Isabelle ignored her as she raced across the room;shegrabbedthe tiny wooden chair in the corner. She ran back to the bathroom and thrust it inside. “Use this to block the door, and don’t you dare come out, no matter what!” she ordered.
“Isabelle...”
“Do it!” she snapped, grabbing the handle and slamming the door shut. “Lock it tight!”
She waited until she heard the chair being placed against the door before she ran over to the other door. Her hands were shaking as she fumbled to get the chain into place. ‘My mother!’ she screamed to Stefan.
‘It’syouthey want Isabelle! You they’re tracking. Your mother has been warned.’
Isabelle bit back a sob as she turned back around. Vicky and Abby were stuck in here with her. ‘I have to get out of this room!’
‘No!’
‘Vicky and Abby are in here!’
‘Don’t you dare leave that room!’
Isabelle glanced wildly around. They could come in here, she knew that. People stayed in this room, but they didn’tlivehere. It was no one’s home. She either left the room,and took them away from her sisters, or she stayed and led them right to them. It was not a hard decision to make. She spun back around, trembling as she reached to slip the chain free of its lock. Her hand froze midway there.
‘Stefan...’
‘Stay in that room!’ he commanded.
‘Stefan, they’re here.’
His roar of fury was so loud that for a moment she swore it echoed through the room. It took her a moment to realize that it wasn’t his bellow that filled the room, but the shattering of the large plate glass window behind her. Isabelle screamed as air rushed into the room, and a darkness that had nothing to do with the night, rushed in to meet her. She recognized the putrid smell instantly as it swamped into her mind, nearly drowning her with its memories of pain and fear.
She ripped the chain free, and unlockedthe dead bolt as hands seized hold of her. Isabelle swung wildly, lashing out with claws. She caught him across the face, slicing his skin open and spraying his blond hair with blood. She lashed out again, fear for her sisters serving to make her wild, and savage, as she caught him in his chest. She would do everything in her power to make sure that this monstrosity didn’t get anywhere near them.
The door burst open behind her;itslammedinto her back, and knockedher to the floor. She cried out as her shoulder slammed into the wall and pain pierced down her side. Splintered wood, and shattered plaster rained down around her as the ruined door crashed to the floor. She scrambled back up as the other one came at her. “Kill her!” the blond hissed.
The redhead came eagerly toward her, his eyes gleamedwith bloodlust. Isabelle jumped to her feet as the blond turned toward the bathroom door. “No!” she screamed.
She launched herself at the redhead at the same moment that her mother racedthrough the doorandflung herself at his back. He hissed in fury as he stumbled backward, her mother’s claws tearing down his back. Isabelle slashed at him, ripping his chest open with her nails. The blond, distracted by her mother’s presence, came back toward them as Willow and Cassidyflewinto the room.
“Get out of here!” Isabelle screamed at them.
They skidded to a halt, their eyes wide as the blond turned toward them. Fear tore through her as they turned to run back out of the room. He disappeared before her eyes, coming toahalt in front of them. “Veal!” he hissed.
“Mom!” Willow screamed.
The door to the bathroom burst open as Abby and Vicky racedout. Isabelle felt as if her heart stopped beating for a full moment. She was so focused on everyone else that she had completely forgotten about the man before her. He flung her mother off, knocking her to the floor as he reached out and seized hold of Isabelle’s arm. She swung out instantly, but he grabbed hold of her other arm, twisting it painfully to the side and forcing her to her knees. She bit back a whimper of pain as she lifted her chin to glare defiantly back at him.
“I’ve been dying to see you on your knees,” he said with a cruel smile.
“Screw you!” she spat.
“Isabelle!” Vicky screamed.
Isabelle swung up, ignoring the tortuous pain in her arm, as she caught him across his stomach. Blood spurted over both of them as he twisted her arm all the way over, knocking her to the floor. Agony tore through her and she almost screamed, but managed to stop herself in time. Fear flowed through her as he knelt over her, pinning her shoulder against the wall. He was so strong, so much stronger than she was. There was no way that she could fight him. Thoughts of her family rushed over her as the sounds of a battle filled the room, but there was nothing that she could do to help them, she was completely trapped, and he was going to kill her.
The roar that filled the room was so loud that it drowned out every other sound instantly.
Relief flowed through her. The redhead released her arm, spinning away from her as Stefan seized hold of him, ripped his head back, snapped his neckand ripped out his heart. Isabelle stared in amazed surprise as the man fell lifelessly to the ground. She couldn’t believe how quicklyStefanhad managed to kill him.Marveled at the amount of strength that it must have taken. The man had been much stronger than her, much stronger than anyone she had ever known. Except Stefan, she realized.
Swallowing heavily, Isabelle struggled back to her knees, cradling her wounded arm as she lifted her head to meet his red filled, furious gaze. The ferocious snarl on his face vanished instantly, and his eyes turned back to black as he knelt before her.
“Where’s the other one?” she gasped out.
