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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.

-Patricia Briggs

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I Jerked My Chin

Patricia Briggs

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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.

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I Suppose We Must Work On Being Gracious And Grateful Until We Can Do For Ourselves. Someday The Wheel Of Fate Will Put Us In A Position To Be Of Use To Them, And We Will Remember How Much Easier It Is To Give Help Than It Is To Accept It.

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Some People Are Boys Longer Than Others.

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.

Asil Has Appointed Himself My Guardian?" Asked Charles Softly. Asil Was Overstepping Himself. "he Was Bored, He Told Me," Said His Father. He Gave Charles A Small Smile. "i Have Given Him A Job So He Doesn’t Get Bored Again.

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Alpha And Omega

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Wandering Around

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

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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.

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

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

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Such A Small Thing To Cause So Much Trouble.

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

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.

A Man Learns With Age, If He Is Lucky.

Survivors Can't Always Choose Their Methods.

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

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

Alpha And Omega

Heart Turned To Me, His Face Thoughtful. “yesterday Morning. Yes, That Means That Daphne Hadn’t Been Home For Two Days Before That.” He Smiled At Me. “you Were Supposed To Be The Alpha’s Eye Candy.” Adam Laughed. “what?” I Asked Him. “you Don’t Think I’d Be Good Eye Candy?” I Looked Down At My Overalls And Grease-stained Hands. I’d Torn Another Nail To The Quick. “honey Is Eye Candy,” Said Ben Apologetically. “you’re . . . Just You.” “mine,” Said Adam, Edging Between Heart And Me. “mine Is What She Is.

Asil Left Bran Alone With His Thoughts Then, Because If He Stayed, Bran Would Argue With Him. This Way, Bran Would Have No One To Argue With But Himself. And Asil Had Always Credited Bran With The Ability To Be Persuasive.

Not That I'd Really Been Planning On Keeping The Attack Secret; It Had Just Been An Option I'd Wanted To Keep Open If I Could.

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.

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?

He Was Obviously Dead. But Since He Was A Vampire That Wasn't As Hopless A Thing As It Might Have Been.

Might Have Been

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.

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.

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

I Narrowed My Eyes At Him. "stuff That. I'll Write A Doctoral Thesis. Then I Can Go Do What Most Of The Other People With Doctoral Degrees In Anthropology Do." "what's That?" Asked Calvin. "you Don't Need To Encourage Her," Said Adam Seriously, But His Eyes Laughed At Me. "the Same Thing That People With Degrees In History Do," I Said. "fix Cars Or Serve Frnech Fries And Bad Hamburgers.

See You Tomorrow,” He Said, Instead. “all Right.” Then, Impulsively, I Asked, “do You Have A Place To Sleep Tonight?” “sure,” He Said With A Smile, And Started Off As If He Had Somewhere To Be. I Could Have Bitten Off My Tongue Because I Pushed Him Into A Lie. Once He Started Lying To Me, It Would Be Harder To Get Him To Trust Me With The Truth. I Don’t Know Why It Works That Way, But It Does—at Least In My Experience.

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

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

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.

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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!

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

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.

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.

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

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

He Had Lived A Very Long Time, And Only Since He Gained Anna Had He Learned To Fear. He’d Discovered That He Had Never Been Brave Before—just Indifferent. She Had Taught Him That To Be Brave, You Have To Fear Losing Something.

People Will Do Amazing Things To Ensure Their Survival.

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.

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'd Never Have Allowed Herself To Be Held By Anything As Mundane As A Few Bars And A Reinforced Door

Is It Like A Harry Potter Thing?" He Turned His Head Then. "a What?" "a Harry Potter Thing," She Said Again. "you Know, Don't Say Voldemort's Name Because You Might Attract His Attention?" He Considered It. "you Mean The Children's Book." "i Have Got To Get You To Watch More Movies," She Said. "you'd Enjoy These. Yes, I Mean The Children's Book.

A Stupid Ruler Is Much More Of A Problem Than An Insane One.

Nothing Says You're Sorry Like A Dead Bunny.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Wizards Don't All Look Alike.

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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.

Much Awkwardness Ensued.

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

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.

Never Accept The Blame For What Evil People Do. We Are All Responsible For Our Own Actions." She Was Lecturing Him, So She Stopped. "sorry. Hang Around With Bran Too Long, And See If You Don’t Start Passing Around The Marrok’s Advice As If He Were Confucius.

Mercy," He Said,"in A Fair Fight Between Near Equals, I'll Back You Every Time. It's The Demons, Vampires, And River Devils I Worry About, And I'm Working On That.

Vampire Politics Make The Very Complicated Dance Of Manners That Is Werewolf Protocol Look Like The Hokey Pokey.

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

She Wondered That Hope Was So Much Harder Then Despair.

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

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Francois Rabelais

Pliny The Elder

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