE POLITICS - AND WHY WE ARE WORRIED.” —THE WEEKLY HEX
Nia’s motorcycle rumbled up the long and winding drive, the sound a steady, grounding hum beneath her. Wulfric’s manor loomed ahead, its tall windows catching the last light of the day. She hated the way it stood there: an imposing figure against the horizon, a shadow she could never quite outrun.
This was the last family dinner she and Lochlan were required to attend. After this, there would be one last public event and then Samhain—a supernatural gathering where Wulfric would decide whether to grant their annulment.
She had told herself she wanted that. Hadn’t she?
For so long, she’d clung to the idea of freedom. She had vowed never to be controlled again, never to let anyone else dictate her life: not her father, not a husband or wife, not anyone.
And yet…
Her fingers tightened around the handlebars. She wanted to know what she and Lochlan could be, freed from her father’s manipulations. If they chose each other, what would that look like? Could she let herself choose him?
The thought sent a warm, hopeful flush through her. But doubt immediately followed, swift and chill. Lochlan had been acting secretive. Hadn’t he? Or was she looking for problems because she wasn’t ready to admit how much she wanted this?
As Nia approached the house, she pulled her bike behind Lochlan’s green truck. The air was cool and carried the faint scent of pine and smoke—maybe they were barbecuing again. Probably, knowing her father.
Nia headed for the grand entrance, ignoring the sense of dread that crept over her as she pushed the heavy doors open without waiting for the butler.
As she stepped into the foyer, voices drifted toward her from the sitting room, low and tense.
She paused, her hand brushing the edge of the door frame.
“I should be the one,” Lochlan said.
“No, son. This is my plan, it has to be—” Wulfric stopped abruptly before turning smoothly toward the doorway where she stood. “Pyronia. You’re here.”
She hesitated, scanning their faces. Wulfric’s expression was unreadable, his mask perfectly intact. Lochlan looked tense, shoulders rigid and jaw tight, but her breath caught with a flicker of relief just at seeing him.
“Did I interrupt something?” Her voice was steady despite the way she could feel the rough energy in the room prickling over her skin.
“No,” Lochlan said quickly.
“No,” Wulfric echoed, his tone a touch too polished, too rehearsed.
Nia’s gaze moved between them. Lochlan had been off today, but standing here with her father, she didn’t blame him. Wulfric made everyone uneasy. The sound of approaching footsteps made her jump slightly as the butler appeared, his expression as calm and collected as ever.
“Miss Pyronia,” he said with a polite nod before glancing toward Lochlan and Wulfric. “Dinner is ready.”
He turned and led them through the house. Nia followed reluctantly, trying to keep her thoughts from knotting up with every step.
“How was the meeting?” Lochlan whispered.
“Fine.”
Lochlan hesitated. “Was it really, or—”
“You’d know if you’d gone.”
Regret tugged at her, quiet and immediate, as soon as the words left her. But she didn’t take them back. It felt good to be near him again, but that didn’t change how frustrated she felt.
They stepped outside and it was just as she remembered: heating spells kept the crisp evening air at bay, while the soft glow of enchanted lanterns cast a warm, golden light over the table. Despite the cozy setting, unease gnawed at her.
Lochlan had already taken a seat. The intensity in his eyes made her pause. There was something raw there—longing, or pain, maybe—but she brushed it aside, choosing a seat across from him. As she settled into her chair, the restless feeling in her chest grew, leaving her feeling oddly out of place.
Wulfric lingered near the grill, murmuring something to the chef before taking his seat at the head of the table. His gaze swept across the scene, pausing briefly on the space between her and Lochlan.
“You came separately,” he said, his tone casual but curious. “Why?”
“I had a meeting on the other side of Stella Rune,” Nia replied.
Wulfric’s gaze shifted to Lochlan, his expression unreadable. “And you’re upset Lochlan didn’t attend with you?”
Nia exhaled but didn’t answer. It hurt more than she felt was reasonable or wanted to admit.
Wulfric’s gaze moved from Lochlan to Nia, pinning her in place. “And what was this meeting for?”
“None of your business,” Nia snapped.
Wulfric’s jaw tightened, but he let it go, leaning back in his chair. “This is our last family dinner,” he said, his voice carefully measured. “Which public event will you be attending as a happy couple? Hopefully, it will have fewer… vines than the last.”
Of course, he had to bring up the chaos of the full moon celebration.
Lochlan shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “We haven’t decided,” he said carefully.
“Floating lights ceremony,” Nia said at the same time.
The moment the words left her mouth, she flinched.
She’d planned to bring up the idea today, somewhere between her meeting and this dinner, but hadn’t had the chance.
The new moon of October was always special in Stella Rune.
When the sky was at its darkest, the townspeople celebrated by releasing lanterns along the canal and out into the ocean, their soft glow carried by the tides.
Two years ago, Ivy had spearheaded a campaign to switch to an eco-friendlier alternative, replacing the traditional lanterns with ones made from seaweed paper and candles crafted from beeswax.
It had been the only time Nia had seen Ivy genuinely furious, her usual affability turned to righteous rage as she’d fought the town council to make the change.
Now, the ceremony held even more meaning.
Nia had wanted to share that with Lochlan. She just hadn’t planned to float the idea under her father’s calculating gaze.
Dinner was quiet and awkward, every attempt at small talk withering before it could take root.
Nia thought about how little time they had left to prove themselves to her father.
How this dinner, with its silence and tension, was the perfect way to reinforce the idea that she and Lochlan didn’t work.
But she hated it. Hated how much the uneasy tension between them bothered her, how much it hurt to see the look on Lochlan’s face when she’d brushed him off.
When Wulfric finally dismissed them, his frustration with the lack of conversation apparent, Nia didn’t hesitate.
She threw herself onto her motorcycle and tore down the dark roads, thoughts and doubts chasing her all the way home.
She beat Lochlan back and slipped inside the house, quickly greeting Jade before bolting upstairs.
Passing the locked door of his office sent a fresh wave of irritation through her, but she ignored it and headed straight for the bathroom. She turned the water as hot as it would go and stepped under the spray, hoping it might scorch away the tension of the evening.
But all she could think about was Lochlan and the quiet tension at dinner, the way he’d closed himself off.
She didn’t know what he was working on, or why he’d been so cagey about that package.
Maybe it was nothing. Or maybe it was something.
She couldn’t tell, and the not-knowing ate at her.
Still, she didn’t think pressing him tonight would help either of them.
Lochlan was cautious, thoughtful. He always took his time. And if she pushed too hard now, she might only make him retreat further. But this was about more than that. The real question Nia needed to answer was this—
Did she trust Lochlan?
The scalding water cascaded over her, painful and clarifying. She wanted to trust him. And he’d earned that, hadn’t he? Not just her affection or desire, but her trust. He’d stood by her, taken care of her, been devoted to her, despite her father’s manipulations and her own doubts.
However tense or uncertain she might feel, as far as she knew, Lochlan hadn’t done anything to break that trust.
So, she’d wait.
For now.