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I Am Not Attempting To Preserve Culture, Or Record Actual Events Or Stories. Instead I Bow My Head In Gratitude To Those Storytellers Who Have Gone Before And Paved A Way For Me Play In Their Stomping Grounds. Doubtless Those Who Want To Be Offended, Will - Allowing Me To Make Them Happy, Too, Which Pleases Me As Much As It Pleases Them.

-Patricia Briggs

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I Am Not Attempting

Patricia Briggs

...

I Am Not Attempting To Preserve Culture, Or Record Actual Events Or Stories. Instead I Bow My Head In Gratitude To Those Storytellers Who Have Gone Before And Paved A Way For Me Play In Their Stomping Grounds. Doubtless Those Who Want To Be Offended, Will - Allowing Me To Make Them Happy, Too, Which Pleases Me As Much As It Pleases Them.

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

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.

Anger Is Stupid, And Stupidity Will Kill You More Surely Than Your Opponent's Blade.

It Wasn't Hard To Follow The Scent Of Blood To The Living Room Where The Fae Had Been Killed. It Had Been A Violent Death, Perfect For Creating Ghosts.

Christmas Garland And A Rock?" He Said, A Smile In His Voice."why Not An Ornament?" "wolves Aren't Fragile," I Told Him. "and They're... Stubbon And Hard To Move

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

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 Think That I Can Count On The Fingers Of One Hand The Times You've Actually Said The Word ‘women' And Not Replaced It With An Epithet Referring To Female Genitalia." "hey, He's Not That Bad," Warren Said. "sometimes He Calls Them Cows Or Whores.

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

Are We Going To Portland?" I Asked. "or Multnomah Falls?" He Smiled At Me. "go To Sleep." I Waited Three Seconds. "are We There Yet?" His Smile Widened, And The Last Of The Usual Tension Melted From His Face. For A Smile Like That, I'd...do Anything.

I Don't Break; I Bounce.

I'm A Coyote Shapeshifter Playing In A World Of Werewolves And Vampires---outmatched Is N Understatement.

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.

You Play Games With People's Lives.(...) You Forget That They Are Fragile.

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.

It Is One Of Those Lessons That Every Child Should Learn: Don't Play With Fire, Sharp Objects, Or Ancient Artifacts.

Mmm, He Rumbled Into My Ear. I Thought That Being Married Meant That I Never Go To Bed Hungry.

A Cowboy, A Lawyer, And A Mechanic Watched Queen Of The Damned,” I Murmured. Warren—who Had Once, A Long Time Ago, Been A Cowboy—snickered And Wiggled His Bare Feet. “it Could Be The Beginning Of Either A Bad Joke Or A Horror Story.” “no,” Said Kyle, The Lawyer, Whose Head Was Propped Up On My Thigh. “if You Want A Horror Story, You Have To Start Out With A Werewolf, His Gorgeous Lover, And A Walker.

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.

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.

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 Thought You Couldn't Make It Here Until Morning," I Said. "i Hurried.

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

Wolves Eat Coyotes," Gordon Said[...] If He Weren't An Old Man, I Had Some Rude Things I Could Have Said To That. "yes," Observed Adam Blandly. "i Do." Yep. That Was The One That Came To Mind. And He Didn't Even Blush When He Said It. Maybe Gordon Would Miss The Double Entendre. But He Grinned Cheerfully At Adam.

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.

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.

There Is No Cash In Battling Evil: Just The Opposite In My Experience

Time Was Such An Odd Thing. One Moment You Could Talk To Someone, Then Suddenly, They Were Gone.

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.

A Man Says A Lot Of Things In Summer He Doesn't Mean In Winter.

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

Love Is Not Necessary For Sex.

The Devout Belief That The World Is Explainable Is Both A Terrible Vulnerability And A Stout Shield.

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

People Will Do Amazing Things To Ensure Their Survival.

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

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

Knowledge Is A Better Weapon Than A Sword.

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

Any Idiot Can Put Up A Website.

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.

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

He Sighed. " I Don't Think An Apology Will Do, Mercy. Because An Apology Implies That You Wouldn't Do It Again. And, Under The Circumstances, You Wouldn't Do Anything Differently, Would You?" "no.

New Rules. If You Are Smart Enough To Live, You Won’t Hit Charles’s Mate In Front Of His Father.

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.

I Would Slay Dragons For You,” He Told Her. “i Suspect That Finding An Unoccupied Bedroom Will Be Easier.

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.

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

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.

I Used My History Degree About Twice A Year Whether I Needed To Or Not.

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.

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

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

Wizards Are A Secretive Lot.

Wizards Don't All Look Alike.

And Thus Charles Found Himself Wandering Around A Hotel, Trailing Federal Agents As He Held A Cardboard Coffee Cup Holder In Each Hand, Instead Of Out Killing Misbehaving Werewolves.

Wandering Around

She Crawled,” Ben Said. There Were Tears In His Voice. That Was Wrong. Ben Barely Even Tolerated Me On The Best Of Days. “she Crawled To The Bathroom To Clean Herself Again. If It Weren’t For The Two Subs In The Pack, I’d Be On The Bottom. And She Wouldn’t Stand Up In My Presence For Guilt.

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.

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

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

You Will Eat This And Go To Sleep, So Your Pronouns Get Their Antecedents Back.

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

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

Why Is It That All Cars Are Women?" He Asked. "because They're Fussy And Demanding," Answered Zee. "because If They Were Men, They'd Sit Around And Complain Instead Of Getting The Job Done," I Told Him.

If It Looks Like A Hallway, Feels Like A Hallway, And Acts Like A Hallway—is It Important To Figure Out That It Isn’t A Hallway?

Even After All This Time, I Keep Forgetting That Heroes Can Be Found In Unlikely Places And Persons -- Like Mechanics Who Can Turn Into Coyotes.

Identity Was Partly Heritage, Partly Upbringing, But Mostly The Choices You Make In Life. ~ Bran

I Was Talking Cannibalism, Not Romance.

If Creation Was Given No Limit, Ultimately Everything Would Cease To Exist.

Don’t Try Threatening An Alpha. They Don’t Like It.

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

A King Who Trusts No Man Is Weak.

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.

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

Mine, ... Mine Is What She Is.

Some People Are Boys Longer Than Others.

Sometimes I Have The Urge To Conquer Large Parts Of Europe.

Evil Must Always Be Fought.

That Is The Freakiest Thing That Ever Happened To Me.” I Nodded Toward The Mess. “and If You Knew My Life, You’d Realize Just How Freaky That Is.

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.

So In The Sweltering Heat Of A July Night, I Sang A Christmas Carol To A Room Full Of Fae, Who Had Been Driven Out Of Their Homelands By Christians And Their Cold-iron Swords.

I Give You Mercedes Athena Thompson, Our Newest Member." Much Awkwardness Ensued.

I Jerked My Chin Toward Frost’s Body. ‘all That Is Required For Evil To Prevail Is For Good Men To Do Nothing.’ Hao Said, “life Is Not Safe. A Man Might Spend His Whole Time On Earth Staying Safe In A Basement, And In The End, He Still Dies Like Everyone Else.” Half-naked, Covered With The Same Filth We All Were, He Still Gave The Impression Of Being In Control Of Himself And His Environment.

Adam Swore Harshly. "new Werewolves Are Dangerous, Woman. Especially When They Are Cold And Hungry." He Looked At Mac, And His Voice Changed Completely, The Heat And Anger Gone, "mercy, Come Here." I Didn't Look Down To See What He'd Noticed In Mac's Face. I Took A Step, But Mac Was Wrapped Around My Left Leg. I Stopped Before I Fell. "uhm. I'm A Little Stuck For The Moment.

Being A Martyr Is Highly Overrated.

I Can't Protect You From Knowledge.

You'd Tell The World What Your Best Friend Wore To Sleep If You Thought It Made A Good Enough Story.

Baking Is Like Washing--the Results Are Equally Temporary.

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

If You Could Just See Your Face,” She Told Me. “you Look Like A Cat In A Bathtub.

I Am The Reality Of All Coyotes. The Archetype. The Epitome. You Are Just A Reflection Of Me.

My Father Always Said That Too Many Words Cheapened The Value Of A Man's Speech.

The Main Thing To Remember Is That Making Love Is At Onces The Silliest And The Most Sacred Act Humans Can Perform.

What Would A Racist Call Werewolves? Wargs? She Kind Of Liked That One, But Suspected That Racist Bastards Didn't Read Tolkien.

Sometimes Broken People Stay Broken.

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

Obstreperous, ‘huh,” Said Tad. “i See You’ve Been Using That Big Word Of The Day Calendar I Got You Last Christmas.” “that Is Irrefragable,” I Told Him Solemnly.

Fortunately, He'd Found That Most People Were Easy To Locate At Five Thirty In The Morning. .

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

Charles Preferred His Deer To Taste Like Meat And His Pancakes To Look Like Pancakes. Brother Wolf Thought He Was Too Picky. Brother Wolf Was Probably Right.

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

Dance When The Moon Sings, And Don't Cry About Troubles That Haven't Yet Come. (moon Called)

That’s A Pretty Lame Superhero Name,” I Told Him. “scooby-doo Is Already Taken,” He Said With Dignity. “anything Else Sounds Lame In Comparison.

It's Only Fair To Warn You That You Sealed Your Fate Tonight. When You Knew You Were In Trouble, You Came To Me. That Makes Twice, Mercy, And Twice Is Almost As Good As A Declaration. You Are Mine Now... Ben Says You Might Run. If You Do, I Will Find You And Bring You Back. Every Time You Run, Mercy. I Won't Force You, But... I Won't Leave Or Let You Leave Either. If You Can Fight That Cursed Fairy Drink, You Can Certainly Overcome Any Advantage Being An Alpha Gives Me If You Really Want To. No More Excuses, Mercy. You Are Mine, And I Am Keeping You.

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.

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

Coffee Or Orange Juice?” “water Is Fine.” His Eyebrows Went Up. “uh-oh,” Auriele Said, But She Was Smiling. Darryl Was Not. “are You Implying That My Coffee Is Not The Best In Four Counties? Or My Fresh-squeezed Orange Juice Is Less Than Perfect?

Bran Was Stripping Her Futon Down To The Bare Mattress When She Entered Her Apartment. It Was Sort Of Like Watching The President Mowing The White House Lawn Or Taking Out The Trash.

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

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

A Second Floor Window Opened, And Kyle Stuck His Head And Shoulders Out So He Could Look Down At Us. “if You Two Are Finished Playing Cowboy And Indian Out There, Some Of Us Would Like To Get Their Beauty Sleep.” I Looked At Warren. “you Heard ‘um Kemo Sabe. Me Go To My Little Wigwam And Get ‘um Shut-eye.” “how Come You Always Get To Play The Indian?” Whined Warren, Deadpan. “cause She’s The Indian, White Boy,” Said Kyle.

"i Thought Indians Built Fires With Fiction." .... "i Can Do That, But I'd Like To Eat Sometime In The Next Day Or So. Sterno And Bic Are Much Faster."

For The Traditional Fantasies, A Lot More Of My Research Comes From Reading Rather Than Doing. I Like My Worlds To Feel Real, So I Do A Lot Of World Building Research.

You Don’t Have The Courage Of A Half-bred Mongrel.

Alpha And Omega

My Mother Was A Children's Librarian. I Remember When Traditional Stories Were Revised For Modern Audiences Until They Bore Only A Nodding Acquaintance With The Originals, But Were Released As 'authentic Indian Stories' When They Were, In Fact, Nothing Of The Kind.

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

Alpha And Omega

My Father Would Take You Wherever You Wanted To Go," He Told Her Softly. "i Was Pretty Sure I Could Talk You Into Staying, But I Underestimated How Badly Hurt I Was." "stupid," She Said Tartly. He Looked Up At Her, And Whatever He Saw In Her Face Made Him Smile, Though His Voice Was Serious When He Answered Her Charge. "yes. You Throw My Judgement Off." -charles And Anna When He Thought She Was Leaving Him And Changed When He Was Injured

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.

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.

But You Can't Marry Someone To Fix Him, Even If You Love Them.

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

When We Got To The Moron Who Was Sitting In The Only Path To The Stairway, Adam Caught My Waist And Lifted Me Over Before Stepping Over The Man Himself. “scott?” Adam Said As We Headed Upstairs. “yeah?” “unless Someone Shoots You, Skins You, And Throws The Results On The Floor, I Don’t Want To See You Lying In The Walkway Again.” “yessir!

Dont Let The Bastards Grind You Down?" Bran Looked At Me Incredulously.

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

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

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—

She Sees Ghosts,” Said Samuel, Impatient With My Whining. I See Dead People,” I Deadpanned Back. Oddly, It Was Uncle Mike Who Laughed. I Hadn’t Thought He’d Be A Moviegoer.

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.

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

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.

She Wondered That Hope Was So Much Harder Then Despair.

Women Are The Bloodthirsty Sex," Said Ric Sadly. "we Get The Reputation, But It Is Only Because The Women Stand Behind Us, And Say, Kill It. Squish It.

“hey, Adam,” I Said. “i Thought You'd Want To Know That Warren And Darryl Made It Out Of The Vampire Den Alive.” I Sucked In My Breath. “you Didn't Actually Agree To Their Meeting On Marsilia's Grounds?” He Laughed. “no, It Just Sounded Better Than Saying They Made It Out Of Denny's Alive. It Might Not Be Romantic, But It's Open All Night And Set In The Middle Of A Brightly Lit Parking Lot With No Dark Places For Skulking Parties To Ambush From.”

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.

Humans, Werewolves, Or, Apparently, Vampire, It Doesn't Matter; Get More Than Three Of Them Together And The Jockeying For Power Begins.

I Like That People Can Just Look At You And Know That You Are Taken, That You Are Mine.” He Closed His Eyes And Laughed. “and Yes, I Know That Sentiment Is At The Top Of The Women’s Liberation Movement’s List Of Things Not To Say To A Modern Woman

Reincarnation?” He Shrugged. “i’ve Never Seen Any Evidence That It’s Real. But I’ve Never Seen Anything That Disproves It Either. I Believe The Afterlife Is Better Than What We Have Here—and It Would Take Something Extraordinary To Make Someone Willing To Come Back.

There Was I Thinking Being A Shifter Had Its Upsides. Looks Like I Was Wrong.

Um. Charles Thinks That His Wolf Has Chosen Me As His Mate." "in Less Than One Full Day?" It Did Sound Dumb When He Said It That Way. "yes." She Couldn't Keep The Uncertainty Of Her Her Voice, Though, And It Bothered Charles. He Rolled To His Feet And Growled Softly. "charles Also Said I Was An Omega Wolf She Told His Father. That Might Have Something To Do With It As Well." Silence Lengthened And She Began To Think Tha The Cell Phone Might Have Dropped The Connection. Then The Marrok Laughed Softly. "oh His Brother Is Going To Tease Him Unmercifully About This.

His Voice Was Soft And Sweet As Molasses; But My Mother Once Told Me That You Had To Trust That The First Thing Out Of A Person's Mouth Was Truth. After They Have A Chance To Think About It, They'll Change What They Say To Be More Socially Acceptable, Something They Think You'll Be Happier With, Something That Will Get The Results They Want.

You Cannot Sacrifice The World For Your Children.

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

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

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

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.

Happiness Is German Engineering, Italian Cooking, And Belgian Chocolate.

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.

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

Hard Truths Can Be Dealt With, Triumphed Over, But Lies Will Destroy Your Soul.

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

Love Thy Enemies, It Says In The Scriptures. My Foster Mother Always Added, "at The Very Least, You Will Be Polite To Them.

During My Last Year Of College I Wrote The Same Ten Pages Over And Over Again. Those Ten Pages Became The First Few Pages Of My First Novel. I Can Still Recite The Opening Paragraph From Memory - Only Now I Cringe When I Do It Because They Are - Surprise! - A Classic Example Of Overwriting, In Addition To Being A More Than A Little Pretentious.

When Life Doesn't Meet Your Expectations, It Was Important To Take It With Grace.

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)

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

Bran Was The Only Person I Knew Who Could Use Words Like "blackguard" And Make Them Sound Like Swear Words-but Then He Could Have Said "bunny Rabbit" In That Tone Of Voice And Weaken My Spine With The Same Shiver Of Fear.

Usually The People I Do Know Are Sufficient To Spawn Any Number Of Nightmares Without Inventing Any.

It Is Hard To Accept Being Different, Hard To Have People Avoid Looking At You, And Still Believe In Yourself.

Being Different

My Father Said That A Silent Person Is Trying To Hide Something.

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.

Moonlight Streamed In, Sending Loving Beams Over His Face. He Closed His Eyes And Basked In It, And I Could Tell It Was Calling To Him, Even Though The Moon Was Not Full. She Didn't Speak To Me, But Samuel Had Once Described Her Song To Me In The Words Of A Poet. The Expression Of Bliss On His Face While He Listened To Her Music Made Him Beautiful.

Mercy Is Not A Proper Indian Name."..........."rash Coyote Who Runs With Wolf. We Could Shorten It To Dinner Woman.

Adam Has Always Had . . . Heroic Tendencies.” I Touched Adam’s Arm. “he’s My Hero.” There Was Another Pause. . . “that Is The Most Romantic Thing I’ve Ever Heard You Say,” Bran Said. “be Careful, Adam, Or You’ll Turn Her Into A Real Girl.” Adam Looked At Me. “i Like Her Just The Way She Is, Bran.” And He Meant It, Greasy Overalls, Broken Fingernails, And All.

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

I Like To Have A Hero A Little Underpowered. I Mean, Spiderman Is Far Cooler Than Superman. How Do You Challenge Superman?

I Am Not Attempting To Preserve Culture, Or Record Actual Events Or Stories. Instead I Bow My Head In Gratitude To Those Storytellers Who Have Gone Before And Paved A Way For Me Play In Their Stomping Grounds. Doubtless Those Who Want To Be Offended, Will - Allowing Me To Make Them Happy, Too, Which Pleases Me As Much As It Pleases Them.

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.

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.

She Understood His Passion Because She Felt The Same Way: As If Nothing Was More Important Than The Touch Of Her Skin To His, As If She'd Die If He Left Her.

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.

Mercy," Said My Mother Thoughtfully, "you Never Told Me Your Werewolf Neighbor Was Quite That Hot.

Americans In Particular Are Oddly Innocent In Their Faith That Science Holds Explanations For Everything.

Knowing Someone Desires You Is The Greatest Aphrodisiac

Zee Said, Grumpily, “liebling, This Is Not A Good Idea.” “zee,” I Told Him, “i Am Completely Out Of Good Ideas And Am Doing My Best With The Bad Ones I Have Left.

Never Accept The Blame For What Evil People Do. We Are All Responsible For Our Own Actions.

Where Does A Werewolf Sleep? Anywhere He Wants To.

The Trick To Going Wherever You Want Unchallenged In A Hospital Is To Walk Briskly, Nod To The People You Know, And Ignore The Ones You Don’t. The Nod Reassures Everyone That You Are Known, The Brisk Pace That You Have A Mission And Don’t Want To Talk

What Do You Mean?” Leslie’s Voice Was Cool, As If She Questioned Witches Who Were Flat On Their Backs Being Threatened By Werewolves Every Day.

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

Charles Could Care Less About Shoes - And He Suspected He Wasn't Alone Among Men In His Feelings. Shoe, No Shoe, He Didn't Care. Naked Was Good, Though Over The Past Couple Of Weeks He Was Beginning To Think That Dressed In His Clothes Was A Decent Second Best.

When I Put Magic Into A Book - Whether It's A Wizard Or A Crusty Old Werewolf - I'm Asking A Reader To Swallow A Huge Leap That Is Counter To Everything He Or She Knows. An Extra Big Helping Of Reality Makes That Leap Go Down A Lot Easier.

It's Easier To Dismiss Ghosts In The Daylight.

Don’t Lick The Guests, Darling. Bad Manners.

A Werewolf Tossed Me Against A Giant Packing Crate While I Was Trying To Rescue A Frightened Young Girl Who'd Been Kidnapped By An Evil Witch And A Drug Lord.

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.

Don't Make Light Of Any Man's Pain.

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

Alpha And Omega

Death Is Not Such A Bad Thing. What Would Be A Bad Thing Would Be Living Without Challenges. Without Knowing Defeat, We Cannot Know What Victory Is. There Is No Life Without Death.

Drink It,” I Told Her. “it’s Good For What Ails You. Caffeine And Sugar. I Don’t Drink It, So I Ran Over To Your House And Stole The Expensive Stuff In Your Freezer. It Shouldn’t Be That Bad. Samuel Told Me To Make It Strong And Pour Sugar Into It. It Should Taste Sort Of Like Bitter Syrup.” She Gave Me A Smile Smile, Then A Bigger One, And Plugged Her Nose Before She Drank It Down In One Gulp. “next Time," She Said In A Hoarse Voice, “i Make The Coffee.

She Tried To Imagine What Charles Would Do If Another Man Came Up To Him And Said, "you Bring Me Joy.

Do You Have Any Idea How Much I Love You?” He Asked. ”enough To Accept My Apologies?” I Suggested In A Small Voice. ”heck No,” He Said, And Pushed Off From The Wall, Stalking Forward. When He Reached Me, He Put His Hands Up And Touched The Sides Of My Neck With The Tips Of His Fingers – As If I Were Something Fragile. ”no Apologies From You,” He Told Me, His Voice Soft Enough To Melt My Knees And Most Of My Other Parts.

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

Adam Didn't Approve Of Wal-mart.

She Open Her Eyes And Met His. The Impact Was So Strong He Was Amazed That His Figures Continued Playing With Out Pause.

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

My Grandfather Would Have Loved To Have Met You," He Told Her Huskily. "he Would Have Called You 'she Moves Trees Out Of His Path.' " She Looked Lost, But His Da Laughed. He'd Known The Old Man, Too. "he Called Me 'he Who Must Run Into Trees,'" Charles Explained, And In A Spirit Of Honesty, A Need For His Mate To Know Who He Was, He Continued, "or Sometimes 'running Eagle.' " " 'running Eagle'?" Anna Puzzled It Over, Frowning At Him. "what's Wrong With That?" "too Stupid To Fly," Murmured His Father With A Little Smile.

Let's Save Tomorrow's Troubles For Tomorrow.

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.

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

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.

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