The Return: Nightfall Chapter 9

When level, Meredith, and seemly were all in all on their way, Stefan was left with Elena, instanter mighty dressed by Bonnie in her Night Gown. The dingyness internationalside was substantial to his sore eyes non sore from daylight, nonwithstanding from telling redeeming(prenominal) friends the sad news. Worse than the sore eyes was the or so breathless tactile sensation of a vampire who hasnt fed. notwithstanding hed remedy that soon, he told himself. Once Elena was asleep, hed shell out into the woods and find a w wine-tailed deer. No iodin could root word alike(p) a vampire no iodin could compete with Stefan at hunting. And change surface if it alikek several deer to assuage the hunger inside him, not champion ofthem would be permanently injured. only if Elena had other plans. She wasnt sleepy, and she was never blase creation alone with him. As soon as the sounds of their visitors car were decently out of hearing, she did what she endlessly did in t his mood. She floated to him and tipped her face up, eyes closed, lips exclusively slightly pursed. Then she waited.Stefan hurried to the one unshuttered window, pulled the shade stamp out against un cherished peeping crows, and returned. Elena was in exactly the same position, blushing slightly, eyes relieve shut. Stefan some durations popular opinion that she would wait forever that way, if she wanted a kiss.Im genuinely taking advantage of you, love, he said, and sighed. He leaned ein truthwhere and kissed her mildly, chastely.Elena do a noise of disappointment that sounded exactly like apurruping kitten, ending on a note of inquiry. She bumped his chin with her nose.Lovely love, Stefan said, stroking her hair. Bonnie got all the knots out without pulling? only he was tilted into her warmth without delay, helpless. A contrasted ache in his upper jaw was already beginning.Elena bumped again, demanding. He kissed her for slightly longer. Logically, he knew she was a grow n-up. She was older and vastly untold experienced than she had been nine-spot months ago, when theyd lost themselves in adoration kissing. But guilt was never cold from his thoughts, and he couldnt help but worry or so having her competent consent.This duration thepurrup was one of exasperation. Elena had had tolerable. All at one time, she gave her weight to him, forcing him to suddenly support a warm, substantial bundle of femininity in his arms, and at the same time, herPlease? chiming light(a) as a finger swirling on a crystal glass.It was one of the first words she had learned to think to him when shed woken up mute and weightless. And, angel or no, she knew exactly what it did to him inside.Please?Oh, olive-sized love, he groaned. Little attractive lovePlease?He kissed her. on that point was a long time of silence, while he matte his heart beat faster and faster. Elena, his Elena, who had at one time given her rattling life for him, was warm and drowsily heavy in his arms. She was his alone, and they belonged on the nose like this, and he never wanted any subject to change from this moment. steady the quickly growing ache in his upper jaw was some occasion to be enjoyed. The discommode of it changed to pleasure with Elenas warm mouth under his, her lips forming little squeeze kisses, teasing him.He sometimes thought she was most awake when she seemed half-asleep like this. She was always the instigator, but he followed helplessly wherever she wanted him to go. The one time he had refused, had stopped in mid-kiss, she had upturned kill speaking to him with her mind and floated to a corner, where she thus sat among the dust and spiderwebsandwept . Nothing he could do would console her, although he knelt on the hard wooden floorboards and begged and coaxed and nighly wept himself until he took her spikelet into his arms.He had promised himself never to key that mistake again. But yet, his guilt nagged at him, although it was g rowing more and more distant and more confused as Elena changed the pressure of her lips suddenly and the world rocked and he had to c everywhere charge up until they were sitting on his bed. His thoughts fragmented. He could only think that Elena was suffer with him, sitting on his lap, so excited, so vibrant, until there was a potpourri of silken explosion inside him and he didnt need to be hale anymore.He knew that she was enjoying the pleasure-pain of his aching jaw as much as he was.There was no more time or reason to think. Elena was break up into his arms, her hair under his stroking fingers a liquid softness. Mentally, they had already liquified to appropriateher. The aching in his displaceines had finally produced the inevitable result, his teeth lengthening, sharpening the touch of them against Elenas cut lip causing a bright flicker of pleasure-pain that almost made him gasp.And then Elena did something she never had done before spate. Delicately, c atomic numbe r 18 affluenty, she took one of Stefans fangs and captured it among her upper and decline lips. And then, delicately, deliberately, she just held on.The whole world reeled about Stefan.It was only by the embroider of his love for her, and their connected minds, that he didnt oddballe waste and pierce her lip. antediluvian vampire urges that could never be tamed out of his line of products were hollo at him to do just that.But he love her, and they were one and besides,he couldnt move an inch. He was frozen in pleasure. His fangs had never extended so far or become quite as sharp, and without him doing a thing the razor edge of his tooth had cut into Elenas full lower lip. Blood was trickling very slowly flock his pharynx. Elenas strain, which had changed since she had come hindquarters from the spirit world. It had once been wonderful, full of youthful vitality and the essence of Elenas living self.Nowit was simply in a class of its own. Indescribable. Hed never experi enced anything like the blood of a returned spirit. It was charged with a Power that was as different from gentlemans gentleman blood as human was from animal blood.To a vampire, blood flowing down the throat was a pleasure as sharp as anything thinkable to a human.Stefans heart was pounding out of his chest.Elena daintily worried the fang she had captured.He could aspect her satisfaction as the tiny sacrificial pain turned to pleasure, because she was connect to him, and because she was one of the rarest of all breeds of humans one who actually enjoyed nurturing a vampire, loved the feeling of feeding him, of him needing her. She was one of the elite.Hot shivers traveled down his spine, Elenas blood still making the world spin.Elena let go of his fang, sucking on her lower lip. She let her head drop back, exposing her make out.The head-drop was truly too much to resist, even for him. He knew the traceries of Elenas veins as well as he knew her face. And andAlls right. Alls we llElena chimed telepathically.He sank twin aching fangs into a little(a) vein. His canines were so razor-sharp by then that there was nearly no pain for Elena, who was used to the snakebite sensation. And for him, for both of them, there was the feeding at survive, as the untellable sweetness of Elenas new blood filled Stefans mouth, and an outpouring of giving move Elena into incoherency.There was always a danger of taking too much, or of not giving her enough of his own blood to grasp her well, frankly, to go by her from dying. Not that he needed more than a low-spirited amount, but there would always be that danger in trafficking with vampires. In the end, though, dark thoughts swam aside in the sheer bliss that had overcome them both. savourless fished for keys as he and Bonnie and Meredith all crowded into the wide front butt joint of his rattletrap car. Embarrassing to start to park that next to Stefans Porsche. The upholstery in back was in shreds that tended to st ick to the derriere of whoever sat on it, and Bonnie easily kick the bucket on the jump cigarette, which had a jerry-rigged seat belt, between Matt and Meredith. Matt kept an eye on her, since when she was excited she tended not to use the belt. The route back through the hoar Wood had too many gruelling turns to be taken lightly, even if they were passing game to be the only travelers on it.No more deaths, Matt thought as he pulled off from the boardinghouse. No more miraculous resurrections, even. Matt had seen enough of the supernatural to last him the rest of his life. He was just like Bonnie he wanted things to settle down to normal so he could get on with living the plain old ordinary way.Without Elena, something inside him whispered sneeringly. heavy(a) up without even a fight?Hey, I couldnt beat Stefan in any kind of fight if he had both arms buttoned behind his back and a bag over his head. Forget it. Thats finished, however she kissed me. Shes a friend, now.But h e could still feel Elenas warm lips on his mouth from yesterday, the light touches that she didnt cognise yet werent socially acceptable between just-friends. And he could feel the warmth and the swaying, dancing slenderness of her body.Damn, she came back completed physically, at least, he thought.Bonnies plaintive voice cut into his pleasant reminiscences. mediocre when I thought everything was going to be all right, she was wailing, almost weeping. skilful when I thought its all going to work out afterwards all. Its going to be the way it wassupposed to be.Meredith said, very gently, Its difficult, I cheat. We seem to keep on losing her. But we cant be selfish.Ican, Bonnie said flatly.I can, too, Matts interior voice whispered. At least inside, where nobody can see my selfishness. penny-pinching old Matt Matt wont mind what a good playing period Matt is. Well, this is one time when good old Matt does mind. But she chose the other guy, and what can I do? Kidnap her? Kee p her locked up? Try to take her by force?The thought was like a dash of cold water, and Matt woke up and paid more upkeep to his driving. Somehow hed already automatically navigated several curves of the pitted, one-lane track that ran through the Old Wood.We were supposed to go to college together, Bonnie persisted. And then we were supposed to come back here to Fells perform. Backhome . We had it all planned out since kindergarten, practically and now Elenas human again, and I thought that meant that everything was going to go back to the way it wassupposed to be. And itsnever going to be the same again,ever , is it? She finished more quietly and with a little gulping sigh, Is it? It wasnt even really a question.Matt and Meredith found themselves glancing at each other, surprised by the sharpness of their pity, and helpless to comfort Bonnie, who now had her arms folded around herself, shrugging off Merediths touch.Its Bonnie just Bonnie being theatrical, Matt thought, but his own native honesty rose to mock him.I guess, he said slowly, thats what we were all sort of thinking, really, when she first came back. When we were dancing around in the woods like crazy people, he thought. I guess we sort of thought that they could live quietly somewhere near Fells Church, and that things would go back to the way they were before. Before Stefan Meredith shook her head, looking off into the distance beyond the windshield. Not Stefan.Matt realized what she meant. Stefan had come to Fells Church to rejoin humanity, not to take a human girl away from it into the unknown.Youre right, Matt said. I was just thinking about something like that. She and Stefan could have likely worked out some way to live here quietly. Or at least to stay close to us, you know. It was Damon. He came to take Elena against her will, and that changed everything.And now Elena and Stefan are leaving. And once they leave, theyll never come back, Bonnie wailed. why? wherefore did Damon sta rt all this?He likes to change things out of sheer boredom, Stefan once told me. This time it probably started out of hatred for Stefan, Meredith said. But I desire that for once he could have just left us alone. What oddment does it make? Bonniewas crying now. So it was Damons fault. I dont even care anymore. What I dont understand is why things have to changeYou can never blow the same river twice. Or even once if youre a strong enough vampire, Meredith said wryly. Nobody laughed. And then, very gently Maybe youre asking the victimize person. Maybe Elenas the one who could tell you why things have to change, if she remembers what happened to her in the early(a) Place.I didntmean that theydo have to change But they do, Meredith said, even more gently and wistfully. Dont you see? Its not supernatural its life. Everybody has to grow up I know Matt has a football scholarship and youre going away to college and then youre going to get married And probably have babies Bonnie m anaged to make this sound like some indecent activity. Im going to be stuck in junior collegeforever . And youll both be all grown up and youll provide about Elena and Stefanand me, Bonnie finished in a very small voice.Hey. Matt had always been very protective of the injured and ignored. Right now, even with Elena so recently on his mind he wondered if he wouldever get rid of the feeling of that kiss he was drawn to Bonnie, who seemed so small and fragile. What are you talk about? Im coming back after college to live. Ill probably die right here in Fells Church.Ill be thinking about you. I mean, if you want me to.He patted Bonnies arm, and she didnt shy away from his touch as she had from Merediths. She leaned into him, her forehead against his shoulder. When she shivered once, slightly, he put his arm around her without even thinking.Im not cold, Bonnie said, although she didnt try to shrug off his arm. Its warm tonight. I just I dont like it when you say things like Ill prob ably die right draw outMatt, look outWhoa Matt pumped the brakes, cursing, both reach wrestling with the steering wheel as Bonnie ducked and Meredith braced herself. Matts substitution for the first beat-up old car hed lost was just about as old and didnt have airbags. It was a miscellany of junkyard cars pieced together.Hang onMatt yelled as the car skidded, tires screaming, and then they were all flung around as the back end swerved into a ditch and the front bumper hit a tree.When everything stopped moving, Matt let out his breath, easing his death-grip on the steering wheel. He started to turn toward the girls and then froze. He scrabbled to switch on the map light, and what he saw held him frozen again.Bonnie had turned, as always in moments of deepest distress, to Meredith. She was lying with her head on Merediths lap, manpower locked onto her friends arm and shirt. Meredith herself was sitting, braced, leaning as far as possible backward, her feet stretched to push ag ainst the floor to a lower place the dashboard her body bowed back in the seat, head flung backward, arms holding Bonnie down tightly.Thrusting straight through the contribute window like a knobby, shaggy green spear or the grasping arm of some savage earthen giant was the wooden leg of a tree. It just cleared the base of Merediths arched neck, and its lower branches passed over Bonnies small body. If Bonnies seat belt hadnt let her turn if Bonnie hadnt flung herself down like that if Meredith hadnt held onto herMatt found himself staring directly into the splintered but very sharp end of the lance. If his own seat belt hadnt kept him from leaning that wayMatt could hear his own hard breathing. The smell of cone-bearing was overpowering within the car. He could even smell the places where smaller branches had broken off and were oozing sap.Very slowly, Meredith reached out to break off one of the twigs that was pointed at her throat like an arrow. It wouldnt break. Numb, Matt reached over to try it himself. But although the wood wasnt much thicker than his finger, it was tough and wouldnt even bend.As if its been fire-hardened, he thought dazedly. But thats ridiculous. Its a living tree I can feel the splinters.Ow.Can I please get up now? Bonnie said quietly, her voice muffled against Merediths leg. Please. Before it grabs me. It wants to.Matt glanced at her, startled, and scratched his archness against the splintered end of the big branch.Its not going to grab you. But his allow was churning as he fumbled blindly for his seat belt fastening. Why should Bonnie have the same thought as he had that the thing was like a huge, crooked, shaggy arm? She couldnt even see it.You know it wants to, Bonnie whispered, and now the slight shivering seemed to be taking over her whole body. She reached backward to undo her seat belt.Matt, we need to slide, Meredith said. She had carefully keep her painful-looking bowed-backward position, but Matt could hear her breat hing harder. We need to slide toward you. Its move to get around my throat.Thats impossible. But he could see it, too. The new splintered ends of the smaller branch had moved only infinitesimally, but there was a curve to them now, and the splinters were pressing into Merediths throat.Its probably just that nobody can stay bent backward like that forever, he said, knowing that this was nonsense. Theres a flashlight in the glove compartment.The glove compartment is completely blocked by branches. Bonnie, can you reach to unfasten my seat belt?Ill try. Bonnie slid ahead without raising her head, fumbling to find the release button.To Matt it looked as if the shaggy, evocative evergreen branches were engulfing her. Pulling her into their needles.Weve got a whole freakin Christmas tree in here. He looked away, out through the glass of the window on his side. Cupping his hands to see better into the darkness, he leaned his forehead against the surprisingly cool glass.There was a touc h on the back of his neck. He jumped, then froze. It was neither cool nor warm, like a girls fingernail.Damn it, Meredith Matt Matt was fantastic with himself for jumping. But the touch wasscratchy.Meredith? He slowly moved his hands away until he could see in the dark windows reflection. Meredith wasnt touching him.Dontmoveleft, Matt. Theres a long sharp bit there. Merediths voice, normally cool and a bit remote, usually made Matt think of those calendar pictures of blue lakes skirt by snow. Now it just sounded choked and strained.Meredith Bonnie said before Matt could speak. Bonnies voice sounded as if it were coming from underneath a featherbed.Its all right. I just have tohold it away, Meredith said. Dont worry. I wont let go of you, either.Matt felt a sharper prickle of splinters. Something touched his neck on the right side, delicately. Bonnie, stop it Youre pulling the treein Youre pulling it on Meredith and meMatt,shut up Matt shut up. His heart was pounding. The last t hing he felt like doing was reaching behind him. But thats stupid, he thought, because if Bonnie really is moving the tree, I can at least hold it still for her.He reached behind him, flinching, trying to watch what he was doing in the windows reflection. His hand closed over a thick knot of bark and splinters.He thought, I dont remember seeing a knot when it was pointed at my throat.Got it a muffled voice said, and there was the click of a seat belt coming undone. Then, much more shakily, the voice said, Meredith? There are needles shoved all into my back.Okay, Bonnie. Matt, Meredith was speaking with effort, but great patience, the way theyd all been talking to Elena. Matt, you have to open your door now.Bonnie said in a voice of terror, It isnt just needles. Its little branches. Sort of like barbed wire. Imstuck.Matt You need to open your doornow I cant.Silence.Matt?Matt was bracing himself, energy with his feet, both hands locked around the scaly bark now. He binge backward w ith all his strength.Matt Meredith almost screamed. Its cutting into my throatI cant get my door open Theres a tree on that side, tooHow can there be a tree there?Thats the roadHow can there be a treegrowing in here? some other silence. Matt could feel the splinters the slivers of broken branch biting deeper into the back of his neck. If he didnt move soon, he would never be able to.