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Damon stared down at his feet "Better not," he said "We need to get going" He took a quick breath, and then looked up at Elena again, shooting her his most brilliant s already" He brought his hand up to his neck, and found that it was true: The bite was

Before she could argue, he opened his car door and reached over to unlock hers Once they were in, he pulled out, tires squealing The false va to stir

Elena felt a bit petulant, he thought, cautiously checking their bond--his princess liked everyone to fall in line with her plans--and he concentrated on shutting down the connection between thehts about the road ahead

He didn’t know if she could feel the small bitter ache in his chest, but he surrounded it with layers of don’t ask and private and hoped she wouldan idiot," Elena told him sharply Damon winced and didn’t answer The warone

He couldn’t bear to drink fro her sweetness, reaching out for herblood like that should be for lovers, the most inti hi, noble, beloved little brother--was dead, but he still occupied Elena’s heart And if Da to be closed to hiet just one more vial," Jasmine coaxed, and Meredith held out her arh blood today?" Matt asked, his forehead crinkling with concern "You’re turning her into a pincushion"

"It’s fine," Meredith said tiredly She hadn’t fed properly for days--just the occasional bird or beast--and her jaw ached She felt slightly sick, and the s beneath Matt and Jashtheaded She blinked and tried to focus on what they were saying, which had been ular human blood diet had kept her sharp

Maybe Jashtening her lips, Meredith shook her head sharply She could control her cravings

She had to re to find a cure Meredith didn’t need access to stolen blood--she needed to be huain

Jasmine drew blood from Meredith’s arm and took a few drops into a pipette to put into a blocky white"I’ve separated your blood out in the ultracentrifuge, and I’ve tried electrophoresis, and analyzed it every way I could think of I can see that there are differences, and I can get soed, but I just don’t knohat Jack did to make it happen"

"Doesn’t his journal tell you?" Matt asked, picking up the leather-bound book and flipping through its pages Damon had lent it to Jasmine to help with her research

Jas on the effects he observed, but he doesn’t really detail the exact procedures he used to get there It’s not a scientific journal"

"I’m sorry I don’t remember more," Meredith told her "But it was all like a dreahts I think I was under pretty strong sedation, but so over me" Meredith shuddered "Some of the injections went in at the base ofabout that, and some went into my arm And he operated I remember a scalpel, and otherat her in horror

Jas the sa Ito find" Her eyes shone with tears

"I understand--" Meredith began, but Matt was alreadyforward to wrap his ar Jasive up"

Meredith stood back and watched thehtly kissed the side of Jas in ti to be like that again? Would she and Alaric, whoether?

Probably not Meredith sed hard, tasting bitterness She wasn’t going to let herself think that way Jasic Maybe they could fix her, et out of there Muttering a quick excuse, she swung out of the roo herself carefully to human speed, Meredith made her way toward the hospital exit She could smell warht She walked a little faster

Bursting out through the doors into the hospital parking lot, Meredith realized she was panting The sun was shining brightly, and she squinted against the glare She’d go to her car and go out to the woods and drink from a bird or a rabbit, she decided She needed blood Without it, she eak and dizzy, and her e all the ti lot, there was soainst her car

Jack

Meredith slid her hand into her pocket and wrapped it around the cool wood of a stake, her heart pounding If she could stake Jack, get hih to snap his neck,to kill her first

He had seen her, atching her cal away, even if she wanted to Meredith walked slowly across the parking lot toward hi to die now Did it matter? Really, she was already dead, wasn’t she? In all the ways that counted

"I’h He held his hands out, loose and open, nonthreatening

"Oh, yeah?" Meredith halted a few feet away from him "Good to know"

"I worked far too hard on you to just waste it all" The corners of Jack’s eyes crinkled as he gave his farin "Plus, I’ inside Meredith curdled, thick and sour He was fond of her? Jack had destroyed her

"So, let me make you a deal" Jack boosted himself up to sit on the hood of Meredith’s car, perfectly relaxed "Bring , erased You can co with hu at hi, she wanted to be one of them?