[ BOOK ONE ]
Erin Gilbert believed the worst thing that could ever happen to her was the death of her parents. But when the Salvatore brothers waltz into town, she finds herself longing for the sorrow-filled days of the past.
All too soon, Erin's n...
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COLD, LATE AUTUMN air lessened the heat that rolled off Erin's body in waves. Her early morning run lasted slightly longer than previous ones, given the lack of time constraint. Three day weekends were a blessing, and she planned to cherish every moment of it.
"So, you think Bonnie's gonna make any leeway with that coffin now that she's working with her mom?" Erik questioned, climbing the front porch steps of their home.
Their lives were far from boring, as of late, and last week proved just that. Between Caroline being bitten by Tyler to learning the location of Klaus's coffins to Bonnie finding her long-lost mother, they were certainly kept busy.
And now, they were in a bit of a time crunch. Klaus had threatened the lives of Bonnie's mother, Abby, and the woman's surrogate son to find his family. The tactic prevailed, at least to a certain extent. Klaus obtained three coffins, but the one they realized had been spell shut remained in their hands.
Bonnie believed whatever laid inside could be a way to deal with Klaus once and for all. But to open it, she needed the help of her mother. Something that had to happen soon, or they risked Klaus retaliating at full force.
All thanks to Stefan and his power struggle with the hybrid.
Elena released a long breath as they headed for the front door. "I don't know, but I hope so. We need Klaus gone even more now," she stated, taking hold of the door handle to enter the home.
Erin moved through the living room for the kitchen. She needed coffee. Her gaze shifted over the open room to where Alaric stood, sifting through an overhead cabinet. "Good morning," she called out to him.
"Thought we had aspirin?" Alaric voiced, keeping his attention on the shelves' contents.
Elena strode toward the fridge and pointed to the cabinets across from him. "They're with the vitamins." She opened the door of the appliance and pulled out a filtered pitcher of water.
Erin grabbed a mug to fill with the already brewed coffee. Her gaze fell to the island in the process, finding an empty glass next to a bottle of whiskey. She chuckled, grabbing the creamer from Elena when she offered it. "Ah, now I get the aspirin. You're hungover," she quipped.
Alaric popped the top on the painkillers and tossed a few into his mouth. He swallowed them, turning to them with a strained expression. "Yeah, sorry about that. It was a bit of a weird night."
Erin swirled a spoon in her coffee, remembering what she and Elena walked in on when they arrived home just twelve hours earlier. Alaric amidst a kiss with the doctor who looked after him following his hybrid-induced death, Meredith Fell.
