Page 1 of Another Man’s Treasure

The Haven System

Monsters live among us in hidden towns called havens. Camouflaged from the broader human world despite sometimes being located in big cities, these havens are connected through a series of portals originating from a headquarters location called Hearth HQ.

Each haven is run by a Keeper, something like a human mayor, who’s both the Hearth HQ representative and the local authority in advocating for the haven’s needs. The Keeper also works with the town herself, where every building is sentient and has…opinions.

Keepers can invite outside humans into the haven via a magical homing beacon object, which varies by location. Havens are protected from prying human eyes by magically spelled wards, and time passes more quickly inside monster havens than outside. Within this world, monsters live lives of peace and happiness, finding love, community, and family. It’s not without challenges, though. Thralls—monsters bewitched by those who don’t believe in the sanctity of the haven system—are attracted to haven magic and always looking for a way in.

We visited the darling haven of Ever, Massachusetts in the Haven Ever After series. Now we’re venturing to Montana and wild west territory. You don’t need to have read the HEA series to understand this one, but if you love my crazy world, there’s plenty more for you there. Nine books worth, in fact.

Welcome to the haven system, human reader!

Another Man’s Treasure

PINE GULCH EVER AFTER BOOK THREE

HAZEL MACK

Oz

“Hearth Headquarters has a series of satellites attached to each haven’s protective ward, and that’s how they spy on the monster world. I wrote a whole paper about it and hid a copy, of course.”

I gulp at the handsome chestnut-coated minotaur across the table from me at BrewHaHa Beans, resisting the urge to ask what, exactly, he’s talking about. Satellites spying over every hidden monster haven? It makes zero sense.

Is he for real?

I’ve been on a few weird first dates, but this one takes the cake, as my human friends say.

The huge male leans forward onto beefy, muscular forearms and smirks at me.

“Unbeknownst to Monster headquarters, I made two copies of the paper. One’s filed down at Pine Gulch’s Auction House with the records department.” He jerks his head toward Main Street, visible behind him through BrewHaHa’s front windows.

I’m nearly desperate to escape this awful first date and get out onto that very normal-looking street. This farce of an arrangement is made worse by my friend Bluebell being seated at the table next to mine, working on her to-do list, if I had to guess. Or waiting for her hot gargoyle mate. Either way, I’m certain she’s listening to every word.

It’s probably good… She, Lemon, and I can hash this out later over extremely strong drinks.

I sigh. Both of my lady besties are newly mated, and I want that. Well, I thought I wanted that. But sitting in front of this weirdo just makes me glad I pressed for a coffee date and nothing later in the day that might lead to…expectations.

He sits back and straightens the collar on his Hawaiian-style shirt. “The other copy’s somewhere secret, somewhere the headquarters hunter team will never find it.” He shudders and glances around the coffee shop. “Although I suppose if they found me, it would be game over. They’d lock me in Belcastle Prison and torture me because of what I know. That secret can’t be allowed to get out, of course.”

This satellite secret can’t get out? Then why the hells is he telling me about it within earshot of two dozen other monsters? I resist the urge, again, to simply rise from the table and disappear. I’ve got wings. He doesn't. I can hit the sky and pray not to run into him ever again. He’s not a local—he just came to town for this blind date set up by a mutual friend back home in the New York City-based monster haven of Rainbow.

The second I get a chance, I’m comm’ing Keleigh to ask precisely what about this crazy male led my friend to believe we’d get along.

The minotaur looks around again, red eyes narrowing. “I’ve gotta piss. Be right back.”

I scrunch my nose at his crass statement, pushing my slutty little glasses up a bit. Their sexiness is totally wasted on him.

He rises without waiting for a response from me.

By my side, my pit hell, Ginger, growls softly at him when he passes, red rivers of magic running beneath her chestnut fur. Her dislike alone would be enough for me to deny the male a second date. She’s bonded to me, becoming my shadow. When I fly somewhere, I literally have to carry her, or she yips and squeals like she’s dying. She’s mine until we do both die. Never would have thought a pit hell would bond to a gargoyle, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

Now I’ve got a lifelong guardian, and honestly? It’s kinda nice. It’s comforting.

The moment the male’s out of earshot, Bluebell leans over to me, her blue eyes wide in concern. She glances in the direction he disappeared, then back to me.

“Dude, get the hells out of here. He is super nuts and sooooo weird. It’s a no. Lemon and I won’t let you date that guy. Just…I’ll do a distraction, but get up, take Ginger, and go.”

“On it,” I gasp, rising from the table and grabbing my bag.