He took a deep breath as heclenchedhis jaw. He knew that she didn’t understand what he was trying to tell her. He forced himself to release her arms, she was scared enough without being trapped by him. He walked over and picked up the box, determined to show her that he wasn’t going to force anything on her. Not yet anyway. If she kept fighting him, than he didn’t know what would happen. He knew that it would hurt again, if she resisted him, but if she didn’t...
He actually didn’t know how it would feel if she didn’t resist him. All the humans he had fed from had never known because he had blocked it from their minds, and memories. The onlypersonwho had ever fed off of him, except Kyle, was the woman that had changed him and it had been the most excruciating experience of his life. He knew why Isabelle feared it, recalled the agony that had seized him, but he also knew that this was something that hewanted, something that heneededwith every ounce of his heart, and soul.
“Let’s talk about this later.”
He hefted the box and turnedto face her. She watched him warily, the tears on her cheeks drying slowly. “Stefan...”
“Later Isabelle.”
She wanted to fight with him, wanted to protest his highhanded, commanding manner, but she instinctively knew that he would became enraged again. There was something wrong with him, something bothering him.She didn’t know what it was, and he didn’t seem willing to tell her at the moment. She wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to know. She had seen the fury that had consumed him, seen the near loss of control that had seized him, and she was scared that it would happen again, and this time he wouldn’t come back.
Isabelle shuddered as she wrapped her arms around herself. She knew what he wanted from her, but she also knew that she could not give itto him.
CHAPTER 19
“I can’t believe that bitch slapped you!”
“Abigail!” her mother said sharply.
Abby sent her a rueful look, but her eyes were full of fire as she turned back to Isabelle. Isabelle shrugged as she added more paint to the roller. “You should have hit her back!”
“She has a right to be mad Abby,”Isabelle said softly.
“She does not!” Vicky yelled.
Isabelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she prayed for patience. She didn’t need her sisters ranting and raving on top of everything else on her mind. All things considered, the day was totaling up to a bad one. It didn’t help that Stefan had given her the time that she’d requested, and gone with her father, and David, to feed. Her body longed for his return. It was beginning to become almost intolerable.
She slapped the roller against the wall as she grit her teeth against the clawing ache in her body. “I’m glad she’s leaving tomorrow. I don’t know how Kathleen has such a miserable bi…witch for a daughter,” Abby continued, catching herself just in time as her mother shot her a warning look.
“I don’t know what Stefan saw in her in the first place. I mean, how could he be with someone like that?” Isabelle’s jaw clenched as a fierce jealousy seized her. For a moment, the room was shaded in a haze of red as her hands tightened in a death grip upon the roller handle. “He could have his choice of women, what...”
“Vicky!” Isabelle yelled, throwing her roller down and spinning to face her sisters.
“What?” she asked in confusion.
“Enough!”Isabelle snapped.
“I was just saying...”
“Why don’t you girls go on home,” her mother interrupted as she turned to face them. Her eyes focused questioningly on Isabelle. “It’s getting late.”
They looked about ready to protest, but seemed to decide better as they looked back at Isabelle. “Okay,” Vicky mumbled.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Abby said.
Isabelle sighed wearily as she rubbed tiredly at her eyes. “Care to tell me what’s wrong?” her mother asked softly.
“What isn’t wrong,” she muttered.
“Isabelle...”
She held up a hand, needing a few moments to gather her thoughts. Everything inside of her was a mess. She needed Stefan with her. She had wanted him to go away, to give her time tothink;now all she wanted was for him to come back. It hurt when he was gone. She couldn’t think, hell she could barely even function, and now jealousy was clawing at her insides again. He had gone to feed. He would be feeding off of women, and she couldn’t help but wonder what else he would be doing with them. The thought brought the vampire in her surging to the forefront. She trembled as she struggled to draw it back, to keep it under reign.
Finally, she lifted her head and met her mother’s troubled gaze. “I just... I feel... awful,” she breathed.
Her mother smiled knowingly and nodded as she dropped her roller down. “He’ll be back soon.”
“I know it’s just that I don’t know what he’s doing, where he is,orwho he’s with!”
