Escape: Haven Ansley Porter Book 3

By D. J. Humphries

Haven's story picks up right where book 2 left off in this mid-arc tale - Escape.

The Trickster has claimed Haven as his fated mate, his destined mate, the only person he can be with, and yet, Haven has no attraction to him. Or... she doesn't at first...? She's surprised to discover that the longer he's around, the less that he bothers her, despite the fact that her feelings haven't changed in the slightest about her own men. It doesn't help things that Haven's powers have been changing, growing, though they are truly starting to figure out who she is and what she can do. In the midst of the chaos, they learn that to keep Levi sane, he'll have to join or start his own pack, which would be fine if Levi wanted to run a pack, or if their new home wasn't already surrounded by other supernatural groups.

After returning to help out with Marcos' pack, Haven gets pulled back into the strangeness that she couldn't quite sort out the last time they were in town. Just as she thinks things are starting to sort themselves out, of course something goes wrong! Caught in a bad situation, completely separated from the people she cares about, will she be able to escape?

This series is officially a slow-burn "behind-closed-doors" reverse harem and is LGBTQ+ friendly.

• Language: English
• Publisher: D. J. Humphries
• Release date: Nov 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005251550

D. J. Humphries

I have been writing fiction stories for about as long as I have been able to hold a pen/pencil. My story files grew as I got my own computers, and I have carried them with me from one computer to another throughout the years. Despite my best attempts, I am always drawn back to the fantasy genre and find that I best understand my characters for those stories; I enjoy their travels and seeing where they take me probably as much as my readers will.Born and raised in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia area, I have been exposed to the Southern (U.S.) culture throughout my life. However, a recent move to Indiana has opened up my experiences even more and I have greatly loved the midwestern culture I have been experiencing! Writing (and reading) has always allowed me to explore other cultures, other worlds, and other lifestyles. My love of travel has not been fully realized, but I intend to use it to further my worldview and bring my readers even more fantastic stories!

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Haven Ansley Porter – Book 3

D. J. Humphries

©2022 D. J. Humphries

Table of Contents

Prelude

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Letter to Readers

Sneak Peek – Book 4

Other Works

Prelude

Things had gone downhill and fast.

I had forced myself to take that last job because I had thought I was being ridiculous by avoiding working after the incident with Zagreus – I mean, really, what were the chances that any other jobs would result in my dating a murderous demigod and almost getting myself killed when I got rid of the demigod...? And I guess that none of that had happened again, but it really wasn’t much better.

I’d gone to the town to check for paranormal activity at an apartment complex that this young entrepreneur was planning to buy, a psychic inspection she had called it. The inspection had led to the discovery of a hidden tomb, the deaths of far too many emergency personnel, and essentially the weirdest perpetual occurrence I had ever come across, amongst a few other things. I’d done all I could for Amber Regoli, my client, and had finally had to just leave because there wasn’t anything I could actually fix at the complex.

That, alone, drove me insane – I hated leaving things unfinished. Between being unable to do anything more about the apartment complex, the real reason I had gone there in the first place, needing to get away from the wolf shifter packleader that had decided he liked me, and wanting to get the Trickster that had been plaguing the town with his idiotic tricks away from the town, we had packed up and left.

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the Trickster from pulling another trick and killing a young feline shifter when we’d stopped to eat on the drive to our new place. He said I was his fated mate but I had serious doubts about that, and not just because I couldn’t stand him.

I had my guys, too many of them for my head to wrap fully around, really, and they were all I needed. My best friend and Demon Hunter turned polar bear shifter, Taylor, my ever-aware King of Hell, Karis, my insanely flamboyant archangel, Ezekiel, and my newest sweet wolf shifter, Levi. They were more than enough for any sane person, and my brain still couldn’t seem to wrap around the fact that my heart, and my soul, had decided I needed all four of them.

Between us, surely, we could find a way to get rid of the Trickster even though he was supposedly immortal... right?

Chapter 1

I don’t honestly know how long the trip to the new house took since I had fallen asleep against Levi soon after I’d leaned against him. I had thought that all of the chaos would keep me awake, but that hadn’t been the case. Levi actually had to nudge me to get me to wake up and when I opened my eyes and looked out the window, I was confused. 

We were outside of a mansion – granted, it was a small mansion, so maybe it was more of an estate than a mansion… Still, it was huge, brick, with white columns running the length of the two-story front porch and numerous windows lining both floors. I sat up slowly and looked out the other window to see that we’d driven down a long driveway with trees lining both sides, their branches reaching toward each other in the air across the path to create almost a tunnel. 

Where...? I trailed off into a yawn and Levi chuckled softly beside me while he unfastened my seatbelt and pulled me over into his lap. 

You’re so cute, he whispered across my ear, And you’re going to be really angry in a bit so let me enjoy the adorableness a little longer. 

Angry...? Why was I having such a hard time shaking off my sleep? It might have had something to do with how quiet the Rover was and how comfy Levi’s lap was. I curled up with my head against his chest and he chuckled again. 

"Elskling, do try to wake up, he quietly insisted, Everyone else is inside the new house." My fingers trailed down the chain around his neck and traced across the pentacle. 

You’re so warm, I mumbled as his arms wrapped more solidly around me and his cheek fell to rest on the top of my head. 

"I love my necklace, Elskling, but... I wish you would mark me... especially with this newest threat we’re dealing with..." he murmured, and my fingers trailed absently across his chest up to his shoulder. 

I don’t know how, I sighed, And I don’t want to know how.... 

"Even if you could make them permanent so that the Trickster couldn’t remove them so he’d be less inclined to threaten us to keep you under control...? Seeing as hurting us would hurt you, in that situation...." His voice was so low I hardly heard him, but as his words started to truly take hold of my sleepy brain, my fingers froze on his arm. 

Does that kind of marking hurt anyone? I wondered quietly, hoping against all hope that he’d just presented me with a loophole. 

Tiny little baby bit, he admitted with a shrug, It’s like a bug bite for the one being marked. It’s truly permanent, though, and I know how you feel about permanent marks. 

Permanently mark them... Permanently link them directly to me.... 

What if one of us dies...? Even of natural causes...? I questioned while I stared across the backseat without actually seeing anything; my mind was too busy sorting through the repercussions of such a mark. 

"Truth, Elskling? He asked it so hesitantly that I knew I wouldn’t like the answer, still I nodded. If you mark us, we get your lifespan... You’re a goddess, whether you want to admit it or not, so you’re really, technically immortal... so we’d really, technically, be immortal, too. He paused and sucked in such a deep breath that it actually shifted me in his lap. Immortals are nearly impossible to kill... but if we died, you’d take a bit of a power hit, maybe develop a new weakness...." He trailed off and I tapped my fingers on his arm.

"If I died?" 

He took another deep breath and muttered under his breath, Then we’d die. 

Nope. Nuh-uh. Not happening, I blurted and felt his deep sigh. 

He’ll keep threatening to kill us, then... and he could do it from what you’ve said. 

They were all in danger because we cared about each other. How was that fair? 

"Isn’t there some middle ground… between a mark that the Trickster could easily remove and one that would make you die with me…?" 

A linking ritual, or hand-fasting, like Marcos does for the pair at a mating ceremony… but that’s one-to-one and I don’t know if you can have more than one, and I seriously doubt that the Trickster would stand idly by and let you get those put on everyone…. 

Yeah, there was no way that the Trickster was going to let me pretty much marry my guys that he deemed beneath him.... Plus, I wasn’t really prepared for that – calling them my boyfriends was one thing, but marrying them...? I actually shook my head, forgetting for a minute that I was curled up in Levi’s lap inside the back of the Rover. 

I don’t know what to do, I admitted almost silently, There’s no way he’d let me put permanent marks on all of you either.... 

Except those you can do all at once, Levi’s lips brushed over the top of my ear and sent a little shiver down my spine while I turned my head, looking up into green-brown eyes ringed with the gold of his wolf and partly concealed by his shaggy brown hair If you want us safe... permanent links to you are the absolute safest we could ever dream of being.... His eyes were searching my face when his lips curled into a smile. I might be biased though, since I’m the only boyfriend without a mark and all. 

Should I send Mara away...? He keeps threatening her, too, and there’s no way I’m putting any sort of mark on her. 

Levi let his forehead fall to rest against mine, Good luck getting her to leave. She likes you, as a friend, maybe even as a leader, and she’s in absolutely no hurry to leave even with the threats against her. 

I’m not marking her.... 

His lips curled into that wolfish grin before he kissed me. When his tongue traced across my bottom lip, I jolted backwards. 

Didn’t you say we needed to get inside? And where is this place? This can’t possibly be the new house we’re renting. And why did you just kiss me? I blurted causing him to laugh. 

I kissed you because I realize what you don’t realize yet, he reasoned with a shrug before he finally opened the door, And sure, we can head inside. I wasn’t involved in this decision, so I’m not answering the other questions. I’ll let them tell you so you can properly direct your anger. 

I don’t know how he did it, considering how tall he actually was, but he climbed out of the Rover with me cradled in his arms and lightly kicked the door closed behind him. He did all of that while I was considering what he said and trying to figure out who I was going to be mad at and why. 

Why am I going to be mad...? I finally questioned, but he just shook his head. 

Do I get to carry you over the threshold? he chuckled, and I immediately scrambled out of his hold and would have fallen flat on my butt if he hadn’t kept hold of my arms to steady me. He was laughing so hard I was honestly surprised we hadn’t both ended up on the ground. "Oh, Elskling, you are so very entertaining, and so very easy to pick on. He kept hold of my arm or I would’ve ducked inside the house before his laughter trailed off and he lightly tugged my arm to pull my attention back to him. I’m sorry I pushed one of your buttons, but it was just... it was right there. Please don’t be mad at me." 

I’m not mad, I assured him, I just want to know where we are and what it is you aren’t telling me. 

Well, ask him, he replied and motioned with his head toward the door that was opening behind me.  

Taylor stood in the doorway, sunglasses pushed up on the top of his head, and blue-green swirled eyes looking at the two of us in obvious confusion. Taylor was tall, built to be scary even though he was a teddy bear to the people he cared about, and he’d been growing out his shaggy black hair recently… I suspected that was because I preferred his hair longer.

Did you just now get out of the car? he queried then shook his head, Come inside and get settled. I wouldn’t let anyone else pick a room until you did since I think you should claim the master with the attached bathroom. 

"Wait... this is the new house we’re renting? There’s no way we can afford a place this big! And how in the world are we going to keep it clean?" I exclaimed as I felt the loss of Levi’s hand while he slipped past Taylor with a grin and a shake of his head. 

I’m not taking the blame for this one. Have fun, Levi dismissed before he disappeared into the house. 

Taylor’s eyes hardened and he crossed his arms over his chest, tensing himself against... something. This is our new place, he admitted hesitantly – it was the hesitation that made me worry about what he was about to say, "But we aren’t renting it... Karis, Zeke, and I, with a little that I grabbed from your account so you’d have a share, we bought it...." 

What?! I think I screamed it because the single word echoed around me even though I was still outside and Taylor visibly flinched. "You bought a house?! Who even looked at it? Did you get it inspected? Is it actually safe? How much did you ‘grab’ from my account? Who is going to maintain this monstrosity?!" 

Each question made Taylor flinch again and suddenly I remembered the claim and told it to butt out of this conversation. I had a right to be angry, and I also had a right to not want my anger to physically hurt Taylor. 

"Carissima, Karis beckoned as he stepped up beside Taylor, his eyes shifting through colors, unable to stick to just one, Come inside." He held his hand out to me and instantly I crossed the space to take hold of it, but I jerked my hand back at the last second and his eyes settled into liquid gold before his hair painted itself black.

How could you all do this without talking to me about it first?! 

Because we knew you’d react badly and it’s a genuinely good idea, Karis reasoned with a shrug, "Come inside, Carissima. Let’s sit in the living room and talk." 

That caused a new thought to pop in my head, a thought that I didn’t want to even consider. I pushed past both of them into the large marble lobby and choked back a gasp. There wasn’t time to look at the winding staircase with the beautiful wrought iron banister, or the paintings hanging on the walls that gave me a twinge of panic. I stepped through the first doorway I came upon and found a fully furnished living room, though it was fancier than any living room I’d ever personally been in and the furniture looked like it belonged in a magazine, not to mention the baby grand piano that was perched near the floor-to-ceiling windows and wall lined with bookcases filled with books. 

Who did this? I growled the question – not only had they bought a home without letting me know, someone had furnished the entire place, I was sure of it. 

Most of the furnishings came with the purchase of the house, Karis calmly explained, You had a flash of panic about something... what caused that? 

I spun on my heels to face him and flung my arm out toward one of the oversized paintings. Gee! Maybe the paintings that are practically big enough to walk through?! 

He didn’t react as though I were yelling at him, he just nodded. We’ll take them down. Ezekiel can make sure none of them are particularly valuable and donate them. He walked over in front of me and slid his hands from my shoulders to my hands, pulling the arm in the air down between us. "This was a practical decision. You are coming more into your powers and people are drawn to you because of it, trouble is drawn to you because of it. This house is ours to do whatever we want with, so if your powers explode or something, we can just fix it without having to worry about it being a rental. It’s far enough away from the neighbors that any trouble that shows up shouldn’t affect anyone else and we shouldn’t have to hide our true natures from them. Taylor, Ezekiel, and I have each added a layer of protection around the edge of the property to help deter unwanted visitors, but more so to shield us from prying eyes. And if you want to take in any more strays, we have plenty of room to house them." 

My heart thudded in my chest while I truly thought through his words. This place is a lot of upkeep; it’s huge and will need to be cleaned, and... okay, I didn’t really look around outside much, but estates like this usually come with grounds that will need to be kept up. 

"We can all chip in, physically or magically, or we can hire people to do it for us. Though if you choose the second option, I’m going to recommend we hire supernaturals so that we don’t have to conceal ourselves from them, he continued reasonably, This wasn’t a whim, Carissima, this is practical. Also, Ezekiel and I both checked the property before we put in the offer, and the only reason Taylor took money from your account was so that you would feel like our home was at least partially yours. We all thought you wouldn’t like it if we paid for it ourselves and more or less forced you to live here." 

I wouldn’t have.... The furnishings were part of the purchase...? 

Most of them, he confirmed, A lot of the books are actually yours, and the bed in the master bedroom is new because the one that was in the house originally was just a full size and we thought you needed something bigger... just in case. 

"Just in case what?" I pressed with narrowed eyes, which caused him to sigh as he gently let his forehead fall to rest against mine. 

Just in case you wanted more that one of us at a time to spend the night with you, he stated simply, "You don’t have to, by no means would we force you to, but now you have the option." 

If you guys have already pretty much decided the master bedroom is mine, then why did everyone have to wait to pick a room? 

His lips quirked into an adorable grin as a quiet chuckle slipped through them. "Because it’s you, Haven Ansley, and we know you. If we said it was yours, you very well might reject it solely because we made the decision for you. So we haven’t made the decision, it’s just a suggestion, based in part on the fact that you will at least occasionally probably have visitors to your room overnight so you could use the extra space." 

"Where is Z?" I asked as I took a single step away from him to look around the living room again while I tried to wrap my head around things. 

Taking down the wall décor around the house. He will know if any of it is valuable and needs to be sold or donated to a museum rather than just donated to the local thrift store. 

And Jehoel and Mara and Levi...? 

Entertainment room and kitchen, I believe, Karis considered thoughtfully, "Levi told us his idea, Carissima... We’re all okay with it, so it’s your choice." 

That brought my wandering feet to an abrupt halt as I turned in slow motion to look at Karis and Taylor, who was standing in the doorway. 

What...? I whispered and Taylor just shrugged. 

It’s a good idea, and none of us mind the risks. But we all get that it would be a huge thing for you, so it’s really your choice to make, luv. 

"You would die if I died," I stressed, but he just shrugged again. 

Immortals are really difficult to kill, and, speaking for myself, I don’t really want to live in a world without you, Haven. I think it would break me. Plus, the Hunter claim is already so strong there’s a chance it alone would have the same effect. 

My eyes widened, then narrowed and I shook my head. I wouldn’t let it. 

He shrugged again. It’s the weirdest Hunter claim I’ve ever heard of, so you might actually be able to do that, but that’s beside the point. Hell, if you died and the claim didn’t kill me, I’d probably go get in a fight I knew I couldn’t win. 

Taylor! I blurted, which just made him grin at me. 

I don’t like the idea of life without you, luv; can’t change that, he reasoned simply. 

I heaved a sigh and turned my attention to Karis, who had to be more rational, he was the ruler of an entire realm, after all, he couldn’t afford to link himself so permanently to me. 

I opened my mouth to demand that he wasn’t that insane, but something in his eyes made the words get choked up in my throat and I eventually just closed my mouth and shook my head. 

I don’t think it’s a good idea... I’m trying to come up with an alternative, I finally revealed, letting my gaze briefly drift back across the wall of books. All right, where is this room you all want me to move into? 

When I let my gaze slide back to Taylor and then Karis, I found Karis’ hand outstretched toward me again and immediately closed the space to take hold of it. I looked from our joined hands up to his crystal blue eyes and found him smiling down at me. 

I hope that you never stop reacting to me the way that you do, he quietly admitted before lightly tugging me along with him out of the living room and up the beautiful marble staircase to the second floor. I wasn’t about to let myself truly wonder how much all of this had cost because the landing of the second floor split off in too many directions and there were more doors than I wanted to even count. This really was an estate. 

I couldn’t stop looking around as Karis lightly pulled me down the left-hand hallway – there were paintings and mirrors sitting on the floor, like they had been up on the walls but someone had taken them down. 

Zeke? I called and only a second later his head popped out of a doorway a little further down the hallway. He lifted a single eyebrow at me and I noted that while his eyes were their amethyst color, they weren’t sparkling like usual. "Did you really help them buy this... house... without talking to me first?"  

He actually glanced at Karis and I had a flash of anger race through me. Zeke flinched causing my head to tilt to one side curiously – my links to Karis and Zeke hadn’t hurt them before, did something change? 

You’re angrier than I thought you’d be, Zeke eventually answered as he stepped fully out into the hallway, We’d been discussing getting an actual, permanent, house for a while, Karis and me... When you started talking about the ‘big discussion’ we asked Taylor what he thought about it and he liked the idea of owning a place, but wanted somewhere out of the way so it would be safer for you, and he’s the one that mentioned we should get a place with extra space since you take in strays all of the time.... He shrugged and sighed. It wasn’t as sudden of a decision as it comes off as being to you, that’s all. 

Why didn’t any of you say anything to me? I pressed and he rolled his eyes. 

Because you’re stubborn and you would have argued with us and this was a good decision to make, Zeke insisted, "If you’d quit being so offended that, yes, we did this behind your back, you’d realize that it’s actually a really smart idea. Though I do apologize for not thinking about the wall décor bothering you... It makes complete sense even though it’s going to take me a little while to go through the whole house." 

You guys know the Trickster better than I do... If I put up a shield to block portals, I’m not breaking his rule to not shield him away from me... right? I hesitantly asked and Zeke chuckled softly while they both shook their heads. 

"Definitely not breaking the rule; though, honestly, Tesoro, he would love that you would bend his rules like that. You would be working around the rule and that’s who he is at his core, someone who loves to bend the rules without outright breaking them. It’s why Jehoel’s claim that the Trickster is working on a passageway to get back to his home dimension makes perfect sense – he’s not breaking their rule, he’s just found a loophole," Zeke considered causing me to slowly nod my head. 

I closed my eyes and focused on my magic that was just there inside me – it wasn’t hiding anymore and part of me was really happy that it had been so easy to get it to adjust while the rest of me was seriously freaking out that I had magic like that inside of me. Still, it was there when I needed it to be, and I envisioned it filling the entire house, coating every surface with a layer of shielding that blocked any portals from being placed anywhere in the building. Then I stretched it outside of the house, spread it until I brushed across the power of another shield and felt my lips twitch into a smile – that was the shielding that three of my guys had worked on at the property line, I was sure of it – and I spread the same layer of shielding outside as well. 

Tie it to something or it stays and goes with you, Zeke whispered, Pick a relatively permanent structure and anchor the shield to that. It can be anything, but you don’t want something that will easily leave the property or someone could walk off with it. 

Okay, how did he know exactly what I was doing? I dismissed that thought and returned my focus to the shield then felt the energy of an immensely old tree in the yard and visualized the shield having strings that looped around the trunk of the tree and down into the ground with its roots. I spared it a last thought to ensure it wouldn’t hamper the tree from growing or getting the nutrients it needed, and then opened my eyes to find Zeke right in front of me. 

How did you know exactly what I was doing? I queried quietly just before he swept me into his arms and pressed a kiss to my lips. 

They knew, too, he finally replied when he set my feet back on the carpeted runner while I tried to catch my breath and glanced down the hallway to find Taylor, Levi, Jehoel, and Mara all standing at the top of the stairs. "You’re getting so much better with your magic, so quickly, Tesoro. That was so strong that we could all feel it. You did also butt your magic up against our shielding, so we felt that a little more strongly. He gave me a second to think through that before tossing out a surprising question, Am I mistaken, or did you anchor the shield to that old oak tree in the side yard?" 

I tied the shield to a tree that had really old energy, I explained with a shrug, It was on the property, but I honestly don’t know where exactly it is. I’d recognize it if it I saw it, though. 

The gong of a doorbell echoed through the entire house and I blinked wide eyes toward the stairs – who in the world would be ringing our doorbell? We hadn’t even really moved in yet! 

Movers, or Trickster, Karis remarked, "More likely it’s the Trickster come to comment on your shielding. You’d best answer it, Carissima. If it is him, he’s still trying to please you because he’s not messing with us this time." 

I inhaled a shaky breath and gathered my resolve as I made my way past everyone, down the stairs, and to the front door where I reached for the doorknob three times before I was able to actually take hold of it. It took another few breaths for me to be able to turn the doorknob and pull the door open and then my breath caught in my throat. 

His energy swept into the house like fog rolling down a hill while he turned onyx eyes to me and his perfect cupid’s bow lips curled into a smirk. This form looked like a model that had stepped off of a fancy magazine cover, filling the blue suit like it had been tailored to him, which I guess it magically had, and the deep brown hair was clearly styled to look messy while staying perfectly in place. 

Hello, little lamb, he greeted as I tightened my hold on the door, Whose idea was the shield that blocked me from installing a portal into this house? 

M... mine, I stammered warily, No portals. But I didn’t block you. 

Obviously, he confidently replied as the smirk shifted to a grin, "I can’t decide whether I should punish you or applaud you. I do love bending rules, and that’s actually all that you did... you didn’t break my rule about blocking me." 

A portal tied to the house would be a security hazard... Someone else might use it to break in. I can’t risk that when I have people under my care. 

He reached out a hand with long, agile fingers and brushed them across my cheek while I tightened my hold even more on the doorknob, startled when I heard the groan of metal and jumped backwards away from him and the door. My eyes instantly darted to the doorknob to find it slightly less round than it had been a moment earlier and I choked on a gasp. 

You claimed a very strong Hunter, little lamb, that link partially goes both ways. You got at least a little bit of his strength.  

I darted my frightened gaze back to find that the Trickster hadn’t moved. I don’t know why exactly that surprised me, but it did. 

Either he can’t come inside without an invitation, or he’s being polite and not entering without an invitation, Karis called from the second-floor landing, "I don’t think he’d be complimenting your blocking off his portals if he couldn’t enter." 

The Hell King is correct, the Trickster chuckled softly, taking a single step through the doorway to prove his point, I’m trying to be polite to my little lamb. 

"Please stop calling me that, I requested as nicely as I could manage since I really detested the pet name he kept insisting on calling me. And just what is it that I’m supposed to call you, anyway? I don’t know your name." 

His onyx gaze slid past me up to the second-floor landing and his eyes narrowed. I said you couldn’t keep the Seraphim. 

"I’m not keeping Jehoel. I don’t even like Jehoel." 

Then allow me to get rid of him for you. 

No. 

Angry onyx eyes darted to me and I inhaled a steadying breath. 

If you don’t even like him, you shouldn’t care if I get rid of him. 

"You mean kill him, and he hasn’t done anything to deserve being killed, I insisted with way more confidence than I actually felt. He’s not hurting anything by hanging around, and I can take care of him if he does step out of line, so please leave him alone. And tell me what I’m supposed to call you." 

Angry eyes narrowed a little further before relaxing back to normal. "If he steps out of line, I will take care of him; otherwise, I’ll take care of him now." 

I looked up at Jehoel and saw the thoughts flickering through his silver eyes before he met my gaze and nodded just once. 

Okay, so what do I call you? 

You are an insistent little lamb, aren’t you? He chuckled as he shook his head the slightest bit, What’s wrong with calling me Trickster? 

"It’s not a name, it’s what you are." 

"Not truly, lamb. Trickster is the name the beings of this dimension gave me, so it is technically a name. He trailed off while staring at me for so long it made me squirm. Why don’t you just call me Jack?" 

I looked at him in disbelief – Jack? That was such an ordinary name. 

You can pick something else if you’d rather, he offered, I have been called Jack previously, but it’s been so long since it was a common name for me, I would know it came from you. Honestly, little lamb, as long as you aren’t insulting me, I don’t care what you call me. 

"Don’t you have an actual name?" I pressed, noting the tightness around his eyes with curiosity. 

I do. 

But names hold power... so you don’t give yours out...? I queried and he nodded curtly. All right... I don’t think I can call you Jack though.... 

Do not insult me, and you may call me whatever you wish, little lamb. 

My eyes closed as I sighed then took a deep breath. What do I have to do to get you to quit calling me that? 

Let me stay around long enough to come up with something more fitting, he reasoned with a graceful shrug as his onyx eyes slid around the entryway, You have enough space here, surely there’s room for one more. 

I didn’t realize that I was literally gaping at him until his fingers slid under my chin and lifted it to close my mouth. 

No. I don’t know you... and I don’t like the way you keep trying to force your way into my life. 

You didn’t know them and they forced their ways into your life, he countered coolly, though I noted a certain hardness in his onyx eyes. 

They didn’t threaten people I care about to get me to do what they wanted. They actually did the complete opposite, I rebutted forcefully, You should go... We need to finish moving in. 

What if I refuse? His fingers had moved so that he was actually holding my chin and there was defiance clear as day in his face. 

Is that refusal accompanied by a threat to hurt the people I care about?  

I could practically see the wheels turning in his mind before he barely shook his head. 

What if I refuse without any threat? 

That startled me so much that I was just staring at him when his thumb traced across my bottom lip. 

You should go. It came out as almost a whisper and his lips quirked up at one corner. 

"Should go. Interesting choice of words, precious. How am I to get you to cooperate if I don’t threaten your harem?" 

Trickster, Karis called from the landing and onyx eyes turned cold before they shifted over my head, "You might as well learn what we all learned the hard way. You don’t get Haven Ansley Porter to do whatever you want her to do. She’s strong-willed and absolutely brilliant, so if there’s a way around something, she will find it." 

Like blocking my portals, the Trickster mumbled more to himself as his eyes fell back down to mine. "You’re asking me to change everything about myself and offering to change nothing about yourself." 

You could just go, I suggested half-heartedly since I knew he wasn’t going to go anywhere. His lips curled into a grin while he shook his head. 

I’m not going anywhere, precious. You’re my mate. 

I heaved the huge sigh the repeated statement deserved and slowly shook my head. "I don’t want you here. Do you really want to stay somewhere that you aren’t wanted?" 

He actually looked… confused. The hand on my chin shifted down to hold my arm between us and I started to pull away before I glanced down and realized that the hand holding my arm was multi-colored with little twinkles like stars. I darted frantic eyes up to make sure he hadn’t changed the rest of him back to his true form, then glanced over my shoulder. 

As long as you don’t move, they won’t see and they’ll be fine. And please just call me Jack… I find I actually like the idea, the Trickster quietly instructed while I just stared at him in shock. 

"Did… did you just ask me to please do something for you…?" I whispered as he barely inclined his head into a nod. 

I see that I’m going to have to approach you differently than I had planned, precious, because you’re definitely my mate, even though you aren’t having a normal reaction at all to the mate bond.  

What are you going on about now? I groaned, though he did let his hand fall back to his side and it was a human tanned color again. 

You shouldn’t still be capable of disliking me as much as it seems you do. It was the obvious confusion on his face that almost made me forget who and what he was… All the damage he so easily caused.  

An image of the little boy’s arm left carelessly in the woods, accompanied by the various possible horrors of his final hours that my brain easily conjured, caused the fleeting interest in Jack-the-Trickster to disappear. I could actually feel my gaze harden as the thoughts whirled through my head and the Trickster, or Jack, tilted his head curiously. 

What was that? He asked it so innocently that I had a knee-jerk reaction to want to answer him honestly but bit my lip to keep myself quiet. And that…? What is it that you’re doing that’s allowing you to fight off my mate bond…? 

Truth? I pressed and he instantly nodded, I was thinking about Mei’s son and what you allowed to happen to him, probably even encouraged to happen.  

‘Shield your mind, Carissima, quick as you can.’

Without truly meaning to, I felt my barrier pull inward, locking impenetrably around my thoughts. 

Those onyx eyes narrowed angrily at me. Did you just block me from your mind, little lamb? 

I blinked innocent eyes up to him. What do you mean? And why would you need to be in my head, anyway? 

If thoughts of my actions bother you so much, I will remove the thoughts. 

You can go, Trickster. You aren’t welcome here. 

His onyx gaze flicked past me and I felt my barrier leap up behind me, blocking him from my people. His eyes narrowed further, then he burst into laughter that ended with him doubled over at the waist. 

You are perfect for me, precious! I couldn’t have asked for a better mate. When he righted himself, his eyes were twinkling with what looked like little stars. I have some things to check in on and you need to settle into your new home, so for now, my precious, I’ll go, but I’ll be back when I’m finished with my task. 

Does your task have anything to do with- 

‘Don’t! Don’t let him know you can break his manipulations!’

With what, precious? 

With your portals and all the trouble you were causing in that town? I queried instead of what I really wanted to ask. 

Don’t worry about what I’m doing, precious, just worry about getting settled in. And don’t forget: no bedding the harem, and no claiming the Seraphim. He grabbed my chin again and forced me to look up at him. Compromising isn’t natural for me, precious, so you had best appreciate it. 

I managed a curt nod even with his hold remaining on my chin, then he pressed a quick kiss to my forehead and disappeared. 

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and let the shiver run down my spine to shake off the weird sensation of the Trickster who I definitely wouldn’t be calling Jack. The front door closed at the same time that arms wrapped around me and it took a few seconds for me to realize that Taylor had closed the door and Levi was the one wrapped around me. 

"Please, Elskling, please mark me," he begged as I slowly noticed the slightest tremble in his arms. 

Why did he laugh? I asked so quietly that I was honestly surprised anyone had heard me. 

"You bent his rules again without breaking them. You didn’t block him from you, you blocked him from your mind and you blocked him from us, Karis answered with a sigh, Your natural inclination to bend rules without breaking them... It’s the same thing that he enjoys doing." 

"Please, Elskling, please, please, please," Levi pleaded as the trembling became slightly more noticeable until I turned in his arms and slid my hands across his cheeks. 

What’s going on right now, my sweet wolf? I whispered causing green-brown eyes ringed with gold to dart up to meet mine. 

D... did you just... He trailed off when I looked at him in confusion then shook his head. "Do you have any idea how hard I’m having to fight my wolf every time that guy shows up pestering you? My wolf sees you as mine, sees me as yours.... His hand slid up to clasp the necklace between his fingers. This would have worked with the three others, but it isn’t enough for that guy... If he actually comes here to stay and you haven’t marked me... I’m afraid I’m going to do something really stupid." 

I watched him for a long minute as he stared down at the necklace in his hand – he was genuinely scared, that much I was absolutely certain about. I nudged his chin with my hands that were still on his cheeks and he looked back at me. 

How? 

If he’d been in his wolf form, I was positive his tail would’ve been wagging. 

"How, what, Elskling?" he asked with barely restrained hope. 

I felt the curl of a soft smile on my lips, How do I mark my sweet wolf?  

One second I was looking into excited eyes, the next, he had lifted me off the floor and was spinning us around in circles while I clung to his neck and couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of me. 

When he finally set my feet back on the floor, my hair was a mess – which I honestly didn’t care about – and my heart was racing. 

Permanent or like K and Z? he questioned with absolutely no indication that either was better or worse. 

"Can we start off with one like Karis and Zeke’s and only do the other if it becomes necessary for everyone...? Because if I’m doing that, it’s going to be everyone." 

Totally okay with me, he answered with a bright grin, Can we go up to your room, though...? 

"My room? Why? And I haven’t even picked a room yet," I countered as the grin turned a little wolfish and adorably lopsided while he grabbed my hand