Boxed Set

by Brenda K. Davies

  She released him instantly as she fell to her brother's side, a bloody shirt clutched in her hands as she pressed it to his wounds again. Lifting his head to her lap, she pressed her wrist to his mouth. Covered in dirt, and blood, her white bra was more red than white now.

  The others would be coming soon, and the idea of them seeing her like this sent a bolt of fury and jealousy through him that he was unable to stop. Quickly yanking his shirt off, he walked over to crouch by her side.

  She lifted her head to look at him; the suffering in her eyes was almost more than he could bear.

  "Put this on." He handed her the shirt as he picked Kyle up. Blood soaked his skin and matted against his stomach as it oozed through Kyle's shirt. Isabelle stood beside him, trembling as she twisted his shirt nervously in her hands.

  "Put it on!" he ordered, more sharply than he intended.

  She started as she glanced at the knotted shirt she held. Her hands trembled as she slipped it over her head. His anxiety lessened instantly as the shirt fell over her and dropped down to mid-thigh. She looked childish and vulnerable in the oversized shirt, and he found himself liking the fact she wore it.

  He tore his attention away from her and back to Kyle. Stefan shifted his hold as he bit deep into his wrist. He held it to Kyle's mouth, and relief filled him as the boy began to swallow it down. Isabelle followed anxiously beside him, limping as he strode down the path toward the house.

  "Are you okay?" he demanded. Her eyes flew to his face, and she nodded. "Why are you limping?"

  "A stake went through my shoe."

  Her words caused his arm to convulse around Kyle. "You could have been killed!" he spat.

  "I had to," she whispered.

  "Is he going to be all right?" Cassidy asked anxiously.

  Stefan clenched his jaw as he turned to look at the small girl hovering at Isabelle's side. Isabelle's arm was wrapped around her trembling shoulders as she held her close. Her big blue eyes were vivid with tears as she looked anxiously at her twin brother. "I don't know," he answered honestly.

  He broke free of the woods and strode across the yard toward Liam's house. Vicky and Abby broke into a run as they spotted them. "What happened?" Vicky cried. "Oh no, Kyle!"

  Tears streamed down their faces as they peered anxiously over Stefan's shoulder at him. Stefan swiftly carried him up the stairs as Isabelle hurried forward to slide the glass doors open. Willow rushed to the right and flung open the closed wooden doors to the living room. Stefan briskly walked in and laid Kyle down on the couch. He pulled Kyle's shirt over his head so he could get a better look at the jagged wounds.

  "Mom! Mom!" Vicky yelled as she took off up the stairs.

  Isabelle hurried to the bathroom and ripped towels out of the cabinet. She ignored the burning discomfort in her foot as she rushed back to the living room. Her mother raced down the stairs; her eyes widened in horror as she took in Isabelle. Then she turned, and her mouth dropped as she spotted Stefan and Kyle.

  "Kyle!" Sera cried.

  She rushed into the living room and fell beside Stefan. She pressed against the wounds as she tried to stop the blood flow with her hands. Isabelle hurried forward to give her mother the towels she’d collected. Her mother's hands shook as tears slid down her cheeks.

  "Come on, baby," Sera whispered as she used the wet towels to wipe the blood away.

  The wounds appeared to be healing now, slowly. Isabelle's hands trembled as she gave her mother another towel. Isabelle's gaze went to Stefan as she instinctively sought him out for reassurance or some help. His eyes were turbulent, his face, chest, and abdomen were streaked with her brother's blood as he grabbed for her. She clasped his hand, immediately comforted by his touch as the heat of his hand burned into her. She choked back a sob as she slumped against the back of the couch.

  He squeezed her hand and released her. An overwhelming feeling of despair washed over her as her gaze returned to Kyle. Stefan's wrist pressed against his mouth, his other hand cradled beneath Kyle's head as he held him firmly against his arm. Another emotion grew within her, one almost as overwhelming as her fear while she watched how gentle he was with her brother.

  It took her a moment to pinpoint what it was, and when she did, it slammed into her gut with the force of a fist. She inhaled loudly as she fought back the dread building within her. Stefan's eyes were stormy as they shot back to her. Her gaze rapidly searched his blood-streaked face.

  She loved him; she truly loved him. Isabelle forced herself to take a deep breath before she fainted or threw up. She didn't know how or when it had happened, but it had. The overwhelming emotion of love tearing through her caused her to tremble. She had never wanted to be this vulnerable to anyone. She would die for him, and she would surely die without him.

  "Isabelle," he said.

  She forced herself to push the emotion aside as she focused on her brother again. The injuries seemed to be getting better by the second as her mother took away a towel only splotched with blood, not saturated. Sinew was starting to rebuild, closing the hole that went straight through before. Relief flowed through her, leaving her weak and trembling as she placed a hand against the back of the couch and leaned against it for support.

  "What happened?" Kathleen inquired.

  Isabelle turned as Kathleen, Delia, and Jess appeared in the doorway. Jess's eyes locked on Isabelle, hatred blazed through them when Jess realized Isabelle was wearing Stefan's shirt. A small tremor rocked Isabelle as the force of that hatred slammed into her.

  A low growl sounded from behind her, and Jess's eyes instantly darted to Stefan. His jaw locked as he glowered at Jess.

  "We need to call an ambulance!" Kathleen broke the tension as she spun toward the kitchen.

  "No!" Stefan commanded, halting Kathleen in mid-stride. "There will be no ambulance. There is absolutely nothing wrong here. You have seen nothing; you don't know anything. All of you need to go back upstairs and stay there for the rest of the day. Now!"

  Isabelle jumped as he shouted the last word. A muscle twitched in his cheek, and a vein throbbed in his forehead as he continued to glare at Jess. Isabelle instinctively squeezed his hand to soothe him. He turned toward her, his eyes blazing. He remained rigid for a second, but then his jaw relaxed, and his eyes gradually returned to black. Her hand tightened on his before she released him and turned her attention back to the doorway. Jess, Kathleen, and Delia were already gone.

  She turned back around as her mother lifted the towel from Kyle's chest to inspect the wounds. They were healing faster now. Relief started to claim her, but she was scared it was too soon to hope Kyle would be okay. A loud pounding on the back steps jerked her head around as everyone rushed through the glass doors.

  Her father's face went white when his eyes landed on Kyle. "No!"

  Isabelle stood as he rushed toward her mother's side. "What happened?" Ethan demanded.

  "The bear trap," Isabelle whispered.

  "Damn it! We should have taken care of that thing! Why would they go near it?" Ethan demanded.

  Everyone turned to look at Cassidy as she stood huddled behind Stefan. "We just wanted to look," she sobbed.

  Vicky walked over, wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders, and pulled her against her side.

  "Is he going to be okay?" David demanded.

  "I think so," Stefan said.

  Isabelle couldn't stop herself from touching him again. She needed to feel him and be reassured by his presence.

  "Do you want me to do that?" her mother asked as she waved toward Stefan's wrist.

  Stefan looked at her and shook his head. "My blood is stronger; it will help more."

  Her mother nodded weakly as her father wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. Stefan’s hand clenched Isabelle's as Kyle bit into his wrist. Relief flowed through him as he drank deeply, and with relish. He relaxed his grip on Isabelle's trembling hand, but she refused to release him.

  Eventually, Kyle's bite eased as his thirs
t for blood lessened. Stefan pulled the towel back to reveal the wounds. They were still vicious looking, but they were no longer bleeding, and bone, muscle, and skin now knitted neatly back together. He pulled his wrist away from Kyle's mouth as the boy released him.

  "He'll be all right," he said. "He'll need more blood, and he probably won't awaken for a while, but he'll be fine."

  He stood and moved away so Liam and Sera could get closer to their son.

  "Are you okay?" Isabelle asked him worriedly.

  He glanced up at her as he nodded. She wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to ease the trembling from her remaining concern for Kyle, and the shock of her realization about Stefan. Isabelle rushed forward and flung her arms around his waist as she buried her head against his chest. Tears of relief slid down her cheeks when he enveloped her.

  Isabelle felt drained as she sat at the kitchen table. She shifted and leaned back against Stefan. His arms tightened around her waist as she dropped her head to his shoulder and nuzzled against his neck. His familiar scent of crisp air, woods, soap, and pure male filled her nostrils. Beneath his familiar scent, she could suddenly smell the copper tint of his blood.

  She stiffened as the powerful urge to taste his blood flooded her. She had never experienced such an intense urge before, hadn't thought it was possible, but she suddenly wanted it to fill her. She closed her eyes against the yearning, but the smell of it, and the power radiating from it caused her mouth to water. She wanted to whimper from the hunger blazing through her, but she forced herself not to reveal the sudden discomfort consuming her.

  She turned her head away from the throbbing pulse in his throat and rested her head against his chest. She forced her attention away from him and to the vampires surrounding them. Ethan, Ian, Mike, Doug, Jack, and David sat silently around the table, their faces as tired and strained-looking as she felt. Vicky, Abby, and Julian sat on the island, leaning tiredly against each other. Willow walked in from the living room; her shoulders slumped as she glanced at them through shadowed eyes.

  "Is he awake?" Doug asked.

  "No." Isabelle sighed and closed her eyes as she snuggled closer to Stefan's warmth, allowing herself to be comforted by the steady beat of his heart. She stifled a yawn as a wave of exhaustion swept her.

  Stefan dropped his head down to rest on hers and inhaled her sweet, reassuring scent. She had taken a shower, her hair was still damp, and the smell of it was clean and refreshing. Beneath the baggy pants and shirt she wore, he knew she was completely naked. That knowledge caused him to grow erect long ago, and he was desperately fighting against his baser instincts as she snuggled closer to him. The movement caused his erection to jump and throb.

  He clenched his teeth against the growing ache in his loins as he shifted the obvious swell away from the curve of her ass. She was completely exhausted, both emotionally and physically, the last thing she needed right now was to know what he was thinking.

  He glanced down at her bandaged foot, knowing the gash was healed by now, but the sight of the blood-dampened bandage caused anger, and fear, to course through him. He was going to talk with her later about putting herself in danger. He knew she wouldn't like it, but he'd be damned if she got injured or something worse. She needed to start thinking about herself, about him, if something happened to her...

  The thought alone unleashed something primitive in him. It made him want to destroy the world and everyone in it. As long as he was alive, nothing was ever going to happen to her, and if she didn't start taking better care of herself, he was going to lock her up somewhere safe. He didn't care if she hated him for it, but he would do it if it meant keeping her protected, and alive. He didn't think he could survive without her.

  The realization brought a stream of emotions forth. She lifted her head to stare questioningly at him, but he forced his face to remain blank as he met her gaze. He would figure it all out later, talk to her later about it, but not now. She had enough on her mind now. He had enough on his mind now.

  He kissed her on the tip of her nose, and she smiled. That smile clenched at his heart and caused him to harden even more. He shifted as he tried to ease the growing pressure in his cock, and she dropped her head to his shoulder again. Her long lashes brushed against his neck as her eyes closed.

  Liam appeared in the doorway; his face was drawn as he leaned against the frame.

  "Is he awake?" Abby demanded.

  "No,” Liam replied. “You should all go on up to bed; you look beat."

  "But—"

  "Go on," he told them, the grim set of his mouth left no room for arguments. "He probably won't be up for a while."

  The younger kids exchanged quick glances, but obviously decided arguing wasn't going to work. "Good night," they mumbled as they left.

  Liam's gaze came back to them. "You guys should head home too; you look like crap."

  "You don't look much better," Mike retorted.

  "Yeah, but I'll look good after some sleep, you look like crap all the time."

  "You wish," Mike muttered.

  Liam smiled wanly. "Go on, get out of here. You've all done enough, get some rest."

  "You sure, dad?" Isabelle asked.

  "Yes."

  They exchanged quick looks before climbing to their feet. Isabelle went to get out of Stefan's lap, but he kept his arms firmly around her as he rose to follow everyone outside. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. She was immediately comforted by the reassuring beat of his heart and the warmth of his body. Her eyes drifted closed as he carried her down the stairs and out to the field.

  "You think he'll be all right?" Ethan asked anxiously.

  "Yes," Stefan answered.

  He glanced down at Isabelle and was astounded to realize she was sound asleep. "Thank you," Ethan told him.

  Stefan glanced sharply up at him. "I didn't do anything.”

  "You got there a lot faster than any of us would, and you knew they were in trouble."

  "I knew Isabelle was in trouble," he corrected.

  "Just like in the club."

  Stefan shrugged but was careful not to jar Isabelle out of her sleep. "Yeah."

  Ethan's smile faded as he glanced at Isabelle. Stefan pulled her against him, tensing at the thought Ethan might touch her, but he made no move to do so.

  "You were the last thing she ever wanted, you know," Ethan informed him.

  "Why is that?" he grated.

  Ethan flashed a grin as he met Stefan's furious gaze. "We weren't the anti-social ones for no reason."

  "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

  "Calm down," Ethan said. "I'm just saying she stayed hidden up here, never fed from humans, and avoided them at all costs because this was the last thing she ever wanted to have happen to her."

  It took everything Stefan had not to grab him and shake some words out of him that made sense. "What do you mean?" he nearly bellowed.

  Isabelle shifted slightly; one arm fell limply into her lap. Stefan forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down before he woke her. "You still haven't figured it out?" David asked incredulously.

  Stefan shot him a glowering look. "Figured what out?"

  "I thought when you came back here it was because you knew." David shook his head as he closed his eyes and chuckled. "Man, you are dense."

  "Look..." Stefan hissed. Isabelle whimpered as she buried her head against his chest, instinctively trying to calm him in her sleep.

  "Isabelle never wanted to find her soul mate," Ethan explained quickly.

  The full knowledge of what Ethan said slammed into him, knocking the breath from his lungs as he froze instantly. They turned to stare at him, various expressions of amusement on their faces. He didn't find anything at all amusing in the situation.

  He shook his head as he glanced at the woman curled so trustingly in his arms. Even though there were shadows under her eyes, and a pinched look around her mouth, she was still the most b
eautiful thing he’d ever seen. It wasn't her beauty that lured him back here, and it wasn't just his need to possess her body. It was something else, something more; something he didn’t understand until that instant. Now, everything was beginning to make sense.

  How did he not know sooner?

  He suddenly understood his desperate need for her, her ability to reach him in the club, his inability to be apart from her, and why he still felt the beast clawing at his insides. He hadn't fully claimed her. He wanted to feed from her, to taste her, and have her do the same, but he held back because of what happened to her at the club.

  He had also never allowed anyone to feed on him until Kyle. With Kyle it was a necessity, with Isabelle it would be another way of marking her as his. That was part of what held him back; it would mean there would be no letting go of her, ever. The idea frightened him then, but now...

  His brow furrowed as he looked at her in his shirt. It was ridiculously big on her, the sleeves hung over her elbows, and the edge of it ended at mid-thigh. A wave of possession swept through him as he realized how delicately fragile she was, how much weaker she was than him. How much she needed his strength, and protection, especially from her recklessness.

  If she had slipped today, if she had stumbled, then she wouldn't be here with him right now. The demon in him boiled instantly to the front; it raged against the possibility of losing her. If she died, it would destroy him. He would never survive without her.

  That knowledge frightened the hell out of him.

  "Why not?" The emotions racing through him strained his voice as he lifted his head to look at Ethan.

  Ethan's eyes were sad and distant as he stared at his sister. "She never wanted her existence to hinge on someone else's.”

  Stefan knew how she felt. No wonder she’d gone out of her way to avoid him. She had recognized the signs from the beginning. She wasn’t fighting against him, but herself, and the implications of what his arrival signaled. He understood now why she fled into the house the first night he saw her. Understood why he was unable to tear his gaze away from her. He understood why he felt her panic and pain that night in the club, why he couldn’t leave her.