Bonnie, Andres, and Alaric all promised, too. Stefan held Elena close to him and kissed her again before, with almost a physical wrench, letting go and walking across the clearing. Approaching the circle of mourning wolves, he called softly, "Zander. " The huge white wolf had laid his head alongside Chad's and, at Stefan's approach, jerked his head up to snarl a warning.
"I'm sorry," Stefan said. "It's very important. I wouldn't interrupt you if it weren't. "
Zander pressed his muzzle to the top of Chad's head for a moment, and then stood and left the circle of wolves. Shay moved automatically in to take his place, laying next to Chad's body as if she could comfort the dead wolf.
When Zander was standing before Stefan, he stiffened and then writhed, his muscles contracting and expanding. Patches of bare skin began to show between the tufts of his thick fur, and he staggered up onto his hind legs as the direction of his joints reversed with a cracking noise. He was changing back into a human, Stefan realized, and the transformation looked painful.
"It hurts to change back when the moon is still full," Zander said gruffly, once he was standing before Stefan in human form. His eyes were reddened with grief, and he drew his hand roughly across his face. "What do you want?"
"I am so sorry about Chad," Stefan said. "He was a loyal member of your Pack and a valuable ally to the rest of us. "
Chad had been a nice kid, Stefan thought, earnest and cheerful. His chest tightened as he remembered that Chad's death was ultimately Stefan's fault: Klaus had come to this part of the world to avenge Katherine, who had followed Stefan. Years of Stefan's own history, leading to the death of a skinny, friendly nineteen-year-old werewolf who had never done anyone harm.
"It's a risk we take when we fight - we all know it," Zander said shortly. His usually open face was closed off: Pack mourning was not for outsiders. "Is that all?"
"No, I need your word. Elena's Guardian Powers are the only reason Klaus couldn't kill her tonight," Stefan said. "I need you and your Pack to promise not to tell anyone she's a Guardian. "
"Wolves are loyal," Zander said. "We won't tell anyone. " He turned away from Stefan and took two long strides back toward the circle of wolves, his body changing as he went.
Huddled together at the edge of the clearing, Matt took Chloe's hand and noticed she was trembling, a small, tight shiver running through her body. He was cold, but vampires didn't get cold, did they?
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
Chloe pressed her free hand against her chest, as if she was having trouble breathing. "It's just that there were so many people," she said. "It was hard to concentrate. The blood - I could smell everyone's blood. And when the wolf died . . . "
Matt understood. Fresh blood had leaked from Chad's nose and mouth as he died, and Matt had felt Chloe stiffen beside him. "It's okay," he said now. "Let's head back to the boathouse. You just weren't ready to be around such a big group yet, especially with everyone's pulses pounding from the battle. "
Watching Chloe closely, he saw her jaw shift shape as her canines involuntarily descended. No talking about pounding pulses, he thought.
Chloe turned her head aside, trying to hide her lowering canines, and Matt noticed something else. There was a long streak of blood along Chloe's jaw, near her mouth. "Where's that from?" Matt asked, hearing the sharpness in his own voice as he let go of Chloe's hand.
"What?" Chloe asked, alarmed, skating her fingers over her own face. "I don't . . . I don't know what you mean. " She was looking away, though, avoiding Matt's eyes.
"Did you feed?" Matt asked, trying to calm down, to not scare Chloe. "Maybe from Chad after he died? I know it wouldn't have seemed as bad with him in wolf form, but werewolves are still people. " And jeez, when did that become something I believed? he wondered.
"No!" Chloe's eyes flew open wide, the whites showing all the way around her pupil. "No, Matt, I wouldn't do that!" She wiped roughly at her face, trying to erase the mark. "We were together the whole time!"
Matt frowned. "Not the whole time," he contradicted. "I lost sight of you during the fighting for a while. " Chloe knew they'd been separated. Why would she say differently?
Chloe shook her head hard. "I didn't feed from anyone," she insisted. But her eyes jittered nervously away and, with a sickening swoop of his stomach, Matt realized he had no idea what to believe. Chloe sighed. "Please, Matt," she said quietly. "I promise I'm not lying to yo
u. " Tears shone in her big brown eyes. "I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to become something to be afraid of. "
"You won't," Matt promised her. "I'll keep you safe. " Chloe leaned her face against his, forehead to forehead, and they stayed that way for a while, breathing quietly. I will, Matt promised himself silently. I can help her.
Chapter 22
Stefan held Elena close to him, ran his fingers through her silky hair, and felt her heart beating against his chest. When their lips met, he could feel her fear and weariness, as well as her wonder at her new Powers. Elena was sensing his own mixture of love and fear, and his delight at the new protection Elena had. She was sending him a constant stream of love and reassurance, which he returned in kind.
It was a marvel to him always, the way the world stopped, however bad things were, when Elena was in his arms. This human girl was his light and his touchstone, the one thing he could rely on.
"Sleep well, my love," he said, reluctantly releasing her. Elena kissed him one more time before going into her dorm room and shutting the door. Stefan hated to see her go; he couldn't erase the image of Klaus slicing her throat. Still, Bonnie and Meredith would be there. Elena had always been strong and independent and now she had Power of her own. He would be only a couple of floors above if she needed him.
Stefan trudged up the two flights of stairs between Elena's room and his own and unlocked his door. His room was dark and peaceful and he thought that although he would not sleep, he might lie down and let the world turn without him for a few hours.
As he closed the door behind him, he caught sight of a flash of white out on the balcony.
Katherine. His slow-beating heart seemed to stop for a moment. She was leaning gracefully against the balcony's railing, looking deceptively young and delicate in a long, white dress. She must have flown up, and waited for him just outside.