"And tangling with your sister. She was a bit difficult in the beginning if you do recall."
Ethan released a short bark of laughter and turned away from Stefan. "That's putting it mildly, but then I wasn't exactly easy on you either."
"No, you weren't," Stefan agreed. "There is another thing you must remember in all this." Ethan shot a questioning look over his shoulder. "You, Isabelle, and your siblings all exhibit abilities none of the created vampires have. Such as smelling out vampires who kill humans. You and Isabelle are both stronger than any vampire your ages should be. What you feel may be intensified because you are stronger. You were born into this, and there are probably things all of you can do that none of us know about—things which may affect each of you differently. Emma may be the one to give you the relief from the demons you fight before your bloodlust drives you to kill."
Ethan started to see Stefan in a new light. He was no longer the egotistical older vampire chasing after his sister. Stefan was his friend, someone he could turn to in a way he couldn't turn to any of his siblings, not even Isabelle.
A knock sounded on the door before Isabelle opened it. She poked her head inside. "I could have been naked," he told her.
She frowned at him. "It's good to know you would get naked in front of my mate."
Ethan scowled at her and shot Stefan a look. "You're a lucky man," he said sarcastically.
"I've never heard that before," Stefan said and gave Isabelle a loving smile in an attempt to placate her.
"We can change things," she replied haughtily.
The smile slid from Stefan's face. "Never."
"I didn't think so," Isabelle said with a grin. "What are you two talking about?"
"Big Macs versus Whoppers, I'm personally a Whopper guy," Ethan told her.
"You're hilarious," Isabelle retorted.
"How is mom?" he asked to distract her from her line of questioning.
"She's good, missing us, and I did notice the change of topic."
Ethan grinned at her as he strode forward and rubbed the top of her head. "You always were a quick one," he told her as he slipped past her and out the door.
"Why don't we all go out to dinner together tonight?" She grabbed his arm to stop him before he could escape. "I'd like to get to know Emma better."
"You might scare her off."
She scowled at him. "I am not frightening."
"You've obviously never met you." Uneasiness flickered over her features. He realized teasing her wasn't helping her growing apprehension about his relationship with Emma. "Why don't we meet for a drink at the bar later?" he suggested.
She looked as if she would protest, but Stefan stepped forward and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Good idea."
Ethan would like to stay and reassure her more, but he had to get out of here and back to Emma. Even the constant battle he waged to keep himself in check wasn't as consuming as his driving need to make sure she was safe. He squeezed Isabelle's hand, turned away from her, and hurried out the door.
Chapter Twelve
Emma glanced around the crowd gathered inside; Ethan held her hand as he led her through the people toward where Isabelle and Stefan sat at the bar. It took everything she had not to fidget when they both turned and leveled her with curious stares.
"Hi," Isabelle greeted with a smile, but her eyes were assessing.
Emma fought the urge to glance at Ethan for reassurance, but she'd never hid behind someone before, and she wasn't about to start now.
"Hi," she said and forced a smile.
"Sit down," Isabelle said and patted the seat next to her. Emma slid onto the stool next to Ethan's sister. "Ethan told me you just graduated from college, what are you going to do now?"
"I'm not sure," Emma answered and leaned over to place her drink order with the bartender.
"What do you want to do?" Isabelle inquired.
Emma felt like a witness on the stand as she leaned back in her chair and met the amazingly pure violet eyes of Ethan's sister. "Still haven't figured that out yet."
Isabelle laughed as she picked up her drink and took a sip. "Did you like college?"
"I had a lot of fun there." She was incredibly grateful when her drink finally arrived, and she had something to do with her hands and eyes. She lifted it and took a sip.
"Where do you plan to live now that you're done with school?" Isabelle asked before Emma had a chance to swallow.
"Isabelle, enough," Ethan said as he rested his hands on Emma's shoulders. Isabelle's eyes flickered between the two of them; a muscle twitched in her cheek as her jaw clenched. "It's not the Spanish Inquisition."
"Sorry," Isabelle said to Emma.
"It’s okay," Emma assured her.
"It's just that Ethan doesn't bring many girls around; in fact, I've never met a girlfriend of his. We were beginning to wonder if he liked girls."
"Isabelle!" Ethan hissed as Stefan choked on his drink and laughed loudly. Emma didn't know if she was mortified or if she wanted to laugh. She settled for chuckling with Stefan as Isabelle smiled innocently at Ethan and he glared at her in return.
"Ignore my sister; we don't let her out in public very often," Ethan grumbled.
"More often than you," Isabelle replied cheerfully.
Emma started to relax as the banter between the siblings eased the mounting stress. Isabelle focused on her again, but her inquisition seemed to be over as she turned the conversation toward music and television shows. A pleasant hour slid by, and Emma was beginning to realize she enjoyed Isabelle's company when she wasn't trying to pry into her life.
Ethan leaned over her and ordered two more drinks for them. He stiffened suddenly as his head turned toward the front door. Emma frowned as Isabelle and Stefan also became rigid and turned in their stools. She tried to see what had caught their attention, but she could barely see anything beyond
