bag.
“I’l cal you tonight and let you know how I’m settling in.” Aunt Judith nodded, and Elena gave her another quick kiss before wiping her eyes and opening the front door.
Outside, the sunlight was so bright she had to blink.
Damon and Stefan were leaning against the truck Stefan had rented, her stuff packed into the back. As she stepped forward, they both glanced up and, at the same time, smiled at her.
Oh. They were so beautiful, the two of them, that seeing them could stil leave her shaken after al this time. Stefan, her love Stefan, his leaf-green eyes shining at the sight of her, was gorgeous with his classical profile and that sweet little kissable curve to his bottom lip.
And Damon—al luminescent pale skin, black velvety eyes, and silken hair—was graceful and deadly al at once.
Damon’s bril iant smile made something inside her stretch and purr like a panther recognizing its mate.
Both pairs of eyes watched her lovingly, possessively.
The Salvatore brothers were hers now. What was she going to do about it? The thought made her frown and made her shoulders hunch nervously. Then she consciously smoothed the wrinkles in her forehead away, relaxed, and smiled back at them. What would come, would come.
“Time to go,” she said, and tilted her face up toward the sun.
2
Meredith held the tire gauge firmly against the valve of her left back tire while she checked it. The pressure was fine.
The pressure on al four tires was fine. The antifreeze, oil, and transmission fluids were al topped off, the car battery was new, and the jack and spare tire were in perfect shape. She should have known. Her parents weren’t the kind to stay home from work to see her off to col ege. They knew she didn’t need coddling, but they’d show their love by making sure al the preparations were made, that she was safe and perfectly ready for anything that might happen. Of course, they wouldn’t tell her that they had checked everything, either; they’d want her to continue protecting herself.
There wasn’t anything she had to do now except leave.
Which was the one thing she didn’t want to do.
“Come with me,” she said without looking up, despising the faint quaver she heard in her own voice. “Just for a couple of weeks.”
“You know I can’t,” Alaric said as he brushed his hand lightly over her back. “I wouldn’t want to leave if I came with you. It’l be better this way. You’l get to enjoy the first weeks of col ege like al the other new students, without anyone holding you back. Then I’l come up and visit soon.” Meredith turned to face him and found Alaric gazing back at her. His mouth tensed, just the tiniest tightening, and she could see that parting again, after only a few weeks together, was just as hard for him as it was for her.
She leaned in and kissed him softly.
“Better than if I’d gone to Harvard,” she murmured.
“Much closer.”
As the summer had ended, she and Matt had realized they couldn’t leave their friends and head off to out-of- state col eges as they’d planned. They’d al been through so much together, and they wanted to stay together, to protect one another, more than they wanted to go anywhere else.
Their home had been nearly destroyed more than once, and only Elena’s blackmail of the Celestial Court had restored it and saved their families. They couldn’t leave.
Not while they were the only ones standing against the darkness out there, the darkness that would be drawn forever to the Power of the magical ley lines that crossed the area around Fel ’s Church. Dalcrest was close enough that they’d be able to come back if danger threatened again.
They needed to protect their home.
So Stefan had gone down to the administrative offices at Dalcrest and used his vampire mojo. Suddenly Matt had the footbal scholarship to Dalcrest he’d turned down in favor of Kent State back in the spring, and Meredith was not only expected as an incoming freshman but was housed in a triple in the best dorm on campus with Bonnie and Elena. The supernatural had worked for them, for a change.
Stil , she’d had to give up a couple of dreams to get here. Harvard. Alaric by her side.
Meredith shook her head. Those dreams were incompatible, anyway. Alaric couldn’t have come to Harvard with her. Alaric was staying here in Fel ’s Church to research the origins of al the supernatural things that had happened over the town’s history. Luckily, Duke was letting him count this toward his dissertation on the paranormal.
And he’d be able to monitor the town for danger at the same time. They’d have to be apart for now, no matter where Meredith chose to go, but at least Dalcrest was a manageable drive away.
Alaric’s skin had a soft tan, and a scattering of golden freckles crossed his cheekbones. Their faces were so close she could feel the warmth of his breath.
“What’re you thinking?” His voice was a low murmur.
“Your freckles,” she said. “They’re gorgeous.” Then she took a breath and pul ed away. “I love you,” Meredith said, and then rushed on before a wave of longing could overwhelm her, “I have to go.” She picked up one of the suitcases sitting by the car and swung it into the trunk.
“I love you, too,” Alaric said, and caught her hand and held it tightly for a moment, looking into her eyes. Then he let go and put the last suitcase into the trunk and slammed the lid.
Meredith kissed him, quick and hard, and hurried herself into the driver’s seat. Once she was safely seated, belted in, the engine running, she let herself look at him again.
