Isabelle lifted her head from Stefan's shoulder to grin at him. "Weren't we already having fun?" she asked.
"You know what I mean, Issy," he replied with a grin.
She knew exactly what he meant.
"You'd better go get your friends," Jack told him.
"They'll follow us. Ready for one of our family traditions, Stefan?"
"If someone would tell me what it is," he replied.
They exchanged smiles as they glanced at one another.
"Who's going first?" Mike asked.
All their gazes landed on Isabelle. "No way!" she retorted. "I went last year; it's Ian's turn."
"It is Ian's turn," Jack said after giving it further thought.
Ian took a step back as they all turned toward him. "Hey! Come on, this was my idea!"
"Which is even more reason why you should go first," David retorted.
Ian grinned at them as they took another step forward. "Fine!" he cried throwing his hands up.
He took off running, and they all turned to watch as he darted past his friends, kicking off his shoes as he ran. He dove into the lake and came up sputtering. "Cold!"
They all began to laugh as he turned onto his back and kicked himself out toward the middle of the lake. With a war-like cry, Mike, Doug, Jack, David, and Ethan ran past them, shedding their shoes as they ran. "Oh great!" Vicky cried as she appeared at their side with Abby. "Who started it?"
"Ian," Isabelle answered over the loud splashes and yells.
They both shook their heads. "Well, we knew it was coming. Let's go, Abby."
Stefan watched in amazement as the twins also ran forward, they usually avoided the group activities. "What is going on?" he asked.
"The end of summer swim," Isabelle answered. "We do it every year, although we usually do it a little earlier than this. A natural stream feeds the lake from the mountains; it has to be really cold by now."
To confirm her statement, Vicky and Abby squealed as they jumped back out of the lake. Doug and Mike instantly came after them, grabbed them, and tossed them back in. Their loud, shrill screams pierced the air as they returned to the surface.
"Come on, Issy!" Willow cried as she raced by them with Julian, Kyle, and Cassidy on her heels.
Isabelle laughed as she shook her head.
"Don't want to go?" Stefan asked.
"Nope," she replied as she moved closer to him.
Stefan grinned down at her as he grabbed her waist and lifted her up. She smiled at him as she wrapped her hands around his neck and leisurely kicked her feet. "I'd take your shoes off," he whispered.
"What?" She frowned at him, obviously not realizing his intent until he started walking toward the lake. "Stefan, no!"
He held firmly to her as she grew squiggly as an eel. "Isabelle, yes."
She glared at him as her shoes hit the ground. "If you toss me into that lake, I'll—"
"You'll what?"
There wasn't anything she could say to that, and judging by the smug grin on his face, he damn well knew it. Stefan kicked his shoes off before wading into the cold water. "Stefan—"
He smiled as he released her. Isabelle cried out as the chilly water engulfed her whole body and turned it numb almost instantly. She came back up, spitting and sputtering as she wiped strands of straggly hair off her face. She glowered up at him as he stood over her, a grin on his handsome face and his hands planted firmly on his hips.
"Aren't you coming in?" she demanded.
"It's a little too cold for me."
The quick but forceful shove from behind knocked him off balance. Isabelle grabbed his arms at the same time and tugged him into the water. He came back up, sputtering from the cold and the fact he’d been shoved in. Her laughter rang loudly in his ears as he turned to look at Ethan and David. They proudly slapped each other's hands, as they smugly grinned at him.
"Everyone goes in!" David announced.
Stefan snorted as he shook his wet hair off his forehead. He launched to his feet after them. They met him head-on as they all toppled into the water. Isabelle laughed as she watched them splash and tumble with each other. He was part of her family now, a part of her, and they fully accepted him. Ian, Jack, Doug, Willow, Kyle, Cassidy, and Mike joined in the fray as Vicky and Abby swam over to join her.
"We didn't need another brother," Vicky said happily.
Isabelle laughed as she turned to face them. The moonlight shimmered over their sleek, golden heads and lit their vivid green eyes. "Trust me, I know."
Vicky smiled at her before she turned onto her back and kicked leisurely at the water. Isabelle turned herself over to float beside her. The water wasn't so cold now that she’d grown accustomed to it. In fact, it was rather pleasant. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift, taking comfort in the light slapping of the water against her skin. Shouts echoed through the night; she smiled when Willow screamed, and a loud splash filled the air.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Stefan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She didn't bother to open her eyes as she rested her head in the curve of his shoulder. His skin was cold to the touch, but his body heat served to warm her. "Nowhere," she mumbled happily.
"That's right."
She laughed as she pulled back to look at him. His eyes were intense as he met her gaze, his black hair was slicked back to reveal every angle of his face. She stroked the rough bristles lining his jaw. The shiver racking her had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with him.
"I love you, Stefan," she whispered as she dropped a kiss on his full mouth.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed herself more firmly against him. He glanced over his shoulder at the crowd gathered in the water still splashing and playing loudly. The humans joined in the fun, and even Liam and Sera had appeared.
"Let's go somewhere a little quieter," he said.
"What?" she asked in surprise.
He grinned as he turned over, and leisurely began to kick through the water with her wrapped securely in his arms. He swam noiselessly and quickly to the dock and pulled her behind it. "Stefan," she whispered.
He didn't give her time to protest as he seized hold of her mouth and pushed her back against the dock. He lifted her shirt up to skim across her smooth, silken skin. Isabelle wiggled closer to him. He lifted her legs from his waist and quickly unbuttoned and slid her shorts down. "Stefan, we can't!" She released his neck and grasped for her shorts.
He pulled them swiftly off and held them away from her before tossing them onto the dock. He grabbed her waist, halting her as she turned to try and retrieve them. Turning her back around, he pulled her against him. She squiggled against him, only serving to heat his loins more. He quickly unbuttoned his jeans and slipped them down as he lifted her to his waist. "Stefan!" she gasped, half in protest, half in desire.
He grinned as he slipped his hand between her thighs and delved his finger deep into her tight, wet sheath. "I think you're more than ready for me," he whispered.
She adamantly shook her head no, but her traitorous hips began to move with his finger. "We can't!"
"We can." He slipped his hand away from her. She moaned her protest as she instinctively sought to get closer to him. Grabbing her waist, he lifted her onto him. "If you want to stop though," he whispered as he nibbled on her bottom lip.
She lifted herself up in answer and slid onto him slowly. She moaned in pleasure as heat seared through her entire body. Her hands curled into his back as she clung to him. He planted his hands on the dock behind her, using it to keep him up as she rode them both to completion.
Spent and completely sated, Isabelle dropped her head to his shoulder as she tried to get her breathing under control. The chill of the water began to penetrate her warm haze, causing her to shiver. "Come on, let's get you warm," he whispered as he reached behind her to grab her shorts.
He quickly slid them back up her long legs as she shivered and shook
against him. He rubbed her arms and body, trying to put some heat back into her as he kicked through the water. A fire was going now; its flames illuminated the people gathered around it. Stepping onto the shore, he found towels and their shoes waiting for them. He grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her, and enthusiastically rubbed it against her skin.
"They're all going to know," she whispered, her voice thick with embarrassment.
He chuckled. "Trust me, they already know."
She pulled back to look at him; her face a vivid shade of red. "I know that, but, I uh... oh forget it."
He kissed the tip of her nose as he eased her to the ground and wrapped the towel around her trembling shoulders. "I understand, love."
She offered a tremulous smile as she held onto the towel. He grabbed the other towel and wrapped it around her as he grabbed their shoes.
"You need this." She handed the other towel out to him, but he wrapped it back around her as he pulled her against his side.
"Not as much as you,” he said. “That fire looks inviting."
She shivered as she buried herself against him and followed him toward the large, leaping flames. Laughter floated through the night, beckoning them almost as much as the giant flames did. Isabelle felt her embarrassment rise as they moved steadily closer.
"You guys must be popsicles!" Vicky cried as she rushed over to hand Stefan a blanket.
He pulled the towels away from Isabelle and pulled her against his chest. Wrapping the blanket around them both, he used his hands to rub some heat back into her. She shivered as she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest; the heat in her face was hot against his cool skin. Stifling a laugh over her foolishness, he lifted her up and sat on the ground with her in his lap.
They sat for a long time, absorbing the heat of the fire as drinks and stories were passed around. Ian left with his friends to go to a club, Liam and Sera slipped away, and the younger children went off to bed. Stefan was content to stay by the flames, holding Isabelle within his arms, and warming them both. He never thought he would experience such peaceful bliss in his life, and he was reluctant to leave it.
David, Doug, Mike, Jack, and Ethan sat nearby, watching the flames as they died down. Isabelle yawned as her fingers curled into his still damp shirt. "Tired?" he inquired.
She nodded as she stifled another yawn. He brushed the damp hair off her face as he lifted her up. "Good night, guys."
"Hold on, I'll go back with you," Ethan said.
Jack and David climbed to their feet behind him and tucked their blankets under their arms before heading over to them. Mike and Doug stood and walked over to the buckets of water sitting on the other side of the fire. Stefan waited for the three of them before turning and heading into the shadows of the house. He was halfway across the field when he felt it. Freezing instantly, his hands clenched protectively on Isabelle. She lifted her head to stare at him questioningly as Ethan, David, and Jack stopped walking.
"Stefan?" Isabelle inquired.
He shook his head as his gaze quickly scanned the open field and surrounding woods. His nostrils flared as a powerful; defensive urge poured through him. He shifted Isabelle in his arms and lowered her to the ground as the disturbance in the air grew closer. She released him slowly; her eyes were questioning as she searched his gaze. His eyes shot to the left as a shimmer in the air caught his attention, a shimmer he knew the others wouldn't be able to see.
He pushed Isabelle behind him as he turned to face it. "Hello, Stefan."
Isabelle tried to peer around Stefan's shoulder to see the man who spoke, but he roughly shoved her back again.
"Brian!" David blurted.
Isabelle poked her head around Stefan's side, determined to see him. He was tall and muscular, nearly as big as Stefan, and almost as gorgeous. His hair was the lightest platinum blond she’d ever seen. His eyes were a piercing ice blue as they drifted down to her. The coldness in his gaze was unnerving as his mouth curved into a small smile.
She knew instantly he was one of them, but there was something off about him, something not quite right. It reminded her of the men from the club; only it wasn't as strong as it had been with them. Still, she knew he was dangerous.
"What are you doing here?" Stefan snarled as he pushed Isabelle back again.
She didn't protest his highhanded manner; she didn't want to look at Brian anymore. His oddness frightened her. "I just came to see an old friend."
"We stopped being friends a while ago, Brian."
"Stefan, in our lifespan, two years is not a long time. Who's the girl?"
Stefan stiffened as a low growl issued from him. Isabelle couldn't stop herself from looking at the stranger again. Brian's gaze went back to her, and a sly smile curled his full mouth. Stefan's hand curled into her upper arm as he forcefully held her behind him.
"What do you want?" Stefan demanded.
Brian's eyes were cold and brutal as they came back to him. They were no longer the eyes of the man who was his friend for well over a century, but those of the man he had become. "I need a place to stay."
Stefan shook his head in firm denial. "You are not staying here."
Brian's eyes blazed with fury. "I helped you when you needed it."
"Yes you did, but you're not staying here."
Brian folded his arms over his chest as he rocked back on his heels. "Can we talk privately?" he inquired coldly.
It had been a while since they parted ways, and Stefan hadn't expected to ever see Brian again. He didn't know what brought him here now, but he knew the reason couldn't be good. However, he did owe Brian his life, and he owed it to him to listen to what he had to say.
"David, take Isabelle back to the house."
"What?" she demanded as she grabbed Stefan's shirt. He pulled her from behind his back and held onto her arm as he waited for David to come forward. "Stefan—"
"Go with them, Isabelle."
"But—"
"Go!" he commanded more sharply than he intended.
Isabelle's eyes spit violet fire at him as David took her arm. "I can walk on my own!" she retorted as she jerked her arm free.
Please be careful, she whispered into his head. His gaze flicked toward her, but he made no other indication he heard her.
She turned away from him as Ethan and Jack moved to stand behind her with their gazes locked warily on Brian. Stefan waited until they were safely in the house before he turned his attention back to his old friend. A small smile of amusement curved Brian's mouth as he met Stefan's glower. "Who's the girl?"
"That's none of your concern," Stefan grated. Brian's eyebrows rose, but he nodded as he rocked back on his heels again. "What do you want?" Stefan demanded.
"I told you, I need a place to say," he replied.
"And I told you that you couldn't stay here."
Brian tilted his head as he quickly scanned the field and houses. "There is a lot of our kind here."
Stefan shrugged negligently; he didn't want Brian to know any more about this place than he had to. "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?"
Brian's eyes were distant as they came back to him. "Do they know about you?"
Stefan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course."
"All about you?" he drawled.
Stefan stepped forward. "You're not staying here!"
"I take that as a no, which means the girl doesn't know either."
Stefan took another step toward him, and Brian's casual demeanor instantly vanished. "You'll stay away from her, or I'll kill you!" Stefan snapped.
Amusement flashed over Brian's features as he studied Stefan questioningly. "I'm merely suggesting maybe she would like to know a little bit more about you. It would probably be in her best interest, don't you think? Maybe they would all like to know more about you. They might not be as willing to let you stay then. I have nowhere else to go, and I need help. You will give it to me, Stefan, or I will have a long chat with this family."
/>
"I'll kill you," he promised.
"You could try, but I've still been killing Stefan, have you? She is a beautiful girl."
Red filled his vision as he seized Brian by the throat. Brian's claws ripped across Stefan's chest instantly spilling his blood. Stefan's hold on his throat intensified as he slammed a fist into Brian's stomach, causing his breath to whoosh out of him loudly. Brian lunged forward, hissing and spitting as his fist connected with the side of Stefan's head. The blow left him momentarily startled, but he recovered in time to block Brian's next swing.
Brian blurred suddenly and disappeared from Stefan's hold. He swung around as Brian reappeared behind him. He crouched low as a volatile growl escaped him. "I'm not here to fight you, Stefan!" Brian shouted.
"You're not welcome here!"
"You either help me, or when the others arrive, you'll be on your own."
Trepidation clutched his chest as Brian's words sank in. "The others?" Stefan asked.
Brian nodded as he rubbed his abused throat, and warily eyed Stefan. "I'm in trouble, and they're tracking me. They'll follow me here, and when they do, they aren't going to leave peacefully."
"What have you done?" he bellowed.
Brian gave a careless shrug of his shoulders in response. It took every ounce of control Stefan had not to lunge at him again and kill him where he stood. "I pissed off a few people."
"Who?" he demanded.
"Some of our kind, some older ones of our kind. The ones here are young, they'll be no match for them, and you know it."
Running his hand tiredly through his hair, Stefan closed his eyes against the terror squeezing his chest. If they came here; if Brian had led them here...
Shit, they would kill everyone. His mind instantly sought out Isabelle. Her distress beat at him, but he didn't open his mind to her. He didn't want her to see, or hear, what was going on.
"So you want my help?" he demanded.
"You're one of the strongest ones I know. I didn't know where else to go."
Stefan snorted tiredly. It took him a long time, and a lot of death, to become one of the strongest. He’d always suspected he would pay for it, in the long run, now he knew he’d been right. His gaze went to the house as a crushing feeling of impending doom descended on him. He'd intended to keep Isabelle sheltered from his past, from the darkness lurking within his soul. Now he knew it wouldn’t be possible.
Boxed Set Page 52