I glance over at the clock. “Maybe an hour, hour and a half?”
“I’ll head over to Griff’s office. Make sure you call me when you’re ready to go.” Evan tips his chin down and makes direct eye contact as he delivers the order. He’s acting bossy, more like Griffin.
“You got it, bossman.” I give him a mock salute, which has the corner of his lips tipping up, but he doesn’t give me a full smile.
“I’ll be back soon,” Evan promises, trying to make it sound like a threat, but I’m definitely not scared.
Chapter 3
Griffin
I’m trying to remember why I thought it was important to come here and take this call instead of staying in Quinn’s office, but I’m coming up empty, and it puts me in an even fouler mood than usual. “Get to the fucking point, Buchan,” I interrupt the overinflated ego of the asshole on the other end of the phone as he announces his lineage.
“My point, Mr. Stone, is when we agreed that Michelle could attend Havenfall, it was under the assumption she would remain at Havenfall until she graduated. I’ve been informed she is no longer in your presence.” He sounds pleased with himself, as if he thinks he somehow has the upper hand in this conversation.
“Your heir is lucky she’s still alive, Buchan.” Now I remember why I accepted his call. I wanted to know if he knew Michelle’s location. “She attacked a teacher, then left her for dead. While you may find that behavior acceptable, I do not. Actually, her misconduct warrants retribution, and since Michelle has escaped my wrath, maybe I should look to you.” My tone is cold and calm, but that’s exactly what I am.
The door to my office opened while I was in the middle of speaking, but I knew it was Evan. No one else would be brave enough to just enter, nor would Millie allow it without causing a stir. He takes a seat, then his eyes dip to the speaker on my desk before he looks up at me and mouths, “Who is it?” I hold up a finger, telling him to wait while I listen for the other vampire’s response.
The other end of the line is deadly silent for a few breaths before he finally speaks again. “Michelle gave up her affiliation to the Buchan name when she left our clan to attend Havenfall Harbor, she has no friends here. I assure you if I hear from her, you will be the first person I notify.” The vampire’s tone shifts to groveling. I arch my brow at Evan, wordlessly saying, You know who it is now?
Out loud, I warn, “You be sure to do just that, Buchan. I have a long memory and even more time. Anyone found aiding her will not be spared from my retribution.”
I hit the button to end the call and tip my head back. Evan is coated in Quinn’s scent, and it makes me want the same. I look him over, wondering why he’s here instead of with her, especially when I can smell the sweet fragrance of her arousal on him.
“What was that about?” Evan inquires as he balls his hand into a fist over his bouncing leg. Christ, he looks like a newly blooded vamp in a room full of humans.
“Posturing. What’s going on with you?”
Evan scrubs his hand over his face. “Quinn has another appointment. She needs an hour, maybe a little more.”
“So that’s what has you looking like a junkie.” I lean back in my chair a bit. I better not get too cocky here, Quinn has a way of making me just as crazy.
My best friend lets out a half growl and looks away from me. “I want to bond with her probably just as much as you want another taste of her blood,” he divulges, returning his gaze to mine. I curl my lip up. Yup, should have kept my mouth shut.
“That was Michelle’s clan?” he asks, changing the subject. His heart rate slows the longer he sits, as does the bouncing of his leg.
“It was,” I confirm. “Seems someone told him Michelle is no longer here, but I think they left out why.”
“Let me guess, he thought he might be owed a debt for his heir?” Evan visibly relaxes into his seat.
“Only long enough to realize what claiming her blood would have allowed me to do to his clan.”
Evan nods. We both know what a fucked-up bunch the Buchan’s are. I thought we got Michelle away from them before they corrupted her, but apparently not.
“There was an incident in Quinn’s office.” I’m up and out of my chair as soon as the words leave Evan’s mouth. “Hold up. Do you think I would be sitting here if it wasn’t handled?” He doesn’t really expect an answer, so he continues, “I roughed up a student, a bear. Nothing too bad, it was a misunderstanding. Everything is settled now. I just wanted you to know so you won’t freak out if you smell blood in her office.”
“Someone made her bleed.”
Evan is already shaking his head. “No, it’s the bear’s blood. He was waiting for his mate, heard something he didn’t like, and walked in snarling. I set him straight, won’t happen again.”
I lower myself back into my chair.
“I walked up as it happened and didn’t assess the situation before restraining the boy. The kid was just worried about his mate. Had nothing to do with Quinn.” He shrugs.
“I probably would have killed him,” I comment, not at all surprised when Evan nods his head in agreement.
“I thought the same thing.” He smiles then. “Never thought a human could cause such havoc.” I grunt in response. I’m all too familiar with how much havoc they can cause, but the chaos that comes with Quinn is on a completely different level.
It’s quiet for a few moments when I ask, “How long did she kick you out for?”
Evan scoffs, “She didn’t kick me out.”
“Then let’s go get her.”
“She has a meeting,” Evan replies, but he’s already on my heels as I make my way out of my office.
“She always has a meeting.” I scowl sourly.
“Yeah, because she actually works,” he jabs, but I ignore him. “What’s that look for?” he grouses.
“What?” I act affronted, but he knows me too well.
“That look you just had. I have a feeling it’s going to get us into trouble.”
“I was just thinking I should hire another liaison, lighten her load.”
“No,” Evan snaps, then tosses his head back and lets out a belly laugh. “I think you actually like getting in trouble.”
“I’m not a child. I don’t get into trouble.”
Evan laughs again, and Millie gives him a questioning look as we pass her desk. Once we’re in the hall, he says, “You tell Quinn you’re giving someone else her job, and you bet you’ll be in trouble. She’d skin you.”
“It would grow back.” I shrug and knock hard on her closed door. I hate seeing her door closed when I’m not in there with her.
“Maybe we should wait,” Evan suggests as if he really is afraid of her.
The soft murmuring from the other side of the door cuts off, and I hear Quinn tell someone, “I’m sorry, just a moment.” Within a few seconds, her face is peering through the cracked door and she snarls, “What?”
“Is that how you always answer the door?” I push it open a little, and she steps back. Evan lets out a groan.
“Only when I know it’s you,” she mumbles under her breath, then adds, “Is there something I can help you with Headmaster Stone?” I narrow my eyes on her. She has a real talent for saying the right thing but lacing it with venom.
“I’m just here to observe.” It’s what I always say when I interrupt one of her meetings, which is pretty much anytime I see her door closed. It’s like a compulsion. I should probably try to get it under control.
I don’t notice the kid, but Quinn keeps darting her gaze to the chair she sits in during her sessions. Evan decides to throw caution to the wind and join me in the room.
“And Mr. Winters.” Quinn scrunches up her face and gives us a fake smile. I have to force myself not to grin back at her. “Wow, I think I’m going to need more furniture in here, my office is so popular.” She’s still sporting the false smile. It’s actually kind of adorable.
“Consider it done. Any requests? A sofa?”
<
br /> A snort draws my attention, and I finally look at the person seated in front of Quinn’s desk. Vampire, not sure what clan he’s from, but I really don’t keep up with that shit. He’s young, and though he’s sitting, he looks like he can take care of himself.
I let my gaze linger on him, and he looks away from me. I watch his throat work as he swallows. His heart gives a few hard pounds before it starts racing. I don’t avert my gaze from him. He wanted my attention, now he has it.
Quinn delivers a wallop to my stomach, right near my navel. “Knock it off,” she orders through clenched teeth. I reach for the hand she smacked me with and bring her knuckles to my lips to kiss them.
“Did you hurt your hand?”
“No,” she mutters petulantly and marches over to the chair to sit near the boy. His eyes are wide, but he’s making it a point not to look at me or Evan. Quinn leans a little closer to the kid. “Ignore them,” she tells him in a conspiratorial whisper with a light smile. He swallows thickly again and looks down at his legs. Quinn’s smile drops, and I suddenly feel like shit.
“We made some good progress today. Why don’t we schedule something for early next week? That will give you a few days to do some research on the schools you’re interested in.” She reaches over and touches the tips of her fingers to the boy’s forearm to get his attention. “How does that sound?”
“Yeah, I can do that,” the kid answers quickly.
“Let me just pull up my schedule, and we’ll see what works for you.” Quinn moves around to the other side of the desk. I’m much more comfortable with her over there. Maybe we can find a compromise.
“Stop sneering,” Evan whispers harshly. I drop the threatening expression from my face I hadn’t even realized I was wearing. Damnit. “Better.”
“Does Monday at two work for you?”
“Can we do it earlier, or Tuesday?” he hedges.
“Sure, is ten better?” Quinn offers.
“Yeah, that works.”
Quinn rounds her desk again and stops near the kid’s chair. “Make sure you research those schools we talked about,” she tells him. “We’ll get a game plan together.” She’s smiling again. At least for now.
“Thanks, Ms. Shaw.” The kid is out of the chair and out of the office so fast, I question whether or not he’s sippin’ a little blood—it’s not unheard of. Sometimes, unblooded vamps will drink to get a boost in power and speed, but it can be just as dangerous as it is for humans to drink vampire blood. If they aren’t careful, they’ll become addicted, and once they transition to a blooded vampire, it’s almost a guarantee they will be born in bloodlust, which leads to the deaths of humans or whoever they can get to.
I look over at Evan. “He seem overly nervous to you? Maybe a little too quick, considering he isn’t blooded?”
Evan tilts his head as if it hadn’t dawned on him until I said something. “You want me to have him checked out?”
“What are you talking about?” Quinn is watching me with thinly veiled annoyance.
“How was the boy before we showed up? Was he acting strange?” Christ, if he’s already drinking blood, being around Quinn, a human with hot blood pumping through her veins, could lead to a disaster if he were to get desperate. She is the easiest prey at Havenfall.
“Sean” —Quinn emphasizes the boy’s name— “seemed fine. A little quiet maybe. What’s going on?” She glances between Evan and me.
“It could be nothing,” I admit and push my hair back. Am I overreacting just because it’s Quinn? Something about him set me on edge, but every fucking male who gets around her sets me on edge. “Did you notice how fast he was when he left?” I look over at Evan, seeing if he’s going to give me an answer and confirm my suspicions or tell me I’m a suspicious bastard.
“He was definitely eager to get the hell out of here, but I wouldn’t guess on why or how right now. Let me look into it.” Evan jerks his chin.
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Quinn interjects with exasperation.
“That kid moved like a blooded vamp,” I tell her.
“He was nowhere near as fast as you.” She crosses her arms over her chest, as if she thinks I’m overreacting, but she ends up stroking my ego a little too.
“He never will be. However, being that fast before he’s blooded could be cause for concern. He could be drinking blood already, which would be a problem.”
Quinn’s arms drop, and her brows lift enough to let me know I’ve surprised her with the information. Despite how much humans think they know about supernaturals, there is so much they don’t. “I guess I have a few questions about that.” She darts her gaze to Evan. “Why would he do that, and why would it be a problem?”
“Blood equals power for most vampires, especially unblooded vampires,” Evan informs her simply.
“But it’s dangerous because that power is addicting, and so is the blood. It gets to a point where no matter how much blood they have, it’s never enough, which leads to bloodlust,” I add. Quinn blows out a long breath. “That’s why we keep the blood locked up.”
Evan turns so he’s facing me, his eyes sharp and focused. “We thought the reason they poured blood all over Quinn’s floor was to scare her, but what if it was really to cover up the fact that blood has gone missing?”
“It would mean that someone here, an adult, is dealing it,” I confirm.
“I mean, it’s not a stretch. We know Michelle had to have help to get out of the containment room, and Leo did say she talked to someone else. Might be the reason Michelle was reluctant to tell us whom she talked to. She probably thought she would get into more trouble from sippin’ than what happened with Quinn. She didn’t know what she meant to us at the time, no one did.”
Everything he’s saying makes sense. “Fucking hell!”
Chapter 4
Quinn
“Whoever’s involved is probably on high alert right now,” Evan muses. He and Griffin are still talking about the possibility that someone at the school has been giving unblooded vampires access to blood.
I close the book on the arm of my chair. I can’t even pretend to read anymore. Yesterday, this book would have held my interest for hours. Having an all access pass to Griffin’s books is akin to being a kid in a candy store, however the guys are even more fascinating than books on supernaturals.
“That’s why we should just grab the kid and question him,” Griffin argues. He’s much more in favor of a direct approach.
“We could, but then whoever is behind it will definitely know we’re onto them. If we just keep an eye on things, we may be able to sort out who it is without them having the chance to cover shit up again or get rid of evidence.”
Griffin makes a sound that can only be described as a grunt, but it seems like acquiescence. My tummy chooses that moment to growl. I peer over at the clock. It’s later than when I usually eat dinner, no wonder I’m hungry. Of course Evan and Griffin hear it, and both of them turn their heads to look at me.
“What? I’m hungry.” I’m not ashamed I need to eat.
“Why aren’t you feeding our human, Griffin?” Evan leans forward to get up from the chair.
“Me? I don’t even really eat. You should be feeding her.” There’s a tiny fissure of defensiveness in Griffin’s tone.
I lift my hand in the air. “Believe it or not, I’ve been doing it myself for a few years now, so I think I can manage.”
Evan half hauls me up from the couch by grabbing the back of my elbow. “Yeah, but that was before.”
“Before what? Before you two decided I’m not capable of functioning like an adult?” I look down at his hand, which is still on my arm as if he needs to guide me someplace.
Face completely serious, Evan leans forward and whispers, “You’re an adult?” in mock outrage.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t help smiling at him. He’s just too damn cute for his own good. “Are you taking me to get food or not?”
“We could
call and have them bring something up,” Griffin offers. “What do you want?”
“We could also just go down and see what’s available,” I counter. Josie mentioned that orders needed to be placed earlier in the day. I’m not going to call down looking for room service this late.
Griffin narrows his eyes a bit as if he’s curious about me wanting to go down to the cafeteria, but he doesn’t argue.
I head over to the door, slide my flats back on, and then feel for the lanyard around my neck that holds my keycard. When I find it missing, my eyes go to the small table near the entry. After only a few days of staying with the guys, I’m already more comfortable here than I was in my own little apartment. It’s slightly surreal.
“Ready?” Griffin floats his gaze over me, and I like the way his eyes linger.
“Should I grab it?” My fingers hover over the cord to my badge. For some reason, it feels presumptuous not to bring it with me, yet I can’t explain why.
“You don’t need it,” Evan replies and pulls the door open, holding it so I can step out before him. It strikes me as odd, considering Griffin always seems to look out before we leave his room.
As we make our way down the empty hall, I turn my head and peer at Griffin. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” He returns my gaze.
“When you would come to my room, why did it always feel like you were hiding it, like you didn’t want anyone to know you were there?” I push my hair back behind my ear, a little self-conscious that I felt the need to ask the question, but also a little proud that I went through with it.
Griffin keeps walking, but I notice the slightest change in his gait, as if I’ve thrown him with the question. “I didn’t want anyone knowing I was in your room.” Now it’s my turn to cover my falter. “But not for the reasons you think,” he continues.
“Then why?” We pass the elevator, and Evan leads us farther down the hall to the stairs.
Griffin stops and turns to face me. “That is a question I would rather answer when we have more time and I know our conversation will not be overheard,” he tells me, watching my face for a reaction.
Havenfall Harbor Book Two: Paranormal Ménage Romance MFM Page 3