Havenfall Harbor: Book One

by Albany Walker

  Quinn seems comfortable joking about a relationship between us, but I’m not sure she’s really let the thought sink in as a real possibility. At least she doesn’t seem against the idea. Quinn clears her throat and tucks her hair behind her ear, breaking the moment between her and Evan.

  I think back to the night I had her pinned in the kitchen. I was seconds away from stealing her mouth, the icy water spilling against us barely registering, but the warmth of her hand against my chest was like a punch straight to my gut. The knee to the balls could have been considered foreplay, I was already so fucking hard. I knew if I didn’t leave then, she probably would have had to kick me out to get me to go.

  When we reach the third floor, Quinn hesitates near her door. Her eyes are clear as she glances down the short hallway that will lead to my room. Even though it’s killing me not to say anything, like demanding she go right to our place, I just slow my steps and walk beside her, letting her come to the decision on her own, or at least I hope she will.

  “Someone fixed the knob.” She looks over at Evan, expecting a reply.

  “Yeah.” He nods and crosses his arms over his chest, waiting her out, I presume. Quinn bites the corner of her lip as she squints her eyes a bit. When she opens her mouth, I’m already preparing to tell her no, she can’t just stay over there. But I don’t have to.

  “I’m taking the couch tonight, you get the bed.” Quinn’s shoulders raise a little, as if she’s worried about what I might say.

  I snap my mouth closed and rearrange my thoughts. I can either let her think I’m going to let her sleep on the couch, or I could push her a little further, see how she responds. “I have a compromise,” I offer, while heading over to my door. I pull out my key and slip it into the lock without looking at her.

  “A compromise?” She sounds intrigued as she comes closer.

  I push the door open and look around quickly. I don’t always lock my door, but I did today mostly just for Quinn. After a quick perusal I know no one has been here, so I push the door the rest of the way open and allow her to enter before me.

  Once Evan is in and the door is secured behind him, I divulge my plan. “The bed is big enough for the both of us. You won’t even know I’m there.” I walk away then, before she can tell me to go to hell or some other nonsense.

  I hear her small gasp, but Evan is quick to add, “You’re not leaving me out of this little slumber party.”

  I head straight to the kitchen. I could have ordered blood at the bar, but I didn’t. There’s something about being close to Quinn that makes it harder to palate the bagged stuff when her warm blood sings to me.

  As a measure of precaution, I force myself to drink two bags now. If she was in my bed, I’m not sure I could fight the pull of her song. I’d probably seduce her, and then I wouldn’t ever know if she was really willing. I’m not going to risk that, not yet anyway.

  The blood is cold, but it goes down smoothly, and in a matter of seconds, I’m done with both bags.

  I leave Evan to deal with Quinn, since he’s much better at coaxing than I am. I’d probably end up making her feel like she didn’t have an option otherwise. Thankfully, as the blood hits my system, I feel a sense of calm coming over me. I’m much more controlled when I’m feeding properly, plus I’ve had several drinks tonight that diluted my own blood. Confirming my thoughts, I get the urge to piss almost immediately. My kidneys are already working hard to expel the waste fluid from my system. I make a quick detour to the bathroom before heading back into the living room to see what kind of mess I left Evan with.

  Chapter 22

  Quinn

  “The bed’s big enough for the both of us. You won’t even know I’m there.” I almost snort at the absurdity that he thinks I wouldn’t know he was in bed with me.

  “You’re not leaving me out of this little slumber party,” Evan chimes in. If I didn’t think Evan was close to kissing me earlier, and didn’t sense the mutual attraction from Griffin, I would seriously think I’d been friend zoned. My head starts to play the doubt game. Maybe I have been friend zoned, maybe for some reason they’re both just really comfortable with me.

  With both of them being supernaturals, I question myself and my judgment at every turn. While I didn’t date any shifters or vampires, I did have several girlfriends who did, not to mention I was friends with several myself, but maybe I’m not interpreting their behavior correctly.

  I mean, that has to be what it is. Evan and Griffin couldn’t be serious about…well, about us becoming more than friends, right?

  Griffin heads into the kitchen as if he didn’t just turn my brain into mush. I want to look over at Evan, but I’m not sure if my face will give away my every thought. For all I know they are both just super friendly. That thought dies before it can even truly form. That sentiment could be true about Evan, but not about Griffin. Grumpy Griffin is as prickly as a cactus. He doesn’t strike me as the overly friendly type, never has. But he could also just be being nice to me for Evan’s sake.

  Still utterly confused, I toss my purse on a little table near the door. This place is becoming more familiar than my own room. “You guys have a lot of sleepovers, huh?” I toe off my shoes while pretending the offer to share a bed isn’t a big deal. I feel like I set myself up for this, maybe I took the little challenge of the trifecta too far.

  “I usually end up crashing here a few nights a week.” Evan leans in to whisper conspiratorially, “Griff’s room is much nicer than mine, not to mention his bed.” He cocks a brow at me.

  “He does have a great bed,” I concede with a twist of my lips.

  Griffin retreats farther into the house toward his room. I bite my lip. Am I really going to do this? I take a quick glance at Evan. His light hair and dark eyes can’t be described as anything other than ruggedly handsome. I thought he was attractive from the first time I saw him. Not to mention he’s so damn sweet.

  Hell yes, I’m going to do this! How often are you invited to sleep between two gorgeous men? It’s not like I don’t already have a crush on them, who knows if this opportunity will ever present itself again. Might as well live out a little fantasy while I have the chance, right? Plus, it’s not like I’m in danger of getting my heart broken here. We’re just getting to know each other.

  My left brain tries to warn me about Griffin being my boss, and having to work with these two every day, but I shut that shit down real quick. Why shouldn’t I have a little fun? It’s not like we’re going to have a threesome tonight. The teasing and flirting are fun though.

  Evan peeks at me from the corner of his eye. I wonder if he thought I’d protest sleeping with them and now he’s regretting his offer. Playing it cool, I say, “Is it okay if I grab a water?” It’s not really a question, nor is it his house, but I feel like I should say something.

  “Help yourself.” Evan waves his hand toward the kitchen.

  “You want anything?”

  Evan pulls at the collar of his shirt slightly. “No, no. I think I’m good. Thanks.” I don’t bother calling out to Griffin, he was already in the kitchen, plus that feels a little too presumptuous.

  I hide in the kitchen for a few minutes, unsure what to do with myself. A yawn overtakes me so quickly I barely have time to cover my mouth. Of course, that would be when Griffin steps into the room.

  “Wore you out, have we?” He tilts his head to the side and watches me. I feel like I’m overthinking everything they say, because that somehow came out sounding dirty. Maybe I shouldn’t sleep with them. I glance behind him and see the corner of the couch. Just as I’m about to open my mouth to decline the offer of his bed, Evan enters the kitchen too, wearing a plain white t-shirt that’s a little too tight, Griffin’s maybe, and soft black pants.

  “Bathroom’s free if you want to change.” Evan passes me and heads to the sink. He pulls open the cupboard and grabs a glass, showing me how familiar he is with this place. He seems completely relaxed. If me staying with them was a big deal, surely I
would be able to tell.

  Griffin leans against the wall, crossing his ankles. “Did you need something to sleep in?” He’s super casual too, unlike me.

  “No, I brought enough yesterday.” I set my drink next to the sink and flee from the room, a giddy type of anticipation making me want to burst into a fit of giggles. I make quick work of grabbing a pair of leggings and a t-shirt from my bag. I’ll need to go back to my room tomorrow. This is the last of what I brought, not to mention I need to sort out some laundry for next week. Let’s hope we can get the lock taken care of tomorrow so I can gain some normalcy before the start of the school week.

  Evan and Griffin are still in the kitchen when I close the bathroom door behind me. I take a few seconds to peer around before changing into my comfy clothes. I flip the light switch off before I open the door, and that’s a mistake. The room is pitch-black, so not the way I left it. “Uh…” I hum while I run my toe across the carpet. I’m not sure if the guys are already in here, or if they just forgot about me and shut the bedroom light off.

  “Climb in, you’re in the middle.” I can hear the smile on Evan’s lips. I have a mini fit, making all kinds of faces. Crap, how the hell am I supposed to know where the middle is?

  “Human here, I can’t see in the dark.” I lift my hand in the air to further identify myself, as if there was a question.

  “About six steps forward.” Griffin’s voice comes out of the dark, and it sounds oh so different than Evan’s playful tone. I swallow and take six smaller than usual steps straight ahead. “Two more,” he adds. I do as I’m told. “One bigger step to your right.”

  My breathing is getting heavier as Griffin’s tenor lowers. “Lean forward, palms on the bed.” That comes out more like an order than a direction, but I do it and I’m rewarded by feeling the thick blanket under my hands.

  I lift my knee and slide my hands farther onto the bed, trying to climb in, but hit a barricade, or should I say a body. “Sorry,” I mutter, and pull my hand back, but fingers wrap around my wrist.

  “Just climb over.” Griffin makes the offer sound tantalizingly simple. I spread my arm down and the bed feels empty there, so I redirect myself in that direction. However, after I’m fully on the bed, I encounter him again.

  I let out a nervous laugh. “You need a night-light.” Slowly patting forward, I feel what I think is Griffin’s lower leg. Before I can crawl over him, hands reach for me and snag me around my waist and drag me half over Griffin’s prone form, releasing me to a small, hollowed out place between them.

  “Thanks, Evan.” I snicker nervously and pull my arms into my sides, making myself even smaller. I foolishly believed I had thought this through, but I was so wrong. Now here I am, trapped between them with my heart beating like it’s about to pound out of my chest and feeling as awkward as all get out.

  The bed shifts a bit on Evan’s side. He’s heavy enough that his weight ends up making me roll a little to the left. I readjust so I don’t end up plastered to his back or side, and in doing so my butt ends up hitting Griffin. “Oops, sorry. Maybe this bed isn’t as big as you thought.” My voice is a little breathy, I’m still breathing way too hard.

  “It’s plenty big enough.” Griffin’s voice is gravelly, already sleepy. And why not? He probably didn’t sleep well on the couch last night, and he doesn’t seem to be freaked out at all about having a near stranger sleeping next to him. He shifts this time and I feel the presence of his body closer to mine.

  I blow out a breath and force myself to close my eyes, chastising myself for ever thinking this would be my own little fantasy. This is more like an embarrassingly bad dream. I feel like a virgin on prom night, all nerves and excitement for no reason at all.

  I haven’t even tried to get under the covers, not that I would need them anyway. Lying between them is creating enough heat to keep me warm. Hell, I don’t even know where the covers are at this point.

  My hands are laced together over my stomach and I’m flat on my back, not in the least bit comfortable, but I don’t want to stir around again. The seconds tick by, spanning into minutes. Nobody speaks, they may already both be sleeping. I’ve been too busy trying to slow down my heart and relax my body to pay attention to their breathing.

  After several more minutes, I have to admit, at least to myself, that I’m a little disappointed. I thought we’d at least keep up the playful banter. I wasn’t expecting anything physical to happen, but I figured we’d watch TV or chat, something other than just climbing into bed and lying in silence.

  Unable to sit still anymore, I turn to the side a little, trying not to take up any more room than I already am. I end up facing Griffin’s side of the bed. I curl my knees up a little and shove my arm under the pillow, nodding my head slightly to get comfortable.

  I want to laugh at all the times I’ve heard guys talking about getting friend zoned and the hit your ego takes, even when you didn’t want anything more from the person. Damn if they aren’t right.

  Realization made, I finally allow myself to get comfortable between them. It’s not like I was thinking there would be a long-lasting love affair between any of us, but it was nice how special and included they made me feel. I let myself drift off with a light smile on my face. I still had an amazing day, and I know they care enough to make sure I feel safe.

  Griffin

  Patience is a weapon I’ve honed and fostered for many years. A lesson my father taught me at a very young age, well before I was even blooded. ‘Patience erodes even the thickest of stones.’ I thought I’d mastered patience, but lying next to Quinn makes me question if I ever truly understood the concept.

  I can hear every drop of her blood coursing through her veins, every thump, thump of her heart galloping along. It’s almost too much, but then I think about if she wasn’t next to me, think about how her lying somewhere else would be a whole different kind of torture.

  My body is rigid, and I’m not just talking about my dick. Every muscle I have is locked down tight, so I don’t give into the urge to wrap myself around her and sink inside her in more ways than one. I gave up even breathing when Evan dragged her over my body, the fucking bastard. He probably knew exactly what he was doing by letting her soft skin caress across mine. Vampires can’t hold their breath forever, oxygen is vital for us to function. Without it we would go into a stasis-like state until someone or something provided us with blood. However, we are able to utilize the oxygen in blood for short periods of time, making it seem as if we don’t need air.

  Quinn makes a small sound next to me, almost a huff, before she turns to her side and curls up facing me. I open my mouth and fill my lungs. The urge to touch her grows stronger.

  Evan shifts on the other side of Quinn. While it’s true we have shared a lover once or a dozen times, sharing a bed is different. He was honest with Quinn when he told her he has slept here on many occasions. It’s not something we’ve ever discussed, it’s just something that is.

  Evan is suspicious by nature, yet he’s also a shifter that craves the closeness of a pack. The suspicion he carries was born from his own pack, unfortunately. Sensing from a very young age what a dominant shifter the polar bear would be, his brothers tried to kill him so one of them could take his place. His father saw this as a perfectly fine way to become an alpha. Only the strongest survive is still a widely accepted lifestyle among many packs, the polar bears included.

  After the third attempt on his life, Evan left his family. He’s been without a pack since. It wasn’t long after that when we found each other. If our situation wasn’t dire at the time, we probably would have killed each other. Each of us was still raw from the gifts our families bestowed upon us, but we needed each other to survive, and an unlikely bond was formed between two rightful princes.

  Over the years, our bond grew even more, forged into stronger ties than I could have ever imagined. I am the brother he can trust, and he is the brother I never had but dearly needed. While Evan never let the sins of his past
taint his soul, I have reveled in mine, allowing them to color my very existence. I offer him camaraderie, he offers me a conscience.

  Quinn’s heart finally dips to a slow, dragging pulse. If she’s not sleeping, she’s very close. Without moving too much, I peer over at her. Her lips are just barely parted, and her face is relaxed. I give myself a second to appreciate the fact that she’s lying next to me willingly. That I’m not pushing her away or influencing her with my bite.

  I don’t think I’ve just lain next to a woman, not even Iris. I was too young, too greedy for that. Hell, you would have thought Quinn reached into my pants and gripped my balls instead of my hand earlier considering how it felt. Why did these simple pleasures allude me before? Is she different, or am I?

  I know the answer—she has already made me different. And it has little to do with her blood, since I haven’t had the pleasure. Yet.

  Evan

  “Surprisingly satisfying.” I keep my voice low so I don’t disturb Quinn’s sleep. I almost wrapped myself around her and pinned her to the bed just to get her to settle down, but I knew it would have had the opposite effect on me.

  Griff grunts in response. He knows I’m referring to Quinn sleeping soundly between us. It was tempting to show her how serious Griff and I really are about keeping her, but there was something about the way she kept playing it off like we were joking that stopped me from making a move.

  I don’t want her to get the wrong idea and think one night was all we were after. Once I get a taste of her, I know things will go from one to ten real quick. My bear is already pushing me to mark her, and not just with my scent.

  Having her here right now, making sure she’s safe, that no one else could even try to get to her while she’s protected by Griff and me, is the only thing that is appeasing us.