[ 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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FEW CLOTHES WERE placed inside the unzipped duffel bag placed atop Erin's bedspread. After all, she wouldn't need many. An outfit or two, possibly even less with how she would wear pajamas day and night if the opportunity presented itself. And it certainly would.
The rest of the duffel held items to keep Erin occupied. Her laptop, a few books, homework she needed to complete, and new wifi router. The one at the lake house needed to be replaced, and she wasn't about to spend the the rest of the week there without internet.
Erin came to the decision for her impromptu trip shortly after she learned of what happened with Bonnie's mother. When Bonnie made her way back to the woman's home, she arrived to find her nowhere to be found. Caroline, who had stayed behind with the newly turned vampire, relayed that Abby left. Again.
Bonnie was devastated, being forced to deal with her mother abandoning her for the second time in her life. Erin wanted to comfort her in some way, but she knew it was still too fresh to even mention Abby, let alone help her process the woman's disappearing act. Bonnie needed her space, and so did she.
A few days at the lake house would do Erin some good. At least, she hoped.
When her bedroom door opened later that morning, Erin moved around her room to collect some last minute things. Her phone and its charge bring two of them. She left it plugged up beside her bed as she packed, ignoring the various texts and calls that chimed through the past hour.
"Where have you been?" Elena exclaimed as she strode into the room without so much as a knock. They never really did when it came to each other. "I called you, like - five times."
Erin sighed, reaching out to grab her phone from her comforter. Sure enough, Elena has called. So did Caroline, and Stefan. But that was to be expected. Damon had warned her the night before.
"Yeah, sorry. I was busy," Erin replied, shoving her phone into the back pocket of her jeans.
"Busy with what?" Elena questioned until her gaze fell to the duffel bag on the bed. "What're you doing?"
Erin turned to face her sister and said, "I'm going to the lake house for a few days."
Elena blinked in response. "What? You can't. Not right now. I have to tell you what happened. Damon and Stefan found some..."
"White Oak, I know," Erin interjected, finishing the sentence for her.
Right before she planned to turn in for the night, Erin received a phone call from Damon. He explained that he discovered a White Oak tree had survived over the last thousand years. The only thing in the world that could kill an Original. He somehow managed to get his hands on enough of it to create about a dozen stakes, more than plenty to kill the Mikaelsons twice over.
