Midnight

Then, deep in his chest, Saber went hmmf.

Around Matt people were gasping and writhing, as if they itched al over. He stared and saw Gwen staring along with him as the gasping became a panting.

Final y Saber tilted his nose to the ceiling and howled.

What happened after that wasn’t pretty from Matt’s point of view. Not seeing Caroline’s nose and mouth jut out to make a muzzle. Not seeing her eyes recede into smal , deep, fur-lined holes.

And her hands, fingers shrinking into helplessly waving paws, widespread, with black claws. That wasn’t pretty.

But the animal at the end was beautiful. Matt didn’t know if she’d absorbed her gray dress or shucked it off or what. He did know that a handsome gray wolf leaped from the defendant’s chair to lick up at Saber’s chops, rol ing al the way on the floor to frolic around the huge animal, who was so obviously the alpha wolf.

Saber made another deep hmmf sound. The wolf that had been Caroline rubbed her snout lovingly against his neck.

And it was happening in other places in the room. Both of the prosecutors, three of the jurors…the judge himself…

They were al changing, not to attack, but to forge their social bonds with this huge wolf, an alpha if ever there was one.

"We talked to him al the way,"Elena explained in between cursing the duct tape in Matt’s hair. "About not being aggressive and snapping off heads – Damon told me he did that once."

"We didn’t want a bunch of murders,"Stefan agreed. "And we knew no animal would be as big as he was. So we concentrated on bringing out al the wolf in him we could –

wait, Elena – I’ve got the tape on this side. Sorry about this, Matt."

A sting as tape ripped free – and Matt put a hand to his mouth. Mrs. Flowers was snipping the duct tape that held him to the chair. Suddenly he was entirely free and he felt like shouting. He hugged Stefan, Elena, and Mrs. Flowers, saying, "Thank you!"

Gwen, unfortunately, was being sick in a trash can. Actual y, Matt thought, she was lucky in having secured one. A juror was being sick over the railing.

"This is Ms. Sawicki,"Matt said proudly. "She came in after the trial had begun, and did a real y good job for me."

"He said ‘Elena,’"Gwen whispered when she could speak.

She was staring at a smal wolf, with patches of thinning hair, that came limping down from the judge’s chair to cavort around Saber, who was accepting al such gestures with dignity.

"I’m Elena,"said Elena, in between giving Matt mighty hugs.

"The one who’s…supposed to be dead?"

Elena took a moment out to hug Gwen. "Do I feel dead?"

"I – I don’t know. No. But – "

"But I have a pretty little headstone in the Fel ‘s Church cemetery,"Elena assured her – then suddenly, with a change in countenance, "Did Caroline tel you that?"

"She told the whole room that. Especial y the reporters."

Stefan looked at Matt and smiled wryly. "You may just live to have your revenge on Caroline."

"I don’t want revenge anymore. I just want to go home. I mean – "He looked at Mrs. Flowers in consternation.

"If you can think of my house as ‘home’while your dear mother is away, I am very happy,"said Mrs. Flowers.

"Thank you,"Matt said quietly. "I real y mean that. But Stefan…what are the reporters going to write?"

"If they’re smart, they won’t write anything at all."

Chapter 23

In the car, Matt sat by the sleeping Meredith with Saber crammed in at their feet, listening in shock and horror as they recounted Meredith’s story. When they were done, he was able to speak about his own experiences.

"I’m going to have nightmares al my life about Cole Reece,"he admitted. "And even though I slapped an amulet on him, and he cried, Dr. Alpert said he was Stillinfected.

How can we fight something this far out of control?"

Elena knew he was looking at her. She dug her nails into her palms. "It isn’t that I haven’t tried to use Wings of Purification over the town. I’ve tried so hard that I feel as if I’l burst. But it’s no good. I can’t control any Wings Powers at all! I think –

after what I’ve learned about Meredith – that I may need training. But how do I get it? Where? From who?"

There was a long silence in the car. At last Matt said, "We’re al in the dark. Look at that courtroom! How can they have so many werewolves in one town?"

"Wolves are sociable,"Stefan said quietly. "It looks as if there is a whole community of werewolves in Ridgemont. Seeded among the various Bear and Moose and Lions Clubs of course. For spying on the only creatures they’re scared of: humans."

At the boardinghouse Stefan carried Meredith to the first-floor bedroom and Elena pul ed the covers over her. Then she went to the kitchen, where the conversation was continuing.

"What about those werewolves’families? Their wives?"she demanded as she rubbed Matt’s shoulders where she knew the muscles must hurt fiercely from being handcuffed behind his back. Her soft fingers soothed bruises, but her hands were strong, and she kept kneading and kneading until her own shoulder muscles began to swear at her…and beyond.

Stefan stopped her. "Move over, love, I’ve got evil vampire magic. This is necessary medical treatment,"he added sternly to Matt. "So you have to take it no matter how much it hurts."Elena could Stillfeel him, if faintly, through their connection and she saw how he anesthetized Matt’s mind and then dug into the knotted shoulders as if he was kneading stiff dough, meanwhile reaching out with his Powers of healing.

Mrs. Flowers came by just then with mugs of hot, sweet cinnamon tea. Matt drained his mug and his head fel back slightly. His eyes were shut, his lips parted. Elena felt a huge wave of pain and tension flood away from him. And then she hugged both of her boys and cried.