The Dark Reunion by L. J. Smith Page B

suppose he’ll kill me. I might just die on my own, though. She felt as if her legs might melt away at any minute, as if she might collapse. There was a warmth and a trembling inside her.
    Think of something … fast. Those unfathomable black eyes were filling the universe now. She thought she could see stars inside them.
Think.
Quickly.
    Elena wouldn’t like it, she thought, just as his lips touched hers. Yes, that was it. But the problem was, she didn’t have the strength to say it. The warmth was growing, rushing out to all parts of her, from her fingertips to the soles of her feet. His lips were cool, like silk, but everything else was so warm. She didn’t need to be afraid; she could just let go and float on this. Sweetness rushed through her….
    “What the
hell
is going on?”
    The voice broke the silence, broke the spell. Bonnie started and found herself able to turn her head. Matt was standing at the edge of the yard, his fists clenched, his eyes like chips of blue ice. Ice so cold it burned.
    “Get away from her,” Matt said.
    To Bonnie’s surprise, the grip on her arms eased. She stepped back, straightening her blouse, a little breathless. Her mind was working again.
    “It’s okay,” she said to Matt, her voice almost normal. “I was just—”
    “Go back to the car and stay there.”
    Now
wait
a minute, thought Bonnie. She was glad Matt had come; the interruption had beenvery conveniently timed. But he was coming on a little heavy with the protective older brother bit.
    “Look, Matt—”
    “Go on,” he said, still staring at Damon.
    Meredith wouldn’t have let herself be ordered around this way. And Elena certainly wouldn’t. Bonnie opened her mouth to tell Matt to go sit in the car himself when she suddenly realized something.
    This was the first time in months she’d seen Matt really
care
about anything. The light was back in those blue eyes—that cold flash of righteous anger that used to make even Tyler Smallwood back down. Matt was alive right now, and full of energy. He was himself again.
    Bonnie bit her lip. For a moment she struggled with her pride. Then she conquered it and lowered her eyes.
    “Thanks for rescuing me,” she murmured, and left the yard.
    Matt was so angry he didn’t dare move closer to Damon for fear he might take a swing at him. And the chilling darkness in Damon’s eyes toldhim that wouldn’t be a very good idea.
    But Damon’s voice was smooth, almost dispassionate. “My taste for blood isn’t just a whim, you know. It’s a necessity you’re interfering with here. I’m only doing what I have to.”
    This callous indifference was too much for Matt. They think of us as food, he remembered. They’re the hunters, we’re the prey. And he had his claws in Bonnie, Bonnie who couldn’t wrestle a kitten.
    Contemptuously he said, “Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size, then?”
    Damon smiled and the air went colder. “Like you?”
    Matt just stared at him. He could feel muscles clench in his jaw. After a moment he said tightly, “You can try.”
    “I can do more than try, Matt.” Damon took a single step toward him like a stalking panther. Involuntarily, Matt thought of jungle cats, of their powerful spring and their sharp, tearing teeth. He thought of what Tyler had looked like in the Quonset hut last year when Stefan was through with him. Red meat. Just red meat and blood.
    “What was that history teacher’s name?” Damon was saying silkily. He seemed amused now, enjoying this. “Mr. Tanner, wasn’t it? I did more than try with him.”
    “You’re a murderer.”
    Damon nodded, unoffended, as if he’d just been introduced. “Of course, he stuck a knife in me. I wasn’t planning to drain him quite dry, but he annoyed me and I changed my mind. You’re annoying me now, Matt.”
    Matt had his knees locked to keep from running. It was more than the catlike stalking grace, it was more than those unearthly black eyes fastened on his. There was