“I don’t like her attitude.”
“Neither do I,” the blond agreed.
“And I don’t like yours!” she snapped.
“I think she needs a lesson in manners.”
“So do I,” the other brunette said.
Fury and fear were waging a fierce war inside of her as she tilted her chin defiantly. “Trust me, you won’t be the one to give it to me,” she snarled.
They all exchanged quick, smug looks. “I always wondered what our kind tastes like. She smells sweet.”
Fear caused the demon inside of her to burst free. She lashed out instinctively, her claws tearing across theblonde’schest, spilling his tainted blood. He jumped back in surprise as his face twisted in a grimace of pain. She darted quickly to the side, determined to get back inside while he was off guard. A hand seized hold of her hair, ripping her back, and slamming her into a massive, solid chest. The blond quickly recovered, his eyes blazedred with fury as he came at her again. The other two came forward, their teeth gleaming brightly in the dim lights of the alley, their eyes a vivid, malevolent red.
Fullfledged panic tore through her as she lashed violently out at the hands holding her hair. A moment of satisfaction spurted through her as she tore into his skin, spilling his bloodonto her hands. A fierce hiss echoed in her ear, but the grip didn’t lessen as her head was jerked back with a sharp crack that sent pain blazing down her neck. The redhead, and one of the brunette’s,seized hold of her arms, ripping them downthey werepinnedto her sides as the blond stopped before her. She kicked out at him, but he deftly avoided her as he came to her side.
Panting heavily, and trembling with fury and fear, Isabelle’s panic was starting to become all consuming. For some reason, a picture of Stefan formed in her mind. She silently screamed his name as the blondes teeth sank into her neck. She lost all thought as agonizing paintore through her body, blurred her vision, and knockedall of the fight out of her.
Never had she felt anything so hurtful, never had she imagined such pain could exist. Fire burned through her, searing her veins, and burning her skin. Her entire body felt as if it were engulfed in flames licking over every inch of her skin, searing the marrow from her bones. She wanted to struggle, wanted to break free, but she found herself unable to move through the agonizing torture that was tearing her body to shreds.
A loud roar echoed in her ears, moments before the teeth were ripped from her neck, tearing across her skin. She stumbled back, slamming into the wall, her hand reaching up to cling to the jagged wounds in her neck. “Isabelle! Isabelle!” She blinked dazedly at Stefan as he grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Isabelle are you all right?”
She focused on him for a moment, saw the worry, and the fury that twisted his face as his eyes blazed a violent blood red. She opened her mouth to tell him that she was all right, but a wave of blackness washed over her, and all thought was lost as itpulledher under.
Stefan swept her quickly into his arms before she hit the ground. He swung her easily up, cradling her head against his chest as his hands wrapped into her silken hair. A fierce wave of protection washed over him, pushing out some of his fury. Then, he thought about what could have happened to her and the fury blazed forth again. He anxiously scanned the alley, searching for any sign that they might still be around.Hoping they were so he could rip them to shreds. But they were all gone, including Jack and Ian.
Stefan pulled back her hair, the fury in him nearly explodedas he saw the jagged lacerations that ripped through her delicate skin. His hands were shaking with fury, and fear, as he lightly touched the marks. She whimpered softly, but didn’t awaken. He instantly dropped his hand back to his side; a snarl curledhis lips as he cradled her tighter. The constricting pain in his chest was almost unbearable as he realized that he could have lost her, that they could have taken her from him.
He bit back a roar of fury, and anguish, as he quickly scanned the alley again. He should have gone after them, should have destroyed them himself, but he had been unable to leave her side.He had been unable to go anywhere until he knew that she was okay,andthat they had not destroyed her. Unable to be anywhere, but at her side.
Jack appeared beside him, panting slightly, his eyes wide with worry as he gazed at Isabelle. “Is she all right?” he asked anxiously.
“No. Where are they?” he snarled.
Jack’s eyes sharpened on Stefan. “They’re gone,” he said slowly.
“They were old,” Stefansaid softly. Jack’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t question how Stefan knew that. “We need to get her out of here, now.”
Jack nodded as Ian reappeared. “Get the car,” Jack told him.
“Is she all right?” Ian demanded.
“Get the damn car!” Stefan snapped.
Ian’s eyes darkened with anger, but he didn’t argue with him. Instead, he nodded sharply and took off around the building. Stefan shifted his hold on Isabelle as blood began to trickle onto his fingers. Fierce anger ripped through him again as he fully realized that someone else had touched her, that they had hurt her. He was trembling with his urge to kill, with the fierce need to destroy. He should have gone after them, should have destroyed them. He had mistakenly thought that he had managed torid himselfofsuch urges, managed to leave them in his past, but he knew now that he had been completely wrong. The killer in him was still very close to the surface, and it was Isabelle that brought it outin him.
He inhaled sharply as that realization sank in, rattlinghisthin thread of composure even more.
When her fear had slammed into him inside the club, he had been jolted by the amazing fact that she had been able to communicate it to him at all. Only vampires who had a bond with someone were able to communicate withthem. That bond was usually forged through blood or sex. Since he hadsharedneither with Isabelle, it completely astonished him that she had managed to reach through to him, and that he had been able to receive it.
Then, all of those thoughts had fled as hewasseized by the overwhelming drive to get to her. Her painhad slammed into him, hammeredinto his skull until all he wanted was to kill whoever was hurting her, and anyone that got in his way. He had been seized again by the bloodlust that had driven him for centuries, a bloodlust that he had been determined to rid himself of. He now knew that he had failed miserably in his attempt to do so.
He had also failed in his need to keep her safe. She had been hurt bya part of theworld that he had never wanted her to know existed, and all because he had been too stubborn togoafter her when she’dleft.To afraid to go after her. It was his fault that she was hurt. If it hadn’t been for him, she never would have come to the club tonight, she never would have been outside, and she sure as hell wouldn’t have been hurt. At that moment, he hated himself completely.
“How much did they take from her?” Jack asked worriedly.
“I don’t know,”Stefan said coldly, the anger constricting his chest.
