Chapter Fourteen
Stefan carried Isabelle into the house behind Jack. David, Doug, Mike, and Ethan looked up from the baseball game they were watching, shock registering on their faces seconds before they leapt to their feet. "What happened?" Mike demanded.
"She was attacked," Jack answered. "Put her on the couch, Stefan; I'll get some blood."
They came rushing around the couches toward him. Stefan glowered at them and pulled her against his chest. If he had to, he would kill everyone in this room to keep them from touching her. David, Doug, and Mike skidded to a halt behind the couch, while Ethan kept on coming. "Get away from her!" Stefan spat as Ethan stopped before him.
"I don't know who you think you are, but that is my sister!" Ethan shouted.
"I'm telling you right now to get away from her!" he nearly roared.
Mike jumped forward to grab hold of Ethan's arm and rip him back. "Get your hands off me!" Ethan yelled at him.
"Go get your parents, now!" Mike ordered.
"But—"
"Now!"
"I'm not going anywhere!" Ethan yelled. "Until I know what happened, and he gets his hands off my sister!"
Ethan's eyes flashed red as he stepped toward her. Stefan hissed and lunged forward. Seizing Ethan's throat, he effortlessly lifted him off the ground. Ethan thrashed in his grasp; his hands clutching wildly at Stefan as he dug into Ethan's throat.
"Stefan, no!" David moved swiftly forward to stand in front of him but made no move to stop him. "Isabelle will hate you if you hurt him!"
Stefan struggled against losing complete control as bloodlust ruled him. David's words gradually managed to penetrate his growing frenzy. Isabelle would hate him if he hurt Ethan. He shoved the killing frenzy aside and released his hold on Ethan's neck. Ethan stumbled back, his eyes flashed with ire as his hand flew to his bruised throat. David grabbed Ethan's arm, forcefully shoving him to the side as Mike grabbed the other one.
"Get your parents," David commanded.
"Neither of us are going anywhere," Ian said forcefully.
"You need to get your parents, now!" Mike shoved them both toward the door.
"Mike—"
"Go!" David bellowed.
Stefan shot a warning look at Doug as he moved past him. Doug took a quick step back, his gaze focused worriedly on Isabelle as Stefan carefully laid her on the couch. Jack rushed back into the room with a bag of blood in his hand. He skidded to a halt next to Doug, his gaze flickered to Isabelle then apprehensively back to Stefan. Jack made no move toward her as he held the bag out to Stefan.
Stefan stared at him before snatching the bag out of his hand and ripping it open with his teeth. Stefan lifted her head cautiously and opened her lips to place the bag on them. Her eyelids twitched as she opened her mouth to receive it.
Relief flooded through him as he stroked her hair and continued to feed her. "Is she going to be ok?" Mike asked.
"Yes," he answered.
He was a little suspicious they would attack him for what he’d done to Ethan, but he could destroy them if they attempted it. He wasn’t going to leave Isabelle alone with them. It didn't matter to him they were like her brothers, or that he attacked first, he wasn't going to allow any of them near her until he knew she was safe.
However, as they made no move to take her away from him, his wariness quickly turned to confusion. Why weren't they attacking him? Surely they would if they thought he would harm Isabelle or them. Instead, they seemed to accept he’d assumed control over her, and he’d attacked one of them.
From everything he'd seen over the past week, any of them would willingly die for one of the others. He didn't understand their acceptance of him coming close to killing Ethan. It made absolutely no sense to him. What was the matter with them? Why were they taking this so well? And what did they know that he didn't? His jaw clenched as a million questions raced through his head, but then Isabelle moaned, and all thought fled as he focused his attention solely on her.
"What happened?" David demanded.
They all stared at Stefan, but he didn’t speak.
"I'll tell you later," Jack said.
Stefan searched their faces, but he didn't much care what they thought. His attention returned to Isabelle as the last of the blood slid down her throat. He tossed the bag aside, lifted her head gently, and slid onto the couch. He laid her head in his lap and caressed her pale face. She rolled over, and her delicate hand curled into his thigh.
A rush of protectiveness flowed through him as his hand curled into her hair. He wanted to get as close to her as possible; he needed to keep her safe from the world. From himself. He was more dangerous than the men who attacked her. He was especially dangerous now when his emotions were in a rioting turmoil.
The screen door banged open as Sera and Liam came rushing inside. "What happened?" Sera raced toward him; terror etched onto her delicate face.
She cast David and Doug a scathing look when they moved to intercept her and dashed around them. She fell on her knees before Isabelle. Tears spilled freely down her face as she brushed Isabelle's hair back.
"Is she okay?" she sobbed.
"She will be," Stefan assured her.
Liam appeared behind her and grasped hold of Isabelle's hand. A snarl instinctively curved Stefan’s mouth. Liam's eyes flashed with fire; a growl escaped him as he ripped Sera backward.
"What are you doing?" Sera demanded as Liam shoved her behind him.
"Whoa!" Doug jumped in between them both with his hands held out. "Calm down! Both of you!"
Sera poked her head around Liam and began to laugh. "Liam, move," she said as she pushed at his back.
"No!" he said furiously.
Sera drew glaring looks from both Stefan
