“Fucking with any of it will get them dead,” I add, just in case they think they can get blood from somewhere else to soak the buds.
Quinn
My hands are still shaking, and we’re almost back to the school. Griffin acted like he was ready to kill that boy. “Was it your blood?” I finally ask when I feel like my voice will be level.
“No, it was yours,” Griffin snarls.
“What?” I whisper, not understanding how that’s even possible. “But I never donated blood.”
“I know.” His words are a little softer, but still fused with anger.
“Then how?”
Griffin turns to the side so he can look at me from the front seat. “When else have you bled here?”
My first thought is my period, the only time I usually bleed, which gives me full body chills, but then I remember the attack. Evan and Griffin both said I lost a lot of blood. My brain starts trying to work through how that would have happened. I can’t picture someone risking gathering my blood after hitting me, considering how they could have gotten caught.
“You think someone bonked me on the head and stuck around long enough to mop up my blood so they could reuse it later for this?” Saying it out loud makes it sound even more crazy.
“Do you have another explanation on where they would have gotten it?” Evan questions.
“I mean, I donated blood at college a few times, but that’s a crazy long shot. What are the chances someone got my blood way out here?” I shake my head, finding that even more absurd.
“Not likely. It’s more likely the attack was planned, unlike what Michelle said.” Griffin’s shoulders are tense, and the lines of his body seem tight, even while sitting in the front seat.
“What do you think that means?” I inquire, feeling foolish for insisting on stopping at the store now that it seems like I could truly be in danger. I’ve been dismissing Griffin and Evan’s concerns until now.
“I don’t know, but I will find out,” Griffin vows as Evan pulls the SUV into the garage and parks it. I take a deep breath and open my door to exit. Why does everything seem to be getting more and more complicated?
“We’re going to have to address the entire staff again,” Evan tells Griffin as we make our way back into the school.
“I know,” he mumbles.
“What about the students? Most of them probably already know or suspect what’s been going on. We need to warn them that Wet could be just as dangerous as sippin’.”
“Who do you suggest should lead this antidrug campaign?” Griffin asks drolly. He’s been distant, gruff, and angry since we left the boys at the park.
When we reach the main lobby, I turn toward the hall and the elevator. “I’m going to head up, unless you want me somewhere else.”
“I’ll take you up,” Evan replies without consulting Griffin.
“Go on, meet me in my office when you’re done.” Griffin doesn’t even look at me as he walks toward the school wing. I try not to take offence. I get he has a lot on his mind.
I give Evan a tight smile when he looks over at me after watching Griffin’s retreating form. He opens his mouth as if he’s about to make an excuse for his friend, but he rolls his lips into a firm line instead. I loop my arm through his and pull him a little to get him moving.
Evan steers us toward the elevator instead of the stairs. The doors open swiftly, and I begin digging through my bag to find my key. My hand hits one of the boxes, and I look over at Evan.
“Are you coming in or…”
“Yeah,” Evan answers immediately. It’s probably not the best time to give him the ring, but I don’t really feel like putting it off either.
Evan flips the lock after following me in, and I take my shoes off but keep hold of my purse. I’m not sure how long he’s going to stay, so I might as well give it to him now. I flip open the box while it’s still secured in my bag to make sure I have the right ring. I take it as a good sign that it was the first one I grabbed.
“Hey, I know you need to get going, but I wanted to give you this. It’s not a big deal. I just thought since I have” —I place my left hand on my right shoulder, covering his mating mark— “this, you could have something from me.” I extend my left hand and offer him the little box.
Evan’s brows dip low as he looks at my hand. His eyes leap up to mine before he slowly reaches to take the box as if I might snatch it back before he can grab it. Using two fingers and his thumb, he picks up the little package and turns it around, examining it. “What is it?” he whispers, returning his gaze to mine.
“It’s a present. Open it.” Geez, he’s acting like he’s never received a gift before. The hinge gives a little groan when he flips the lid open. It takes him a moment to look down, but when he does, he frowns.
My stomach sinks. He doesn’t like it. I watch him maneuver the little box in his big hand until he’s clasping the ring. “You don’t have to wear it.” I feel self-conscious, so I don’t watch his face. Evan tosses the box onto the sofa without care and examines the ring even more closely, turning it left and right, watching the colors of the resin shift like water in the sea.
After what feels like minutes, Evan folds the ring into his palm and holds it tightly. I take a quick step backwards when he damn near tackles me in a hug. He’s embracing me so snugly, my arms are trapped at my sides. “You like it?” I ask softly.
“Do I like it?” Evan places his curled hand on my cheek, keeping the ring in his fist, and cradles my face with his other open palm. His eyes are wide as he looks down at me. “You’re claiming me.” His whisper is filled with awe.
“I suppose I am. Other supernaturals might already know we belong to each other, but that will tell everyone else.”
Evan drops his lips to mine and kisses me almost before I’m even done speaking. I wrap my arms around his waist and run my hands up his wide back. He shifts in a way that makes me feel as if he’s rising to my touch. There’s nothing rushed or frantic about this kiss as Evan tangles his tongue with mine, allowing me to savor every second.
Eventually, the kiss slows, until we’re sharing pecks as if neither of us really wants to stop. “Are you even going to try it on?” I chuckle between smooches. “If it doesn’t fit, we can get another one made.”
“I still can’t believe this is what you were doing.” He pulls back a little, then opens his palm near his face so he can examine the ring closely again.
I pluck it out of his hand, and he gapes at me like he can’t believe I took it from him. “I thought it looked like the ocean,” I tell him, twisting it from left to right while it catches the light. “I don’t know why it felt so right, but it does.” I hold it out to him again, pinched between my forefinger and thumb.
He snatches it away from me swiftly, like he thinks I’m going to try to keep it. I watch as he puts it on his left ring finger, exactly where I hoped he would. It slides over his knuckle, but he has to twist it to get it the rest of the way down. His face lights up with unabashed joy. “It fits!”
“Are you sure it’s not cutting off your circulation? It seems a little snug,” I ask dubiously.
Evan wiggles his fingers in response, testing it. “No, see?” He makes a fist a few times, he even spins it around a little.
“If it’s uncomfortable we can get a bigger one, just saying,” I remind him.
“I don’t want another one.” He shakes his head. “This one is perfect. I love it, and I love you, Quinn.”
My stomach hollows out at his proclamation, but then a burst of butterflies takes flight, making me feel slightly giddy and way too excited. “I love you too. It’s crazy, but I do.” Evan is kissing me again, and this time, it’s hungrier. He’s still tender, but it’s like my body knows there’s something different. I soften against him, loving the feel of his hard body against mine and the way he makes me feel small and delicate, cherished.
His hand skims up my back, sliding up my shirt. His calloused fingertips make me want
to shiver in the best way. Evan backs up, encouraging me to come with him, until the chair is right behind him. He lowers himself, and I follow right after, trading kisses and caresses the entire time. Seated like this, with me straddling him, we’re a much better match for height.
Evan glides his hand up the front of my shirt this time, cupping my breast through my bra as he slides his tongue against mine. His phone chimes abruptly, interrupting the quiet apartment and startling me.
He lets out a growl and shifts his hips a little, reaching for his phone. Though not designed to make me whimper, that’s what I feel like doing when it makes the bulge I’m currently sitting on push up against me.
“What?” he barks into the phone, not even looking at who the caller is. I hear a slight mumble, but I can’t make out the voice. Evan lets out a long sigh, and his shoulders sink right along with his head and neck until his forehead is against my collarbone. Slowly, he pulls his hand off my breast and wraps his arm around my back, still under my shirt. I know without him telling me our stolen moment is gone, but that’s okay. There’s always later, I tell myself.
“I’ll be over in a minute.” He ends the call and drops the phone, so it’s swallowed up between the side of the chair and the cushion. “I need to go,” he needlessly tells me.
I brace my hands on his shoulders and step off his lap. “Everything okay?” It’s kind of a silly question, but I’m just wondering if anything else has cropped up.
“Yes, no.” Evan rises from the chair and kind of shakes his leg a few times before eventually just reaching into his pants and adjusting his dick. It doesn’t do much to hide the fact that he’s hard, but it must help with his comfort level because he stops fidgeting.
“Was it Griffin?” I pry.
“Yeah,” he replies, but doesn’t tell me what he said. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be,” he says instead.
“I understand.” I reach into the side of the chair to retrieve his phone, then hand it back to him. Evan gives me a lopsided smile, making me think he’d already forgotten about it.
He walks toward the door but turns back to face me. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything. I’ll just be downstairs. I don’t want to sound like a dick, but if you need to leave the room for anything, call first, please.”
“No, I get it now. And you didn’t sound like a jerk, you asked nicely.” I force myself to smile, even though I hate feeling like I’m just another burden.
Evan stomps back over and swoops down for one final hard peck. He doesn’t linger after, just orders, “Lock the door,” before disappearing through it.
I look around, wondering how I’m going to distract myself.
Chapter 25
Griffin
When Evan storms into my office, I don’t take it personal. I know this shit with Quinn is on both of our minds, not to mention we need to figure out if we’re going to have a horde of newly transitioned vampires falling into bloodlust on our hands.
Then there’s the fact that I can smell Quinn’s arousal on him, and I know my interruption was even more poorly timed. He’s stiff when he drops into one of the chairs. When his hand moves, drawing my attention, I see a ring encircling one of his fingers.
So that’s what Quinn was doing in the jewelry store, I muse. I had my suspicions, but I did try to offer her as much privacy as I could. However, my beast is so attuned to her that I knew there were only one or two options, and the jewelry store, especially after our conversation about engagement rings, seemed the most likely.
I spin the ring on my thumb while observing the one she gave Evan. It’s not made of metal, instead it’s a mixture of blues and browns. “What’s that?” I ask, even though I know exactly what it is.
Evan moves his pinky finger in a way that makes the ring spin a bit. He’s never worn jewelry to my knowledge, so it probably feels foreign on his finger. He looks down at his hand, and a stupid smile lifts his lips. Bloody hell, is that what I look like when I think of Quinn? “My present,” he states proudly.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if I get one too, but I manage to refrain. “Is that what took you so long?” I drawl. The bear has more willpower than me at the moment. I probably wouldn’t have been able to pull myself away from her once I knew I had her secured. It’s part of the reason I didn’t go with him to take her up to the room. Everything in me is demanding I make sure she is safe, and finding her blood on the drugs in town is only making the compulsion worse.
“No, what took so long was the part where I was showing my gratitude—well, when I tried before you interrupted me.” He doesn’t sound so happy anymore.
Even though it makes me an asshole, I don’t apologize. The ring glints again, catching the light and winking at me. A sour feeling invades my stomach, and I realize I’m jealous. I want to storm up to the room and demand she give me one too, but will she? Even if she does, she’ll probably want to take it back after tomorrow.
I push those thoughts out of my head and explain to Evan why it was so important he leave her and come down so I could talk to him. I’m pretty sure it’s going to take some time to convince him it’s the right thing to do, but I can’t think of any better options.
Quinn isn’t safe here, not right now, and her safety is my number one priority, even if what I have to do to ensure that pisses her off.
Quinn
It was late when Evan and Griffin finally returned home. I was already in bed, having a fitful night’s sleep, but after Griffin slid in behind me and Evan snuggled his big warm body against me, I relaxed enough to get a good few hours of rest.
I’m the first one to wake, which isn’t unusual. There’s enough light coming from the crack in the curtains that when I turn over to see Evan, I find what I’m looking for—my claim, as he called it. His hand is lying on his bare chest as he saws in and out deep even breaths.
A lazy smile teases my lips. I can’t believe he shoved that thing on. It seemed way too tight, but he was determined. I roll onto my back and turn so I can see Griffin. Even in sleep, he looks annoyed, his mouth pulled down in a heavy frown. Not wanting to wake either of them, I lie in bed for a long while, thinking about everything that’s happened over the last several days. I don’t come up with any resolution before I force myself to climb out of bed. It’s Monday, and I have several meetings scheduled, the first starting in a few hours.
I let Evan and Griffin sleep while I shower and get ready for the day. When I’m done, I slip out into the living room and grab Griffin’s ring from my bag, taking it out of the box. I have a plan. Who knows if it will work, but I’m going to try.
Griffin has rolled onto his side, away from Evan, in my absence. I take a second to make sure the ring I’m looking at is on his left hand, then I crouch near the side of the bed.
I bite my lip, contemplating if I should remove the one that’s already there. It could be important to him. It’s a wide silver band with a thin line of gold circling the middle, and it could easily pass for a wedding ring, but it’s not one I gave him.
Decision made, I twist it a bit to check the fit, hoping I will be able to wiggle it off. It turns surprisingly easily, but pulling it off his finger may be another story. A little thrill of excitement makes me draw in a shaky breath, thinking it may be possible, and then I wonder how long it will take him to notice the difference.
I peek up at his face. He hasn’t moved a muscle, even the frown is still in place. I pull the ring over his knuckle, and it slips right out of my hand and falls to the floor with a thud. When I look back up at Griffin, his eyes are wide open, but nothing else has changed, not even his breathing. It’s kind of freaky.
“What are you doing on the floor?” he asks softly. I lean forward and place my hand over the ring that fell so he doesn’t see it. Damn, that thing was heavy. “I dropped something. Sorry if I woke you,” I whisper.
He looks down at my crouched form. “You’re dressed.” His brows furrow. Before I can come up with a response, he snak
es his arms out, snatches me up, and flips me over his body, then curls over me.
I yelp and the new ring flies from my hand, hitting the wall with a clink in the process. I’m flat on my back with Griffin leaning over me, and my heart is beating fast. “You weren’t thinking of leaving, were you?” His voice is dark, almost menacing as he stares down at me.
I shake my head, since my tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth. The uptake in my pulse and breathing might seem like I’m frightened, but I’m not. The only time Griffin ever scares me is when I realize how much I’m relying on him not to hurt me, even though I know he’s fully capable of it with just words alone.
Griffin slowly lowers his body until our chests are touching. “Now tell me, sweets, what you were really doing on the floor.” His tone is softer, more seductive, demonstrating he must have believed me when I said I wasn’t trying to leave.
I lick my lips, distracted by his proximity. “I’m telling the truth. I dropped something.”
Griffin lowers his head, brushing his cheek along mine until his lips are near my ear. “Then why does your pulse flutter like a scared little rabbit’s when you say it?”
I swallow. He’s reminding me he would know if I ever tried to lie to him. I’m not even really lying, and he knows it. “I was trying to give you a surprise,” I admit.
“Any good surprise would involve you naked in my bed.” His lips caress my ear, and I close my eyes.
“Now we’ll never know if you would have liked this surprise because you ruined it,” I tease, but I keep my voice low in an effort not to wake Evan.
Griffin pushes his knee between my legs. “Is that so?” I nod, wishing I didn’t have these clothes on. “I don’t think that’s very fair. All I did was wake up.”
“You hurled me across the bed,” I point out.
“Again, not my fault. I was just trying to make sure you were comfortable.”
I click my tongue, then reach up and run my fingers through his dark hair. A teasing Griffin has the ability to make me happy, just like a grumpy Griffin can tick me off.
Havenfall Harbor Book Two: Paranormal Ménage Romance MFM Page 26
