07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

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“Stefan. Stefan!” Elena had been too nervous to stay out of the bedroom for longer than the five
minutes it had taken to show herself to the sheriffs. It was Stefan the officers really wanted and
couldn’t find, not seeming to consider that someone might backtrack and hide in a room that had
already been searched.
And now Elena couldn’t get a response out of Stefan, who was locked in an embrace
with Meredith, mouth pressed tightly over the two little wounds he’d made. Elena had to shake him by
the shoulders, to shake both of them, in order to get any response.
Then Stefan reared back suddenly, but held on to Meredith, who would otherwise have
fallen. He hastily licked blood from his lips. For once, though, Elena wasn’t focused on him, but on
her friend—her friend whom she’d allowed 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 was wet where tears had fallen 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.
“Something I saw—in her mind,” Stefan said briefly, pulling Elena behind his back.
“Here comes one of them. Stay there.”
The door opened. It was the male sheriff, who was red-faced and panting, and who had
clearly just lapped himself, returning to this room after starting from it to search the entire first floor.
“I have them all in a room—all but the fugitive,” the sheriff said into a large black
mobile. The female sheriff made some brief reply. Then the red-faced male turned to speak to the
teenagers. “Now what’s going to happen is that I’m going 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 coolly.
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 made Elena, who was right behind him, jump. It was the low savage snarl of
an animal protecting its mate, its pack, its territory.