Ethan and Isabelle exchanged a quick look; confusion was evident on both of their faces. “No,” Ethan answered slowly. “Maybe it seems odd to you, because you were human at one time, but we were raised like this. It’s all we’ve known since we were born. Trust me; our parents can still scare the crap out of us, no matter how young they look.”
Stefan nodded. He supposed that it wouldn’t be odd to him if he was them, but he remembered his parents, and their aging. He couldn’t imagine having them with him now; then again, he had lost them when he was too young to even think about what it would be like to have them with him now. They had been dead before he had been changed, dead long before he had reached adulthood. Stefan turned his attention away from the past, determined not to relive it.
“What age did you stop maturing at?” he inquired, curious about their development through life.
“I just stopped this year,” Ethan answered, casting a glance at Isabelle.
“I stopped last year,” Isabelle said proudly, grinning smugly back at her brother.
“You stopped at different times?” he asked in surprise.
They both shrugged, but Isabelle was grinning happily. Apparently it was a bit of a sore subject with Ethan that his younger sister had reached maturity before him. “Yeah, we don’t know exactly how it works, or what makes our bodies decide to stop aging, but Isabelle did before me.”
“How did you know you were done?” Stefan asked, turning toward her.
She met his gaze hesitantly, shrugging slightly. “I just knew. There’s no other way to explain it, except that I just knew.”
“Yeah,” Ethan answered. “I woke up six months ago, and knew. At first I had thought that Isabelle was lying to me about it, to torment me.” They exchanged quick smiles. “But that is the way it works. There is no way to know when we’ll stop, only when we do. Our powers develop more quickly afterward.”
“You don’t have any powers until you mature?” he asked in disbelief.
“We have some, we can alter memories a little, but it’s extremely draining. If I hadn’t been there to help Isabelle with Ralph, she never would have been able to do it herself. We were faster and stronger than humans, but not by much. It isn’t until we fully mature that our speed increases, our power of memory erasure becomes stronger, and we can really see and hear a lot better.”
“Amazing,” he muttered. And it was amazing; the whole situation was amazing to him.
“How old were you when you became a vampire?” Isabelle asked softly. She hadn’t meant to ask the question, she didn’t want to know anymore about him, but she found herself oddly curious about him, and she hadn’t been able to stop herself from asking.
He looked over at her, pleased that she was showing an interest in him, and his life. A little too pleased, he realized with an inward grimace. The girl asked one question about his life and he instantly began to wonder if he could get her into his bed tonight. Then, with an inward groan, he remembered Jess, and his hope evaporated. Maybe, he could get into her bed. The direction of his thoughts startled him, as well as aroused him to a very uncomfortable state. For crying out loud, she had only asked one stupid question and he immediately leapt to the thought that he could take her to bed. He was acting like a damn idiot.
It was then that he realized they were both looking at him expectantly. He pulled himself out of his lustful thoughts and forced his attention back to the conversation. “Twenty eight,” he answered.
She nodded as she slid back in her chair, her gaze darted to the clock in the corner. She was tired, and hungry, and she really needed to get away from Stefan before she found herself even more curious, and attracted to him. Before she lost all resolve to stay away from him completely. “I’m going to go to bed.”
She stood suddenly, her chair skidding back with the force of her abrupt movement. “You don’t want to wait for them?” Ethan asked in surprise.
“No, I’m tired.”
“Good night,” Stefan said his voice deep and husky.
Isabelle couldn’t suppress the shiver that raced down her spine as his voice seemed to caress, and envelop her. “Good night,” she replied as she quickly made her way out the door.
When she left, Stefan was surprised by the odd sense of loss that filled him. If Ethan hadn’t been sitting beside him, he knew that he would have gone after her, that he would have stopped her. But he didn’t think that Ethan would take kindly to the idea of Stefan hauling his sister down the stairs and ravishing her. There would be other nights, and better times, to ease his lust.
CHAPTER 7
Stefan was still awake two hours later, sitting in the dark dining room. He couldn’t seem to find the energy, or the drive, to go back upstairs and crawl into bed next to Jess. The thought alone caused a cold knot of disgust to form in his stomach. It was past time to end it with her. He had grown tired of the relationship a couple of weeks ago, but today had been the final straw. He had only stayed around as long as he had because she was extremely good in bed, and he hadn’t found any other options. But now he had another option set firmly in his head, and he was intent on pursuing it.
Besides being tired of her, he could sense the fanciful thoughts that were starting to run through Jess’s head. Fanciful thoughts of marriage, and children, that were never going to come true. He thought that he might like to have that kind of life one day, but definitely not with Jess. She had been fun, and easy, when he had first met her three months ago, but she had long since become a bore, and she was starting to hope that their nice, casual relationship, might turn into something more. That was never going to happen.
In his old age, he found it nicer to have a woman constantly around, and had started adopting girlfriends for short periods of time, instead of one night stands. He had kept Jess around a little longer than most of the others, but it was time to cut the strings. Hell, the only reason he had come up here was to drop her off with her mom, and leave. He had been thinking about heading up to Canada to explore the wilderness. It had only been the fact that he had run into his own kind, and Isabelle, that had made him stay. He could stay now, and get rid of Jess.
He was not looking forward to the scene that was sure to follow, or the angry environment that it would cause. Maybe it would be better if he waited until Jess went back to school. Then, he thought better of it. He couldn’t stand being around her now, let alone another two weeks. It would be better to get it over and done with as soon as possible.
He leaned back in his chair as he stared into the dark room. To him, it was as well lit as it had been when all of the lights were on, and he could easily make out every detail. He liked this home, and to his surprise, he actually liked the whole atmosphere of the warm, family environment. He had never stayed with his own kind for long periods of time, except for Brian, but Brian was part of his past, and he had no intention of seeing him again. The thought brought back memories that he preferred to forget, memories of what he had been, and would never be again.
It was easier to forget about it when he was here. He had never settled down anywhere before, but when he saw how close and secure everyone was, he almost longed to have a place like it for himself. He enjoyed the laughter, the warm familiarity, and the stories. There were bonds of love woven throughout the entire place that would never be broken. Bonds he found himself a little jealous of.
He understood why David, Doug, Jack, and Mike stayed here, even though they were freer than the others to leave. He didn’t understand why Ethan and Isabelle seemed determined to stay so far away from the outside world though. They would always have a place to come home too, even if they did go out and see the world, like their siblings. However, it wasn’t his place to say anything, and he was certain that they had their reasons, he just couldn’t figure out what they could be.
Then again, he had seen everything that there was to see, and been everywhere. Yet, he had never felt as at peace, and as comfortable, as he felt here. He was glad that he had found it.
One day he might even set up a home of his own somewhere, and settle down for a little while. Although, it would probably be lonely with just him, and he’d probably be bored within a month. But at least he would have a home base to go back to when his wanderlust dimmed again.
Then again, his wanderlust had been dimmed for awhile now. For the last fifty years or so, ever since he had killed Brenda, he had felt oddly detached, without a purpose, and tired of traveling the world. His entire existence had revolved around destroying her, and once she was gone, there had been no reason for him to continue on. At first he had at least had Brian, but when Brian had changed, become something else, he had lost Brian’s friendship too.
He had only been going through the motions of surviving for awhile now. He just hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself. Now, he had a place where he could stay, a place that he actually liked, a place that he felt a little alive in again. David had asked him to stay for as long as he wanted, and Sera and Liam had insisted upon it. At first he had refused their offer, but after tonight, he had changed his mind. For the first time in awhile he didn’t feel as oddly detached, or lonely.
It would be fun to stay here, listening to stories, helping with the house, and getting to know Isabelle better. A lot better. There was something about her that utterly captivated, and intrigued, him. He would enjoy taking the time to figure her out, and he would truly enjoy bedding her. There was no doubt in his mind that he would get her into his bed, he hadn’t met a woman yet that had refused him, he just didn’t know how long it would take. She was very hesitant around him, and for some reason she truly seemed to fear him. Once he got past those two obstacles, he would be home free. He didn’t even consider Jess as a possible obstacle, as far as he was concerned, she was already gone.
A small thud in the kitchen drew his attention. Instantly he knew who it was, and his pulse accelerated with the small thrill that traveled through him. Planting his chair back on the ground, he climbed swiftly to his feet. Moving silently through the darkened dining room, and hallway, he stepped into the doorway of the large, open kitchen.
Isabelle was standing in front of the refrigerator, silhouetted against its dim light. The light blue night gown she wore ended at mid thigh. His mouth went dry and his loins ached painfully as he savored the sight of her long, shapely legs. The way she was bent allowed him a tempting view of a pair of black, lace panties. He shifted uncomfortably as his hardened cock jumped eagerly in his pants. She was the most tempting thing he had ever seen. He was certain that even the Goddess Venus could not compare to the lovely vision before him.
She stiffened suddenly, slamming the door shut as her back became ramrod straight. “Don’t you sleep?” she asked coldly.
Stefan forced himself to take a deep breath before answering her. “I could ask the same of you.”
She turned toward him, her violet eyes bright in the dark. The gold streaks in her hair shimmered and danced in the moonlight, while the dark of it blended into the shadows. It caused a startling effect that highlighted her enchanting beauty. “I was hoping that they had returned.”
“Hungry?”
Her eyes flashed dangerously as she tilted her delicate chin. “Not all of us have a ready supply available,” she retorted fiercely.
“By all means, enjoy Jess.” He nearly snarled the comment, but he couldn’t help it. She had him as hard as a rock, and her haughty demeanor, and cold look was infuriating the hell out of him.
Her exquisite mouth parted as she gaped at him in surprise. “What an awful thing to say! Don’t you have any respect?”
Stefan shifted uncomfortably as he leaned his hip against the large counter dividing the kitchen from the tiled entry way. “I wouldn’t want to see you go hungry, when there’s a ready supply available.”
It took her a moment to realize that he was mocking her. When she did, her eyes snapped with fury and her hands fisted at her sides. “Are you always such an ass?” she demanded fiercely.
He grinned cockily at her, his white teeth flashed in the dark, his onyx eyes gleamed with the hunger that she was becoming uncomfortably familiar with. A hunger that sparked the strange tightening in her, no matter how hard she tried to fight against it. “Most women find me charming.”
“I find you infuriating.”
“So I’ve noticed, and trust me, the feeling is mutual.”
She blinked at him in surprise. Was it possible that she affected him in the same odd way that he affected her? She quickly shook the thought off. He looked too unperturbed by her presence to be feeling any amount of the desire that was burning through her. Even standing a good ten feet away from him, she could feel the heat of his presence, the force of his power. It burned through her, made her heart hammer, and caused her legs to tremble no matter how hard she tried to fight it. She didn’t want this; she didn’t want any of this.
Her eyes darted toward the narrow opening. All she wanted was to run from the kitchen, and back to the safety of her room. However, she would be within inches of him if she left, and she didn’t want to be that close to him, ever. She had been so certain that he would be in his bed by now, with Jess, and that it would be safe to come out again. She was firmly kicking herself in the ass for her stupidity. After earlier she should have realized that there was never a safe time to come out of her room.
“So, what is it that you don’t like about me Isabelle?”
His husky voice sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly she was seized by the insane urge to cry. This was so unfair, everything was so unfair. She had locked herself away to avoid this, and he had walked right into her yard, right into her home for crying out loud! And the absolute worst part of it was that he didn’t feel anything like she felt. She had seen the hunger in his eyes a few times, but he didn’t seem at all upset by her presence at the moment, not like she was by his.
Maybe she was wrong, she thought hopefully. Maybe he wasn’t her soul mate. If he was, than surely he would feel something too. Her parents couldn’t keep their hands off of each other, and both of them had told her that there had been an instant connection, even if they hadn’t realized it at first. But if Stefan wasn’t feeling anything, then maybe he was simply just the first man that she had ever been attracted too, and she was wrong about everything else.
Surely she could be attracted to a man, and not have to give her life over to him. Her sisters were forever falling in, and out of, love. Just because she had never felt anything for anyone before didn’t mean that she couldn’t feel it now. That made perfect sense, she decided. He was good looking, amazingly built, and the first vampire she had met outside of her family. Of course she would be attracted to him, but it didn’t mean anything, it was only a simple attraction.
“I don’t dislike you,” she finally answered, and she didn’t, he just scared the hell out of her.
“Could have fooled me,” he retorted, his voice chillingly cold.
“I um, I need to go to sleep. I’m tired,” she managed to stammer out.
“Spent all of your energy cleaning?” The taunting tone of his voice raised her hackles, and her temper. “You should have let Jess help you.”
He hadn’t meant to goad her, but her obvious need to escape from him as quickly as possible aggravated the hell out of him. Her eyes turned a deeper shade of violet as anger flared through her. At least when she was angry she wasn’t looking at him as if he were the wolf, and she was the rabbit that was about to be devoured. When she was angry at him, she didn’t look absolutely petrified to be around him. Instead she looked as if she wanted to kill him, and he found that he preferred it. He hated the idea that she was scared of him, and if he had to anger her in order to get rid of it, then so be it.
Isabelle clenched her jaw, fully infuriated by the arrogant jerk before her. He completely deserved Jess, they were perfect for each other, she decided as she tilted her chin to glare at him. “I didn’t want to interrupt her important tanning, I’m sure that you wouldn’t want her to have any uns
eemly lines!” she snapped, fully aware of the ugly jealousy that colored her words. She only hoped that he didn’t notice it.
Anger flared through him. He had baited her, he had brought out her ire, but he hadn’t expected her to turn it back on him. He had expected her to tell him the truth; that Jess had refused to help her, not to have her go along with the lie, and not to have her blatantly remind him of his relationship with Jess. It took all he had not to reply in kind, not to grab her and shake some sense into her. Not to grab her and kiss the fury from her.
Instead, he decided to change tactics. “Why are you scared of me?”
The question had the effect that he wanted as her eyes widened, and her luscious mouth parted in surprise. The anger radiating from her diminished, shock blazed forth. “I’m not scared of anyone!” she cried.
He found that very easy to believe, but something about him truly upset her. While something about her was causing him to damn near burst out of his jeans. He shifted uncomfortably again and moved to the back of the counter in an attempt to try and ease the fierce pressure. He forced himself to keep his gaze focused on her face, and not on the thin nightgown she wore. A nightgown that emphasized her delicate curves, and bared her creamy thighs. Thighs he was very tempted to touch, to feel, to taste, to have wrapped around him as he buried himself deeply within her.
He groaned inwardly as he became unbearably hard, and forced his gaze back to her face. He hadn’t thought it was possible, he sure as hell hadn’t seen it yet, but she looked aroused. Her lips were parted slightly, her breathing had become quicker and shallower, and her eyes had grown darker as they warily met his. He smiled softly as he finally deduced the source of her fear. She was as attracted to him as he was to her, but for some reason she didn’t like the feeling, and it frightened her. For some reason, instead of giving into her urges like any sane woman would, she was determined to fight him every step of the way.
Destined (Vampire Awakenings) Page 9