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I'd Always Thought Of Myself As An Open-minded Person. I Had No Patience With Anyone Who Put Down Other Kids Because Of Their Race, Religion, Or Sexuality. But That's Just One Kind Of Open-mindedness. There's Another Kind, Too, The Kind That's Willing To See People For Who They Really Are And Admit When You Were Wrong About Them. That's The Part I Still Need To Work On.

-Kelley Armstrong

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I'd Always Thought Of

Kelley Armstrong

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I'd Always Thought Of Myself As An Open-minded Person. I Had No Patience With Anyone Who Put Down Other Kids Because Of Their Race, Religion, Or Sexuality. But That's Just One Kind Of Open-mindedness. There's Another Kind, Too, The Kind That's Willing To See People For Who They Really Are And Admit When You Were Wrong About Them. That's The Part I Still Need To Work On.

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He Wore Sweatpants And A T-shirt And Had Stopped In The Middle Of The Hall, Furiously Scratching One Bare Forearm. "fleas?" I Said.

Wow. The Guy Can Make Me Feel Stupid Even When He's Telling Me I Don't Have To Let Him Make Me Feel Stupid.

A Name Is So Important. A Surname Connects You To Your Past, To Your Family. Even A Given Name Has Meaning - Why Did Your Parents Pick That Particular One?

He Looked Like A Yanni Fan At An Iron Maiden Concert.

Yes, I Can Talk And Think At The Same Time. Most People Can, Though I Suppose You Wouldn't Know That From Personal Experience. Elena (bitten)

Isn't It Possible That I'm Not Feigning Interest? That I Really Do Want To Know More About You?" "you've Never Been Interested In Me Before." "you've Never Been Interesting Before." -cassandra And Paige

The Part About Me Being An 'okay Sorcerer'? 'not Great'? No I Believe I Missed That. -lucas Cortez (dime Store Magic)

Tori Walked Toward The Bed. Out Of The Corner Of My Eye, I Saw Her Give Derek A Once-over. "you Know, From This Angle, He Doesn't Look Too Bad," She Said. I Glared At Her. "i'm Just Saying . . ." I Leaned Over Derek, Calling Him As Loudly As I Dared. "personally, I'm More A Running Back Girl Myself," Tori Said. "but If You Like The Linebacker Type, He's--" My Glower Shut Her Up

I Have To. I've Been Fighting It All Night. I'm Going To Lose. My Battle Is As Futile As A Woman Feeling The First Pangs Of Labor And Deciding It's An Inconvenient Time To Give Birth. Nature Wins Out. It Always Does.

Do I Pass, Dr. Saunders?

Maybe My Expectations For Honesty Are Too High.

Do You Really Think He Untied You? .. He Was Just Checking His Kids Handiwork.

Simon: Anyone Ever Tell You Your Sense Of Timing Really Sucks? Derek: That's Why I Don't Play The Drums. Now What's Up?

Nothing Screws Up A Séance Like The Appearance Of A Real Ghost. ~jaime Vegas

I Could Only Stare, Any Sense That Maybe I Understood Him Evaporating As It Always Did. I'd Glimpse Something Underneath, And He'd Snatched It Away So Fast It Left Bruises That Called Me A Fool For Hoping For More.

She's Useful To Me, I'm Useful To Her. As Long As That Continues, Rowan Street Is Safe From An Old-lady Smack Down Of Epic Proportions.

The Three "f"s Of Being A Werewolf, Feeding, Fighting, And...reproduction

Cleavage Is Great," She Said. "like An Extra Pocket.

Uh-uh" Clay Drawled Above Me, "elena's Played With You Long Enough, Its My Turn

Well, Either You Have A Compartment Under This Floor, Containing A Living Person, Or The Property Is Infested By Giant Moles

First You Buy Me A Mocha. Then You Let Me Help You Hide A Body. Now You Take Me To A Biker Clubhouse. Best. Day. Ever.

And Unless I'm Remembering It Wrong, Mermaids Don't Sing And Sirens Don't Swim." "ariel Sang In 'the Little Mermaid'," Corey Said. Sam Came Over To Join Us. "do I Even Want To Know Why You Remember Her Name?

Maturity Is Highly Overrated.

Wish All My Corpses Would Do That.

I Told Him What My Dad Had Said. That Got Him Laughing And As We Pulled Into The School Parking Lot, Even The Sight Of Rafe Waiting For Me Only Made Him Roll His Eyes. We Got Out. I Glanced At Daniel. He Sighed. "go On." "you Sound Like You're Giving A Five-year-old Permission To Play With An Unsuitable Friend." "if The Shoe Fits..." I Flipped Him Off. "watch It Or I Won't Marry You," He Said. "truck Of No Truck." I Laughed And Jogged Over To Rafe. "did He Just Say...?" Rafe Began.

This Is What I Wanted. This Guy. This Life. This Me. I Was Never Getting My Old Life Back, And I Didn't Care. I Was Happy. I Was Safe. I Was Right Where I Wanted To Be.

I Understand That I May Make Mistakes With Characters Who Don't Share My Own Background, But I Commit To Doing My Best.

Was It A Camp?" Daniel Asked. Sean Nodded. "a Naturist Camp." "maya Will Feel Right At Home", Corey Said From His Spot On A Wooden Lawn Chair. Daniel Sputtered A Laugh And Sean Tried To Hide His. "naturist, Not Naturalist," I Said. "it Means Nudist." Corey Leaped Up And Spun. "you Mean Old, Naked Butts Sat On Those Chairs?

He Glanced Down At The Blood-smeared Cut On His Side...and Realized He Wasn't Wearing Any Clothing. I'd Be Lying If I Said I Hadn't Realized It Already. Kind Of Obvious. It Wasn't Like He'd Been Going To Take Time Out To Find His Clothing Before Stopping Liam.

Chloe? It's Me." After A Pause, He Added, "derek," Like I Could Mistake That Deep Rumble For Anyone Else, Like I Could Mistake That Little Part Of Me That Perked Up Like An Eager Puppy Saying, "it's Him. Quick! Go See What He Wants." God, How Had I Been So Blind? It Seemed So Obvious Now.

Bingo Pup. It's A Lesson Best Learned Early. They're All Afraid Of Us." He Strolled Over To Derek. "you're Trying To Be A Good Kid, Aren't You? You Think That'll Show Them They're Wrong. So How'd That Working Out For You? Guess What? They Don't Care. To Them, You're A Monster, And Nothing You Do--or Don't Do--will Change Their Minds. My Advice? Give 'em What They Want. It's A Short, Brutal Life." He Smiled. "live It Up." Derek Stared Straight Ahead, Patiently Waiting. "he Can't Hear A Word I'm Saying, Can He?" Liam Said. "nope.

But Was It Wrong To Put Yourself First? That’s Called Survival, Right? If You’re Running For Your Life, You Don’t Get The Luxury Of Being Nice. They Were Going To Learn That. It’s Fine To Wave The Pompoms For Teamwork—all For One And One For All—but When Push Came To Shove, These Guys Wouldn’t Be Risking Their Lives For Chloe, Maybe Not Even For Each Other. I Was Sure Of It. Once Things Got Worse, It Would Be Every Kid For Himself. It Always Is.

Remembering. Forgetting. I'm Not Sure Which Is Worse.

You Want To Keep Looking?" I Asked. "yeah, Maybe." "i'll Leave You To It, Then." I Started For The Door. "no." He Said It Quickly, And Reached For My Arm, But Stopped Before He Touched Me. "i Mean, If You're Tired, Sure, But You Don't Have To." Derek Doesn't Want Her To Leave ♥

You're Crying?" He Said. "no, I- " I Tore My Gaze Away. "just Dust. From The Path. Simon's That Way." I Tried To Pass Him, But He Stooped, Trying To Get A Loom Of My Face. When I Wouldn't Let Him, He Caught My Chin. I Jerked Back, Flinching At His Touch, Heart Thudding At It, Too. I Told Myself Simon Was Wrong. I'd Never Be Dumb Enough To Fall For Derek. But I Had. With Him So Close, My Stomach Kept Doing Weird Flips. It Wasn't Fear. It Hadn't Been Fear For Awhile. "you Have Been Crying," He Said, Voice Softer.

I Want You To Have Big Dreams, Big Goals. I Want You To Strive To Achieve Them. But I Don't Want To See You Beating Yourself Up Every Time You Make A Mistake.

Missing Someone

He Was Trying To Tell Me Something.' Derek Snorted. 'aren’t They All? Must Be A Rule In The Ghost Handbook—if In Danger Of Evaporating, Make Sure You’re In The Middle Of A Dire Pronouncement.

Hunting Humans For Sport? Eating Them?" The Bitterness In His Voice Cut Through Me. "yeah, I Caught That Part." "that Doesn't Have Anything To Do With You? He Lifted His Eyes, Gaze Shuttered. "no?" "not Unless Being A Werewolf Transforms You Into A Wolf And A Redneck Moron.

Maybe I'm Being Selfish, But I Choose You." He Leaned Over, Lips Brushing Mine As He Whispered, "i Always Choose You.

Go Out And Ask Her Into The Alley.” Clay Looked At Jeremy As If He’d Just Been Told To Dance The Rumba On A Public Thoroughfare. I Bit Back A Laugh. “just Walk Over To Her And Point At The Alley. Maybe Say…i Don’t Know…something Like ‘fifty Bucks.’ ” I Looked At Jeremy. “does That Sound Right? Fifty?” His Brows Shot Up. “why Are You Asking Me?” “i Wasn’t—i Just Meant, As A General…” I Threw Up My Hands. “how Am I Supposed To Know How Much A Hooker Costs?

One Of The First Lessons A Necromancer Learns Is The Art Of Playing Dumb. Of Course, One Problem With Playing Dumb Is That Is Seeps Into Your Everyday Life. ~jaime Vegas

I Slid Closer, Feeling His Arms Close Around Me, Tightening. Our Lips Touched-- "derek?" His Dad Called. "chloe?" Derek Let Out A Growl. I Laughed And Backed Up. "we Seem To Get A Lot Of That, Don't We?" I Said. "too Much. After We Eat, We're Going For A Walk. A Long Walk. Far From Every Possible Interruption." I Grinned Up At Him. "sounds Like A Plan

All Right, Then. Emergency Medical Situation, Take Two.” He Leaped To His Feet, Staggered, Keeled Over, Then Lifted His Head Weakly. “chloe? Is That You?” He Coughed. “do You Have My Insulin?” I Placed It In His Outstretched Hand. “you Saved My Life,” He Said. “how Can I Ever Repay You?” “undying Servitude Sounds Good. I Like My Eggs Scrambled.” He Held Up A Piece Of Fruit. “would You Settle For A Bruised Apple?” I Laughed.

I Opted For The Rear Door, Both As A Courtesy And So She Couldn't Freak Out About Me Showing Up On Her Front Doorstep For All Of East Falls To See. Being The Village Pariah Does Make Social Calls Most Trying. -paige

I Wanted To Walk Over There. I Wanted To Curl Up Beside Him, Lean Against Him, Talk To Him. I Wanted To Know What He Was Thinking. I Wanted To Tell Him Everything Would Be Okay. And I Wanted Him To Tell Me The Same Thing. I Didn't Care If It Was True Or Not- I Just Wanted To Say It. To Hear It, To Feel His Arms Around Me, Hear The Rumble Of His Words, That Deep Chuckle That Made Me Pulse Race

That's What We All Want, Isn't It? Power Without Price.

I Found Something" Simon Said As He Walked In. He Whipped Out An Old-fashioned Key From His Pocket And Grinned At Me. "it Was Taped To The Back Of My Dresser Drawer. What Do You Think? Buried Treasure? Secret Passageway? Locked Room Where They Keep Crazy Old Aunt Edna?" "it Probaly Unlocks Another Dresser," Tori Said. "one They Threw Out Fifty Years Ago." "its Tragic, Being Born Without An Imagination. Do They Hold Telethons For That?

He Said "cool" Like I Say A Spanish Word When I'm Not Sure Of The Pronunciation.

Demon, Angel, All The Same Thing If You Go Back Far Enough, Or Cut Deep Enough.

Oh, My God! It's A Killer Pomeranian." I Glanced Up At Derek. "it's A Tough Call, But I Think You Can Take Him.

They Found Me At The Kitchen Table. Derek Said, "there's Something We Need To Tell You," And From The Look On Andrew's Face, I Think He Expected Derek To Say He'd Gotten Me Pregnant.

I Hear Voices. A Shout. A Laugh. Clay's Laugh. I Strained To See Through The Night. Fog Had Rolled In From Lake Ontario, But I Could Hear Him Laughing. The Concrete Turned To Grass. The Fog Wasn't From The Lake, But From A Pond. Our Pond. I Was At Stonehaven, Bounding Through The Back Acres. Clay Was Running Ahead Of Me.

Nuh-uh. No Deals With The Devil. I’ve Learned My Lesson On That One. ~jaime Vegas

There Was No Closing My Eyes And Sliding Back Into That Blissful Dream Of Normal. This Was My Normal Now.

I Was...a Journalist...though My Typical Beat Was Freelancing Articles On Canadian Politics, Which Never Included Any Mention Of Demonic Phenomena, Though It Might Explain The Rise Of The Neoconservatives.

The Upshot Of Her Tirade Was That I Was The Devil's Spawn And Should Be Locked Up In A Tower Before I Unleashed Hordes Of The Living Dead To Slaughter Them All In Their Sleep. Well, Maybe That's An Exaggeration, But Not By Much.

Great. So If I Saw A Guy Standing Still, And He Wasn't Wearing An Old Uniform, I Just Had To Ask Him To Walk Through Furniture. If He Stared At Me Like I Was Crazy, Then I'd Know He Wasn't A Ghost. - Chloe

A Stereotype Becomes A Stereotype When A Significant Percentage Of The Population Appears To Conform To It.

He Rolled His Eyes. "first, My Dad's Korean And My Mom Was Swedish. Second, I Totally Suck At Math. I Don't Like Cuckoo Clocks Or Skiing Or Fancy Chocolate Either." I Sputtered A Laugh. "i Think That's Swiss.

I Remember Hearing Myself Start To Whimper, A Five-year-old, Crouched By The Side Of The Road, Staring Into My Father's Eyes, Whimpering Because It Was So Dark And There Was No One Coming To Help, Whimpering Because My Mother Was Back In The Crushed Car, Not Moving, And My Father Was Lying Here In The Dirt, Not Answering Me, Not Holding Me, Not Comforting Me, Not Helping My Mother Get Out Of The Car, And There Was Blood, So Much Blood, And Broken Glass Everywhere, And It Was So Dark And So Cold And No One Was Coming To Help.

Wild Dogs? Or Just Clayton? -nick Sorrentino (bitten)

Picture A Place Called The Karma Kafe And It'll Save Me The Bother Of Describing It. There Was Nothing In It You Wouldn't Expect, From The Buddha Flowerpots To The Wallpaper Decorated With Symbols That Probably Said, "if You Bought This Just Because It Looked Pretty, May Buddha Piss In Your Coffee, You Culturally Ignorant Moron.

I'd Like To See A World Where, If A Teenager Fears She's Seeing/hearing Things, She Feels As Comfortable Seeking Help As She Would If She Found A Lump On Her Leg.

Ooh, Big Day In Town For Our Park Warden,” I Said. “they’re Even Making You Wear The Uniform. Hayley’s Mom Will Be Happy. She Thinks You Look Hot In It.” Dad Turned As Red As His Hair. Mom’s Laugh Floated Out From Her Studio. “maya Delaney. Leave Your Father Alone.

God, I Loved Him. I Could Insist I Was Okay With Just Being Friends, That I'd Find Someone Else And Get Over Him, But I Was Fooling Myself. There Was No Getting Past This. I Loved Him, And Fifty Years From Now We Could Be Married To Other People, Never Exchanged So Much As A Kiss, And I'd Still Looking Into His Eyes And Know He Was The One. He'd Always Be The One.

A Girl My Age Had Been Murdered In These Woods And I'd Seen Her Last Terrified Moments, Watched Her Bleed To Death In This Forest. A Life Like Mine Had Ended Here, And It Didn't Matter How Many Times I'd Seen Deaths In Movies, It Wasn't The Same, And I Wasn't Ever Going To Forget It.

Elena?" "yes, Unless Nick Found A Woman In The Forest, Which I Suppose Wouldn't Be Too Surprising.

I Glanced Up To See Liz And Smiled. "thank You." "i Just Went Along For The Ride. After That Happened-" She Waved At Derek. "you Know How Blind People Need Seeing Eye Dogs? Well, Apparently Werewolves Could Really Use Opening Door Poltergeists.

Bigger Room, Darling. Like I Said, We Need A Bigger Room.

Dearly Departed, Scarcely Lamented, Deeply Demented.

When Times Are Tough, The Weak Bail And The Tough Get Creative.

We’re Not Naked, We’re Skyclad!

You Didn't Answer My Question. Are You All Right?" I Didn't Do Anything" Yeah. You Did." He Looked At Me. "you Did A Lot" -chloe & Derek-

I Must Have Been Sound Asleep If I Missed All That Shouting-simon What Shouting?-derek You Mean That Chole Just Told You She Followed A Ghost Onto A Roof, And You Didnt Blast Her All The Way To Canada?-simon He's A Little Off This Morning-chole More Than A Little I'll Say.-simon

Then He Reached Up And Tore My Shirtfront Open. "not Much To See, Is There?" I Said, Struggling To Talk With A Crushed Windpipe. "i Know, I Know, They Can Fix Things Like That These Days. Call Me A Feminist, But I Think A Woman's Worth Should Be Defined Not By The Size Of Her Bust, But - " I Rammed My Fist Up Into His Adam's Apple. He Grunted And Stumbled Back. "- By The Strength Of Her Right Hook.

What's Wrong?" I Didn't Say A Word." Something's Up. What Is It?" Nothing." His Head Turned, Gaze Going To Mine. "yeah?" Yes." A Snort And He Returned To His Bowl.

It Reminded Me Of What Dad Said After Every Snail’s Crawl Home From Albany When Snow Hit.“it’s New York, People. It’s Winter. We Get Snow. If You Aren’t Prepared To Deal With It, Move To Miami.

Clearly It Was Time To Consider Rescheduling That Optometrist Appointment I'd Missed Last Fall.

Undying Grattitude?" Simon Looked At Me. " Cool. Dosethat Come With Eternal Servitude? If So, I Like My Eggs Sunnyside Up." I Smiled," I'll Remember That.

Perfect Night, Wasn't It?" "it Could Have Been." I Smiled Up At Him. "but You Were There.

Could Have Been

Uh-uh. We've Played This Game Before. I Hide. You Never Seek. I'm A Bit Slow On The Uptake, But I'm Beginning To Sense A Pattern.

What I Was Doing When I Was Creating My Werewolves Is Really Basing Them On A Wild Wolf Pack, As Much As Possible. It's Not As If Being Bitten Brings You In, But What It Does Is That It Strengthens That Instinct For Pack. It Strengthens That Instinct To Need To Be With Others Who Are Like You, And To Form Tight Bonds, As An Actual Wolf Pack Does.

The Show's Writers Had Peppered The Piece With Words Like "savage," "wild," And "animalistic." What Bullshit. Show Me The Animal That Kills For The Thrill Of Watching Something Die. Why Does The Stereotype Of The Animalistic Killer Persist? Because Humans Like It. It Neatly Explains Things For Them, Moving Humans To The Top Of The Evolutionary Ladder And Putting Killers Down Among Mythological Man-beast Monsters Like Werewolves. The Truth Is, If A Werewolf Behaved Like This Psychopath It Wouldn't Be Because He Was Part Animal, But Because He Was Still Too Human. Only Humans Kill For Sport.

So Do All Animals React That Way To You? I Know You Said Rats Steer Clear." "most Do. They See A Human, But They Smell Someting Else. It Confuses Them. Canines Are The Worst, Though." He Paused. "no, Cats Are The Worst. I Really Don't Like Cats." I Laughed.

I Could Shave My Head And Wear A Sackcloth And Still Get A Whole Lot Of Ghostly Wrong Numbers. Makes Me Wonder If There’s Some Kind Of Ghost-necro Porn Industry Down There. ~jaime Vegas

What's The Woman Doing There?" He Asked. "covering A Scratch On The Hood. She Was Cheaper Than A New Paint Job." He Flipped Through A Few More Pages Of Barely Dressed Women And Classic Cars. "nick Used To Have Magazines Like This When We Were Kids. But Without The Cars." He Rotated A Photo Sideways. "or The Bathing Suits.

Don't Talk To The Crazy Kids. I Longed To Shout Back That We Weren't Crazy. I'd Mistaken Her Kid For A Ghost, That's All. I Wondered Whether They Had Books About His Sort Of Thing. Fifty Ways To Tell The Living From The Dead Before You Wind Up In A Padded Room. Yep, I'm Sure The Library Carried That One.

Tell Her To Be Quiet, And She Got Louder. Tell Her To Stay Back, And She Pushed Me Into The Line Of Fire. Tell Her To Watch For Our Pursuers, And She Hovered At My Shoulder Instead. Open The Door To Listen, And She Wanted To Drag Me Back Inside. Ah. The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship.

He's Having A Vision," I Said. "that's What Happens." (maya) "attractive, I Know," Corey Said Between Gritted Teeth. "and Now I Get New Witnesses To My Humiliation. Wonderful." "we're Used To It," Chloe Said. "derek Used To Do That When He Changed. Only Worse." "thank You For Sharing," Derek Muttered. She Grinned. "you're Welcome.

Before We Left Town, Antonio Pulled Into A Strip Mall And Went In To Get Subs And Salads, Leaving Clay And Me Half Naked And Bleeding In The Car, And Cain Unconscious In The Trunk. No Wonder I Was Anxious To Get Back To Toronto. Spend Too Much Time Around These Guys And You Become A Little Too Nonchalent About Blood-soaked Clothes And Bodies In The Trunk

How Long Could We Do This Before You Started Bitching?" Simon Said As We Turned Down Another Street Of Apartment Buildings. "what?" "we've Been Walking For Two Days Now, And You Haven't Complained Once. It's Damned Annoying, You Know." I Looked At Him. "if You Don't Complain, Then I Can't Complain. Not Without Sounding Like A Whiny Little Snot.

I Had To Take Responsibility, Even If It Meant Saying No To An Authority Figure, Because I Was The Authority On Me.

Yes You're Getting Your Tattoo." I Threw My Arms Around Dad's Neck. "thank You!" "hey," Mom Said. "i'm The One Who Had To Persuade Him It Wasn't Turning His Little Girl Into A Streetwalker." "i Never Said That," Dad Said. "no?" I Said. "cool. Cause I've Decided To Skip The Paw Print. I'm Thinking Of A Tramp Stamp With Flames That Says 'hot In Here.' No Wait. Arrows. For Directionally Challenged Guys

You Bat Your Baby Blues At Tall, Dark, And Gruesome, And Next Thing You Know, He's Trailing You Like A Lost Puppy.

Last Time I Was Sick, The Guy I Was Seeing Brought Me A Bottle Of Ginger Ale… And Expected Me To Pay Him Back For It. ~jaime Vegas

All I Could Think About Was Him, And How Much I Wanted This, And How Incredibly Lucky I Was To Get It, And How Tight I Was Going To Hold Onto It.

Sure. You Get All Slutty With Rafe. You Freak Out. You Cry Date Rape Drug.' - Hayley

When I Leaned A Little Too Close To The Doorway, My Inner Voice Piped Up, Telling Me Not To Be Stupid. The Guy With The Bionic Senses Was Better Equipped For This.

At School, Our Classroom Had A Small Rodent Zoo Consisting Of Two Rabbits, Three Hamsters, A Litter Of Baby Gerbils And A Guinea Pig. At First, I’d Thought The Teacher Was Raising Snack Food, Which Impressed Me, Being The First Sign Of Intelligence She’d Shown. Soon, Though, I’d Figured Out The Animals’ True Purpose And Left Them Alone, Though I Would Never Understand The Appeal Of Petting And Coddling Perfectly Good Food.

Derek Caught My Arm Again As I Started To Move--at This Rate, It Was Going To Be As Sore As My Injured One. "dog," He Said, Jerking His Chin Toward The Fenced Yard. "it Was Inside Earlier." Expecting To See A Doberman Slavering At The Fence, I Followed His Gaze To A Little Puff Of White Fur, The Kind Of Dog Women Stick In Their Purses. It Wasn't Even Barking, Just Staring At Us, Dancing In Place. "oh, My God! It's A Killer Pomeranian." I Glanced Up At Derek. "it's A Tough Call, But I Think You Can Take Him.

The Stairs Aren't Challenging Enough Anymore?" He Asked. Antonio Laughed. "challenge Has Nothing To Do With It, Jer. I'd Say It's The Big Bad Wolf Huffing And Puffing At Her Door Up There.

There Are Just As Many Bitches Out There As Bastards. Equal Opportunity Asshole-ism.

Einstein Theorized That Time Travel Was Possible, But He Was Looking At It As Unidirectional, Going Forward. Traveling Into The Past Is Much More Problematic, As Countless Stories Have Demonstrated!

And The Lesson Is That I Should Always Wear These, So No One Asks Me To Do Anything Crazy Like Climb Onto A Roof. ~jaime Vegas On Why She Wears Three Inch Heels On A Mission

So, When I Spotted A Cougar Stretched Out On A Thick Pine Tree Branch Near The Park Gates, I Wasn't Surprised. I Can't Say The Same For The Women Clinging To The Branch Above The Cat. She Was The One Screaming. The Cougar-a Ragged-ear Old Top I Clled Marv-just Stared At Her, Like He Couldn't Believe Anyone Would Be Dumb To Climb A Tree To Escape A Cat.

Derek Looked Around, Like He Was Searching For Something To Use. Then He Stripped Off His Shirt. I Tried Not To Look Away. Not That He Looked Bad Without His Shirt. The Opposite, Actually, Which Is Why...let's Just Say Friends Are Really Better When They're Fully Clothed.

Release The Demon Under Promise That I'd Be Repaid Handsomely, My Enemies Destroyed? Hmm, Where Had I Seen This Before? Oh, Right. Every Demon Horror Movie Ever Made. And The Horror Part Started Right After The Releasing Part.

I've Spent The Last Decade Learning To Stand Firm And Face My Problems… Or At Least Batter Them Until They're Unrecognizable.

And The Bad Guys Love To Pick On The Defenseless Necromancer. This Time, Though, I Swear I Won’t Get Kidnapped Or Possessed. ~jaime Vegas

I'd Been Staring At The Search Term For At Least Five Minutes. One Word. Necromancer.

Boo," I Said. He Reacted As All Mutts React When I Confront Them. He Leapt From His Chair And Dove For The Nearest Exit, Shaking In Terror. In My Dreams. He Glanced At Me And Started Looking For Clay. It Never Failed. Mutts Only Quaked When I Appeared Because It Usually Meant Clayton Wasn't Far Behind. I Was Nothing But A Harbinger Of Doom.

Umm, Correct Me If I'm Wrong, But Aren't You Suppose To Be Dead? Currently Being Chased By Two Cabals? You're Waltzing Around Vancouver, Eating In Restaurants?" (ash)"hell No," Corey Said. "i Never Waltz. I Do The Fox-trot Sometimes Though.

When Rae Got Back, She Spread Her Empty Hands Wide And Said "okay, Guess Where I Hid It." She Even Turned Around For Me, But I Couldn't See A Bulge Big Enough To Hide A Flashlight. With A Grin, She Reached Down The Front Of Her Shirt Into The Middle Of Her Bra, And Pulled Out A Flashlight With Flourish. I Laughed. "cleavage Is Great," She Said. "like An Extra Pocket.

Another Werewolf Thing. Like Most Animals, We Spent A Large Part Of Our Lives Engaged In The Three Fs Of Basic Survival. Feeding, Fighting And... Reproduction.

And Stop Doing That,” He Said. “backing Away, Giving Me That Look.” Like You’re Scaring Me? Maybe You Are.” He Stepped Back So Fast He Wobbled And Caught Himself, And The Look On His Face—it Vanished In A Second, The Scowl Returning. I’d Never Hurt You, Chloe. You Should Know—” He Stopped. Paused. Then Wheeled And Started Walking Away. “next Time? Handle It Yourself. I’m Done Taking Care Of You.

There Are Risks You'll Take For Yourself Because You Know That If Your Plan Goes Wrong, It'll Be Too Late For Regrets. But If You Risk The Lives Of Others And Fail, You'll Have A Lifetime To Regret It.

Derek? Derek!-chole Chole! What Are You Doing Out Here? I Said We Will Check It Out Later. Key Word We-derek Oh, Yeah I Decided To Come Out On My Own. Thats Why I Was Calling Your Name Repeatively- Chole

Did You Use A Chainsaw?" Joey Said. "i Seem To Recall You Like Chainsawa." "there Wasn't A Power Outlet." Clay Turned To Me. "that's What I Want For Father's Day, Darling. A Gas Powered Chainsaw.

If It Gets Too Bad, Go. I’ll Understand.” I Won’t.

We'll Meet You Here. Hopefully Everyone Will Be In Human Form." A Wry Smile. "though I'll Warn You, He's Not A Whole Lot More Pleasant That Way. At Least As A Wolf, He Can't Talk.

I Envied It; Not The Idea Of Having So Much Money That You Could Throw It Away, But The Thought Of Growing Up In A World Where Someone Cared So Much About Your Happiness And So Little About What You Accomplished In Life.

He Was Tall And Scrawny With A Face That Could Be Mistaken With Keith Richards On A Bad Day.

He Lifted His Brows. "if I Really Thought It Was The Absolute Best Thing For Our Kids, You'd Have Had A Battle On Your Hands. That Was Just A Debate." "with Chair-throwing." "heated Debate. Fights Involve Chair-breaking. Chair-throwing Is Just Getting Your Attention.

When You Accept A Leadership Role, You Take On Extra Responsibility For Your Actions Toward Others.

To Distract Myself From Thoughts Of My Father, I Decided To Check Out The Dead Body.

You Guys Are Weird," Tori Said. Simon Sat On The Crate Beside Me. "that's Right. We Are Totally Weird And Completely Uncool. Your Popularity Is Plummeting Just By Being Near Us.

The Look She Gave Me Reminded Me Of When Is Was Seven And I'd Proudly Informed Out Housekeeper That I'd Donated Half My Clothing To A Charity Drive At School. It Had Seemed Perfectly Sensible To Me-i Didn't Need So Much Stuff-but She'd Stared At Me Like Margaret Was Now, With A Mix Of Horror And Disbelief.

It Was Completely Fifth Garde And Completely Silly And I Loved It, Because He Wasn't Afraid To Be Silly. It Was Like Kissing Him First - I Could Do Whatever I Wanted And Not Have To Worry What He'd Think Of Me.

His Cheek Twitched. With Jeremy, This Was The Equivalent Of An Emotional Outburst.

Emotional Outbursts

I'm Suprised He Doesn't Send Christmas Cards," Antonio Said. "i Can See Them Now. Tasteful, Embossed Veilum Cards, The Best He Can Steal. Little Notes In Perfect Penmanship,"happy Holidays. Hope Everyone Is Well. I Sliced Up Ethan Ritter In Miami And Scattered His Remains In The Atlantic. Best Wishes For The New Year. Karl.

So I Was Right, Wasn't I? It's Still You, Even In Wolf Form.' He Grunted. No Sudden Uncontrollable Urges To Go Kill Something?' He Rolled His Eyes. Hey, You're The One Who Was Worried.' I Paused. 'and I Don't Smell Like Dinner, Right?' I Got A Real Look For That One. Just Covering All The Bases.

Once, When I'd Needed To Meet Daniel To Deliver A Warning From Jeremy, I'd Worn Two-inch Heels And Had Quite Enjoyed The Sensation Of Talking Down To Daniel, Until He Told Me How Sexy I Looked. Since Then He'd Never Seen Me In Anything But My Oldest, Grubbiest Sneakers.

Rafe Didn't Just Flirt-he Charmed Girls Right Up To The Point Where They Fell For Him, Then He Changed His Mind.i Called Him A Player With Attention Deficit Disorder.

Who Cared Whether You Could Change Motor Oil When You Could Snap A Rottweiler’s Neck In 2.8 Seconds? Now There Was A Practical Skill.

I Moved Up Beside Jamie."i Have To Go." She Frowned At Me. "where?" I Pressed A Hand To The Bottom Of My Belly. "my Bladder.it-" Ah." She Gave A Small Laugh. "we Interrupt This Life-or-death Situation For A Pregnancy Pee Break. Don't See That In The Movies, Do You?

I Like Daniel. He Takes Care Of You." I Blinked. "oh My God. Did You Really Just Say That? He Takes Care Of Me?" Dad Flushed. "i Didn't Mean It Like-" "takes Care Of Me? Did I Go To Sleep And Wake Up In The Nineteenth Century?" I Looked Down At My Jeans And T-shirt. "ack! I Can't Go To School Like This. Where's My Corset? My Bonnet?" Dad Sighed As Mom Walked In With Her Empty Teacup. "what Did I Miss?" She Said. "dad's Trying To Marry Me Off To Daniel." I Looked At Him. "you Know, If You Offer Him A New Truck For A Dowry, He Might Go For It.

What Gave It Away? When She Loaded Me Bound And Gagged Into The Back Of Her Truck? Or When She Actually Said. "i'm Ready To Kill You And Throw Your Body Inn The Swamp? "hey For A While There, It Looked Like You Were Going To Talk Your Way Out Of It. I Didn't Want To Interfere.

Using Supernatural Beings To Build The Perfect Weapon? Intriguing Idea." "not Really," I Said. "they Did It On Buffy The Vampire Slayer. A Sub-par Season. I Slept Through Half The Episodes.

Supernatural Beings

Remember When We Met? Before You Left, You Said You Were Going To Make A Fool Of Yourself Over Me. That's Still What You're Worried About. That You'll Find Yourself Doing Things You Never Dreamed Of Doing, Things You Laughed At In Others, And You'll Make A Fool Of Yourself.

Finding Yourself

I Might Be Half Derek's Size, But I Was The One Who Sounded Like A Two-hundred-pound Beast Plowing Through The Woods.

What's This?" Nick Said. "bedtime?" No One Answered Him. I Kept My Eyes Closed. You Look Positively Content, Clayton," Nick Continued, Thumping Down On The Floor. "that Wouldn't Have Anything To Do With The Fact That Elena Is Cuddled Up With You, Is It?" It's Cold In Here," I Murmured. Doesn't Feel Cold." It's Cold," Clay Growled. I Could Start A Fire." I Could Start One Too," Clay Said. "with Your Clothes. Before You Get Them Off.

Reviews Are Great. I Can Read Negative Reviews And Say, You Know That Point They Made... They Were Dead On.

You'll Wrest A Burning Sword From An Angel, But You're Afraid Of Bats?" "i'm Not Afraid Of Them. I Just Don't Like Them. They're...furry. Flying Things Shouldn't Be Furry. It's Not Right. And If I Ever Meet The Creator, I'm Taking That One Up With Him." "that I'd Like To See. Your One And Possible Only Chance To Get The Answer To Every Question In The Universe, And You Ask, 'why Are Bats Furry?'" "i Will. You Just Wait.

The Secretary Moved In To Block Simon As I Followed Thierry Into The Office. As The Door Closed, I Heard Her Whisper, "i Think It's Very Sweet, You Sticking Up For Your Brother Like That." "i'm Not Trying To Be Sweet," Simon Said, Raising His Voice So Thierry Could Hear. "i'm Trying To Be Fair. But Apparently No One's Interested In That.

Rae Burned Me. She Has Matches Or Something. Look, Look..." Tori Pulled Down The Collar Of Her T-shirt. "leave Your Cloths On, Tori," Simon Said, Raising His Hands To His Eyes. "please.

And Now We Can't," I Said. "which Sucks, But The Main Thing Is That Your Dad's Alive." He Smiled, Hesitant At First, Then A Blazing Grin Broke Through That Made My Heart Stop. I Recovered And Grinned Back And Went To Throw My Arms Around His Neck, Then Stopped, Blushing. Before I Could Pull Back, He Caught My Elbows And Put My Arms Around His Neck And Pulled Me Into A Hug. Then He Jumped, Chair Swiveling So Fast I Nearly Went Flying. I Heard Footsteps In The Hall And I Scrambled Off His Lap Just As Simon Swung In, Breathing Heavily, Like He'd Come Running.

Are You The Welcoming Committee? Or Has Jeremy Finally Chained You Up To The Front Gate Where You Belong?" "i Missed You Too.

Where You Belong

Here I Had A Wonderful Man Who Cared For Me And I Was Screwing Around With A Self-absorbed, Conniving Monster Who'd Betrayed Me In The Worst Possible Way.

On That Walk Around The Building, Two Sets Of Cops Coming Out Stopped To Tell Our Guys To Hustle Us Inside So They Could Head Back Out On The Road. Accidents Everywhere. A Pileup On Each Of Two Major Roads. “welcome To Winter,” One Said. “when Fifty Percent Of Drivers Should Have Their Licenses Temporarily Suspended.

He Had A Newspaper Rolled In His Hand, Bearing Down On Me Like A Puppy That Had Piddled On The Carpet. "bad Chloe,” I Muttered. "what?” I’d Forgotten His Bionic Hearing. “bad Chloe.” I Gestured At The Rolled-up Paper And Put Out My Hand. “get It Over With.

I'm Not Going Anywhere, Not Without Chloe." Derek

Could You Please Put This--could You All Put These--could You Get Dressed, Please?" The Woman Only Bestowed A Serene Smile On Me. "we Are As The Goddess Requires." "the Goddess Requires You To Be Naked On My Lawn?

One Second He Was In My Face, Making Me Feel Stupid And Useless. The Next He Was Like This: Hovering, Concerned, Worried.

We Drove To The Airport. On The Way, Clay Gave Him "the Lecture," Including All The Do's And Don'ts Of Meeting The Alpha, Which Was Only Slightly More Complicated Than An Audience With The Queen. Don't Sit Until You're Invited To. Don't Talk Unless He Asks You A Question. Don't Eat Before He Does. Don't Make Direct Eye Contact. Jeremy Demanded None Of This, But That Wasn't The Point.

It Wasn't Until I Was In My Teens That I Started Admiring Writers As Inspirations For My Own Work, And My Earliest Influences There Were Stephen King, Marion Zimmer Bradley And Richard Adams.

If You Say ‘we’re In This Together,’ I’m Going To Hurl.

Dad!" He Shouted, Loud Enough To Make My Ears Ring. "dad! You Need To Get Down Here!" (derek) Chloe Held Open The Door And Whispered To Me, "i Could Say He's Not Always Like This, But I'd Be Lying.

Let’s Just Say That Being Able To Contact Ghosts Makes For Some Very Interesting Ménages á Trios… And Ménages á Quartre, And Ménages á … Whatever Five Is In French. ~jaime Vegas

He Liked Women With Little Butts And Big Tits? Someone Had Played With One Too Many Barbie Dolls As A Kid.

The Rottweiler Stood His Ground And Waited For Me To Take The Next Step In The Dance Of Ritualized Intimidation. Instead, I Leaped At Him. Screw Ritual. Now Was Not The Time To Stand On Ceremony.

The Truth Is, If A Werewolf Behaved Like This Psychopath It Wouldn't Be Because He Was Part Animal, But Because He Was Still Too Human. Only Humans Kill For Sport.

Yes," I Said "you Were Saved By A Girl. Horrible, Isn't It?" He Slid Out And Looked Down At My Bare Legs. "not Just A Girl, But A Half-naked One. Now That's Hot. If I'm Still Unconscious, Don't Wake Me, Okay?

Still Sitting, He Reached Out And Pulled Me Toward Him. We Stayed There, Looking At Each Other, His Hand Still Wrapped In My Shirt Hem, My Heart Hammering So Hard I Was Sure He Could Hear It. When I Inched Closer, Not Wanting To Intrude, He Tugged Me In Front Of Him And I Stumbled, Half Falling Onto His Lap. I Tried To Scramble Up, Cheeks Burning, But He Pulled Me Down Onto His Knee, One Army Going Around My Waist, Tentative, As If To Say Is This Okay? It Was, Even If My Blood Pounded In My Ears So Hard I Couldn't Think.

Oh My God. You're A Witch-hunter. I'm A Witch. Hate To Break It To You Daniel, But If You're A Witch-hunter? You're Doing It Wrong." He Gave Me A Sidelong Smile. "maybe It's Not That Kind Of Hunting." "then You're Definitely Doing It Wrong.

Derek Picked The Spot? Had He Been Hoping I'd Be Blinded By The Morning Sun And Stumble Off The Edge?

When Liam Stepped Forward Again, Derek's Arm Shot Around Me , A Growl Vibrating Up From His Stomach. Liam Put His Hand Out Toward Me. When Derek Tensed He Pilled Back, Then Did It Again, Testing His Reaction, Laughing When He Got One, Untill Even Ramone Started To Laugh. "check This Out," Liam Said. "i Think The Pup's Got Himself A Mate. Isn't That The Cutest Thing?

You Wanna Fight?" I Asked. He Looked Up At Me And, For Just A Second, Hesitated, Then Said, "yeah. I Do." "well, I'll Save You The Trouble. You Win.

Storytelling Is My Passion, And It Rises From A Love Of Reading.

...in Some Ways I Relied On That- Someone To Keep Me Thinking, Keep Me Striving To Do Better, Keep Me From Burying My Head And Praying It All Worked Out.

No", Tori Said, " I Kidnapped Her And Forced Her To Escape With Me. I've Been Using Her As A Human Shield Against Those Guys With Guns, And I Was Just About To Strangle Her And Leave Her Body Here To Throw Them Off My Trail. But Then You Showed Up And Foiled My Evil Plans. Lucky For You, Though. You Get To Rescue Chloe Again And Win Her Undying Grattitude.

I Lifted Onto My Toes, Put My Hands Aroung His Neck, And Pulled Him Down. When Our Lips Met, That First Jolt... It Was Everything I Hadn't Felt With Simon, Everything I Wanted To Feel. His Hands Went Around My Waist, Pulling Me Closer--

I Called. Why Wasn't Anyone Here?"- Elena We Were Here." Clay Said. "around, Anyway. You Should Have Left A Message." I Did. Two Hours Ago." - Elena Well That Explains It. I've Been Out, By The Gate All Day, Waiting For You, And You Know Jer Never Checks The Machine."- Clayton I Didn't Know How Clay Had Known I Was Coming Back Today When I Hadn't Left A Message. Nor Did I Question Why He'd Spent The Entire Day Waiting At The Gate. Clay's Behavior Couldn't Be Measured By Human Standard's Of Normalcy... Or By Any Standards Of Normalcy At All. Bitten

We Scarified A Mosquito. I Bet That's What Did It. It Was Probably A Virgin Too.

I Don’t Care If I Get One At All. Just As Long As I Keep Getting Anniversaries.

After The Woman Left, I Set My Coffee Down And Opened The Bag. Two Muffins-double-chocolate And Blueberry Bran. I Texted Adam A Thank-you. I’d Just Started Eating The Chocolate Muffin When He Texted Backput That One Down And Eat The Bran. It’s Better Foryou.

We Have Kenjii. We Have My Cell Phone. Since We Aren't Officially Dating, I'm Sure You'll Agree That's All The Protection We Need.

Kids Who Don't Eavesdrop On Adult Conversations Are Doomed To A Childhood Of Ignorance.

Derek Lunged. He Hit Me In The Shoulder And Knocked Me To The Floor, Landing On Top Of Me. His Body Jerked, Like He'd Been Hit With The Spell, And I Let Out A Yelp, Struggling To Get Up, But He Held Me Down, Whispering "i'm Okay, It's Okay" Until The Words Penetrated.

Was She Telling You To Stay Away From Me?" I Asked. He Paused, Then Said, "yeah." He Squeezed My Hand Out Of Aunt Lauren's Sight. "it's Okay. We're Good." Chloe And Derek

I Got To Eavesdrop At A Window. As Clay Said, I Did Have Another Option. I Could Wait In The Car And Let Them Fill Me In Later. So, Eavesdropping It Was.

As I Recall, I Was Still Dressed When I Fell Asleep." "just Making Sure You Were Comfortable." "and Making Yourself Equally Comfortable, I See.

I'm Just Saying It's Not Time For That Either. We Need To Focus And Having Maya Moon Over Rafe Is Making Everyone Uncomfortable." Rafe Grinned. "doesn't Bother Me.

This Is So Cool," I Said Loudly As Dad Walked Away. "have You Met The Tattoo Artist? Is He Hot?" "he's A She," Mom Said. "is She Hot? Cause I'm Still Young, You Know. My Sexual Identity Isnt Fully Formed." "your Father Can't Hear You Anymore, Maya." Mom Sighed.

Tell Me When You Want To Pick It Up Again." "tell Me When Satan Starts A Snowball Fight." "i'll Do That. Lunch?

Dont Talk To The Crazy Kids. I Longed To Shout Back That We Weren't Crazy. I'd Mistaken Her Kid For A Ghost, That's All.

Never Go Easy On Allies If You Ahve To Take Them Down. Especially Allies. You’re Already Fighting The Urge Not To Hurt Them. Counteract That And Hit Them With Everything You’ve Got.

Common Courtesy Dictates That We Never Drain The Lifeblood Of Anyone To Whom We've Been Formally Introduced.

Common Courtesy

Oddly Enough, I Find The Best Hostages Are The Live Ones. - Karl

You Think I Led Him On? For What? Kicks? I Don't Have Enough Exictement In My Life, So Maybe I'll Tease A Nice Guy, Get His Hopes Up, Then Laugh And Skip Away?

You're Telling Me That You Can Raise The Dead By Simply Summoning?" "yes." "my God," She Whispered, Staring At Me."what Have They Done?" Hearing Her Words And Seeing Her Expression, I Knew I'd Just Done Something Worse Than Raising The Dead-- I'd Confirmed Her Worst Fears About Us. In Her Eyes, I Saw The Same Thing I Saw When People Looked At Derek. I Saw Fear. And I Knew We Were In Trouble.

I Don't Read Much Of What I Write Because I Worry About Unintentionally Borrowing Something.

You Know Children, Always Playing With The Forces Of Darkness.

So Consider Your Options, Make Your Choice And Call Me Home.

With No Chance To Take Off, I Had To Play My Role, Searching For The Rendezvous Spot, Which Gave Me The Excuse To Look For An Escape Opportunity. Maybe A Hole In The Wall Too Small For Tori’s Mom To Follow Me Through Or A Precarious Stack Of Boxes I Could Topple Onto Her Head Or An Abandoned Hammer I Could Brain Her With. I’d Never “brained” Anyone In My Life, But With Tori’s Mom, I Was Willing To Try.

I Grew Up Writing About The Paranormal, And I Blame Too Many Saturday Mornings Watching Scooby Doo.

Simon's Walls Were Covered In What Looked Like Pages Ripped From A Comic Book, But When I Squinted, I Realized They Were Hand Drawn. Some Were Black-and-white, But Most Were In Full Color, Everything From Character Sketches To Splash Panels To Full Pages, Done In A Style That Wasn't Quite Manga, Wasn't Quite Comic Book.

What Am I? Let's Just Say I Won't Fetch A Stick For You. I Won't Beg For Treats. And, No Matter How Nicely You Ask, I Will Not Roll Over And Play Dead.

I'd Seen More Cops In The Last Few Days Than On A Weekend Law And Order Marathon" - Paigne Winterbourne

I Called Clay From The Suv. "how'd It Go At The Paper?" He Asked. "she Called Me Perky." "ouch.

He Balled Up My Discarded Sweatshirt And Put It Against His Shoulder. “go On,” He Said. “i Don’t Bite.” “and From What I Hear, That’s A Good Thing.” He Gave A Rumbling Chuckle. “yeah, It Is.” I Leaned Against His Shoulder.

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Talcott Parsons

Marina And The Diamonds

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