Page 88 of Havenfall Harbor
She bites her bottom lip and her hands slide off her hips. She knows he’s speaking the truth. The delicate balance between the species is fragile at best, volatile at worst.
“Promise you’ll include me on what happens. That I can be there,” she demands, looking between the two of us.
I again keep my mouth closed. Evan already promised we wouldn’t kill whoever is responsible, which is more than she’s going to get out of me. There’s still a very big chance that kids had nothing to do with this, and even if it were kids, I don’t buy the accident theory at all.
“Promise,” Quinn insists.
Evan’s jaw ticks and I hear his molars grinding. He’s going to agree, I know he is. Before he can concede, I distract her. “What do we get in return?”
The moment the words are out of my mouth I realize just how they sound. When Quinn turns her head slowly to face me, her eyes are narrowed with a glare. I know exactly what she’s thinking, but that’s not what I meant. I wanted her to promise she would let us handle it. Our methods might not be human, but they will be humane if it really was kids and just some sort of accident. Before I can tell her that, she straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin.
“Whatever you want.” The answer is pulled from behind her clenched teeth. I can’t help the place my mind takes her response to. I could make her agree to stay with me, with us.
Quinn never fails to surprise me with her reactions. I don’t know if everything about her intrigues me because I’ve kept myself so isolated from everyone, or if it’s truly something only she can elicit from me. She’s willing to do anything for a group of kids she doesn’t even know.
I bend forward so my lips are right near her ear. Quinn inhales quickly, holding her breath, but she doesn’t make any other outward signs I’m affecting her. I, however, can hear her blood rushing through her body, pooling in areas that are far too intriguing to explore right now. My nearness excites her.
My bottom lip brushes her earlobe, and I have to lock my teeth together to prevent my tongue from lashing out to caress the flesh. “Even your submission?” As soon as I open my mouth to speak, I lose the battle not to taste her. The breath she was holding huffs out of her parted lips. The words I chose were purposeful. I do want her submission, but only if it’s given freely.
I pull back, a grin made of sin tugging at my mouth, because I know she will have misinterpreted my words. That was the point. “We need you to promise to let us handle this in a way that is fitting for our kind. You have to promise not to be angry with us over this, not to hold it against us.”
Quinn blows out another shaky breath, her eyes centered between Evan and me. If she thought I was going to take the choice to be with us away from her, she was wrong. I want her willing, craving, and desiring us the way we do her. Using this to get her to agree to be with us would ruin that, and I’m not letting her off the hook so easily. I think she already wants what we are offering, now we just need her to admit it.
Evan
Fucking hell,the blast of lust that emanates from Quinn when Griff whispers in her ear has me shifting to adjust my dick. One second I’m about to promise her what-the-hell-ever she wants, the next my dick is so hard I feel a little woozy from blood loss to my brain.
Griff bargains for her acceptance while I’m still wondering if my pants are going to be enough to hold my dick down.
“Anything else?” She finally looks at him with feigned indifference. I smother a smile. If she had any idea how much her body gives away, I know she would be mortified. I make a promise to myself to tell her as soon as I know it won’t have her running for the hills. I can’t wait to see that pink flush across her cheeks.
Griff traces his eyes over her chest that’s rising and falling a little faster than usual, then down the rest of her body. “You still have to stay with us.” He tilts his head to include me. “I know you think this was an accident, but I’m not convinced. We still want you with us.”
I nod my head like I’m mute when she glances over at me for confirmation. If I did speak, it would probably be more of a growl than actual words.
Quinn tosses her hands in the air. “Fine, whatever. You’re going to get sick of me hogging your bed at some point,” she snaps, like it’s some sort of warning.
“Hardly.” Griff actually rolls his eyes and reaches out, snagging Quinn and drawing her closer to us. With deft movements, he spins her and places her between us so we’re all facing the same direction. She gives him a glare, but allows him to manhandle her. “Let’s go see what we can find out about Melissa.”
“Michelle,” I correct him. “Minka and Michelle.”
“Do you know them?” Quinn inquires, walking between us until the path narrows, forcing us into single file.
“I do,” I admit, without hiding the tiredness in my tone. “Michelle is a bit of a troublemaker.” I look over my shoulder at Griff. “Unblooded vamp, keeps trying to sneak into the staff wing.” I’m sure that’s enough to refresh his memory.
“Shit,” he curses.
“Yeah, pretty much,” I agree, using my keycard to enter the building.
“Why does she keep trying to get into the staff wing?” Quinn questions, keeping her voice down now that we’re back indoors.
Griff reaches over and folds his hand over Quinn’s. I wish I didn’t need to remind him who this girl is—hell, I wish it wasn’t her. Michelle has been caught trying to sneak into the staff wing three times. One of those times she made it all the way up to Griff’s room. It’s not a stretch to assume that was her destination every time. Now he’s going to blame himself for what happened to Quinn more than ever.
“It’s my fault,” Griff tells Quinn, confirming my suspicions about him condemning himself.
“It’s not,” I admonish him. “She’s just a young girl with a crush.” I make sure Griff sees me as I say this. I hope he can read the rest of what my face is saying without words. She isn’t Eva.
Griff steps even closer to Quinn, keeping her hand in his as we make our way over to the student dorms.
