Isabelle tossed the sweaters into the box and closed the lid. She wanted out of this room in the worst possible way. Hoisting the box into her arms, she hurried around the bed. Jess instantly moved to intercept her.
"Jess—"
"You think you're so special? You think you're so great? You're just a little slut, and he'll use you and toss you aside like the whore you are!" she spat.
"I told you, I was sorry; there is nothing else I can say. If you don't accept it, then that's fine. Now get out of my way!"
"I hate you!" Jess screeched.
Isabelle closed her eyes as a tremor rocked her body. The malevolence oozing from Jess was enough to knock her blossoming anger away. "Jess—"
She never saw the slap coming, but the force of it staggered her backward as the sound of it resounded throughout the room. Isabelle gasped as the box fell from her suddenly limp hands. Blood filled her mouth, and her cheek stung from the force of the blow. Her hand flew to her cheek and split lip as she gazed at Jess in disbelief. Jess was shaking; her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she took a step forward.
A loud bellow filled the room as Stefan came forward with his eyes blazing. Jess's mouth dropped when she spun toward him. He grasped her arms and lifted her off the ground as he pulled her forward. Jess cried out as her feet kicked in the air.
Isabelle leapt forward to grasp hold of his arm. "Stefan, no!"
The fury radiating from every inch of him filled the room and shook her to the marrow of her bones.
Jess whimpered as she squirmed in his grasp. "You're hurting me!"
"I'll kill you if you ever lay a hand on her again! If you ever look at her again!" he roared. Jess went limp in his grasp as tears filled her eyes. "Do you hear me?"
Jess whimpered again.
"Stefan, please don't," Isabelle begged, pulling on his arm. She had about as much effect on him as a flea would.
"Do you hear me?" he bellowed.
"Yes!" Jess cried. "Yes!"
He stood for a moment longer before he finally released her. Jess stumbled back, her knees buckled as she slumped to the floor before staggering quickly back up. Isabelle took a step toward her, meaning to help, but Stefan grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Jess cast them a frantic look before racing from the room.
"Are you okay?" he demanded.
Isabelle whirled toward him as she ripped her arm free of his grasp. "No!" she yelled. "No, I'm not!"
His face eased as he took a step toward her, but she backed away rapidly, shaking her head as she held up her hands to ward him off. "Isabelle—"
"Stay away from me!"
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself and began to tremble uncontrollably. Her beautiful cheek was reddened and guaranteed to bruise; blood dotted her split lip, trickling down her trembling chin. The smell of it, sweet and metallic surged into him and caused something primitive and feral to burst free. He fisted his hands as he desperately tried to bring it under control, to reign in his wild need to drink from her.
He was dying to taste her, to have her taste him, to fill her in every way, but he continued to hold back. He was no longer afraid of what it would mean, but he saw the distress filling her eyes whenever he looked at her neck. That distress kept him at bay, but it was increasingly difficult not to take her.
Now, smelling her, seeing it on her, he was incredibly close to losing all control and forcing her. He knew it was the final step, the one thing to bind them forever, and they would have to do it, but he’d assumed he had time for it. He was wrong.
She absently wiped the blood from her mouth. Stefan's eyes fastened on it as hunger rocked him. Isabelle whimpered. She stared at him warily, her eyes bright with tears.
"No," she said.
"Let's go."
She shook her head. Stefan fought against his mounting frustration as he forced himself to take a deep, calming breath.
"I need to be alone. I need to think!" she cried.
"There is nothing to think about!" he nearly roared.
She jumped, and her eyes darted anxiously toward the doorway. He was terrifying her right now. She saw the craving in his gaze when he saw her blood. She recalled the pain of the last time someone drank from her. It was seared permanently into her nerve endings, into her brain, and she would never let it happen again.
His hunger, on top of what happened with Jess, was more than she could stand. She was still shaking from Jess's brutal attack and Stefan's overwhelming vehemence. She needed to be alone, needed time to think. She was much too rattled for this right now.
"I just need a few minutes," she mumbled, trying to stall for time to get a hold on her shaking body.
"For what?" he demanded.
"She hates me!" He took a step closer to her. Isabelle took another one back, and her heel connected with the wall. She’d trapped herself. He took another step toward her. "Because of you!"
Rage sizzled and blazed through him. "There’s nothing I can do about that!"
"Just give me time to think!"
"Think about what?"
"To sort things out!"
He was before her, his hands on the wall beside her head before she saw him move. His eyes blazed with a fire that caused an involuntary cry of alarm to erupt from her.
"I cannot undo my past, Isabelle," he hissed.
"Don't hurt me."
Her whispered plea managed to rip through his fury as her hand fluttered over her mouth. The alarm in her gaze, and the trembling in her body, caused self-hatred and disgust to roll forth as he slumped
