The Fury

Matt stared at him a moment before answering. 'Bonnie and Meredith came in saying that Elena had gone off of Wickery Bridge in my car. They said that she…' He paused and swallowed. 'Stefan, it's not true, is it?' His eyes were pleading.

Stefan looked away.

'Oh, God,' Matt said hoarsely. He turned his back on Stefan, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. 'I don't believe it; I don't. It can't be true.'

'Matt…' He touched the other boy's shoulder.

'I'm sorry.' Matt's voice was rough and ragged. 'You must be going through hell, and here I am making it worse.'

More than you know, thought Stefan, his hand falling away. He'd come with the intention of using his Powers to persuade Matt. Now that seemed an impossibility. He couldn't do it, not to the first—and only—human friend he'd had in this place.

His only other option was to tell Matt the truth. Let Matt make his own choice, knowing everything.

'If there were something you could do for Elena right now,' he said, 'would you do it?'

Matt was too lost in emotion to ask what kind of idiotic question that was. 'Anything,' he said almost angrily, rubbing a sleeve over his eyes. 'I'd do anything for her.' He looked at Stefan with something like defiance, his breathing shaky.

Congratulations', Stefan thought, feeling the sudden yawning pit in his stomach. You've just won yourself a trip to the Twilight Zone.

'Come with me,' he said. 'I've got something to show you.'

THREE

Elena and Damon were waiting in the darkroom. Stefan could sense their presence in the small annex as he pushed the door to the photography room open and led Matt inside.

'These doors are supposed to be locked,' Matt said as Stefan flipped on the light switch.

'They were,' said Stefan. He didn't know what else to say to prepare Matt for what was coming. He'd never deliberately revealed himself to a human before.

He stood, quietly, until Matt turned and looked at him. The classroom was cold and silent, and the air seemed to hang heavily. As the moment stretched out, he saw Matt's expression slowly change from grief-numbed bewilderment to uneasiness.

'I don't understand,' Matt said.

'I know you don't.' He went on looking at Matt, purposefully dropping the barriers that concealed his Powers from human perception. He saw the reaction in Matt's face as uneasiness coalesced into fear. Matt blinked and shook his head, his breath coming quicker.

'What—?' he began, his voice gravelly.

'There are probably a lot of things you've wondered about me,' Stefan said. 'Why I wear sunglasses in strong light. Why I don't eat. Why my reflexes are so fast.'

Matt had his back to the darkroom now. His throat jerked as if he were trying to swallow. Stefan, with his predator's senses, could hear Matt's heart thudding dully.

'No,' Matt said.

'You must have wondered, must have asked yourself what makes me so different from everybody else.'

'No. I mean—I don't care. I keep out of things that aren't my business.' Matt was edging toward the door, his eyes darting toward it in a barely perceptible movement.

'Don't, Matt. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let you leave now.' He could feel barely leashed need emanating from Elena in her concealment. Wait, he told her.

Matt went still, giving up any attempt to move away. 'If you want to scare me, you have,' he said in a low voice. 'What else do you want?'

Now, Stefan told Elena. He said to Matt, 'Turn around.'

Matt turned. And stifled a cry.

Elena stood there, but not the Elena of that afternoon, when Matt had last seen her. Now her feet were bare beneath the hem of her long dress. The thin folds of white muslin that clung to her were caked with ice crystals that sparkled in the light. Her skin, always fair, had a strange wintry luster to it, and her pale gold hair seemed overlaid with a silvery sheen. But the real difference was in her face. Those deep blue eyes were heavy-lidded, almost sleepy looking, and yet unnaturally awake. And a look of sensual anticipation and hunger curled about her lips. She was more beautiful than she had been in life, but it was a frightening beauty.

As Matt stared, paralyzed, Elena's pink tongue came out and licked her lips.

'Matt,' she said, lingering over the first consonant of the name. Then she smiled.

Stefan heard Matt's indrawn breath of disbelief, and the near sob he gave as he finally backed away from her.

It's all right, he said, sending the thought to Matt on a surge of Power. As Matt jerked toward him, eyes wide with shock, he added, 'So now you know.'

Matt's expression said that he didn't want to know, and Stefan could see the denial in his face. But Damon stepped out beside Elena and moved a little to the right, adding his presence to the charged atmosphere of the room.

Matt was surrounded. The three of them closed in on him, inhumanly beautiful, innately menacing.

Stefan could smell Matt's fear. It was the helpless fear of the rabbit for the fox, the mouse for the owl. And Matt was right to be afraid. They were the hunting species; he was the hunted. Their job in life was to kill him.

And just now instincts were getting out of control. Matt's instinct was to panic and run, and it was triggering reflexes in Stefan's head. When the prey ran, the predator gave chase; it was as simple as that. All three of the predators here were keyed up, on edge, and Stefan felt he couldn't be responsible for the consequences if Matt bolted.

We don't want to harm you, he told Matt. It's Elena who needs you, and what she needs won't leave you permanently damaged. It doesn't even have to hurt, Matt. But Matt's muscles were still tensed to flee, and Stefan realized that the three of them were stalking him, moving closer, ready to cut off any escape.

You said you would do anything for Elena, he reminded Matt desperately and saw him make his choice.

Matt released his breath, the tension draining from his body. 'You're right; I did,' he whispered. He visibly braced himself before he continued. 'What does she need?'

Elena leaned forward and put a finger on Matt's neck, tracing the yielding ridge of an artery.

'Not that one,' Stefan said quickly. 'You don't want to kill him. Tell her, Damon.' He added, when Damon made no effort to do so, Tell her.

'Try here, or here.' Damon pointed with clinical efficiency, holding Matt's chin up. He was strong enough that Matt couldn't break the grip, and Stefan felt Matt's panic surge up again.

Trust me, Matt. He moved in behind the human boy. But it has to be your choice, he finished, suddenly washed with compassion. You can change your mind.

Matt hesitated and then spoke through clenched teeth. 'No. I still want to help. I want to help you, Elena.'

'Matt,' she whispered, her heavy-lashed jewel blue eyes fixed on his. Then they trailed down to his throat and her lips parted hungrily. There was no sign of the uncertainty she'd shown when Damon suggested feeding off the paramedics. 'Matt.' She smiled again, and then she struck, swift as a hunting bird.

Stefan put a flattened hand against Matt's back to give him support. For a moment, as Elena's teeth pierced his skin, Matt tried to recoil, but Stefan thought swiftly, Don't fight it; that's what causes the pain.

As Matt tried to relax, unexpected help came from Elena, who was radiating the warm happy thoughts of a wolf cub being fed. She had gotten the biting technique right on the first try this time, and she was filled with innocent pride and growing satisfaction as the sharp pangs of hunger eased. And with appreciation for Matt, Stefan