Havenfall Harbor
Albany Walker
Albany Publishing
Copyright © 2020 by Albany Walker
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Contents
Havenfall Harbor Book One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
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Also By Albany Walker
Havenfall Harbor Book One
Havenfall Harbor Book One
Home for wayward and orphaned supernaturals.
Bridging the gap between supernaturals and humans is my only goal, or so I thought.
Getting a job as the first human liaison at Havenfall was a dream come true, until I realize it's not just humans that don't want the species mixing.
Someone doesn't want me a here, and they aren't making it a secret that they will do just about anything to make sure I don't stick around.
Seems like I have a few things to teach them about underestimating my determination.
Welcome to Havenfall where not just the students bite.
Multiple POV Paranormal Romance adult characters with adult themes. Slow burn Ménage relationship developed over the series. Slight cliffhanger.
Chapter 1
Quinn
Everything I’ve done for the past several years has led up to this moment, to say I’m not nervous as hell would be a downright lie. I readjust my grip on the handles of my luggage as I drag in a deep, shuddering breath.
The towering, wrought iron gates of Havenfall Harbor loom before me, as imposing as they are beautiful. The elegantly twisted metal work doesn’t hide the deadly points curled over the top, preventing anyone from scaling the fence.
I take another deep breath, this one to steady myself as I march up to the little gray intercom planted on a post, meant for people in cars.
A red, blinking light on the box alerts me that I’m being filmed. I’m sure there are several more cameras that I can’t see watching me and the lonely stretch of road around Havenfall.
I lean my bag against my leg and smooth back the hair that escaped from my braid to tickle my cheeks.
I want to give myself a few more minutes, but I would just be stalling. They probably already know I’m here, so instead I poke the gray button with my finger before smoothing my hair back again. Waiting.
The intercom crackles as a clear, feminine voice calls out, “Someone will be down to collect you shortly, Ms. Shaw.”
“Oh, uh…okay,” I respond, but I have no clue if she even heard me, the static broke off as soon as she was done speaking. I reposition my purse over my chest and grab the handle of my luggage, dragging it up over the curb and out of the driveway.
I look around, not at all surprised by how isolated the property is. This facility has been here for a lifetime, maybe longer. In its previous life it was a private school, or so it would have seemed, but over the last fifty years the designation has changed to a reformatory for wayward supernaturals, and as an orphanage for those who have no other place to go.
Supernaturals aren’t anything new to me, I grew up knowing they existed. But there are still people like my parents who remember a time when vampires and shifters were things of legend, not our neighbors. The fact that we now know the Mackeys and the Ferns are supernaturals somehow changed them and people like them in my family’s eyes.
I wipe the sleeve of my t-shirt over my brow. After five minutes of waiting, the sun has broken through the clouds and I’m starting to sweat. I’m tempted to hit the intercom button again. I’ve been traveling all day, so I’m starving and could use a shower. Tipping my expensive luggage to the side, I pile them up and drop my ass on top so I don’t have to sit on the ground.
Another twenty minutes ticks by and my frustration builds with every second. They knew I was coming, know I’m here. Why the hell aren’t they opening the gates?
“Two more minutes,” I grouse, “then I’m pushing the damn button again.” I pretend not to look at my watch. I’m not one for confrontations, especially with people I have to work with, live with. That’s why I waited until my application to work at Havenfall was accepted before I even told my parents—so I didn’t have to deal with the shitstorm it caused. I shake my head just thinking about it. Remembering their reaction is not something I want to deal with right now.
Deciding it’s been long enough, I walk over to the intercom and push the button. “Hi, I’m more than happy to just walk up if you don’t mind opening the gates.” Who knows if they heard me, but I smiled while looking into the camera, hoping they don’t think I’m being bitchy.
The whir of a motor kicks to life and the huge gates slowly open inward. I rush back to my bags and snatch the handles up, bumping my way over the grass and down the curb to rush to the entrance.
The first few minutes of walking feels good, giving me the chance to stretch my legs, but my eager steps slow when I still can’t see the Havenfall house after a solid five minutes. With every twist of the lane, I imagine the building will be on the other side, but so far I’ve been disappointed.
“Should have waited,” I mumble under my breath, as I pass tree after tree bordering the paved road. Off in the distance, I hear the sound of a small motor, maybe even a tractor. I pause and lift my hand to shield my eyes from the sun until I see a small UTV cruising along the grass.
“Hey! What are you doing?” a masculine voice shouts. I glance over my shoulder, wondering who he’s yelling at.
“Me?” I point at my own chest.
He gets closer and I see a gun rack on the back of his vehicle, the rifle slotted into it has an exceptionally narrow barrel, but it looks deadly all the same.
“What are you doing?” the man asks again, stopping near the edge of the drive and jumping out of the UTV.
I step back. He’s imposing, tall and blond with a shadow of a beard and hard, dark eyes. That’s all I take in before I notice the gun on his waist.
“I’m walking up?” I release my bags as he comes even closer.
His dark eyes narrow. “You’re not a resident.”
I shake my head and blink. “I’m Quinn, Quinn Shaw. I was hired last week,” I add as a reminder just in case. I have no idea who this guy is, probably secur
ity of some sort.
“Why are you walking?” he questions, looking down at my designer luggage.
“I waited at the entrance for a while, then offered to walk when it seemed like everyone was busy.” I force my muscles to relax. He may be daunting, but I don’t think he’s a threat, not to me anyway. He seems genuinely surprised to have found me here.
The big man’s shoulders loosen a little, and he reaches for both my bags, not showing any strain at the weight. “Who the hell did you talk to, and how long were you out at the gate?” he inquires, tossing my stuff unceremoniously in the back of his little truck-like vehicle.
I jog to catch up with him and quickly slide into the passenger seat. He doesn’t bother with the seatbelt system, so neither do I. “I’m not sure whom I spoke with, a woman.” I shrug. “She knew who I was.”
The man’s lips purse and he lets out a huff. Before he can start the UTV, I hear the sound of another engine nearing us.
A similar vehicle comes down the road, this one with enclosed sides and windows. There’s a woman behind the wheel, and she sends a tight smile in our direction. Her white-blonde hair is cut short, framing her feminine face nicely.
“Letty.” The man’s voice holds a note of warning and censure.
“Evan,” she sneers in return. “I was coming.” She narrows her eyes on me as if I’ve done something wrong.
“I was okay walking,” I defend, even though I shouldn’t have to.
Letty, I’m assuming that’s her name, schools her features. “Sorry, Evan. I’ll take her up.”
“I’ve got it. Head out to the east perimeter.”
“But I need to show her around.” Letty licks her bottom lip.
“Someone else will do it, just go.” Evan dismisses her with a disappointed shake of his head.
I look down at my lap, pretending I’m not witnessing this woman’s slight dressing down. Shit, this is not how I wanted my first day to go.
Without another word, she speeds away. Evan starts the UTV with the push of a button. “Hold on,” he orders gruffly, while he drives off the grass and onto the paved roadway. I grab hold of the bar above my seat and watch as the scenery turns into a blur, the vehicle is surprisingly fast.
In the distance, I see the top of a spire, and as we grow closer, more and more of the roof becomes visible. I suck in a breath at the sheer size of the place. It’s bigger than I imagined.
Evan ignores my awe and drives on until we’re parked out front of the massive building. It resembles a large C. Each corner has a wide, cement staircase that leads up to a gaping entrance in the center. You could drive a city bus on the walkway.
After I received the call from Professor Mackey telling me that Havenfall Harbor was searching for a human liaison, I researched everything I could on the history, but a few old black and white photos and outdated articles was all I could find.
Nothing could have prepared me for this. I look over at Evan. “That would have been a long walk.”
The big man next to me chuffs. “You might have made it by nightfall.” A soft smile curls his lips.
“Maybe.” I look back at the sheer size of the place.
“I’ll take you in.” He nods his head toward the building then meets my gaze. “Someone will show you to your rooms.” His eyes roam over my face before he looks away. “It will be an adjustment,” he remarks quietly. I get the sense he’s trying to atone for Letty leaving me to walk.
I hold out my palm to shake Evan’s hand. “Thanks for the ride. I’m Quinn.”
Evan turns his body and grasps my hand in his giant one. “Evan Winters, head of security, you’re welcome.” Our eyes stay lock for a moment, and heat rises in my cheeks when I realize we’re still clasping hands.
I release his palm and slide out of the UTV, reaching over the back to grab a piece of my luggage. It takes some maneuvering, but I get it past the roll cage and let it drop to the ground. Evan seizes the other with much less effort and I follow him up the east staircase.
When we reach the top, I’m slightly out of breath, but I force myself to keep my exhales even. Lifting his hand, Evan points at the wing in front of us. “Staff housing.” Moving his hand to the middle, he continues, “School and training facilities.” One more shift to gesture at the opposite, mirrored west wing, and he adds, “Student dorms.”
Evan’s large steps eat up the space as he heads toward the east wing’s oversized, arched doorway. He clutches a hanging circle and turns it, using his shoulder to push the door open. I make a note to check for other entrances, since I doubt I’d even be able to budge that door.
“Melissa, if that’s you again, he’s going to skin you,” comes a whispered male voice. “No students in the staff housing wing. Oh, it’s you, it’s you!” The second time he says, ‘it’s you,’ it comes out rushed.
“It’s me,” Evan deadpans.
“Oh, and Mr. Shaw…but I thought Letty…and she just left…but that wasn’t enough time to…” The man’s voice trails off as I move to stand beside Evan.
The harried man’s eyes travel up from my feet to my face, but he’s not leering, it’s more like he’s surprised to see me. He looks up at Evan. “This is Mr. Shaw?” He steps out from behind a large, wooden desk. He’s small compared to Evan, and he hasn’t stopped moving since I laid eyes on him.
“Ms. Shaw,” Evan corrects him.
“Oh, wow, okay. Ms. Shaw. Ms. Shaw,” he repeats, like he’s testing it out.
I wipe my hand on the leg of my jeans after dropping the handle of my bag. “Sorry about the confusion, it happens with a name like Quinn more often than you’d think.” I present the high-energy man with my hand.
He rushes forward and clasps my hand between both of his. “I thought you two were the girls trying to sneak in again.” He tilts his head to the side, pumping my hand up and down, then gives me a warm smile. “Sorry about that. I’m Westly. You can call me Wes.”
My lips lift in a natural smile in response. “They must be trying to get all the good snacks in the teachers’ lounge,” I joke, releasing his hand.
“Trying to sneak into Stone’s room, more likely. Here, let me take that.” Wes reaches for my bag and hauls it over with surprisingly little effort, given how small he is.
“Director Stone?” I question doubtfully.
“Westly,” Evan chastises. “Kids, always up to something,” he adds with a slight shake of his head, not sounding convincing.
Wes leans forward to take my other bag from Evan, but keeps his feet planted as far away as he can. “Is Letty not going to show Ms. Shaw her room?”
“You can call me Quinn,” I announce.
“No, I sent Letty to do a perimeter check, call one of the other teachers to do it.” Evan’s voice has a slight edge.
“Yeah, okay. I can do that. No problem.” Westly rocks back on his heels.
Evan turns to me. “Havenfall is a good place, Ms. Shaw.”
I nod my head. “That’s exactly why I’m here, Mr. Winters.” I use his formal name because he’s still using mine. “I want to be a part of the good you guys are doing here.”
To Westley, Evan orders, “Call Mr. Rodes or Mrs. Miller to show her to her room.”
Wes’s eyes dart to mine before he looks away, nodding. “You got it.” The big man turns on his heel and lumbers out the same door we entered through.
Once the door closes, I focus back on Wes. He walks my bags over to the large, wooden desk and leans them against the side, then steps behind the high counter. “Let me see who’s available to show you around.”
I stroll closer to him, letting my eyes roam around the high ceiling and stone flooring. Wes plops himself into a chair as I draw closer, and I watch as he punches in a code on a flat monitor stationed behind the desk front. His eyes scan quickly over the monitor until he hits a button near the bottom.
He traces his finger down the grid-like screen that pops up before grabbing a phone. “Mr. Rodes is done with classes for the da
y. Let me see if I can catch him before he heads to dinner.”
“I don’t want to interrupt, I could probably find it on my own,” I offer.
“He won’t mind, plus we can’t have you wandering off and getting lost.” Under his breath, Wes adds, “Never know where you’d end up.”
“Marvin, hey, this is Wes. Are you free to show Ms. Shaw—”
“Quinn,” I amend.
“Quinn Shaw around?” Wes swivels in the chair a little, listening to the line. “Oh, damn, I don’t have that on the schedule. All right, do you know if Mrs. Miller is going too?”
I pretend to be absorbed in gazing around the area instead of feeling like a complete heel who needs a frigging tour guide to get around this place. I mean, are they really that worried about me getting lost?
“I’ll give her a call and ask. Thanks, Marvin.” Wes holds down the button to hang up the phone, already looking back at the monitor.
“Sorry, unscheduled meeting.” Wes plasters a smile on his face and puts the phone back up to his ear.
I nod and move a little farther away while he makes the next call. Other than the door Mr. Winters and I entered through, there’s one door with a hall leading away from the desk and another huge, wooden door that I expect leads to the teachers’ housing behind the desk Wes is stationed at.
I make it a few steps down the hall when Wes’s footsteps alert me that he’s approaching. “We’re all set. Alice Miller is available.” Wes stops beside me as I examine the wooden panels lining the hall.
Havenfall Harbor: Book One Page 1