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All Life Is Rife With Possibilities. Seeds Have Possibilities, But All Their Tomorrows Are Caught By The Patterning Of Their Life Cycle. Animals Have Possibilities That Are Greater Than That Of A Fir Tree Or A Blade Of Grass. Still, Though, For Most Animals, The Pattern Of Instinct, The Patterns Of Their Lives, Are Very Strong. Humanity Has A Far Greater Range Of Possibilities, Especially The Very Young. Who Will Children Grow Up To Be? Who Will They Marry, What Will They Believe, What Will They Create? Creation Is A Very Powerful Seed Of Possibility.

-Patricia Briggs

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All Life Is Rife

Patricia Briggs

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All Life Is Rife With Possibilities. Seeds Have Possibilities, But All Their Tomorrows Are Caught By The Patterning Of Their Life Cycle. Animals Have Possibilities That Are Greater Than That Of A Fir Tree Or A Blade Of Grass. Still, Though, For Most Animals, The Pattern Of Instinct, The Patterns Of Their Lives, Are Very Strong. Humanity Has A Far Greater Range Of Possibilities, Especially The Very Young. Who Will Children Grow Up To Be? Who Will They Marry, What Will They Believe, What Will They Create? Creation Is A Very Powerful Seed Of Possibility.

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Apparently Deciding Charles’s Brief Introduction Wasn’t Good Enough, His Brother Reintroduced Himself. “dr. Samuel Cornick, Elder Brother And Tormentor. Very Nice To Meet You, Anna—

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Knowing Someone Desires You Is The Greatest Aphrodisiac

Yes,” I Told Him. “i Think The Guy Playing The Pirate King Was Awesome.” He Stopped Where He Was. “what?” I Asked, Frowning At The Big Smile On His Face. “i Didn’t Say I Liked The Pirate King,” He Told Me. “oh.” I Closed My Eyes—and There He Was. A Warm, Edgy Presence Right On The Edge Of My Perception. When I Opened My Eyes, He Was Standing Right In Front Of Me. “cool,” I Told Him. “you’re Back.” He Kissed Me Leisurely. When He Was Finished, I Was More Than Ready To Head Home. Fast. “you Make Me Laugh,” He Told Me Seriously.

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Over A Lifetime Of Dealing With Difficult Women, I Have Learned It Is Often Better To Give Into Their Demands Immediately.

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Intelligent Men Are Dangerous.

Your Woman Tells Me You Will Hunt Me Down And Eat My Marrow While I Live." "did She?" Charles Looked At Her, And She Saw The Approval In His Face. She Doubted Anyone Else Would Have Read Anything At All. His Voice Was A Caress, Just For Her. "would You Like That, Love?

Ben Rubbed His Muzzle Over Kyle’s Shoulder In A Way That I Think Was Supposed To Be Reassuring. Kyle Sucked In A Breath. Either It Hurt, Or The Reminder That The Werewolf Was Big Enough To Rub His Shoulder Without Much Effort Wasn’t Exactly Reassuring. “ben, When Was The Last Time You Brushed Your Teeth?” Asked Kyle. Or Else Ben’s Breath Was Really Bad.

Reluctantly, I Pulled Out My Necklace And Showed It To Them. Samuel Frowned. The Little Figure Was Stylized; I Suppose He Couldn't Tell What It Was At First. A Dog?" Asked Zee, Staring At My Necklace. A Lamb," I Said Defensively, Tucking It Safely Back Under My Shirt. "because One Of Christ's Names Is "the Lamb Of God."" Samuel's Shoulders Shook Slightly. "i Can See It Now, Mercy Holding A Roomful Of Vampire At Bay With Her Glowing Sheep." I Gave His Shoulder A Hard Push, Aware Of The Heat Climbing To My Cheeks, But It Didn't Help. He Sang In A Soft Taunting Voice, "mercy Had A Little Lamb.

Fear Makes Idiots Out Of Us All, At Some Time Or Other.

Do They Always Flirt With Biblical Quotes?" Asil Asked Tad. In Long-suffering Tones, Tad Said, "they Can Flirt With The Periodic Table Or A Restaurant Menu. We've Learned To Live With It. Get A Room You Guys."

Don’t Fuss. I Love You Just As You Are, Mercy. I Don’t Need To Swallow You Whole, I Don’t Need To Be In Your Head At All Times. I Just Need To Know That You’re There.

He Can Stop Me In My Tracks, But He Can't Make Me Do Someting I Don't Want To

If There Was Such Evil In The World, Was It Possible That There Was Good, Too?

Much Awkwardness Ensued.

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My Will Broke At The Sound Of His Voice, And My Head Turned With As Much Inevitability As A Sunflower Turning Its Face To The Sun.

I Was Going To Fight Vampires, And My Name Wasn't Buffy--i Was So Screwed.

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She Crawled On Top Of Him, Naked And Warm And Soft, Smelling Like A Miracle That Had Saved Him From A Lifetime Of Aloneness.

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When I Die Of Heart Failure The Next Time You Frighten Me Like That, You Can Put That On My Gravestone —‘i Didn’t Mean To Startle Her

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People As Old And Powerful As He Should Never Be Given Someone To Love. For Anna He Would Destroy The World.

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The Elders Were Closer To The Maker Of All Things And Should Be Deferred To Whenever They Made Their Will Known.

Then He'd Come Back Home And Found Out That War Didn't Cause Fear- Love Did.

Nothing Says You're Sorry Like A Dead Bunny.

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Warren Made A Noise, The First One I'd Heard Out Of Him Since We'd Come Into The Room. I'd Have Been Happier If He Hadn't Sounded Scared. "easy, Warren," Adam Told Him. "you're Safe Here.” "if You Die On Us, You Won't Be," Said Kyle With A Growl That Would Have Done Credit To Any Of The Werewolves In The Room.

Stefan: "indian With A Dot, Not A Feather.

Taking Out Werewolves, I Gather And Surmise, Is Akin To Taking Out A Seal Team.

Alpha And Omega

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Charles Looked At Her Thoughtfully. "people Talk To You," He Said. "that Could Be Useful.

Love Is Not Necessary For Sex.

A Man Who Will Risk Nothing For Love Is Not A Man

She Was On The Far Side, Leaving Two Cold Feet Of Mattress Between Them. He Knew That She'd Fall Asleep Like That... And Then Gradually Move Over Until She Was Plastered Against Him. Then He Could Go To Sleep, Too.

His Brother Maintained That What Sent People Backing Away Was Neither His Size Nor His Mother's Blood, But Solely The Expression On His Face. To Test Samuel's Theory, Charles Had Tried Smiling - And Then Solemnly Reported To Samuel That He Had Been Mistaken. When Charles Smiled, He Told Samuel, People Just Ran Faster.

Want To Play Some Battleship?” I Wasn’t Leaving Him Alone With That Thing In There. Chad Armed Himself With A Notebook, And We Went To War. Historically, War Has Often Been Used As A Distraction For Problems At Home.

Maybe I Should Go Back To Teaching School About Crazy People Instead Of Being One. (jim Alvin)

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The Best Way For Me To Protect You Is To Encourage You To Be Able To Protect Yourself.

Honey, ... When A Wolf Watches A Lamb, He's Not Thinking About The Lamb's Mommy.

Why Is It That All Cars Are Women? Because They're Fussy And Demanding.

Just As I’ve Always Known There Are Monsters In The World, Monsters And Things Even More Evil, I’ve Always Known That It Is God Who Keeps Evil At Bay.

To Make Great Art, You Had To Expose Your Soul, And Some Things Should Be Left Safely In The Dark.

Ms. Thompson, It Said In Heavy Block Letters, Please Keep Your Feline Off My Property. If I See It Again, I Will Eat It.

Truth Is Without Flourishes Or Manners And Runs With A Logic All Its Own.

I Like What You've Done To Your Face," Ben Said, Tapping His Eye.

Take A Note: It Usually Works Better If You Wait Until I Do Something Stupid Before Getting Mad At Me.

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Anna Looked At Brother Wolf. ‘i’d Like To See Someone Try To Put A Radio Control Collar On Charles. It Might Be Fun To Watch On Youtube.

Where Does A Werewolf Sleep? Anywhere He Wants To.

Some People Will Tell You Werewolves Can Only Shapechange Under A Full Moon, But People Also Say There's No Such Things As Ghosts.

C’est Moi, C’est Moi,’tis I,' I Told Him. It Seemed Appropriately Melodramatic, Though I Didn’t Know If He’d Catch The Reference. I Shouldn’t Have Worried. Unexpectedly, He Laughed. “trust You To Quote Lancelot Rather Than Guinevere.

Things Change Whether You Want Them To, Or Not--unless You Are Dead. Don't Hold So Hard To The Past That You Die With It.

Yes,' He Said Sincerely. 'such A One Deserves Peanut Butter On The Seat Of His Pants.

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He'd Woken Up After Flying From Boston To Montana To Find His Da Cooking Breakfast For Them: Sausage And Pancakes Shaped Like Deer. It Wasn't Just Any Deer, Either - They Looked Like Bambi From The Disney Cartoon. Charles Didn't Want To Know How His Father Had Managed That

The Conflict Between The Creatures Of Native Lore And The Immigration Of The European Preternatural Hosts Is Hinted At In 'blood Bound' And Reflects The Conflicts Between The Human Immigrants And The Indian People Who Were Already Here.

Never Trust A Mechanic Who Drives New Cars. They're Either Charging Too Much Money For Their Work, Or They Can't Keep An Old Car Running - Maybe Both.

It Is Not Wise To Give Something Old And Powerful Something They Care About. And I Am Very Old.

Some People Are Boys Longer Than Others.

The Only Certainty Life Contains Is Death.

Certainty Of Death

Certainty In Life

You’re A Dead Man,” Kyle Said. “warren Doesn’t Take Kindly To People Who Hurt Me.

A Dominant Wolf's Desire To Protect Was A Strong Instinct- Samuel Was Very Dominant. Give Him An Inch, And He's Take Over The World- My Life, If I Let Him. Mercy

Some People Are Like Slinkies.they Aren't Really Good For Anything, But They Still Bring A Smile To My Face When I Push Them Down A Flight Of Stairs.

Yes, Well," Said His Da With A Hint Of A Grow That Told Him Just How Worried Bran Had Been About Him, "that'll Teach You To Dodge A Bit Quicker Next Time." "sorry," He Apologized Meekly As He Sat In The Passenger Seat. "good," Said Bran, Shutting The Door Gently. "don't Let It Happen Again." -bran And Charles

And That's When Anna Realized That What The Wolf Had Been Asking Bran For Was Death. Impulsively, Anna Stepped Away From Charles. She Put A Knee On The Bench She'd Been Sitting On And Reached Over The Back To Close Her Hand On Asil's Wrist, Which Was Lying Across The Back Of The Pew. He Hissed In Shock But Didn't Pull Away. As She Held Him The Scent Of Wilderness, Of Sickness, Faded. He Stared At Her, The Whites Of His Eyes Showing Brightly While His Irises Narrowed To Small Bands Around His Black Pupil. "omega," He Whispered, His Breath Coming Harshly.

Leslie Had Learned Two Valuable Things About The Fae That Day. They Were Powerful And Charming -- And They Ate Children And Puppies.

He Stopped What He Was Doing And Pulled Out His Magic Phone. Okay, The Phone Wasn't Magic, But It Does Things My Computer Struggles With.

I Was Talking Cannibalism, Not Romance.

It Was Complicated. I Understood It, Mostly, But I Had To Think A Little Sideways To Do It.

Are You Done Yet?' Issac Called Charles Tilted His Head Back And Called Back, 'i Suppose That's Why They Call You The Five Minute Wonder.' Anna Could Feel Her Eyes Round And Her Mouth Drop Open 'i Cant Believe You Just Said That' She Paused And Reconsidered. 'i Am So Telling Samuel You Said That.' Charles Smiled. Kissed Her Gently, And Said 'samuel Won't Believe You.

It Was Adam, But He Was Too Late. He Couldn’t Love Me Anymore. He Would Be So Angry With Me. I Had To Hide. He Didn’t Love Me So He Might Hurt Me When He Was Angry. When He Calmed Down, That Would Hurt Him. I Didn’t Want Him Hurting Because Of Me. There Was Nowhere For A Person To Hide. So I Wouldn’t Be A Person. My Eyes Fell On The Shelves That Lined The Far Back Corner. A Coyote Could Hide There.

When Is The Last Time You Were A Tourist?” She Asked Archly. He Just Looked At Her. Charles, She Had To Agree, Was Not Tourist Material. “right,” Anna Told Him. “buck Up. You Might Even Enjoy It.” “you Might As Well Have ‘hapless Victim’ Tattooed Across Your Forehead,” He Muttered.

He Stepped Back With Exaggerated Courtesy. But When I Walked Past Him, He Swatted My Rump. Hard Enough To Sting. “you Need To Be More Careful,” He Growled. “keep Interfering In My Business And You Might Get Hurt.” I Said Sweetly As I Continued To Jesse's Room, “the Last Man Who Swatted Me Like That Is Rotting In His Grave.” “i Have No Doubt About It.” His Voice Was More Satisfied Then Contrite.

Civilization Is Vastly Overrated.

His Grandfather Had Often Told Him That He Tried Too Hard To Move Trees When A Wiser Man Would Walk Around Them.

People Who Know Other People’s Secrets Can’t Afford To Do Things That Impair Their Ability To Control Their Mouths.

Let's Save Tomorrow's Troubles For Tomorrow.

Sometimes Broken People Stay Broken.

I Was Going To Have To Come Up With A Rank For Myself Besides Alpha's Mate. In The Pack, I Was Just Mercy- But If Ten More People Called Me The Alpha's Mate, I Was Going To Hit Someone. It Sounded Like A Chess Move.

It Was Unsettling To Be In Love With Someone Who Looked Like The Face In Her Nightmares.

He Didn't Say Anything More, Just Waited For Me To Tell Him What I'd Been Thinking. It Was Pure Speculation, And I Was Opening Myself Up To Ridicule By Saying Anything At All. I Sat On The Stool And Realized That I Had My Loyalties, Too.

One Of The Oddest Things About Being Grown-up Was Looking Back At Something You Thought You Knew And Finding Out The Truth Of It Was Completely Different From What You Had Always Believed. (bone Crossed)

No-pocket Jeans Are Only Slightly Less Irritating Than Thong Underwear.

I Was Too Busy Fighting The River To Worry About Adjusting My Beliefs In Accordance To Reality.

I Can't Protect You From Knowledge.

I Was In The Middle Of A Dream About Garbage Cans And Frogs - Don't Ask, And I Won't Tell.

Cheeses Crusty, Got All Musty, Got Damp On The Stone Of A Peach.

Read Good Books. Read Bad Books - And Figure Out Why You Don't Like Them. Then Don't Do It When You Write. If You Are A Science Fiction Or Fantasy Writer, Going To Conventions And Attending Panels Is Very Useful.

It's Easier To Dismiss Ghosts In The Daylight.

Most Of The Pack Would Rather Have Darryl Mad At Them Than Auriele.

I Don't Get Mad, I Get Even.

Some Of The Fae Have An Odd Idea Of Bride Send-offs," He Explained "including, According To Zee, Kidnapping." "i Forgot About That." And I Was Appalled Because I Knew Better. "bran And Samuel Are Probably More Of A Danger Than Any Of The Fae," I Told Him. "someday, I'll Tell You About Some Of The More Spectaculare Wedding Antics Samuel's Told Me About." Some Of Them Made Kidnapping Look Mild.

If You Leave Me Naked And Waiting On The Bed Without Making Love To Me, I’ll—” I Didn’t Get To Finish The Threat. I Think It Was The Word “naked,” Though Maybe It Was “bed,” But Before I Finished My Sentence, He Was On Me. Mercy To Adam

I Feel Like I'm Lost In An Anime Movie" I Said, As Coyote Picked The Thing Up. "one Of The Tentacle-monster Ones." Most Of Them Were X-rated And Ended Up With A Lot Of Dead People.

A Man's Immortality Can Be Found In His Children.

Only Cowards Torture Women.

Mine. He Was Mine, And Not Even Death Would Take Him From Me—not If I Could Help It.

There Are Big Bad Wolves All Over The World Who Tremble At The Sound Of His Name, Yet A Little Puny Coyote Girl Peanut-buttered The Seat Of Bran Cornick’s Car Because He Told Her That She Should Wear A Dress To Perform For The Pack.

My Foster Mother Always Laughed And Said It Was His Reputation For Knowing Everything That Allowed For Him To Appear Infallible: All He Had To Do Was Walk Through The Room And See Who Looked Guiltiest When They Saw Him. Maybe She Was Right, But I Tried Looking Innocent The Next Time, And It Didn't Work.

Knowing Everything

Cheeses Crusty, Got All Musty, Got Damp On The Stone Of A Peach,” I Agreed. He Looked Blank, So I Repeated It With Proper Emphasis. “ Cheez-zes Crusty. Got Al -musty. Got Damp On The Stoneofapeach.

I Could Hear Him Laughing. Son Of A Bit*h. I Would Kill Him. I Didn't Care If He Was Coyote Or The Son Of Satan.he Was A Dead Man Walking.

I Don’t Think You’re Supposed To Be Able To Get At That Information,” Said Leslie. “don’t Look,” Said Goldstein, Peering Over Charles’s Shoulder. “we Don’t Know Anything About Illegal Hacking.” He Whistled Cheerily.

His Heart's Occupied Elsewhere," Said Ben From Behind Me. "and Even If It Weren't He's Not Interested In Your Kind. But, I'm Available And Ready." "you Don't Have A Heart," I Told Him.” Just A Gaping Hole Where It Should Have Been. " "all The More Reason For You To Give Me Yours. " I Pounded My Forehead Against Warren 's Back. "tell Me Ben's Not Flirting With Me. " "hey," Said Ben Sounding Hurt. "i Was Talking Cannibalism, Not Romance.

Tim Was Dead. And He's Always Been A Loser. I'd Be Damned If I Was Going To Be The Victim Of A Loser - Or Anyone Else.

He Left The Key In The Ignition. No One Was Likely To Come Up Here And Steal The Truck- And If Anyone Did... Well, He Could Deal With Charles

Wizards Don't All Look Alike.

It Is The Way Of Mortals. They Fling Themselves At Life And Emerge Broken.

Alpha And Omega

Now, I'm Not Very Vain. If I'd Ever Been, Making My Living Covered In Various Grease And Dirt Mixtures Would Have Cured Me Quickly. Still, I Wasn't Up To Facing Two Sexy Men When I Had One Eye Swollen Mostly Shut And Half Of My Face Black And Blue.

I Think I’ll Just Go Take A Shower,” I Said. It Wasn’t Until Samuel Stiffened That I Remembered I’d Just Come Out Of The Shower. So Much For Playing Normal.

Over The Years, She'd Learned Not To Question Him To Closely—mostly Because He Wouldn't Answer Her.

Charles Was Most Comfortable By Himself Or, If That Wasn't Possible, With His Pack In The Wild. Talking For Hours In A Crowded Auditorium Was Not On Any List Of Things He Enjoyed—or Things He Was Good At. At Least No One Had Died. Yet.

Public Speaking

In This Dream, I Wasn’t A Coyote Shapeshifter Trying To Hold A Werewolf, I Was Coyote’s Almost Daughter, And I Had All The Strength Of The World In My Arms.

When A Man Is On The Verge Of Passing Out From Pain, It Seemed Wrong To Notice How Beautiful He Was.

I Don't Break; I Bounce.

There Isn’t A Person In This City More Dangerous Than A Wolf Whose Mate Is In Danger.

Sometimes I Think I Live More Closely To The Past Than The Present.

I Thought You Were Dead. Stupid. As If I'd Die Without Taking You With Me.

Mercy?” “just A Minute,” I Told Adam. “i'm In The Middle Of A Revelation.

For Adam, Screwed-up Bonding Thing Or Not, I’d Wait Forever. “really?” He Asked In A Tone I’d Never Heard From Him Before. Softer. Vulnerable. Adam Didn’t Do Vulnerable. “really What?” I Asked. “despite The Way Our Bond Scares You, Despite The Way Someone In The Pack Played You, You’d Still Have Me?” He'd Been Listening To My Thoughts. This Time It Didn't Bother Me. “adam,” I Told Him, “i’d Walk Barefoot Over Hot Coals For You.

I'm Not Threatening To Kill Myself. But You Need To Know This About Me Because—if You Want To Be My Mate—i Won't Be Like Leo. I Won't Let You Sleep Around With Anyone Else. I Won't Be Forced Either. I've Had Enough. If That Makes Me A Dog In The Manger, So Be It. But If I Am Yours, Then You Damned Well Are Going To Be Mine." - Anna To Charles

You Can't Cage An Eagle For Long Without Destroying It.

The Cool Thing About Writing Is That There Is Really Never A Typical Day. Sometimes I Get A Rhythm Going And Head Off To Work Every Morning And Come Home At Night. Sometimes I'll Write For Two Days Straight And Then Be Utterly Blank For The Next Two.

Paranoia: The Gift Of The Survivor And The Burden Of The Overtired, Stressed, And Terrified.

He Loved Her Beyond All Reason And Didn't Expect Her To Love Him Back. He Was Just Waiting For Her To Wise Up.

Samuel Laughed Out Loud. "you Still Haven't Figured It Out, Have You, Mercy? He Never Was Mad About The Car. He Was The First One At The Scene Of The Accident. He Thought You'd Killed Yourself. We All Did. That Was A Pretty Spectacular Wreck.

I Knew He Would Never Leave Me, Never Let Me Down-because The Man Had Never Abandoned Anything In His Long Life. If I Hadn’t Taken The Gold Rope Of Our Bond, I Knew Adam Would Have Sat On Me And Hog-tied Me With It. I Liked That. A Lot.

We’d Spent Years As Adversaries, Two Predators Sharing Territory And A Certain, Unwelcome Attraction. Somehow, During All Those Years I Spent Outwardly Acquiescing To His Demands While Making Sure I Held My Own, I’d Won His Respect. I’d Had Werewolves Love Me And Hate Me, But I’d Never Had One Respect Me Before. Not Even Samuel. Adam Respected Me Enough To Act On My Suspicions. It Meant A Lot.

Werewolf Games,' Mercy Said Solemnly, 'play For Keeps, Or Go Home.' She Was So Cute Sometimes It Made Adam's Heart Hurt.

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