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But things would be different for Meredith and Alaric And if Elena and Damon could find out Siobhan’s secrets, if they could somehow find a cure for this artificial vampirism that infected Meredith, they would never have to ain and could grow old together She knew that hat Meredith would choose, if she had the chance

Elena straightened her shoulders and walkeddeterminedly She didn’t want to leave Meredith’s side, not when she was suffering But if Elena’scould end

Chapter 20

The street laht onto the dark sidewalk, and Bonnie and Zander walked froht to shadow, hand in hand The day had been hot, but in the fifteen minutes or so since they’d left Meredith and Alaric’s apart to rain, and Bonnie shivered

She snuck a peek at Zander out of the corner of her eye as they went, but his face was shadowed, the lights shining off his white-blond hair, and she couldn’t read him

"Poor Meredith," she said, hesitantly Why did she feel so aard talking to him suddenly? This was Zander

"Mht ahead, intently, a tiny crease between his eyebrows, as if he was thinking hard

He’d barely said anything at Meredith’s, hanging back when he should have been participating, helping She opened her ain She squeezed his hand instead, but he didn’t seean to walk past the botanical gardens toward home A breeze blew Bonnie’s hair across her face, and the warh the fence, a heavy, seductive scent It could have been such a roht like this, everything should be perfect

Bonnie stopped dead under a streetlight

"What is it?" asked Zander, co to a halt beside her

" ‘What is it?’ " Bonnie h her "You’ve been acting like a total weirdo for days! And now you’re not even talking to me?"

Zander blinked "What?" His face ashed out by the pale light, his gorgeous blue eyes looking gray

"Don’t you ‘what’ ht you were braver than just blowing me off If you want to break up withto strea to run She was an ugly,a jerk," she said thickly, letting go of Zander’s hand to wipe her eyes with her arm

"Bonnie--no," Zander sounded desperate "I don’t want to break up with you I--this isn’t the way I planned it" He took her hand again, tightly, and pulled her farther down the sidewalk, then through the gate to the botanical garden

The scent of the roses was even stronger here, alainst Bonnie’s ar white roses

"What’s going on?" Bonnie asked, sitting doiping at her eyes again Fallen rose petals dotted the bench, and she flicked some of them off A soft rumble of thunder came from far away

Zander dropped to his knees in the dirt at her feet "I don’t want to break up with you, Bonnie I want to marry you"

All the air rushed out of Bonnie’s chest She opened her , but all she could do was squeak Yes Yes

She reached forward and pulled him toward her Zander shuffled closer, still on his knees Their lips h her Here you are This was the Zander she’d been looking for, his lips quirking into a s her again

"Wait," he said, breaking the kiss "I’ve got--I’ve been carrying it around, waiting for the right ti in his pocket and pulled out a s, shiny and bright, one big round-cut glittering stone on a golden band "Will you?" Zander asked, holding it out

"Okay," Bonnie said She was still breathless, but she could speak now, and she was absolutely sure She was s she wanted more than to marry Zander "Okay I’d love to ly happy And behind that white glow of joy was a contented planning hum: have to call my ood in blue, big fluffy white dress

But Zander didn’t slide the ring onto her finger He stayed on his knees looking up at her "I need to tell you so first" He licked his lips nervously and reached out to take her hand again "The Pack has to leave Dalcrest I want you to come with us"

Bonnie felt her mouth drop into an O of surprise "What? Coh his hair, Zander sighed and sat back on his heels "I’ve tried to find a way out of it I didn’t want to have to tell you unless it was definite I appealed to the High Wolf Council, but they said we’d been here a lot longer than they’d originally planned They’ve cut me a lot of slack because I’m the Alpha and I wanted to stay, but now they say there’s trouble in Colorado and they want us there"

"There’s trouble here!" Bonnie said indignantly

"I know But it’s Pack stuff In the end, I’m sworn to theo where we’re needed" He squeezed her hand tightly and looked back up at her, his eyes pleading "Come with us Marry me I don’t want to lose you, Bonnie"