CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Alec

I barrel into Winter, shoving her out of the way. We both land hard on the ground, my forearms breaking my fall and her landing on her side. The pebbles rain down behind us, their impact on the ground making booms that rattle the canyon.

Elena, Hank, and Damon stare at us with dropped jaws.

"Don't move, anyone." I carefully sit up.

Winter is frozen, her brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"You almost got hit by some pebbles. Remember what they're like here? How heavy they are?"

"Oh, yeah." She shakes her head, and I can tell she's disappointed in herself. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay." I offer her my hand. The moment she slips her palm into it, it’s like the rest of the world disappears.

I pull her to standing, and she blinks at me. Heat spreads through me. I want to pull her closer, to press my lips to hers, to hold her tight until the end of time.

Instead, I just stand there like a dummy.

"Glad you're okay." I release her hand and look away, but not before I see the d