Page 12 (1/2)

"Stefan Stefan!"Elena had been too nervous to stay out of the bedrooer than the five minutes it had taken to show herself to the sheriffs It was Stefan the officers real y wanted and couldn’t find, not seeht backtrack and hide in a room that had already been searched

And now Elena couldn’t get a response out of Stefan, as locked in an ehtly over the two little wounds he’d made Elena had to shake hiet any response

Then Stefan reared back suddenly, but held on to Meredith, ould otherwise have fal en He hastily licked blood froh, Elena wasn’t focused on him, but on her friend - her friend whom she’d al owed to do this

Meredith’s eyes were shut, but they had dark, almost plum-colored circles under them Her lips were parted, and her dark cloud of hair here tears had fal en into it

"Meredith? Merry?"The old nickname just slipped out of Elena’s lips And then, when Meredith gave no sign of having heard her: "Stefan, what’s wrong?"

"I Influenced her at the end to sleep"Stefan lifted Meredith and put her on the bed

"But what happened? Why is she crying - and what’s wrong with you?"Elena couldn’t help but notice that despite the healthy flush on Stefan’s cheeks his eyes were shadowed

"So Elena behind his back "Here comes one of them Stay there"

The door opened It was the , and who had clearly just lapped hi from it to search the entire first floor

"I have theitive,"the sheriff said into a large black mobile The female sheriff made some brief reply Then the red-facedto happen is that I’ to search you" - he nodded at Stefan - "while my partner searches you two"His head jerked, ear-first, at Meredith

"What’s wrong with her, anyway?"

"Nothing that you could understand,"Stefan replied cool y

The sheriff looked as if he couldn’t believe what had just been said Then, suddenly, he looked as if he could, and did, and he took a step toward Meredith

Stefan snarled

The sound ht behind hi its mate, its pack, its territory

The ruddy-faced policeuessed that he was looking at a ed with blood as well

Elena didn’t want this to turn into a pi - that was, asnarling abbled to his partner, "We may need some of them silver bul ets after al ,"Elena poked her beloved, as nowbuzz saw that she could feel in her teeth, and whispered, "Stefan, Influence hi, and she may already have cal ed for backup"

At her touch, Stefan stoppedthe sound, and when he turned she could see his face changing fro its teeth back to his own dear, green-eyed self

He ht, with a flutter in her stomach She wasn’t sure how she felt about that

But there was no denying the after-effects Stefan turned back to the o into the front hal way You wil remain there, silent, until I tel you toup to see if the officer was obeying or not, he tucked the blanketsthe sheriff, though, and she noticed that he didn’t hesitate an instant He made an about-face and marched off to the front foyer

Then Elena felt safe enough to look at Meredith again She couldn’t find anything wrong in her friend’s face, except her unnatural pal or, and those violet shadows around her eyes

"Meredith?"she whispered

No response Elena fol owed Stefan out of the room

She had just made it to the foyer when the fe the fragile Mrs Flowers before her, she shouted, "On the ground! Al of you!"She gave Mrs Flowers a hard shove forward "Get do!"

When Mrs Flowers alht her, and then turned back to the other woain, but instead, in a voice tight with self-control, he said,

"Join your partner You can’t move or speak withoutMrs Flowers to a chair on the left side of the foyer "Did that - person - hurt you?"

"No, no Just get therateful,"Mrs Flowers replied

"Done,"Stefan said softly "I’m sorry we’ve caused you so much trouble - in your own ho "Go away and don’t come back

You have searched the house, but none of the people you were looking for were here You think further surveil ance wil yield nothing You believe that you would dothe - as it? Oh, yes, the mayheain Now go back to your car and leave"

Elena felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up She could feel the Power behind Stefan’s words

And, as always, it was satisfying to see cruel or angry people become docile under the power of a vampire’s Influence