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Except he’d just offered up his home. To her family.
Which confused her. Which Lucian was he?
She straightened her spine and smoothed the fabric of the shift, reminding herself that his offer was the right thing to do. He had the space. Her family needed help. With a huff, she started forward again. Lucian Uraiahs was doing the bare minimum.
“Good. Good,” Nix said. “I don’t want–”
“She isn’t my type,” Lucian interrupted, his voice clipped and impatient.
Her step faltered as her heart cooled, hardening with hurt. What a horrible thing to hear. It punched a hole in her already strained self-confidence. There was nothing to be done but endure it, so with a deep breath, she reminded herself she didn’t care what Lucian thought and pulled the sweater tight around her as walked the final few steps through the corridor.
“Brinna,” Nixus said brightly when he saw her, his dark eyes assessing. “Are you alright? There weren’t any bites?”
“None,” Brinna replied. Though she could see Lucian from the corner of her eye, she didn’t look at him. “My family?”
“Safe at the cottage. I’m going back now to let them know you are safe.”
“Mattias?”
“He’s with them.”
Brinna released a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment, relieved. “Thank the stars. Maybe you can take me back with you?” she asked, hoping to get away from Lucian.
Something clanked in the kitchen, and Brinna finally turned her head, her body tensing in anticipation of Lucian’s condescending looks.
But that wasn’t what greeted her. He’d removed his jacket, and his white shirt was open at the collar, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. His golden gaze took her in, his face tight with tension before he frowned as he wiped something from the counter. She hated that she found him so alluring and refocused on Nixus.
“Lucian” –Nix glanced at his brother– “offered Sol as a place to stay for your family,” he finished.
She turned toward Lucian once more, chastising her stupid heart. “That is generous of you.” Her words sounded forced even to her own ears, which bothered her because she didn’t want him aware he affected her. She looked at Nix, focusing on his face and movements though she wanted to look at his brother watching her from the kitchen. “Or you can just take me home.”
Lucian cleared his throat, smacking whatever was in his hand down on the countertop. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Brinna leveled her gaze on Lucian, hoping it communicated disinterest instead of hurt. “And why is that?”
“I haven’t had a chance to search the woods around the cottage,” Nix answered, drawing her attention away from Lucian once again. “I think that should be done first, before returning you.”
“That makes sense.” She drew the sweater tighter around her and swallowed the threatening tears.
“Do you think they will come?” Nix asked, a hopeful note in his voice. “Brinna?”
Having lost the thread of the conversation, she looked up, hoping Nix couldn’t read her emotions. “What?”
“Do you think they’ll come to Sol?”
She cleared her throat. With a hum as she tried to organize her thoughts around the question, around the moment, she finally answered, “Getting my mother out of that cottage would be a miracle.”
Nix nodded. “That’s what I thought too.” He glanced at Lucian, then back to her. “She was a mess when I left. She’ll be relieved to hear you’re safe.”
“You can talk her into it,” Lucian said. “You could talk a wood nymph into the sea.”
Brinna tried not to roll her eyes.
“I will be my most charming self,” Nix said, “but Scarlett is something entirely beyond my understanding.”
“Her will of iron?” Brinna asked.
“And then some. I’m not sure I’ll ever find a way through her defenses.” Nix smiled.
