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I Let Her Through. She Checked Derek's Pulse And His Breathing, Saying Both Seemed Okay, Then Leaned Down To His Face. "nothing Weird On His Breath. Smells . . . Like Toothpaste." Derek's Eyes Opened, And The First Thing He Saw Was Tori's Face Inches From His. He Jumped And Let Out An Oath. Simon Cracked Up. I Madly Motioned For Him To Be Quiet. "are You Okay?" I Asked Derek. "he Is Now," Simon Said. "after Tori Jump-started His Heart.

-Kelley Armstrong

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I Let Her Through.

Kelley Armstrong

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I Let Her Through. She Checked Derek's Pulse And His Breathing, Saying Both Seemed Okay, Then Leaned Down To His Face. "nothing Weird On His Breath. Smells . . . Like Toothpaste." Derek's Eyes Opened, And The First Thing He Saw Was Tori's Face Inches From His. He Jumped And Let Out An Oath. Simon Cracked Up. I Madly Motioned For Him To Be Quiet. "are You Okay?" I Asked Derek. "he Is Now," Simon Said. "after Tori Jump-started His Heart.

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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.

My Past Was A Private Obstacle, Not A Public Excuse.

Life Experience. I Can Talk It Up, Vow To Broaden My Horizons, But I’m Still Limited To The Experiences With My Life. How Can A Person Understand An Experience That Lies Completely Outside Her Own? She Can See It, Feel It, Imagine What It Would Be Like To Live It, But It’s No Different From Seeing A Movie On A Screen And Saying, “thank God That’s Not Me”.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

It's Because When We Sneeze, Our Soul Flies Out Our Nose And If No One Says 'bless You,' The Devil Can Snatch It.

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.

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.

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

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'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.

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.

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

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.

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

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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.

There Are Lots Of Things In The Folklore, Like They Can Only Be Killed By A Silver Bullet, That Don't Realistically Work, If You're Trying To Say They Have Existed For Hundreds Of Years, Unknown.

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Do You Like Manga?" She Asked After A Minute. "anime?" "anime's Cool. I'm Not Really Into It, But 1 Like Japanese Movies, Animated Or Not." "well, I'm Into It. I Watch The Shows, Read The Books, Chat On The Boards, And All That. But This Girl I Know, She's Completely Into It. She Spends Most Of Her Allowance On The Books And Dvds. She Can Recite Dialogue From Them." She Caught My Gaze. "so Would You Say She Belongs Here?" "no. Most Kids Are That Way About Something, Right? With Me, It's Movies. Like Knowing Who Directed A Sci-fi Movie Made Before I Was Born.

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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?

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

I Leaned Forward And Kissed Him. His Eyes Widened, Then His Lips Parted And He Kissed Me Back, Mouth Warm And Firm Against Mine And That Floating Feeling Washed Over Me And Through Me, And It Was So Amazing That When It Ended, I Just Stayed There, My Face So Close To His I Could Feel His Breath, See Those Incredible Amber Eyes, And That Was All I Could See, All I Wanted To See.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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Stuffing People Into Boxes Is For Those Who Have Issues About Their Own Box.

He Stood And Inhaled, Then Walked A Few More Feet, Stooped, And Prodded A Chunk Of Rabbit Fur. “i’m Definitely Thinking Something With More Body Parts,” I Said. “like A Head.” He Gave A Snort Of A Laugh. “it’s Probably Around Here Somewhere, But I Suppose You Want The Parts Attached, Too.

I Let Her Through. She Checked Derek's Pulse And His Breathing, Saying Both Seemed Okay, Then Leaned Down To His Face. "nothing Weird On His Breath. Smells . . . Like Toothpaste." Derek's Eyes Opened, And The First Thing He Saw Was Tori's Face Inches From His. He Jumped And Let Out An Oath. Simon Cracked Up. I Madly Motioned For Him To Be Quiet. "are You Okay?" I Asked Derek. "he Is Now," Simon Said. "after Tori Jump-started His Heart.

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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

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

He Bent, Lips Coming To Mine And — 'derek? Chloe?' It Was Kit, Opening The Back Door. Derek Let Out A Low Growl. 'never Fails.' I Turned To Kit. 'how Is She?' 'we’re Going To Take Her Back To The House Now. She’s Unconscious Again.' 'then We’ll Walk Back,' Derek Said. 'give You Room In The Van To Lay Her Down.' His Dad Agreed And Went Back Inside. As We Walked Toward The Steps, I Looked Down At Derek’s Hand, Holding Mine. 'no One’s Around,' He Said. 'and We Can Take The Back Way.' 'good,' I Said, And Entwined My Fingers With His.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

Believe Me, I Have Better Things To Do Than Sabotage Your Friendships. No One Else's World Revolves Around You, Cassandra." -paige To Cassandra

Maturity Is Highly Overrated.

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?

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'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.

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

When I Glanced At The Chair, It Started To Shake. I’d Like To Think It Was Scared Of Me, But I Rarely Invoked That Response In Living Things, Let Alone Inanimate Objects.

Inanimate Objects

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

We’re Not Naked, We’re Skyclad!

Murder? You Mean He's Dead?" "no. He's Resting Comfortably," I Said. "people Always Sleep Best With Their Heads At A Ninety-degree Angle. He Looks Comfortable, Doesn't He?" (paige & Elena)

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

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

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

Could Have Been

Simon Had Drawn Three Pictures. In The Top Left Corner, Like A Salutation, Was A Ghost. The Middle Had A Big Sketch Of Arnold Schwarzenegger As The Terminator. The Third In Place Of A Signature, Was A Lightning Bolt Surrounded By Fog. Beside The Drawing, Someone Had Scrawled In Inch-high Letters 10 A.m. Tori Snatched It From Me And Turned It Over. "so Where's The Message?" "right There." I Pointed From Picture To Picture. "it Says: Chloe, I'll Be Back, Simon.

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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?

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

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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?

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

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.

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.

I Was Very Strict On That Point. No Devouring Classmates." Jeremy Rolled His Eyes. "other Parents Warn Their Kids Not To Talk To Strangers. I Had To Warn Mine Not To Eat Them.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Your Mother Sets You Up Blind Dates? With Guys Like That?" The Corners Of His Mouth Twitched. "she Doesn't Like You Very Much, Does She?

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.

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

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.

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

You Were Just Worried About Me." An Exhale, Relieved That I Had Understood. "yeah" I Turned. "because You Think I'm Worth It" He Put His Fingers Under My Chin. "i Absolutely Think Your Worth It." "but You Don't Think You Are." His Mouth Opened. Shut. "that's What This Is About, Derek. You Won't Let Us Worry About You Because You Don't Think You're Worth It. But I Do. I Absolutely Do.

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.

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And He Says I Have Lousy Timing

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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.

Just Show Him That I Didn't Need His Apology, I Guess. Show Him That I Was Okay. Better Than Okay. I Was Happy, In Spite Of Everything He'd Done To Me, And No, I Didn't Forgive Him. God Help Me, I Would Not Forgive Him.

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.

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.

Dearly Departed, Scarcely Lamented, Deeply Demented.

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.

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.

Love And Hate. Same Passion. Same Impulse

It Wasn't About Wanting To Die Or Having Nothing Left To Live For; It Was About Letting Go. You Live Your Life Doing What You're Supposed To Do, Following The Rules, Following Your Conscience No Matter What Your Gut Tells You - And Most Times, That's Okay. Control Is Good. It Allows You To Believe In Certainty And Absolutes, Like Lining Up The Perfect Shot. But When You Hold On For So Long, And Hold On So Tight, Every Once In A While You Have To Close Your Eyes And Jump." Kelley Armstrong - Exit Strategy

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

He Pivoted, Gaze Following Me As I Crossed To The Shower And Turned On The Cold Water, So It Would Drown Out Our Conversation Without Steaming Up The Room. Great," He Muttered."now They're Going To Think We're Showering Together. Maybe We Can Just Tell Them We Were Washing Off The Crawl Space Dirt And Trying To Conserve Water.

Rafe Grinned. "so We Are Dating?" "no. You Have To Pass The Parental Exam First. It'll Take You Awhile To Compile The Data. They'd Like It In Triplicate." I Turned To My Parents. "we Have Kenji. We Have My Cell Phone. Since We Aren't Officially Dating, I'm Sure You'll Agree That's All The Protection We Need." Dad Chocked On His Coffee.

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.

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.

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

You Forget, Darling, I Am The Local Psychopath." ~clayton Danvers, Bitten

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

His Gaze Travelled Down Me, Then Zipped Back To My Face. "sorry." "focus, Rafe." "i Am. Just On The Wrong Thing.

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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

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

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

He Leaned Her Back Against The Tub, Setting Her Head On The Edge, Then Washed Her Shoulders. "i Know I Left You Once." She Opened Her Mouth, Wanting To Say It Didn't Matter, It Was Forgotten. But It Wasn't. "i Know I Hurt You." Again, She Wanted To Argue. But She Couldn't. "i Know I Said I Won't Leave You Again, But I Also Know That's Not Enough, And That The Only Way You're Going To Trust That I Won't Leave Is If I Don't". He Slid The Cloth Over Her Arms. "if This Ends, Hope, It Won't Be Me That Ends It. I Think You Know That.

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

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.

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.

Where's Simon?"..."is He Okay? Why Isn't He Here?" She Glared At Derek. "where'd You Leave Him?" Passed Out In An Alley." Derek Frowned In Thought. "not Sure Where, Though.

Speaking Of Death, Leblanc Boasted He Could Kill Me In The Waiting Room. I Broke His Wrist. He Wasn't Impressed.

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.

I Didn't Need To Be Rescued." "sorry, But My Sword Outranks Your…" She Glanced At My Hand, "sock Puppet.

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

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.

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.

Dangerous? Do You Remember What Xavier's Power Is? Teleportation. Limited Teleportation, They Guy Can Move About 10 Feet. Worst Thing He Could Do To Me? Poke Me In The Eyes, And Go "nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk" And Zip Away Before I Can Smack Him," - Elena

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.

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

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

Some Women Just Aren’t Cut Out To Be Mothers, And Unfortunately It Had Taken Susanna Three Kids To Realize She Was One Of Them.

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

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

No' When No One Answered, Derek Looked From Face To Face, Then Settled His Glower In Me. 'absolutely Not.' 'um, I Was The One Keeping My Mouth Shut' I Said.

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.

Lavina Led Me To An Abandoned Warehouse. I Think That At Some Point Someone Decreed That All Clandestine Meetings Must Be Held In One. Woe To The Criminal Overlord Who Lives In A City Thriving With Commerce, With No Empty Warehouses To Be Found. He Probably Needs To Build One, Just To Have A Place To Arrange Late-night Meetings. (bewitched)

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

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.

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

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.

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)

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.

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

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