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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.

-Kelley Armstrong

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On That Walk Around

Kelley Armstrong

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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.

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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'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.

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?

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

I Saw My True Power. The Darkest Power. The Greatest Power. ~jaime Vegas

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

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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If There's Anything I Can Do- I Know There Probably Isn't, But..." Just Be Here

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”.

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

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.

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.

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.

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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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

...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.

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

I Let Out A Laugh That Sounded More Like The Yip Of A Startled Poodle. "superp-powers? I Wish. My Powers Aren't Winning Me A Slot On The Cartoon Network Anytime Soon... Except As A Comic Relief. Ghost Whisperer Junior. Or Ghost Screamer, More Like It. Tune In, Every Week, As Chloe Saunders Runs Screaming From Yet Another Ghost Looking For Her Help." Okay, Superpower Might Be Pushing It.

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

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.

Tori Joined Us For Dinner --in Body, At Least. She Spent The Meal Practicing For A Role In The Next Zombie Movie, Expressionless, Methodically Moving Fork To Mouth, Sometimes Even With Food On It.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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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.

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.

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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.

Antonio- "just In Time, Pete. Five More Minutes Of Reading This And She'd Have Been In A Coma." Peter- "are We Such Bad Company That You'd Rather Hide Out In Here Reading That Old Thing?

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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.

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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.

And He Says I Have Lousy Timing

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.

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.

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No. Harsh Truth Was Better Than Comfortable Lies. It Had To Be.

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

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.

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

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.

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)

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

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

That's What Being Crazy Was, Wasn't It? You Thought You Were Fine. Everyone Else Knew Better.

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 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 ♥

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.

Maybe My Expectations For Honesty Are Too High.

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.

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

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.

He Lunged Again. This Time I Stood My Ground And He Checked His Leap At The Last Second....and Toppled Sideways. I Didn't Hide My Laugh That Time. His Face Twisted Fast, Grabbed My Pajama Leg And Wrenched, And Down I Went. "bully

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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-

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.

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.

Maturity Is Highly Overrated.

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

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

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

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

Could Have Been

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Young Writers Need To Be Encouraged To Write - Just Write - With No Restrictions On Form, Style Or Content.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

I Love You. I'm Not Sure If It's The Way You Want Me To. I Think It Might Be. But I Know That I Love You. I Absolutely Love You.

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

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?

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

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.

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

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

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.

We Had One Gun, One Werewolf, One Poltergeist, One Supercharged Spell-caster, One Not-so-supercharged Spell-caster, And One Perfectly Useless Necromancer, Though Liz Was Quick To Remind Me That She Needed Me To Relay Her Words. - Chloe

It's A Road," Corey Said, Pointing. "a Dirt Road," Hayley Muttered. "so? We've Been Slogging Through The Forest For Two Days. What Do You Want? A Six-lane Highway?

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.

Sometimes Humans Hit On A Moment Of Profundity More Complete Than Their Dim Minds Could Comprehend, And They Took That Nugget Of Truth And Dumped It In The Refuse For The Bards And The Poets To Find, And Mangle Into Yodeling Paeans Of Love.

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--

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.

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.

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

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

Emotional Outbursts

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

I'm Behind You." I Spun To See Derek. "i Can't Win," He Said. "you're As Skittish As A Kitten.

Love And Hate. Same Passion. Same Impulse

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

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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)

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

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.

Got Your Text,” He Said When I Climbed Out. “how Much Did It Hurt?” “not At All,” I Said. “apparently, I Can’t Get A Tattoo Because I’m A Witch.” “i Could Have Told Them-” He Stopped. “oh, You Said Witch.” “ha-ha.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Do I Pass, Dr. Saunders?

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

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

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

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.

Dearly Departed, Scarcely Lamented, Deeply Demented.

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?

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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?

How'd You Communicate?" "paper And Pen. Amazing Inventions. Anyway, Once We Were In Buffalo, I Led Him Here. We Couldn't Figure Out A Way In And He Got Stressed And Apparently That" -- She Waved At Him--- "is What Happens When A Werewolf Gets Stressed. By Then, The Garage Door Was Open, Some Staff Guy Bringing In A Car. He Took One Look At Derek And Decided It Was Time For A New Job

He Obviously Needed More Practice, But No Matter How Often I Abandoned Him Out There, His Sense Of Direction Never Seemed To Improve.

Jeremy Had A Plan For Getting Clay Back And I Wasn't Allowed To Know Anything About It Or Allowed To Help Him Carry It Out. As One Might Expect, I Accepted This News With Grace And Understanding. "that Is The Stupidest Idea I've Ever Heard!" I Snarled For The Dozenth Time That Hour. "i Won't Just Sit Here And Do Nothing.

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.

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.

I Screwed Up. Again. You're Shocked, I'm Sure.

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.

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