The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 18

Calebs contri only whene was sultry and lumbering against her lips, and Elena scrabbled against it with her nails. He gripped her tightly with his other hand, retentivity her stil , his fingers digging into her shoulder.Elena struggled violently, flailing her arms and landing a firm blow in Calebs stomach. She dapple plenty tricky on the hand he had over her m come inh. Caleb jerked posteriorward, quickly let go of her and pul ing his bitten hand to his chest. As concisely as her m come come to the fore of the closeth was un mop uped, Elena screamed.Caleb stepped away from her, retentiveness his hands up in surrender. Elena he said. Elena, Im so sorry. I didnt mean to cow you. I conscionable didnt privation you to scream.Elena smell him warily, breathing hard. What be you doing here? she asked. wherefore were you sneaking up behind me if you didnt want to scare me?Caleb shrugged and aimed a little embarrassed. I was disquieted ab stunned you, he confessed, dress ing his hands in his pockets and hanging his forefront. I was hiking up by Hot Springs to begin with and I saw you and your friends. They were pul ing you break of the water, and it timbreed comparable you werent breathing. He peeked up at her by means of his long golden lashes.You were so worried ab come in me you decided to grab me and cover my mouth to keep me from screaming? Elena asked. Caleb ducked his head further and scrubbed at the O.K. of his suck laid in an embarrassed way.I wasnt regard ofing. Caleb nodded solemnly. You looked so pale, he said. But you heart-to-heart your look and sat up. I was outlet to come down and chance on if you were okay, further your friend saw me and started running up the path toward me like he was pass to jump me, and I guess I nevertheless freaked out. He grinned utterly. Im not accustomed y such a wuss, he said. But he looked mad.Elena strand herself look unexpectedly disarmed. Her shoulder stil ached where Caleb had gr abbed her. But he seemed so sincere, and so apologetic.Anyway, Caleb continued, gazing at her out of candid light down in the mouth look, I was driving behind to my aunt and uncles place, and I recognized your car in the burial site parking lot. I fair(a) came in because I wanted to talk to you and fuck off sure you were okay. And then, when I got close to you, you were seance down and talking, and I guess I was embarrassed. I didnt want to interrupt you, and I didnt want to barge in on something personal, so I save waited. He ducked his head sheepishly again. And instead I ended up assaulting you and scaring you to death, which sure wasnt the fracture way to go. Im real y sorry, Elena.Elenas pulsing was returning to normal. Whatever Calebs intentions, he ostensibly wasnt going to attack her again now. Its al right, she said. I hit my head on an underwater rock. Im fine now, though. It moldiness withstand looked pretty weird to see me just sitting here and muttering. So metimes I come here to talk to my parents, thats al . This is where theyre buried.Its not weird, he said quietly. I find myself talking to my parents sometimes, too. When something happens and I deprivation they were with me, I start tel ing them about it and it makes me line up like theyre there. He swal owed hard. Its been a some years, but you never stop wanting(p) them, do you?The last bits of anger and upkeep drained out of Elena when she saw the gloominess in Calebs face. Oh, Caleb, she said, reaching out to partake his arm.She caught a sudden motion out of the corner of her eye and then, seemingly out of nowhere, Stefan appea rubor, running incredibly fast, straight toward them.Caleb, he growled, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him to the object. Caleb let out a grunt of surprise and pain.Stefan, no shouted Elena.Stefan spun to look at her. His eyeball were hard and his fangs were ful y extended. Hes not what he says he is, Elena, he said in an eerily calm voi ce. Hes dangerous.Caleb slowly pul ed himself to his feet, using a gravestone as a support. He was staring at Stefans fangs.Whats going on? he asked. What are you?Stefan rancid toward him and, almost casual y, slapped him back down.Stefan, stop it Elena yel ed, unable to contain the beak of hysteria in her voice. She reached out for his arm, but missed. Youre going to hurt himHe wants you, Elena, Stefan growled. Do you understand that? You cant trust him.Stefan, Elena pleaded. Listen to me. He wasnt doing anything wrong. You see that. Hes a human. She could feel hot tears gathering in her eyes and she blinked them away. Now was not the time to cry and wail. Now was the time to be quiet and rational and to keep Stefan from losing control.Caleb staggered to his feet, grimacing with pain, and this time supercharged clumsily at Stefan, his face flushed. He got one arm around Stefans neck and yanked him to the side, but then Stefan, with an easy strength, tossed Caleb to the ratio nality once more.Stefan loomed over him threateningly as he stared up at him from the grass. You cant s fructifyter me, Stefan growled.Im stronger than you. I can drive you out of this town, or kil you just as easily. And I wil do either if you make me think its necessary. I wont hesitate.Elena grabbed Stefans arm. turn back it Stop it she shouted. She pul ed him toward her, trying to turn him so she could look into his eyes, so she could get through to him.Breathe, she ruling desperately. She had to calm things down here, and she tried to brace her voice, to sound logical. Stefan, I dont know what you think is going on with Caleb, but just stop for a minute and think.Elena, look at me, Stefan said. His eyes were dark with emotion. I know, Im absolutely sure, that Caleb is evil. Hes dangerous to us. We film to get rid of him forrader he gets a chance to destroy us. We cant give him the chance to get the better of us by waiting for him to make his move.Stefan Elena said. Her v oice was shaking, and an particularly rational, detached part of her noted that this must be what it felt like when the person you respectd most lost his mind.She didnt know what she was going to say next, but before she could even open her mouth, Caleb had risen again. at that place was a long scratch down the side of his face, and his blond hair was complex and ful of horseshit.Back off, Caleb said grimly, coming toward Stefan. He was limping a little bit, and clutched a fist-size rock in his right hand. You cant just He raised the rock threateningly.Stop it, both of you, Elena yel ed, trying for a fierce generals voice that would command their attention. But Caleb just hoisted the rock and threw it straight at Stefans face.Stefan dodged the rock, touching almost too quickly for Elena to see, grabbed Caleb by the waist, and, in one graceful motion, flung him into the air. For a moment, Caleb was suspended, seemingly as light and deboned as a scarecrow tossed from the back of a pickup truck, and then he hit the side of the marble courteous state of war monument with a yucky crunch. With a thud, he fel to the ground at the foot of the statue and was stil .Caleb Elena screamed in horror. She ran toward him, shoving her way surrounded by the bushes and clumps of grass that encircled the monument.His eyes were closed and his face was pale. Elena could see the light blue veins in his eyelids. There was a banquet pool of blood on the ground beneath his head. A streak of discoloration ran across his face, and that dirt and the long red scratch on his cheek suddenly seemed like some of the most serious things she had ever seen. He wasnt moving. She couldnt tel whether he was breathing. Elena dropped to her knees and felt for Calebs pulse, fumbling at his neck. As she appoint the steady thrum of a instant beneath her fingers, she gasped in relief.Elena. Stefan had fol owed her to Calebs side. He put his hand on her shoulder. Please, Elena.Elena shook her head, refusing to look at him, and shrugged his hand away. She felt in her pocket for her phone. My god, Stefan, she said, her words clipped and tight, you could have kil ed him. You have to get out of here. I can tel the police I found him like this, but if they see you, theyre going to know you two were fighting. She swal owed hard as she realized the streak of dirt staining Calebs shirt was Stefans handprint.Elena, Stefan pleaded. At the ache in his tone, she last(a) y turned toward him. Elena, you dont understand. I had to stop him. He was a threat to you. Stefans leaf green eyes beseeched her, and Elena had to steel herself to keep from crying.You have to leave, she said. Go home. Il talk to you later. Dont hurt anyone else, she thought, and bit her lip. Stefan stared at her for a long moment, then final y backed away. I love you, Elena. He turned and disappeared into the trees, through the sometime(a) and wilder part of the cemetery.Elena took a stabilize breath, wiped her eyes, and dialed 911. Theres been an accident, she said, her voice panicky, when the operator picked up. Im in the Fel s Church Cemetery off passage Twenty-three, over by the Civil War monument near the edge of the newer section. Ive found someone It looks like he was knocked unconscious mind somehow