by Tina Folsom
“I’ve never bit anybody during sex.” She’d never wanted to lose control with anybody else. Sex had always been enough. But what she and Haven had done together was more, bigger, better.
Approval flashed in his eyes. “Good.” Then he shelved her chin on his palm and dipped his head to hers. “And I only want you to bite me from now on. You understand?”
Was that jealousy she detected in his gruff tone? The devil made her ask, “Why?”
His jaw clenched. “Because those sexy lips and fangs only belong on my body. If you do this to another man, I’m going to kill him.”
Before she could come back with a retort, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her hard. She was breathless when he released her. When she smiled at him, Haven raked his hand through her hair and changed the subject.
“You cut your hair again.”
Yvette shrugged. “You don’t like it?”
“I do, I like both ways.” His hand stroked through her hair as if to prove that he spoke the truth. “I’m just wondering why you do it.”
“No particular reason.”
A moment later she found herself flat on her back, Haven pinning her down with his hulky body. “Baby, why do you need to lie to me after what we’ve just experienced together? Don’t I deserve better?”
There was no anger in his voice, just a dose of resignation. Yvette lifted her hand, wiping a strand of hair from his forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m just so used to—”
“—pushing others away?”
For a moment, she closed her eyes, trying to banish the memories, but they didn’t vanish, not this time. “I’m so used to being strong.”
He eased off his weight and rolled to his side, pulling her into his arms in the process. “You’re strong, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Yvette?”
“Hmm?”
“You’ve heard a lot about my past today, and I feel bare in front of you. But you’re still trying to hide behind that wall. Please, let me in.”
“I don’t know how.” Because letting him in meant opening herself up to pain. What if he hurt her? What if he didn’t like the woman who was inside, the one who needed to be loved but was too afraid to admit it?
“You’re safe with me.”
Safe with the big vampire hunter? As strange as it sounded, the more time she spent with him, the more he seeped into her and infused her with a sense of peace. But would her feelings ever be truly safe with him?
“I trusted you not to hurt me with your bite. Now trust me.”
Yvette recognized the sincerity in his eyes and nodded. Then she looked into the distance, pinning her stare at a painting on the far wall so she wouldn’t need to look at Haven while she told him who she was.
“I wasn’t always like this. I was the perfect wife: I cooked, I kept an immaculate house, I had a drink ready when my husband came home from work. I supported him in everything he did. His friends were envious of what they thought was the perfect life. Well, it wasn’t perfect.” She let out a bitter laugh, unable to look at Haven’s reaction.
“I wasn’t perfect. I—”
“Don’t say that!”
“But it’s true. I wasn’t the perfect wife, because I couldn’t give Robert what he wanted. After the first miscarriage, he was disappointed but still supportive. But after the second, he hated me. He hated me for killing his unborn child.”
“Miscarriages happen all the time. That’s not killing.”
“It felt like it. He accused me of not wanting it, because if I’d really wanted the child, I would have done everything to prevent a miscarriage. But my body rejected it. My body was defective … is defective. I’m not a real woman, because I can’t do what real women can do: bear children.”
Haven let out a deep breath. “That’s ridiculous. I hope you divorced that idiot!”
Yvette sighed. “He divorced me.”
“He didn’t deserve you.”
“But he was right. I wasn’t perfect. I’m still not.”
“There are plenty of women who have a healthy child after a couple of miscarriages. If you really want one, it wouldn’t be too late.”
She shook her head. He didn’t understand. “Vampire females are sterile.”
Yvette sensed the surprise in his rigid body.
“But … Samson’s wife … she’s …”
“Delilah is pregnant because she’s human. And vampire males can mate with humans. Vampire males can procreate. Females can’t.”
Haven’s hand stroked over her head. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
She swallowed, knowing that now that he knew this, he would realize that whatever they had couldn’t go any further. Why would he, a healthy human, give up the chance to have children just to be with her? “So, you see, I’m defective.”
Suddenly his hand gripped her bicep hard and made her jerk her head toward him.
“Don’t say that! It’s not true. You’re not defective. There’s nothing wrong with you. On the contrary, you’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever been with. You’re strong, smart, and you’re beautiful. And when I’m inside you, you make me feel whole. Better than whole. That alone would be enough. But when you sink your fangs into me and take my blood …”
Haven closed his eyes for a moment as if searching for the right words. When he opened them, warmth flooded toward her. “When you do that, you turn my world upside down. You make me forget everything: the pain of all those years looking for Katie, my mother’s death.” He swallowed. “Even her betrayal.”
Yvette touched his cheek with her palm, stroking over his stubbles. Was he really trying to tell her that it didn’t matter to him whether she was able to bear children or not?
“The years of looking for Katie and hunting vampires, those years were only fueled by the desire for revenge. I never want to feel that kind of pain again. I practically raised Wes. We were sent to a great-uncle after our mother’s death. But Wes always looked up to me for guidance. Now, I’m not so sure what I did was right. I fueled the hatred in him too. I made sure he didn’t forget, always keeping the desire for revenge alive. He looked up to me like to a father. I’ve had all this. I’ve felt the responsibilities of a father on my shoulders, and losing Katie felt like I’d lost my own child.”
He pressed his hand against hers, holding it tighter to his cheek. “I don’t ever want that responsibility again. ‘Cause I couldn’t stand to lose another child.”
It took several seconds for Yvette to process his words and what they meant. He didn’t want children?
“But, you can’t know that. Nobody would—”
Haven put a finger across her lips. “You couldn’t be more perfect for me.” Then he smiled. “And as for the reason why you cut your hair short. If you were trying to hide your femininity, I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s not working. You’ll never be able to hide that you’re a gorgeous, hot-blooded, passionate woman.”
Before the last word had even left his lips, she pressed her mouth against his and kissed him.
Thirty
Zane answered on the first ring of his cell phone.
“We’re under attack,” Gabriel yelled through the line. “She’s trying to get Wesley.”
“We’re on our way.” He disconnected the call and in the same instant speed-dialed Amaury’s number while heading for the bedrooms.
“Yeah?” Amaury answered.
“Gabriel’s under attack. We’re on our way, but you’re closer.” Zane stalked down the corridor, banging on Thomas’ door before opening it.
“I’m on it,” Amaury replied, disconnecting the call.
“The witch is after Wesley,” Zane informed Thomas, who came running out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel.
“Shit!” Thomas cursed. “I didn’t expect her to regroup that quickly.”
Eddie’s head rose from the pillow. “Damn it!” Dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, he jumped up.
“Get ready!”
Then Zane turned and gave
Yvette’s door a brief knock, yanking it open without waiting for a reply. The room was empty.
“Ah, shit!” He didn’t need to be a brain surgeon to figure out where she was. Did that woman have no sense of self-preservation? Did she have to get involved with a damn witch?
Pissed off, he headed for the guest room and opened the door without knocking. The sight that greeted him was something he would have given just about anything to erase from his memory. A naked Yvette lay on her back with Haven’s head between her legs. Not only was that man sucking her like a world champion, their hands were intertwined, indicating a connection that ran deeper than sex.
Luckily, Zane only had to watch the scene for a split-second, because Haven had heard the door opening. His head snapped to the side, and he immediately scooted up Yvette’s body, covering her nakedness while he pulled on the duvet to hide her completely from Zane’s view.
“What the fuck!” Haven growled. “Get out!”
“Zane!” Yvette yelled at the same time. “Can’t I have any privacy?”
“No, you can’t. Not now. Gabriel’s under attack. The witch is trying to get Wesley.”
***
Haven cursed. Shit! While he’d been thinking only of himself and making love to Yvette, his brother was in danger. He should have known that splitting them up wasn’t a good idea. They should have all stayed together.
“Get ready, Yvette. Eddie will stay here with Haven,” Zane instructed.
“No. I’m coming with you.”
But Zane slammed the door shut before the last word had even left Haven’s throat.
“No, you’re safer here with Eddie. She can’t attack two places at once.” Yvette slid out from underneath him and searched the room for her clothes. The instant Zane had opened the door, Yvette had tensed, understandably so, but the coldness of her voice startled him nevertheless.
“I’m not letting you all go out there and fight my battles for me.”
Haven jumped out of bed after her and grabbed his jeans—well, they were probably Amaury’s, but now they were his. Yvette dressed faster than he’d ever seen a woman dress. Would he ever get over her supernatural speed? Did he care to? Nope.
“Forget your pride. It’s not about that. We’re stronger than you.”
Despite everything that had happened between them—or maybe because—he felt a twinge of hurt at her words. Could he live with the fact that Yvette was so much stronger than he was? Would there always be this power battle between them?
He combed his hand through his messy hair. Hell, when had he started to think like that? How had he landed in this … this relationship? Because that was exactly what it felt like: a relationship. He waited for the sense of claustrophobia to punch him in the gut, but nothing happened. No feeling of being trapped spread. No fear of doing the wrong thing appeared.
Only a sense that what he was doing was right, settled in his chest. “Baby, hate to break it to you, but you’re not gonna get rid of me that easily.”
Her hand on the door knob, she turned her head and tossed him a surprised look. “Who said I was trying to get rid of you?”
Haven threw on his shirt and took two steps toward her. “You put up your wall again the moment Zane came in the room. Fine. You don’t have to tell your friends what’s between us. Not yet. But you’re not gonna shut me out.” Then he took her lips in a hard kiss, asserting his claim on her. Damn it to hell, but he wanted her, a vampire.
“Now let’s go.”
Her red lips looked thoroughly bruised and even more kissable than before, and once all this was over, he’d get right back to them, but it was time to fight the witch.
Haven jerked his boots on and reached for her hand. To his surprise, she slipped her palm into his. “We’re stronger together,” he murmured.
Yvette nodded.
***
By the time they reached Gabriel’s house, the fight was over and Bess was gone.
“Shit, what happened?” Haven looked at the trail of destruction in the foyer of Gabriel’s Victorian home. Maya knelt next to Oliver, whose arm sported a long gash. Frantically, he searched the room for his brother. “Where’s Wes?”
Gabriel’s voice came from the stairs leading down to the garage. “He’s fine. I managed to lock him in the safe room downstairs before the witch could come close enough.” Gabriel appeared in the hallway. Behind him, Wesley emerged, looking no worse for wear.
Relief flooded through Haven as he hugged his brother close. Then he looked at Gabriel. “You can’t separate us again. I won’t allow it. We’re clearly not any safer if you split us up. On the contrary, she’ll have fewer of you to fight. And see what happens.” He pointed at Oliver, who was being tended by Maya.
Gabriel squared his stance. “I’ll talk to Samson. It’s his call.” He flipped his cell open and dialed. Seconds passed. Haven noticed how suddenly all the other vampires, Amaury, Zane, Thomas, Eddie, and even Yvette, went completely still. A moment later, even Haven could hear it: the call went to voicemail. Samson wasn’t picking up.
“Shit!” Amaury suddenly yelled. Panic skidded over his features. “The witch is attacking Samson’s house.” Then his face distorted in agony. “Nina! Oh God, she’s injured.”
Confused about how Amaury could know that his wife was hurt, Haven concentrated only on what he knew now: it had been a trap, a diversion. True fear coursed through him. “She’s going after Kimberly.” And it wasn’t hard to guess why: if the witch had Kimberly, Haven and Wes would come after her, simple as that. And they’d be back to square one.
Thirty-One
The door to Samson’s house was wide open. Not a good sign. Amaury ran past Haven and up the stairs as if a horde of stake-wielding madmen was chasing him. Behind him, Gabriel was shouting orders to secure the area.
“Kimberly!” Haven yelled into the house as he ran inside. Nothing moved on the first floor, so he followed Amaury’s example and rushed up the stairs. He burst into one of the bedrooms a few steps behind Amaury and skidded to a halt.
The pregnant Delilah lay on the large four-poster bed, her face distorted in pain, her legs spread with her feet flat on the mattress. She breathed rhythmically.
“Maya!” Samson, his face and torso marred with burn marks yet holding his wife’s hand called out. “We need you here. The baby’s coming!”
Maya rushed into the room in the next instant and immediately headed for the bed. “I’m here.” She glanced back to the opposite side of the room, and Haven followed her look.
Amaury had scooped Nina into his lap. Her torso was littered with burn marks and slashes, and she was bleeding profusely.
“No, Maya,” Delilah said. “You have to help Nina first.”
“Amaury’s got her. Don’t worry,” Maya assured her. “Now let’s get that baby out.”
Haven glanced back to Amaury and the woman in his arms.
“I shouldn’t have left you alone, chérie.” He noticed how Amaury’s fangs lengthened and then, without warning, he pierced his own wrist with them, making blood spurt from it.
Nina gave him a weak smile. “Had to kick that witch’s ass.”
“ ‘Course you did,” he answered and led his wrist to her lips. “Now drink.” Fascinated, Haven watched, reminded of how Yvette had healed him in the same way only two days earlier.
When Samson approached him, Haven turned away from the scene and looked at him. Before the vampire said a single word, Haven already knew what was coming.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t prevent her from taking Kimberly. She was attacking Nina. We fought her as best we could, but when she went after my wife ... I’m sorry, she was too strong for just me and Nina alone.” True regret shone in his eyes.
“Kimberly was my responsibility,” Haven pressed out, feeling the sharp edge of failure slice into him. He couldn’t blame Samson—he’d had to protect his wife and Amaury’s. Those were his first priorities, not Kimberly.
A soft hand slid into his palm, and h
e turned seeing Yvette step beside him. “We’ll get her back. I promise you.” Her words were little consolation to the grief that overwhelmed him once more. She must have noticed his dejected look, because she did something that he hadn’t expected her to do.
In front of all her colleagues and friends, Yvette put her arms around him and kissed him. When she pulled back to look at him, he felt choked up and couldn’t say what he wanted to, so he simply said, “Thank you” and hugged her back.
As he released her from their embrace, he caught Wesley’s look fixed on them. For once, his brother wasn’t scowling. He simply shrugged as if to convey that whatever happened wasn’t something he could change. Maybe his little brother had finally figured out that some things were fate, and you didn’t mess with fate.
“Can we have some privacy for Delilah here?” Maya asked and made shooing motions with her arms. “We’ve got a baby to deliver here, so give us some space.”
Despite the fact that Nina already looked much better after drinking her vampire husband’s blood, Amaury carried her out of the room. “I can walk, you know,” she protested.
Amaury simply grunted. “Let it go, Nina. You’re not gonna win this one.”
Only Maya and Samson remained in the bedroom with Delilah after all others trailed downstairs and assembled in the living room. A sense of déjà vu stole over Haven as he looked into the round. So much was the same, yet so much had changed since they’d been assembled in the same room not twenty-four hours earlier.
Haven tugged Yvette closer. “How did Amaury know that his wife was injured?” He kept his voice down, not wanting the others to hear him.
“They are blood-bonded. They can communicate telepathically.”
Yvette’s whispered words peaked his curiosity. “How so?”
“That’s just how it is. A blood-bonded couple has a very deep connection.”
“But Nina’s human.” That a vampire had special powers didn’t surprise him, but Samson had clearly said that Amaury’s wife was human.
“Doesn’t matter. Once she blood-bonded with Amaury, she’s connected to him. It’ll always be like that for them. They’re closer than any human couple could ever be.” There was longing in her look.
