Yvette's Haven

She smiled to herself. It wasn’t what she’d done to him, but what he wanted to do to her. “He wants to fuck me.”

“You fucking bitch. He would never touch a vampire like that.”

Yvette swiveled on her heels and lashed a glare at him. “I don’t think you know your brother when it comes to that.”

“You—”

Whatever he wanted to say was drowned out by a scream from Haven. Unexpected panic coiled through her. The scream was one of pure agony, a pain so raw she felt it creep into her bones where it spread like a chill from a frigid arctic wind.

“What did the witch do to you? Wesley? What did she do to you out there?”

Wesley ran to the door and pulled on the door handle, but it didn’t move. “I have to get to him! Damn it, I told him not to resist. Why doesn’t he ever listen to me?” Raking his hand through his dark mane, he looked distraught.

Yvette gripped his shoulder and turned him to look at her. His anguish was painted on his face. “What did she do to you?”

He swallowed hard. “She went into my mind, probing around in there. It was like … like an electrical current was going through my head, as if she was trying to find something with it.”

“Torture?”

He shook his head. “No, it didn’t hurt that much. But it was humiliating.”

Another scream tore through the room. Their gazes flew to the door.

“Then why is he screaming? What is she doing?” Yvette shook Wesley.

He threw her hands off as if only now noticing that she was touching him. “I—I don’t know. He can take more pain than anybody I know.”

“Then why?” she wondered, more to herself than to Wesley.

“If he’s screaming, it means she’s hurting him because he’s resisting her. It’s all my fault.”

“Why is it your fault?”

“If I hadn’t gotten caught by the witch, Haven wouldn’t be in this situation now. He wouldn’t have had to rescue me.”

Haven had avoided her question about why he’d kidnapped them, even though when Wesley had entered the room, she’d started to suspect Haven’s reason for being compelled to make a deal with a witch.

“Go on,” Yvette encouraged him. Maybe Wesley could shed some more light on the situation. She told herself that it was merely natural curiosity that made her urge him to tell her what had really happened and not her unreasonable wish that Haven wasn’t just another callous vampire hunter. That maybe he’d had a valid reason for kidnapping them, an excuse that would make it easier for her to forgive him.

“I’m not telling you anything.”

Yvette heard the light footsteps behind her.

“Then tell me,” Kimberly offered and stepped next to her.

Wesley looked down at her, and his face suddenly softened. Not wanting to destroy whatever headway Kimberly was making with getting Wesley to open up, Yvette took a few measured steps to the side.

“My brother would do anything for me. He always has. He’s more like a father to me than a brother.”

Kimberly nodded and continued looking at him. Putting her hand on his forearm, she gave him an encouraging smile. Maybe the actress did have some skills Yvette hadn’t previously noticed. Was it genuine compassion oozing from her now, or was she simply using her acting skills to tease information out of him? Where was the girl who, only minutes earlier, had proclaimed she didn’t want to be left alone with Wesley and his brother for fear they might do her bodily harm?

Yvette gave her another look. Kimberly was like a chameleon, constantly changing her colors for whatever the situation needed. If the girl didn’t already have a thriving career as an actress, she would have asked Gabriel if he’d take her on and train her as a mediator or hostage negotiator. Despite being human, a person with her ability to change her demeanor would be valuable in many situations. And surprisingly, the revelation that Yvette was a vampire had barely fazed her.

Not wanting to miss any of their conversation, Yvette put her thoughts on the back burner.

“Hav always bailed me out when I got into trouble. Just like this time. The witch, Bess, she tricked me; I didn’t know what she was until it was too late. My mother was a witch, you know, but I didn’t inherit her powers.”

Yvette listened up. Their mother was a witch? That would make both him and Haven witches too. Could this get any worse? Not only did she have the hots for a human guy who kidnapped her—oh no; he also had to be the son of a witch, and thereby a witch himself. Perfect. She sure knew how to pick ‘em!