Havenfall Harbor: Book One

by Albany Walker

  I stand, pissed that we didn’t get any answers from her, but too tired of wasting my time here to push her for more. I could force her to talk, but that wouldn’t make me much better than my father.

  Reaching for the door, I give her one last parting thought to ponder in her solitude. “I hope you don’t find your loyalty misplaced, Michelle.” I leave the door open for Evan to follow me out.

  Paul stands as we exit. “I sent someone to grab the things you asked for, they should be back soon.”

  Evan examines the empty hallway. “Probably wouldn’t be right to just lock her in and leave her alone down here.”

  I almost snort. If it wasn’t for my promise to Quinn, I would have already shipped this kid’s ass back to her fucked up family. Leaving her locked up in a barren room shouldn’t be an issue.

  “After we get the stuff loaded in, I’ll leave someone down here to keep an eye on the door,” Paul offers.

  Evan shakes his head. “Nah, as long as someone checks on her every hour or so to make sure she isn’t getting herself into trouble, she’ll be fine.”

  Paul shrugs, indifferent either way.

  “Make sure whoever checks on her knows she doesn’t get out of this room unless it’s to use the bathroom, then she goes right back in.” Evan ticks off his fingers. “They aren’t to talk to her, make nice, or let her have visitors. This is a punishment.”

  “Won’t be an issue. I’m pretty sure everyone who works security knows the kind of shit she’s always trying to pull.”

  Chapter 29

  Quinn

  I wake up with a start, my heart beating fast. I look around, noting Griffin’s empty living room. The television is still on, but the guys are gone. I think back to my dream. It was about this morning, only instead of not seeing the person who hit me, I saw Michelle before she attacked, and she didn’t stop after one hit.

  I shake away the dream and stand slowly. I know I felt fine earlier, thanks to Griffin and his blood—I flush, wishing I could remember more about the exchange—but with the dream so fresh, I feel like I’m going to experience all the aches that were absent this morning.

  Once I realize I’m not suffering any lasting effects from the attack, I gingerly make my way to the bathroom and bedroom, expecting to find the guys sleeping, but the room is unoccupied. After emptying my bladder, I head into the kitchen to see if I somehow missed them, even though I already know I’m the only one here.

  Glancing at the clock, I note it’s not even that late yet. The guys probably went down to get something to eat, well, Evan anyway. I debate just curling back up on the couch, but the dream is still too fresh so I decide maybe I should go find them, I’m a little hungry myself.

  I pause before opening the door. A sliver of fear worms its way into my stomach at the thought of going outside these walls by myself. After a brief hesitation, I jerk the door open, mad that I gave into the fear even for a moment.

  A strangled scream leaves my throat when a figure spins on me as soon as the door opens. I don’t even think to slam the door closed, I freeze.

  Wes’s face comes into focus, his eyes are wild. I think I scared him just as much as he scared me. “What the hell?” I pant.

  “Holy shit, Quinn, you just gave me a heart attack.”

  “You? Why are you creeping in front of the door?” I look around the rest of the corridor. It’s empty.

  “Evan told me to watch the door until they get back.” Westly sags against the wall.

  “Where did they go?” I step out into the hall, leaving Griffin’s door open behind me.

  Wes blows out a heavy breath. “I didn’t ask.” He looks at me like I might be crazy for even posing the question.

  I hesitate in the doorway. I can’t really invite him in, it’s not my place, but I don’t want to abandon him in the hall alone while I go look for the guys. I leave a few feet of space between us and lean against the wall, figuring I might as well keep him company.

  Griffin

  The moment I reach the third floor, I realize her scent is far too strong for her to be in the room behind a closed door. I stomp up the hall and find Quinn sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Westly. Her head is thrown back as she laughs at something the fucker said.

  A snarl leaves my lips, which has Quinn sucking in a breath and her laughter dying when she sees me. “Is everything okay?” She pushes herself up off the floor and takes a few steps closer to me.

  Anyone else would have gone in the opposite direction, but she inches closer to the monster. I don’t know if I should applaud her bravery or kneel, humbled by her reaction. I reach my hand out to her and tug her closer. “Why are you out here?” I ask Quinn, but cut my eyes to Westly. He’s now standing too, but he definitely didn’t come closer to me. At least he’s not stupid.

  “I was going to go looking for you two.” Quinn pokes my side, pulling my attention from Westly. “Where’d you guys go?”

  Purposefully ignoring her question, Evan inquires, “Anyone come by?”

  “No one,” Westly reports quickly.

  Evan nods. “All right. Thanks for tonight. We can talk more tomorrow,” he says, dismissing the man.

  “Bye, Wes. Tell Alice I said hi. Remind her I’ll be down for lunch tomorrow.” Quinn allows me to tow her into my room while she’s talking. “And thanks for keeping me company,” she finishes over her shoulder.

  “Why are you even awake? You should be sleeping.” I bring her all the way to the couch and sit down.

  Quinn lifts her delicate brow and gives me a droll look. Maybe I phrased that wrong. Evan comes out of the kitchen with a beer in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. He hands the water to Quinn, who takes it happily.

  “How long were you out there?” Evan tilts his head toward the door.

  “Not long, half an hour maybe. Where have you guys been?”

  “Down getting Michelle settled.” Evan drops down on the other side of Quinn.

  “What about the man, what was his name?”

  “Leo.” I grunt. “He’s an idiot, but not the instigator. He’s down in a containment room too.” I lean back, wondering if I should have pushed Michelle harder. Maybe I should have just forced her to talk. I look over at Quinn, half tucked into my side, and realize I’m not willing to risk Quinn getting mad at me just to get the girl to talk. Eventually I’ll find out what she knows, but until then we just need to be more diligent in making sure Quinn is safe.

  Quinn chews on the corner of her lip. “Do you think her story makes sense? Michelle’s, I mean. It seems kind of harsh—hit first, ask questions later.” She must realize something about the whole story is off too.

  “It’s hard to say why she’d do something like that. Might just be because she thought she could get away with it.” Evan lifts his arms to the back of the sofa, relaxing.

  “But you’re right, something about this feels off, especially with all the other shit that’s happened. It’s too coincidental,” I add.

  “Not a great way to round off my first few weeks,” Quinn comments, as if anything about this is her fault. “I usually stay far away from drama.”

  Evan chuckles, he’s probably thinking the same thing I am—that was before you decided to come to an all supernatural school. I don’t think Quinn Shaw has ever been ordinary, but here she’s become extraordinary, at least to the two of us. “You’re not regretting coming here, are you?” he asks.

  Quinn blows out a raspberry. “Not a chance. What’s a little bump on the head and some blood?” I know she’s trying to make light of the occurrences, but the fact that any of that happened to her puts me in a position I’ve rarely had to deal with. I feel inadequate, like I’ve failed her.

  Evan curls his arms around her neck and pulls her a little closer to his side of the sofa. “We’ll make sure nothing like that happens again.” I couldn’t agree more.

  Quinn’s stomach chooses that moment to growl. She rests her hand over her stomach as if to hide the soun
d. A wave of hunger falls over me too, but the bagged stuff just isn’t going to cut it, not after tasting Quinn. “Hungry?”

  “A little.” Quinn shrugs.

  Evan stands. “I’ll go grab us something,” he offers before I can. Which is probably for the best, considering my taste and Quinn’s are vastly different. “Anything special you want?”

  Quinn twists her lips, thinking. “Whatever they have is okay, but I’ve been wanting something sweet all day if they have any dessert.”

  “They always have dessert. I’ll get you something.” Evan leans down and places a quick kiss on Quinn’s lips. She pushes up into him, catching his mouth. He grins down at her and she flushes and peeks at me from the corner of her eye. Evan has kissed her twice now—not that I’m counting or anything—yet I haven’t had the pleasure.

  “Be right back.” Evan saunters out the door. His scent is so strong that anyone he runs into will know he’s mated. Food and intimacy are important to all supernaturals. For vampires, it’s because feeding on each other while fucking is as natural as breathing. With shifters, it’s more about being able to provide for your mate, to make sure they are sated in every sense.

  I watch Quinn’s throat work as she swallows once Evan closes the door. She’s avoiding looking at me, probably worried about my reaction to her kissing Evan. I reach over and snag her hand from her lap, and place our intertwined fingers over my thigh. Who knew something as simple as holding hands would become so fucking important to me?

  Quinn takes a chance and peeks at me from the corner of her eye. I make sure my face is relaxed. I want her to know the kiss doesn’t bother me—unless she’s not planning on kissing me too, then I might get a little sour.

  Quinn

  Evan just kissed me like it was the most natural thing in the world. I have to admit, it felt that way to me too. Doubt only crept in once I realized Griffin was sitting right next to us. Is this something I can really handle? As much as I’d like to pretend my emotions aren’t getting tangled up in these two, it’s just not true.

  My heart quickens when I see them. I get butterflies when they look at me. Hell, I felt way too alone when I woke up and realized they were gone. Maybe it’s because I’m so isolated here, or maybe it’s because they’ve both been so protective and accepting of me, but the draw to be with them is strong.

  Stronger than I’ve ever felt before. And that scares me a little. How bad could this go if things didn’t work out? Even thinking about that this early creates a lot of pressure for it to work when we haven’t even decided to give it a go yet. Not to mention even with all the promises, Griffin and Evan may be planning on keeping this a lot more casual than I’m thinking, which is what I thought I wanted. Now I’m not so sure.

  “What are you thinking?” Griffin inquires, placing my hand in his.

  That’s a loaded question if I’ve ever heard one. I can’t tell him exactly what I’m thinking, that conversation this soon would probably scare him away. I’ve never been so unsure. At this stage of a relationship, it’s usually just fun. “I’m curious if you guys have done this before, you seem…comfortable with everything,” I murmur. Maybe I can figure out what they’re expecting by finding out what they’ve done in the past.

  Griffin strokes his finger against the inside of my palm. “Nothing like what we’re asking from you.”

  “Can you explain that?” I look into his turquoise eyes. It’s hard to see him as the same aloof guy I met the first night I moved in. Thinking back, I can see the encounter in a different light. Sure, he was a little brash, but now that I’ve gotten to know him a little more, I can see even then he was showing concern for me.

  Griffin breaks our stare and uses his free hand to rub down his face. I think my question makes him uncomfortable. “Evan is better at this sort of stuff.”

  “What sort of stuff? Talking?” I shake my hand, which is still folded under his. “You do just fine.” I’m not letting him off the hook that easily.

  “I’m too blunt.” He grunts.

  “Blunt is good sometimes. Especially when I’m so tangled up.”

  Griffin looks over at me as if he’s afraid of me or how I might react. He licks his bottom lip and I do the same in response. His eyes are drawn to my mouth. Even though that wasn’t my intention, it still makes my heartbeat faster. “I’m worried my brusqueness will freak you out.”

  “Try me.” I square up my shoulders, ready to hear what Griffin has to say. It’s better to know now than to let my heart become even more invested with these two men. If casual is what they want, I’ll have to determine if it’d really worth it, considering how much I could lose in the long run, and I’m honest enough with myself to know it would be more than just my job in jeopardy.

  Griffin glances at the door as if he’s trying to decide if he should spit it out or not. He nods, coming to some conclusion. “I have a deal for you. You let me kiss you—” He scans my body in a way that makes me feel like he wants a lot more than a kiss. “And I’ll tell you.”

  “You want to kiss me first?” Griffin dips his chin once in response to my question. “Okay.” I hold up my finger when he immediately leans closer. “You have to be direct. I need to know exactly what to expect,” I warn.

  “When I’m done, you won’t have any questions about what we want.” Griffin’s voice is deliciously deep.

  “Okay,” I breathe.

  The next second his lips are on mine. He’s not soft or teasing. Griffin crashes into me, barreling right past any defenses I might have erected, and claims a piece of me that I didn’t even know was available for the taking. Once he slides his tongue past my lips, he softens his advance, but reaches his hands up to cradle my cheeks, holding me to him.

  I stretch up and grip his wrists—whether it’s to hold him in place or hold on for the ride, I don’t know. It doesn’t even matter. What matters is the way I feel when he’s touching me, like I’m going to fall apart and be made whole again in the same second.

  Griffin curls closer, using his entire body as he kisses me. The tip of his tongue finally touches mine, and I sigh into his mouth in submission. He steals the soft noise I make for his own, further confirming just how much I’m willing to give.

  One hand traces up my jaw and threads into my hair, his fingers curling, and my neck arches in response. His lips chase mine, demanding I allow him access, all while I’m wondering if breathing is even really that important. Griffin bumps his nose into mine in a nuzzle and it sends a shot of affection into my belly, followed by a spark of lust.

  I freeze when I feel his teeth sink into my bottom lip. My chest aches to exhale, but everything inside me is focused on the one small spot he’s fixated on. Realization dawns. I want him to bite me, I want to know what it feels like to give someone so powerful my blood. I already admitted to myself I was disappointed I didn’t remember him biting me the first time, or what he gave me in return.

  A dark tendril of resentment for Michelle gets my heart thundering and I exhale. Griffin releases my lip and dives right back into kissing me like my mouth holds some secret he needs to discover. Feeling bolder, I push against him and slide my tongue into his mouth. He pauses mid-stroke and tightens his fist in my hair.

  I’ve only glimpsed Griffin’s fangs a few times. I think he purposefully hides them from me, and that’s not acceptable. Not anymore. I’ve studied vampire physiology for years. I know his teeth are sensitive, and my curiosity is too strong to deny, so I flick my tongue over, and I’m rewarded with the sensation of his sharp fang against my tongue.

  Griffin jerks back, breaking the kiss. He looks down at me with an expression I can’t decipher. His eyes are bright, and the pupils are blown wide as he stares. I taste the metallic tang of blood, but I don’t know where it came from, so I move my tongue around my mouth, searching. Griffin inhales sharply and drops his gaze to my lips.

  “I cut you.” He pulls down my bottom lip with his thumb, his eyes transfixed there.

  “If yo
u did, it wouldn’t be your fault.” My voice is husky. I don’t know why he stopped the kiss. I sure didn’t want him to. I flick my tongue out and slide it over the pad of his thumb. Griffin freezes, he’s as still as a statue.

  His eyes close slowly and he exhales through parted lips. “Do you still want to know what I want from you?” Finally, he opens his eyes, and his pupils have shrunk to tiny pinpricks. It just showcases the unusual, beautiful color of his gaze even more.

  I nod, incapable of speech at this point. “I want your everything, your always. Your blood sings to me.” He closes his eyes again and leans down to seal his mouth to mine. His tongue dips into my mouth and curls around my own.

  My body responds to his, returning the kiss even though my mind is still trying to understand his words. Griffin leans over me and nudges me backward until I’m half lying on the sofa. He follows me down so I’m surrounded by him. My thoughts scatter, not making sense of what he said, and not really caring to focus on anything other than the weight of his body against mine, and the feel of his hands as they begin to explore my sides, inching higher up my body.

  His lips leave my parted mouth, and he kisses his way across my cheek and jaw until I can feel his breath near my ear. Gooseflesh erupts on my skin and I squirm under him. Griffin skates his hand under the back of my knee and he lifts my leg, so he’s cradled between my thighs. “I have never wanted anyone the way I want you.” He places tiny kisses along my jaw. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you time to adjust.” More kisses, as if he’s asking for forgiveness.

  I curl my fists into the back of his shirt, gripping him closer. Who needs more time? Not me.

  “We will treasure you, Quinn.” I arch under him, it sure feels like he’s treasuring me right now with the way his tongue is tracing up the side of my throat. His words promise a future, one I’m not sure I should trust considering everything he’s saying could just be explained by the fog of lust, but for some reason I do trust him and his words.