"Are you okay?" he demanded. Her eyes flew to his face, and she nodded. "Why are you limping?"
"A stake went through my shoe."
Her words caused his arm to convulse around Kyle. "You could have been killed!" he spat.
"I had to," she whispered.
"Is he going to be all right?" Cassidy asked anxiously.
Stefan clenched his jaw as he turned to look at the small girl hovering at Isabelle's side. Isabelle's arm was wrapped around her trembling shoulders as she held her close. Her big blue eyes were vivid with tears as she looked anxiously at her twin brother. "I don't know," he answered honestly.
He broke free of the woods and strode across the yard toward Liam's house. Vicky and Abby broke into a run as they spotted them. "What happened?" Vicky cried. "Oh no, Kyle!"
Tears streamed down their faces as they peered anxiously over Stefan's shoulder at him. Stefan swiftly carried him up the stairs as Isabelle hurried forward to slide the glass doors open. Willow rushed to the right and flung open the closed wooden doors to the living room. Stefan briskly walked in and laid Kyle down on the couch. He pulled Kyle's shirt over his head so he could get a better look at the jagged wounds.
"Mom! Mom!" Vicky yelled as she took off up the stairs.
Isabelle hurried to the bathroom and ripped towels out of the cabinet. She ignored the burning discomfort in her foot as she rushed back to the living room. Her mother raced down the stairs; her eyes widened in horror as she took in Isabelle. Then she turned, and her mouth dropped as she spotted Stefan and Kyle.
"Kyle!" Sera cried.
She rushed into the living room and fell beside Stefan. She pressed against the wounds as she tried to stop the blood flow with her hands. Isabelle hurried forward to give her mother the towels she’d collected. Her mother's hands shook as tears slid down her cheeks.
"Come on, baby," Sera whispered as she used the wet towels to wipe the blood away.
The wounds appeared to be healing now, slowly. Isabelle's hands trembled as she gave her mother another towel. Isabelle's gaze went to Stefan as she instinctively sought him out for reassurance or some help. His eyes were turbulent, his face, chest, and abdomen were streaked with her brother's blood as he grabbed for her. She clasped his hand, immediately comforted by his touch as the heat of his hand burned into her. She choked back a sob as she slumped against the back of the couch.
He squeezed her hand and released her. An overwhelming feeling of despair washed over her as her gaze returned to Kyle. Stefan's wrist pressed against his mouth, his other hand cradled beneath Kyle's head as he held him firmly against his arm. Another emotion grew within her, one almost as overwhelming as her fear while she watched how gentle he was with her brother.
It took her a moment to pinpoint what it was, and when she did, it slammed into her gut with the force of a fist. She inhaled loudly as she fought back the dread building within her. Stefan's eyes were stormy as they shot back to her. Her gaze rapidly searched his blood-streaked face.
She loved him; she truly loved him. Isabelle forced herself to take a deep breath before she fainted or threw up. She didn't know how or when it had happened, but it had. The overwhelming emotion of love tearing through her caused her to tremble. She had never wanted to be this vulnerable to anyone. She would die for him, and she would surely die without him.
"Isabelle," he said.
She forced herself to push the emotion aside as she focused on her brother again. The injuries seemed to be getting better by the second as her mother took away a towel only splotched with blood, not saturated. Sinew was starting to rebuild, closing the hole that went straight through before. Relief flowed through her, leaving her weak and trembling as she placed a hand against the back of the couch and leaned against it for support.
"What happened?" Kathleen inquired.
Isabelle turned as Kathleen, Delia, and Jess appeared in the doorway. Jess's eyes locked on Isabelle, hatred blazed through them when Jess realized Isabelle was wearing Stefan's shirt. A small tremor rocked Isabelle as the force of that hatred slammed into her.
A low growl sounded from behind her, and Jess's eyes instantly darted to Stefan. His jaw locked as he glowered at Jess.
"We need to call an ambulance!" Kathleen broke the tension as she spun toward the kitchen.
"No!" Stefan commanded, halting Kathleen in mid-stride. "There will be no ambulance. There is absolutely nothing wrong here. You have seen nothing; you don't know anything. All of you need to go back upstairs and stay there for the rest of the day. Now!"
Isabelle jumped as he shouted the last word. A muscle twitched in his cheek, and a vein throbbed in his forehead as he continued to glare at Jess. Isabelle instinctively squeezed his hand to soothe him. He turned toward her, his eyes blazing. He remained rigid for a second, but then his jaw relaxed, and his eyes gradually returned to black. Her hand tightened on his before she released him and turned her attention back to the doorway. Jess, Kathleen, and Delia were already gone.
She turned back around as her mother lifted the towel from Kyle's chest to inspect the wounds. They were healing faster now. Relief started to claim her, but she was scared it was too soon to hope Kyle would be okay. A loud pounding on the back steps jerked her head around as everyone rushed through the glass doors.
Her father's face went white when his eyes landed on Kyle. "No!"
Isabelle stood as he rushed toward her mother's side. "What happened?" Ethan demanded.
"The bear trap," Isabelle whispered.
"Damn it! We should have taken care of that
