"I think we should all go into the dining room," Sera managed to say. "Stefan will take care of Isabelle."
"I am not leaving my daughter alone with him," Liam grated.
"Yes, you are," Sera said firmly. Liam's eyes slowly changed back to green; he turned to look down at her as they wordlessly communicated with each other. She nodded as she took hold of his arm and led him away.
"What about Isabelle?" Ethan demanded.
"She'll be fine," Doug said.
"But—"
"Ethan, trust me, she'll be fine," Sera insisted. "Come on."
Stefan found himself alone with only his nefarious mass of twisting emotions for company. For a split second, he’d been willing to kill Isabelle's father simply because he'd wanted to touch his daughter. He’d almost killed her brother for the same reason. Something was seriously wrong with him; Isabelle was causing him to lose his control. He was going insane.
She buried her head deeper into his lap as his hands convulsed on her. A fierce surge of guardianship seared through him again, but he quickly shoved it aside. He needed to remain calm. He needed to think. He had to get away from her before he killed someone. Before he brought the monster he’d once been down on them all.
He could easily destroy everyone in this house, and for some reason, Isabelle made the demon in him even more turbulent than ever before. If he didn't get away from her, he would become the one thing he'd loathed over the years, the one thing he’d fought so savagely against becoming. She deserved much better than anything he could ever give her, much better than the world of torment he lived in, and he meant to see it never touched her again. He’d been selfish in his lust for her, but he was wrong, and he would fix it.
"I cannot believe you're leaving her alone with him!" Ethan exploded. "He's obviously unstable! He was going to kill me! He could kill her!"
"No, he couldn't," Sera said.
"How do you know that?" Ian yelled.
"Calm down," Liam said. "He won't hurt her; he loves her."
"What?" Ethan and Ian demanded.
Liam and Sera exchanged an amused look as they turned back to them. "They're meant to be together," she informed them. "They're soul mates."
Mike, David, Doug, and Jack grinned with amusement as Ethan and Ian started to sputter.
"Trust me, we know the signs," Doug said with a small chuckle.
"What? Total insanity?" Ethan asked.
"Yep," they all said.
They exchanged confused glances.
"I don't understand," Ethan said wearily.
"You wouldn't; you didn't see your father when he first met your mother. When soul mates meet each other, they are unstable, especially the male, until they bound with their mate. Your mom was still human; a vampire cannot allow that. They sense the mortality in their mate, and they need to change it. Your father was so volatile if we even touched her, he wanted to rip out our throats. If your mother hadn't changed willingly, he would have forced it on her, no matter what," David explained.
"Until they solidify their relationship, Stefan is going to be very unstable," Mike stated.
Ethan and Ian's eyes were questioning as they turned to Liam and Sera. "My guess is neither one of them knows what's going on yet," Sera said. "And they're both fighting their feelings."
"Stefan is the one who told me about you two, he should know." David's brow furrowed in confusion as he studied them.
"Sometimes it's easier to see something when it isn't right in front of you. Plus, I know Isabelle, if this isn't something she wants she is going to fight it every step of the way. For now, just stay away from Isabelle, and don't touch her when he's around," Sera said.
"But—"
"I know you don't like it, Ethan," Liam said. "But you have to. Until they figure out what is going on, and everything stabilizes, you need to stay away from her. He will be volatile, and he won't mean to be. I know I would snap for no reason. I thought I was going insane, had no idea what was wrong, what was going on, and I would have killed anyone."
"Threw me across a room," Doug mumbled.
Ethan and Ian gaped at him in astonishment before turning to look at their father. Liam shrugged before he pulled Sera against him. "If it ever happens to you, trust me, you'll understand; something inside you changes. All rational thought and control vanish until you know she is yours. Although, I'm not sure how it works between two vampires, I suppose it's similar."
"They'll probably need to exchange blood, and..." Mike broke off; a dull flush stained his cheeks as his face twisted in chagrin.
"I don't want to think about that!" Liam yelled.
Sera bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. "Neither do I," Mike muttered.
"Well, I hope they do whatever it is they have to do soon," Jack said. "It was tough enough dealing with Liam, but if that guy breaks it’s not going to be pretty. His powers are stronger than ours. He lifted Ethan like he weighed no more than a twig."
Ethan smiled as he rubbed his bruised neck. "Yeah, he did."
"Should we tell him what's happening?" Ian asked.
"I'll talk to him," Sera told them.
"You will not!" Liam commanded.
"He's not going to harm me, Liam; I was the only one he let near Isabelle. I don't think he knows what's going on. Once I tell him, things will make more sense, and he’ll probably be a lot calmer. Right now, he's as confused as you were."
"I don't want you anywhere near him."
Sera sighed impatiently. "I'll stay on the other side of the room, and you can stand right by my side. Someone needs to tell him something, and I'm the least threatening of you all."
"Fine," Liam relented. "But you'll be staying in the kitchen, far away from him."
Sera smiled as she looked at everyone.
"I
