Page 30 of Havenfall Harbor
The pilot’s voice fills the cabin. “We’re cleared for takeoff and should land at Willow Run Airport in just under two hours.” I feel the wheels begin rolling forward the moment the pilot’s voice floats away.
“You should put on your seatbelt,” I tell Griffin, who hasn’t bothered to buckle up yet.
His brows pinch, but he reaches back for the straps. “I’m a vampire, you know,” he mumbles under his breath.
“Oh, yes, I must have forgotten you’re a big baddy with how sweet and cuddly you’ve suddenly become,” I snark back, and immediately regret it. “I’m sorry, I’m nervous, you have been quite considerate.”
The weight on my chest increases as the jet’s speed surges. The wheels lift off the ground, and the rough bumpiness of the runway disappears from beneath us. The rise is pretty smooth, my tummy tumbling a few times when we dip until the pilot levels us out.
I slowly start to relax when it doesn’t feel like the small aircraft is going to rattle apart. “Not so bad, eh?” Evan offers after a few minutes.
I blow out a raspberry. “So much better than I was expecting, but then again, I’ve never flown on a private jet before. I might be able to get used to this.” The words no sooner come out of my mouth and we experience a bout of turbulence. I wrap my hands around the armrests like claws, digging in.
I feel Griffin’s cool fingers land on mine. “It’s okay, Max knows what he’s doing.”
“It doesn’t feel like he does.” In my mind, I know turbulence doesn’t down a plane, but it sure feels like you’re going to fall out of the sky when you’re experiencing it. I drop my chin to my chest, my breaths coming out short and choppy.
“Hey, Quinn, look up,” Evan coaxes. “Griff, loosen her belt a little.”
I grab for the latch. “Don’t you dare,” I growl.
“Just so you can take a deep breath, you’re going to hyperventilate if you keep this up.” Griffin runs his fingertip over my index finger a few times and my hands relax.
“You know a lot about breathing, do you?” My sassy comment to Griffin earns me a snort from Evan.
“In fact, I do. I know that right now you’re taking deeper breaths, pulling in more air, pumping more oxygen into your blood.” Griffin keeps stroking the tip of his finger over mine after releasing a few inches of the belt, and I find myself taking deeper and deeper breaths. He’s right.
“Good job, Quinn, and see, we’re fine,” Evan promises.
I assess what’s happening and we do seem to be out of the rougher patch of air. “Ugh, I’m not usually such a chicken, sorry.” I tilt my head back and close my eyes.
“A chicken wouldn’t have gotten on the flight, Quinn. You’re brave, even it if doesn’t feel like it right now. You’re doing something that frightens you to help a young boy, a low pack shifter that can’t offer you anything in return. Don’t be sorry.” His words are spoken with sincerity. I turn my head a look at Griffin.
Our eyes meet and there’s something more there than just the lust I’ve been feeling. I’m sure everyone who sees him feels that. It’s like he’s seeing me, and not just for the face my mother blessed me with. “Thanks,” I whisper, not sure what else to say in response.
When I face forward again, I notice Evan observing us from the corner of my eye. He slowly turns until he’s no longer watching us, and all I can see is the side of his face.
A few seconds of awkward silence hang over our small group. I move my foot and end up kicking my things on the floor, which gives me an idea.
After retrieving my bag, I plop it on my lap. It only takes me a few moments to find the book I jotted the notes down in. “So, I talked with Riley and she told me about a few places they used to crash, and where the pack land is located.”
Evan leans over to peer at my little notebook. “Why don’t we sit back there?” He hooks his thumb over his shoulder. I look back and see a four-seater dinette table with plush recliner-like chairs. I glance around, expecting someone to tell me not to move about the cabin, but it’s just us.
“Okay, I guess, that would probably be easier.” I unbuckle my belt after Evan rises. He motions for me to stand and go ahead of him. I don’t like sitting by the window, so I take the outside seat again. This time Evan is the one to sit next to me while Griffin sits across the polished table.
After tucking my hair behind my ears, I flip open the book and read aloud a few of the things that Riley told me about Jacob. “So, she said they stayed with an uncle a lot.”
“Probably not a real uncle,” Evan muses. When I look over at him, he explains, “Uncle, aunt, and even cousin is just how packs address each other, so an uncle could mean any male in the pack who is older than Riley.”
“Why automatically assume it’s not a blood uncle though?” Evan tips up one shoulder at my question.
“A lot of the packs out that way are basically loners that banded together for protection or out of necessity. Laws vary with every pack. Some still use old regulations for arranged matings, among other outdated customs. It’s likely she wasn’t born to that pack.”
“Arranged matings, like arranged marriages?” I can’t keep the horror out of my tone.
“It’s still pretty common.” Evan uses the tip of his finger to pull the notebook closer to him. I can’t tell if the conversation is making him uncomfortable or if he just wants to move on. Honestly, though, I’m fascinated.
“So you don’t have like fated mates?” I’ve read a few textbooks that alluded to a connection among shifters that’s almost uncontrollable, but there’s not much information beyond that.
