Reclaimed(44)
Author: Diane Alberts

“So I run off to the clearing, and sure enough, there you were, still lying on the ground. I figured out you weren’t dead, just knocked out, and I attacked Elijah. But he easily warded off my puny human efforts and tackled me to the ground.”

“You attacked him? Are you insane?” he asked in horror.

“Heck yeah, I did. And it isn’t the first time, thank you very much. I gave him a black eye, too.”

“You gave…a vampire…a black eye?” he questioned incredulously.

He swallowed hard, and she wondered if he tried not to shout or laugh. Yet again, his face proved impossible to read. Stinking ice-man.

“I did. Now, where did I stop? Ah yes, I wanted to throw myself into your arms when you woke up, but you glared at me, yelled at me, and left.”

Isaac grabbed her hands earnestly and looked into her eyes. “Sabrina, I’m sorry. It’s just, seeing you in his arms, it brought back dreadful feelings. Hatred. Betrayal. It was too much to bear. When you told me you loved me, all I could think of was you and Elijah, making love. It hurt too much.”

“I didn’t make love to him,” she reminded him sternly. “I am not Amelia.” Her voice rose in frustration at the end of her sentence. She tired of being accused of feelings she did not have. It infuriated her. She glared at him and stood up. “Well, now you’ve heard my story, and you can leave.”

He gaped at her, clearly shocked. “Excuse me?”

“Leave,” she stated.

“You’re kicking me out?” He whispered.

The pain in his eyes looked so gut-wrenching, she longed to retract her words but didn’t. She couldn’t let him constantly mistrust her, and accuse her of betrayal. It just wouldn’t work.

“Yes. It seems to me all you and Elijah are capable of doing is waiting for me to betray you. Like her. You’ll never realize I’m not the same as her. So, I want you to leave. Now.” It broke her heart to say it, but she needed him to trust her. Against all odds, he needed to know she loved him and wouldn’t leave him. “Just because I look like her, doesn’t mean I am her. I love you, and onlyyou. And because I love you so much, I won’t cause you pain, or anger. Not even false feelings of betrayal.”

“Sabrina, wait. I understand—” A shake of her head stopped his plea, and he stared at her finger pointed at the door.

“It’s my turn to say we won’t discuss this today. Maybe not ever. Go.”

His shoulders slumped as he walked to the door, but he strode back to grab her by her neck and kiss her. He clutched her so tight she almost couldn’t breathe, and he crushed his lips to hers with a desperation that called to her. She almost crumbled into tiny bits and pieces of herself. She clung to his shirt as his lips moved over hers, demanding a response. When he pulled away, she gazed into his eyes, refusing to budge.

There were no words to be said, no words she would say.

He hugged her one last time, and she heard him take a deep breath before he cursed and walked away without looking back. Once the door shut behind him, she collapsed on the couch, put her head in her hands and burst into tears.

Chapter Fourteen

Isaac sat down outside her door, feeling curiously weak. He needed to learn how to control his stupid temper. And he needed to stop comparing her to Amelia and unfairly judging her. Just because she looked like Amelia didn’t mean she’d act like her. No more so than he would act like Elijah because they were identical. The thought seemed ludicrous to say the least. So why should her case be different?

Bloody hell, she was right. He acted like an utter ass**le.

Even so, why should he expect her to pick him, instead of Elijah? He’d always been honest enough to admit Amelia had been drawn to Elijah. From what he’d seen, Sabrina had felt the same irresistible pull. Is it actually possible through her love for Isaac, she no longer felt drawn to Elijah?

He hoped so. He debated returning inside to grovel for her forgiveness when he sensed Elijah’s presence. He hid nearby, and he seemed to call out to Isaac.

As if he wanted to be found.

Did Elijah want Isaac to kill him? Or did he assume Isaac would just let him go, since he was his brother? He focused in an attempt to pinpoint Elijah’s location. It looked like he waited at the clearing.

Of course. Where the hell else would he be?

***

Elijah grew more desperate with each passing moment. Louisa hovered constantly in the area, and he had yet to track her down. The time had come for them to have a one-on-one, him and his little brother. The same brother who hated him so much, he wanted to kill him. The thought depressed him. Hopefully, Isaac wouldn’t attempt to kill him again. But if he did, so be it. If Isaac did manage to finish him off, his time in Hell could be over. Sabrina had made her choice, and it hadn’t been him she’d chosen.

He needed to be strong enough to step aside.

Isaac approached from behind, and Elijah spun to face his twin. Isaac had looped around to the south end of the woods, only to come in from the opposite side of Sabrina’s house to approach.

“There’s no one else here. This isn’t a trap. I wish to speak to you.”

He got caught off guard by Isaac’s fist plowing into his nose. He’d seemed so calm, not as if he were ready to attack.

Son of a bitch.

His nose throbbed, and he cursed.

Just goes to show you can never trust appearances.

“That’s for Amelia,” Isaac stated before an uppercut to his left eye. “That’s for me.” He picked Elijah off the ground and threw him across the forest. He slammed into a tree and rolled to safety as the tree crashed to the ground. “And this is for Sabrina.”

“Sabrina can take care of herself,” he muttered, remembering the punch she gave him. “She might be little, but the lady can fight.”

“It’s true? She punched you?” Isaac asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

Elijah tensed then relaxed. At least he had stopped the beating, if only temporarily.

“She’s a hellion. Damn near scratched my eyes out—and gave me a black eye!” he exclaimed in horror.

Isaac studied him and threw his head back in laughter. “You, a vampire, brought down by a tiny human. Absolutely brilliant,” he choked out over his mirth.

“Yes, bloody hilarious,” Elijah mumbled before arching a brow. He winced when pain shot through his head at his action. Thank God he healed fast. “Are you finished?”

Isaac hesitated and replied, “For now.”