She knew instantly he was one of them, but there was something off about him, something not quite right. It reminded her of the men from the club; only it wasn't as strong as it had been with them. Still, she knew he was dangerous.
"What are you doing here?" Stefan snarled as he pushed Isabelle back again.
She didn't protest his highhanded manner; she didn't want to look at Brian anymore. His oddness frightened her. "I just came to see an old friend."
"We stopped being friends a while ago, Brian."
"Stefan, in our lifespan, two years is not a long time. Who's the girl?"
Stefan stiffened as a low growl issued from him. Isabelle couldn't stop herself from looking at the stranger again. Brian's gaze went back to her, and a sly smile curled his full mouth. Stefan's hand curled into her upper arm as he forcefully held her behind him.
"What do you want?" Stefan demanded.
Brian's eyes were cold and brutal as they came back to him. They were no longer the eyes of the man who was his friend for well over a century, but those of the man he had become. "I need a place to stay."
Stefan shook his head in firm denial. "You are not staying here."
Brian's eyes blazed with fury. "I helped you when you needed it."
"Yes you did, but you're not staying here."
Brian folded his arms over his chest as he rocked back on his heels. "Can we talk privately?" he inquired coldly.
It had been a while since they parted ways, and Stefan hadn't expected to ever see Brian again. He didn't know what brought him here now, but he knew the reason couldn't be good. However, he did owe Brian his life, and he owed it to him to listen to what he had to say.
"David, take Isabelle back to the house."
"What?" she demanded as she grabbed Stefan's shirt. He pulled her from behind his back and held onto her arm as he waited for David to come forward. "Stefan—"
"Go with them, Isabelle."
"But—"
"Go!" he commanded more sharply than he intended.
Isabelle's eyes spit violet fire at him as David took her arm. "I can walk on my own!" she retorted as she jerked her arm free.
Please be careful, she whispered into his head. His gaze flicked toward her, but he made no other indication he heard her.
She turned away from him as Ethan and Jack moved to stand behind her with their gazes locked warily on Brian. Stefan waited until they were safely in the house before he turned his attention back to his old friend. A small smile of amusement curved Brian's mouth as he met Stefan's glower. "Who's the girl?"
"That's none of your concern," Stefan grated. Brian's eyebrows rose, but he nodded as he rocked back on his heels again. "What do you want?" Stefan demanded.
"I told you, I need a place to say," he replied.
"And I told you that you couldn't stay here."
Brian tilted his head as he quickly scanned the field and houses. "There is a lot of our kind here."
Stefan shrugged negligently; he didn't want Brian to know any more about this place than he had to. "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?"
Brian's eyes were distant as they came back to him. "Do they know about you?"
Stefan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course."
"All about you?" he drawled.
Stefan stepped forward. "You're not staying here!"
"I take that as a no, which means the girl doesn't know either."
Stefan took another step toward him, and Brian's casual demeanor instantly vanished. "You'll stay away from her, or I'll kill you!" Stefan snapped.
Amusement flashed over Brian's features as he studied Stefan questioningly. "I'm merely suggesting maybe she would like to know a little bit more about you. It would probably be in her best interest, don't you think? Maybe they would all like to know more about you. They might not be as willing to let you stay then. I have nowhere else to go, and I need help. You will give it to me, Stefan, or I will have a long chat with this family."
"I'll kill you," he promised.
"You could try, but I've still been killing Stefan, have you? She is a beautiful girl."
Red filled his vision as he seized Brian by the throat. Brian's claws ripped across Stefan's chest instantly spilling his blood. Stefan's hold on his throat intensified as he slammed a fist into Brian's stomach, causing his breath to whoosh out of him loudly. Brian lunged forward, hissing and spitting as his fist connected with the side of Stefan's head. The blow left him momentarily startled, but he recovered in time to block Brian's next swing.
Brian blurred suddenly and disappeared from Stefan's hold. He swung around as Brian reappeared behind him. He crouched low as a volatile growl escaped him. "I'm not here to fight you, Stefan!" Brian shouted.
"You're not welcome here!"
"You either help me, or when the others arrive, you'll be on your own."
Trepidation clutched his chest as Brian's words sank in. "The others?" Stefan asked.
Brian nodded as he rubbed his abused throat, and warily eyed Stefan. "I'm in trouble, and they're tracking me. They'll follow me here, and when they do, they aren't going to leave peacefully."
"What have you done?" he bellowed.
Brian gave a careless shrug of his shoulders in response. It took every ounce of control Stefan had not to lunge at him again and kill him where he stood. "I pissed off a few people."
"Who?" he demanded.
"Some of our kind, some older ones of our kind. The ones here are young, they'll be no match for them, and you know it."
Running his hand tiredly through his hair, Stefan closed his eyes against the terror squeezing his chest. If they came here; if Brian had led them here...
Shit, they would kill everyone. His mind instantly sought out Isabelle. Her distress beat at him, but he didn't open his mind
