The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Twenty-One

Whats taking so long? Bonnie asked, bouncing on the bal s of her feet. Stop being so hyper, Meredith give tongue to absently, craning her neck to see everyplace the crowd outside McAl ister. There was about kind of bottleneck by the entrance to the dorm that was slowing every wiz down. She shivered in her thin top it was starting to suit cold at night.Securitys at the door, Bonnie utter as they got closer to the entrance. Are they carding people to get in? Her voice was shril with outrage.Theyre well(p) checking that you carry a student ID, someone in the crowd told her, to make sure youre not a crazed kil er from off campus.Yeah, his friend said. Only on-campus kil ers al owed. A couple of people laughed nervously. Bonnie fel silent, biting her lip, and Meredith shivered again, this time for reasons that had nothing to do with the cold.When they final y got to the front of the line, the security measures guards glanced quickly at their IDs and waved them through. Inside, it was crowded and music was pumping, just no one real y seemed to be in a partying mood. People stood in smal groups, talking in undertones and glancing around nervously. The presence of the security guards had reminded everyone of the danger lurking unseen on campus. Anyone could be responsible, notwithstanding someone in the path at that very moment.As she thought about that, Merediths view of the room shifted, the other students around her changing from innocent to sinister. That curly-headed frat boy in the corner was he eyeing his pretty companion with something more than simple lust? The faces of strangers perverse viciously, and Meredith took a deep breath, calming herself until everyone looked normal again.Samantha was coming toward her, a red plastic cup in her hand. Here, she said, handing Meredith a soda.Everyones on edge tonight, its creepy. Wed better go forward alert and not drink, she said, already on the uniform wavelength as Meredith.Bonnie squeezed Merediths arm in fareWelland took off into the crowd to look for Zander. Meredith sipped her drink and warily look the strangers surrounding her.Despite the general malaise hanging over the party, some people were so wrapped up in each other that they were managing to have a good time anyway. She watched a couple fondle, as ful y pore on each other as if at that place was no one else in the world who mattered. They werent worrying about the attacks and disappearances on campus, and Meredith found herself feeling a sharp pang of envy. She missed Alaric, missed him with a bone-deep longing that stayed with her, even when she wasnt consciously thinking about him.The kil er could be right here at this party, Samantha said unhappily. Shouldnt we be able to sense something?How can we protect anyone if we dont go who were up against?I know, said Meredith. The crowd parted, and she maxim a face she hadnt expected Stefan, leaning against the far wal . His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he gla nced past her with a hopeful half smile already forming on his lips.Poor guy. No matter what Meredith thought about Elenas decision to dribble a break and, for the record, Meredith thought that Elena was doing the right thing her entanglement with both Salvatore brothers meant that they had al been heading for trouble she couldnt help pitying him. Stefan had the look of someone who was experiencing the same sharp pang of loneliness and desire as Meredith did when she thought of Alaric. It must be worse for him, because Elena was so close and because she chose to separate herself from him against his wishes.Excuse me for a second, she said to Samantha, and went to Stefan.He greeted her politely and asked about her classes and her hunter training, although she could tel that he was burning to talk about Elena. He had such good manners, always.Shes not here yet, alone shes unimpeachably coming, she told him, interrupting one of his pleasantries. She had something to do first. His face bloomed into a smile of grateful relief, and then he frowned.Elenas coming here alone? he asked. After al the attacks?No, Meredith calm him. She hadnt thought of this, and she didnt think she should tel him Elena was with Damon. Shes with other people, she settled for saying and was glad that her answer seemed to satisfy him.Meredith sipped her drink and hoped grimly that Elena had the sense not to bring Damon to the party. bland descry Chloe from across the room. Tonight was the night, he decided. Enough playing around, enough exchanging glances and gentle, platonic hugs and hand squeezes. He indirect requested to know if she felt the same way he did, if she felt like maybe there was something between them worth exploring.She was talking to someone, a guy he recognized from Vitale, and her curly brown hair shone piano in the light from overhead. There was so much life in Chloe the way she laughed, the way she listened to what the guy was saying, attentive and involved, he r face focused. two-dimensional wanted to kiss her, more than anything.So he started ca-caing his way across the room toward her, nodding at people he knew as he passed them. He didnt want to look too uncool and eager, not like he was reservation a beeline for her, but he didnt want to stop and lose her in the crowd, either.Matt.Matt jerked as if hed been stung as the silent greeting hit him. Twisting around to see where it was coming from, he found Stefan standing right buttocks him and frowned irritably at him. He hated when Stefan got into his head like that.You could have just said hi, he told Stefan, as mildly as he could. You know, out loud.Stefan ducked his head apologetical y, his cheeks flushing. Im sorry, he said. That was rude of me, but I just wanted to get your attention. Its so loud in here. He gestured around, and Matt wondered, as he sometimes had before, how the life of a modern teenager seemed to the vampire. Stefan had experienced more than Matt probably ever w ould, but the loud rock music and the foreshorten of bodies al around him seemed to make him uncomfortable, showing the cracks in his disguise as someone young. He tried hard, for Elenas sake, Matt knew.Im waiting for Elena, Stefan said. Have you seen her? The lines of his face were anxious, and, just like that, Matts picture of Stefan as someone too old, too out of place here, snapped. Stefan looked achingly young, lonely and worried.Yeah, Matt said. I just saw her at the library. She said she was coming here later. He bit his tongue to keep from adding that hed seen her there with Damon, of al people.Matt wasnt quite sure what was going on between Elena and the brothers, but he figured Stefan didnt need to know that Elena and Damon were together.Im supposed to be staying away from her, Stefan confided sadly. She feels like shes coming between Damon and me, and she wants some time for us al to work things out before the two of us can be together again. He glanced up at Matt, almos t beseechingly. But I thought since there are so many people here, it isnt like wed be alone.Matt took a swal ow of his beer, his mind working furiously. Now he knew hed been right not to discover that Damon and Elena had been together. What game was Elena playing now?It was a shock, too, to realize how far out of the loop hed gotten. When did al this happen? Since Christophers death, hed been avoiding his friends, spending so much time focused on the Vitale Society that he missed this big development in their lives. What else was he missing?Stefan was stil looking at him as if he was seeking some kind of approval, and Matt rubbed the back of his neck thoughtful y, then offered, You should talk to her. Let her know how unhappy you are without her. Love is worth taking the chance.As Stefan nodded, considering, Matts eyes sought out Chloe in the crowd again. The guy shed been talking to was gone, and she was alone for the moment, biting her lip as she looked around the room. Matt was about to vindication himself and head toward her when another voice spoke in his ear.Hi, Matt, hows it going? Ethan came up beside him, his golden brown eyes focused on Matts. Matt felt himself straightening up and pul ing back his shoulders, trying to look loyal and honorable, a promising candidate, everything the Vitale wanted him to be. Matt saw this reaction to Ethan in the other pledges as Well whatever Ethan wanted them to be or do, they wanted, too. Some people were just natural leaders, he guessed.They chatted for a minute, not about the Vitale Society, of course, not in front of Stefan, but simple friendly stuff about footbal and classes and the music that was playing, and then Ethan turned the warmth of his smile on Stefan.Oh, uh, Ethan Crane, Stefan Salvatore, Matt introduced them, adding, Stefan and I went to high school together. Stefan and Ethan started making conversation, and Matt looked for Chloe again. She wasnt in the last place he had seen her, and he started to panic, until he found her again in the crowd, moving to the music.I cant help noticing just a slight accent, Stefan, Ethan was saying. Are you from Italy original y? Stefan smiled shyly. Most people dont hear it anymore, he said. My brother and I, we left Italy a long time ago.Oh, does your brother go here, too? Ethan asked, and Matt decided the two of them seemed happy enough together and that it was okay for him to leave now.Il catch up with you guys later, he said. Taking another swal ow of beer, Matt strode through the crowd, straight toward Chloe. Her eyes were shining, her dimples were showing, and he knew the time was right. Like he had told Stefan, love was worth taking the chance.