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lovingly against his neck.<br />
And it was happening in other places in the room. Both of the prosecutors, three of the<br />
jurors…the judge himself…<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were all changing, not to attack, but to forge their social bonds with this huge wolf,<br />
an alpha if ever there was one.<br />
“We talked to him all the way,” Elena explained in between cursing the duct tape in<br />
Matt’s hair. “About not being aggressive and snapping off heads—Damon told me he did that once.”<br />
“We didn’t want a bunch of murders,” Stefan agreed. “And we knew no animal would be<br />
as big as he was. So we concentrated on bringing out all the wolf in him we could—wait, Elena—<br />
I’ve got the tape on this side. Sorry about this, Matt.”<br />
A sting as tape ripped free—and Matt put a hand to his mouth. Mrs. Flowers was<br />
snipping the duct tape that held him to the chair. Suddenly he was entirely free and he felt like<br />
shouting. He hugged Stefan, Elena, and Mrs. Flowers, saying, “Thank you!”<br />
Gwen, unfortunately, was being sick in a trash can. Actually, Matt thought, she was lucky<br />
in having secured one. A juror was being sick over the railing.<br />
“This is Ms. Sawicki,” Matt said proudly. “She came in after the trial had begun, and did<br />
a really good job for me.”<br />
“He said ‘Elena,’” Gwen whispered when she could speak. She was staring at a small<br />
wolf, with patches of thinning hair, that came limping down from the judge’s chair to cavort around<br />
Saber, who was accepting all such gestures with dignity.<br />
“I’m Elena,” said Elena, in between giving Matt mighty hugs.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> one who’s…supposed to be dead?”<br />
Elena took a moment out to hug Gwen. “Do I feel dead?”<br />
“I—I don’t know. No. But—”<br />
“But I have a pretty little headstone in the Fell’s Church cemetery,” Elena assured her—<br />
then suddenly, with a change in countenance, “Did Caroline tell you that?”<br />
“She told the whole room that. Especially the reporters.”<br />
Stefan looked at Matt and smiled wryly. “You may just live to have your revenge on<br />
Caroline.”<br />
“I don’t want revenge anymore. I just want to go home. I mean—” He looked at Mrs.<br />
Flowers in consternation.<br />
“If you can think of my house as ‘home’ while your dear mother is away, I am very<br />
happy,” said Mrs. Flowers.<br />
“Thank you,” Matt said quietly. “I really mean that. But Stefan…what are the reporters<br />
going to write?”<br />
“If they’re smart, they won’t write anything at all.”
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