“Stay away from me!”
Stefan’s anger blazed back to life as his jaw clenched forcefully. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself, trembling uncontrollably. Her beautiful cheek was reddened, and guaranteed tobruise;blood dotted her split lip,ittrickleddown her trembling chin. The smell of it, sweet and metallic, surged through him, causing something primitive and wild to surge forth. He fisted his hands as he desperately tried to bring it under control, to reign in his wild need to drink from her.
He had been dying to taste her, to have her taste him, to fill her in every way, but he had continued to hold back. He was no longer afraid of what it would mean, but he had seen the fear that filled her eyes whenever he looked at her neck. That fear had kept him at bay, but it was becoming increasingly harder everyday, every time he touched her, not to take her.
Now, smelling her, seeing it on her, he was damn close to losing all control and forcing it upon her. He knew that it was the final step, the one thing that would bind them forever, and that they would have to do it, but he had thought that he had time for it. He knew now that he was wrong. The urge was becoming stronger as their bond grew stronger.
She absently wiped the blood from her mouth. Stefan’s eyes fastened on it, blazing with the sudden hunger that rocked him. Isabelle whimpered softly. He looked back at her as she stared at him warily, her eyes bright with tears, and fear. “No,” she said softly, her hand flying to her split lip.
A muscle jumped in his cheek as he fought against the demon inside him. “Let’s go.”
She shook her head fiercely. 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!”
His eyes snapped with fury as they latched onto her. “There is nothing to think about!” he nearly roared.
She jumped in surprise;her eyes dartedanxiously toward the doorway. He was terrifying her at the moment. She had seen the fierce hunger in his gaze when hesawher blood, had felt the need that had ripped through him. Isabelle clearly recalled the pain of the last time that someone had drunk from her. It was seared permanently into her nerve endings, into her brain, and she was never going to let it happen again.
His hunger, on top of what had just happened with Jess, was more than she could stand. She was still shaking from Jess’s brutal attack, and Stefan’s overwhelming fury. 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, trying to get a hold on her shaking body.
“For what?” he hissed.
“She hates me!” she cried. He took a step closer to her. Isabelle’s eyes widened as she took another one back, her heel connecting with the wall. She had effectively trapped herself. He took another step toward her. “Because of you!”
Rage snapped and blazed through him. “There is nothing that I can do about that!”
“Just give me time to think!”
“Think about what?”
“To sort things out!”
He was before her, his arms pinned to the wall beside her head, before she even saw him move. His eyes blazed with a fire so fierce that an involuntary cry of fear ripped 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 handflutteredover her mouth. The terror in her gaze and the trembling in her body seized hold of him. Self hatred, and disgust, rolled forth as he slumped toward her. “I’ll never hurt you Isabelle,” he promised. “I’m sorry about Jess, I truly am, but I can’t do anything to change it. She’ll be gone soon, and I swear that I won’t let her hurt you again.”
She bit down on her bottom lip to repress a sob, and instantly regretted the action as a flash of pain shook her. His eyes flashed onto the blood that flowed forth again. Terror, fierce and mind shattering, flared within her. “No!” she screamed, shoving against him.
For a moment, Stefan was knocked off balance by the strength behind her sudden thrust. Regaining his balance, he seized hold of her arm before she could bolt from the room. She spun wildly, lashing out in panic. Hegrabbedhold of her hand before she could claw into his face. Isabelle sobbed andjerkedat her arm, frantically trying to break the iron hold on her wrist. Hetookhold of her other arm, pinning it to her side as he held her firmly.
She tried to struggle free of him, tried desperately to escape, but his hold was like a steel vice upon her. She went limp, sobbing softly over the futility of her struggles. He was ten times stronger than her, fiercer, and more determined. There would be no getting free ofhim;he would do whatever he wanted to her.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt me!” she cried.
Stefan closed his eyes against the tumult of emotions rocking through him. Her terror was tangible as it beat against him in pulsating waves. It was the only thing keeping the demon in him at bay, the only thing keeping him somewhat in control. Her words about needing time to think things out, and her attempt to get away from him, had nearly shattered every ounce of restraint he had. It had brought the demon bursting instantly forth.
She was his, and he was growing tired of holding himself back from possessing her in every way. He was growing tired of the fight that she still waged against him, even if she didn’t realize that she was doing it. She was afraid of what would happen if he drank from her, but it was something that needed to be done, needed to be completed. Otherwise, he would snap, and force it on her, and she would never forgive him if he did. He would never forgive himself. But it was going to happen soon. Very soon, whether she was willing, or not.
“I don’twantto hurt you Isabelle.”
“I can see Stefan! I can see what you want!”
His eyes flew open, blazing into hers. “It’s what Ineed!” he hissed. Her eyes, shining with tears, widened. “You are mine Isabelle.”
“I...” she broke off, swallowing heavily as tears slid slowly down her cheeks. “I know that.”
