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This Is The First Adventure I’ve Survived Without Being Kidnapped, Attacked, Knocked Unconscious Or Possessed By Evil Spirits. A Ripped Blouse? Ruined Skirt? Bad Hair? I’d Call This Progress. ~jaime Vegas

-Kelley Armstrong

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This Is The First

Kelley Armstrong

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This Is The First Adventure I’ve Survived Without Being Kidnapped, Attacked, Knocked Unconscious Or Possessed By Evil Spirits. A Ripped Blouse? Ruined Skirt? Bad Hair? I’d Call This Progress. ~jaime Vegas

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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.

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.

Do I Pass, Dr. Saunders?

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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.

Hello, Aaron," Brigid Said, Sliding Up To Him And Running A Finger Down His Chest. "you're Looking Good . . . As Always." Aaron Lifted Her Finger Off His Shirt And Let It Drop. "put Some Clothing On, Brigid." She Smiled Up At Him. "why? Tempted?" "yeah, To Cover My Eyes.

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

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

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

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-

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

This Is The First Adventure I’ve Survived Without Being Kidnapped, Attacked, Knocked Unconscious Or Possessed By Evil Spirits. A Ripped Blouse? Ruined Skirt? Bad Hair? I’d Call This Progress. ~jaime Vegas

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

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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)

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.

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

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

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 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.

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”.

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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

He Looked At Me. " I Do Know How To Deal With Demons, Savannah." "i Know. Sorry." "so I Get A Hug?" "no, But I Won't Smack You, And We'll Call It Even.

Wish All My Corpses Would Do That.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Urban Survival Rule 22: Never Annoy An Armed Man.

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.

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

We’re Not Naked, We’re Skyclad!

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.

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'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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Know Children, Always Playing With The Forces Of Darkness.

What's Next? If There Are Vampires In There, They Probably Drink Artificial Blood Plasma Substitute.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

I Thought You Were All-seeing.” All-knowing, Not All-seeing!” He Snapped. “i’m A God, Not Santa Claus!

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

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.

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 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 ♥

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

Emotional Outbursts

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)

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.

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

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

Maturity Is Highly Overrated.

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

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?

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

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

Common Courtesy

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

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dearly Departed, Scarcely Lamented, Deeply Demented.

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

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

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

...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 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.

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

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.

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.

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

Why Is It That Every Time A Girl Says A Guy Is Bothering Her, It's Fluffed Off With Oh, He Just Likes You, As If That Makes It Okay?

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

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

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.

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

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