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14f3eae
|
"What is your name?" she murmured. He cocked an eyebrow at her and then went back to staring at his brother. "I'm the evil one, in case you haven't figured it out." "I wanted your name, not your calling." "Being a bastard's more of a compulsion, really. And it's Zsadist. I am Zsadist."
|
|
zsadist
sobriquet
vampire
|
J.R. Ward |
|
e60865e
|
"Z: "You know, this was a hell of a lot easier when you were out cold in the back of that truck." Phury: "That was you?" Z:"You think it was Santa Claus or some shit?"
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|
humor
phury
j-r-ward
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
12a400e
|
He knew he was being overbearing as hell, but he couldn't help it. He was a bonded male. With his pregnant female. There were few things on the planet more aggressive or dangerous. And those bastards were called hurricanes and tornadoes.
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|
bonded
zsadist
mates
|
J.R. Ward |
|
1c029e1
|
"I... What are you saying, Zsadist?" she stammered, even though she'd heard every word. He glanced back down at the pencil in his hand and then turned to the table. Flipping the spiral notebook to a new page, he bent way over and labored on top of the paper for quite a while. Then he ripped the sheet free. His hand was shaking as he held it out. "It's messy." Bella took the paper. In a child's uneven block letters there were three words: I LOVE YOU Her lips flattened tight as her eyes stung. The handwriting got wavy and then disappeared. "Maybe you can't read it," he said in a small voice. "I can do it over." She shook her head. "I can read it just fine. It's... beautiful." "I don't expect anything back. I mean... I know that you don't... feel that for me anymore. But I wanted you to know. It's important that you knew."
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|
love
z
lover-awakened
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
4061b16
|
For fuck's sake, get off the cross. Someone else needs the wood.
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|
phury
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
281c954
|
"Tohrment spoke. "Bella's brother called. He's tabled the sehelusion request and asked that she stay here for a couple of days." Z jacked his head up. "Why?" "He didn't give a reason-" Tohr's eye's narrowed on Z's face. "Oh... my God." "What the fuck are you looking at?" Phury pointed to the antique mirror hanging on the wall next to the double doors. "See for yourself." Zsadist marched across the room, ready to give them all hell. Bella was what mattered- His mouth went lax at his reflection. With a shaky hand he reached out to the eyes in the old-fashioned leaded glass. His irises were no longer black. They were yellow. Just like his twin's. "Phury?" he said softly. "Phury... what happened to me?" As the male came up behind him, his brother's face appeared right beside Z's. And then Wrath's dark reflection showed up in the mirror, all long hair and sunglasses. Then Rhage's star-fallen beauty. And Vishous's Sox cap. And Tohrment's brush cut. And Butch's busted nose. One by one they reached out and touched him, their big hands gently on his shoulders. "Welcome back, my brother," Phury whispered. Zsadist stared at the males who were behind him. And the oddest thought that if he were to let himself go limp and fall backward... they would catch him."
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|
lover-awakened
phury
rhage
tohrment
zsadist
wrath
vishous
butch
|
J.R. Ward |
|
27ac4ce
|
She is more beautiful than I have words for. And last night, I was blessed beyond measure to serve her.
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|
black-dagger-brotherhood
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
041024b
|
"I love you." Z squeezed his eyes shut. "Don't be a tragedy, Bella."
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|
love
bdb
j-r-ward
bella
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
51d9841
|
"I catch you without your again, I'm turning you in." Qhuinn cursed. "Yeah, and then I'll get fired. Which means V'll Donald trump my ass with a dagger. You're welcome."
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lover-mine
john-matthew
qhuinn
zsadist
|
j.r. ward |
|
dfb8ff6
|
"Go 'head." Those freaky-ass black eyes had stared at Butch with the intensity of a shark. "Crack open that door. Run your little heart out. Run fast, run smart, call for help. Just know that I'll come after you. Like a hearse." - Zsadist"
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|
j-r-ward
zsadist
dark-lover
butch
|
J.R. Ward |
|
d50fc50
|
"Will you get off me!" "But I'm giving you CPR-" "I will die before kissing you, Hollywood." Z tried to sit up, his breathing heavy. "Don't even think about it."
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rhage
zsadist
|
J. R. Ward |
|
105cff3
|
How sweetly he came to her, she thought. Even with his bulk and power, he came to her...sweetly.
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|
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
e1e00b9
|
"When he heard light, rushing footfalls, he turned his head. Someone was racing along the second-floor balcony. Then laughter drifted down from above. Glorious feminine laughter. He leaned out the archway and glanced at the grand staircase. Bella appeared on the landing above, breathless, smiling, a black satin robe gathered in her hands. As she slowed at the head of the stairs, she looked over her shoulder, her thick dark hair swinging like a mane. The pounding that came next was heavy and distant, growing louder until it was like boulders hitting the ground. Obviously, it was what she was waiting for. She let out a laugh, yanked her robe up even higher, and started down the stairs, bare feet skirting the steps as if she were floating. At the bottom, she hit the mosaic floor of the foyer and wheeled around just as Zsadist appeared in second-story hallway. The Brother spotted her and went straight for the balcony, pegging his hands into the rail, swinging his legs up and pushing himself straight off into thin air. He flew outward, body in a perfect swan dive--except he wasn't over water, he was two floors up over hard stone. John's cry for help came out as a mute, sustained rush of air-- Which was cut off as Zsadist dematerialized at the height of the dive. He took form twenty feet in front of Bella, who watched the show with glowing happiness. Meanwhile, John's heart pounded from shock...then pumped fast for a different reason. Bella smiled up at her mate, her breath still hard, her hands still gripping the robe, her eyes heavy with invitation. And Zsadist came forward to answer her call, seeming to get even bigger as he stalked over to her. The Brother's bonding scent filled the foyer, just as his low, lionlike growl did. The male was all animal at the moment....a very sexual animal. "You like to be chased, , " Z said in a voice so deep it distorted. Bella's smile got even wider as she backed up into a corner. "Maybe." "So run some more, why don't you." The words were dark and even John caught the erotic threat in them. Bella took off, darting around her mate, going for the billiards room. Z tracked her like prey, pivoting around, his eyes leveled on the female's streaming hair and graceful body. As his lips peeled off his fangs, the white canines elongated, protruding from his mouth. And they weren't the only response he had to his . At his hips, pressing into the front of his leathers, was an erection the size of a tree trunk. Z shot John a quick glance and then went back to his hunt, disappearing into the room, the pumping growl getting louder. From out of the open doors, there was a delighted squeal, a scramble, a female's gasp, and then....nothing. He'd caught her. ......When Zsadist came out a moment later, he had Bella in his arms, her dark hair trailing down his shoulder as she lounged in the strength that held her. Her eyes locked on Z's face while he looked where he was going, her hand stroking his chest, her lips curved in a private smile. There was a bite mark on her neck, one that had very definitely not been there before, and Bella's satisfaction as she stared at the hunger in her 's face was utterly compelling. John knew instinctively that Zsadist was going to finish two things upstairs: the mating and the feeding. The Brother was going to be at her throat and in between her legs. Probably at the same time. God, John wanted that kind of connection." --
|
|
john-matthew
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
a123032
|
"When he heard light, rushing footfalls, he turned his head. Someone was racing along the second-floor balcony. Then laughter drifted down from above. Glorious feminine laughter. He leaned out the archway and glanced at the grand staircase. Bella appeared on the landing above, breathless, smiling, a black satin robe gathered in her hands. As she slowed at the head of the stairs, she looked over her shoulder, her thick dark hair swinging like a mane. The pounding that came next was heavy and distant, growing louder until it was like boulders hitting the ground. Obviously, it was what she was waiting for. She let out a laugh, yanked her robe up even higher, and started down the stairs, bare feet skirting the steps as if she were floating. At the bottom, she hit the mosaic floor of the foyer and wheeled around just as Zsadist appeared in second-story hallway. The Brother spotted her and went straight for the balcony, pegging his hands into the rail, swinging his legs up and pushing himself straight off into thin air. He flew outward, body in a perfect swan dive--except he wasn't over water, he was two floors up over hard stone. John's cry for help came out as a mute, sustained rush of air-- Which was cut off as Zsadist dematerialized at the height of the dive. He took form twenty feet in front of Bella, who watched the show with glowing happiness. Meanwhile, John's heart pounded from shock...then pumped fast for a different reason. Bella smiled up at her mate, her breath still hard, her hands still gripping the robe, her eyes heavy with invitation. And Zsadist came forward to answer her call, seeming to get even bigger as he stalked over to her. The Brother's bonding scent filled the foyer, just as his low, lionlike growl did. The male was all animal at the moment....a very sexual animal. "You like to be chased, , " Z said in a voice so deep it distorted. Bella's smile got even wider as she backed up into a corner. "Maybe." "So run some more, why don't you." The words were dark and even John caught the erotic threat in them. Bella took off, darting around her mate, going for the billiards room. Z tracked her like prey, pivoting around, his eyes leveled on the female's streaming hair and graceful body. As his lips peeled off his fangs, the white canines elongated, protruding from his mouth. And they weren't the only response he had to his . At his hips, pressing into the front of his leathers, was an erection the size of a tree trunk. Z shot John a quick glance and then went back to his hunt, disappearing into the room, the pumping growl getting louder. From out of the open doors, there was a delighted squeal, a scramble, a female's gasp, and then....nothing. He'd caught her. ......When Zsadist came out a moment later, he had Bella in his arms, her dark hair trailing down his shoulder as she lounged in the strength that held her. Her eyes locked on Z's face while he looked where he was going, her hand stroking his chest, her lips curved in a private smile. There was a bite mark on her neck, one that had very definitely not been there before, and Bella's satisfaction as she stared at the hunger in her 's face was utterly compelling. John knew instinctively that Zsadist was going to finish two things upstairs: the mating and the feeding. The Brother was going to be at her throat and in between her legs. Probably at the same time. God, John wanted that kind of connection."
|
|
john-matthew
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
658367b
|
Love was worth sacrificing for, he thought as he left his room. Even if it wasn't yours.
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|
phury
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
d47db03
|
"After a while Mary said, "Zsadist?" "Yeah?" "What are those markings?" His frowned and flicked his eyes over to her, thinking, as if she didn't know? But then . . . well, she had been a human. Maybe she didn't. "They're slave bands. I was . . . a slave." "Did it hurt when they were put on you?" "Yes." "Did the same person who cut your face give them to you?" "No, my owner's did that. My owner . . . she put the bands on me. He was the one who cut my face." "How long were you a slave?" "A hundred years." "How did you get free?" "Phury. Phury got me out. That's how he lost his leg." "Were you hurt while you were a slave?" Z swallowed hard. "Yes." "Do you still think about it?" "Yes." He looked down at his hands, which suddenly were in pain for some reason. Oh, right. He'd made two fists and was squeezing them so tightly his fingers were about to snap off at the knuckles. "Does slavery still happen?" "No. Wrath outlawed it. As a mating gift to me and Bella." "What kind of slave were you?" Zsadist shut his eyes. Ah, yes, the question he didn't want to answer. For a while it was all he could do to force himself to stay in the chair. But then, in a falsely level voice, he said, "I was a blood slave. I was used by a female for blood." The quiet after he spoke bore down on him, a tangible weight. "Zsadist? Can I put my hand on your back?" His head did something that was evidently a nod, because Mary's gentle palm came down lightly on his shoulder blade. She moved it in a slow, easy circle. "Those are the right answers," she said. "All of them." He had to blink fast as the fire in the furnace's window became blurry. "You think?" he said hoarsely. "No. I know."
|
|
nalla
zsadist
mary
therapy
|
J.R. Ward |
|
b47bed5
|
You are the male I might have been. You are the potential I had and lost. You are the honor and the strength and the kindness she needs. You'll take care of her. I want you to take care of her.
|
|
lover-awakened
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
eb7bf4f
|
Good? No, that didn't go far enough. She'd made him feel... alive. Awakened.
|
|
black-dagger-brotherhood
j-r-ward
zsadist
vampires
|
J.R. Ward |
|
77dd73b
|
Zsadist: I didn't make up the rules of this scenario Wrath: You'll die if you go by yourself. Zsadist: Well... I'm kind of ready to get off the ride. Phury felt his skin get tight all over.
|
|
zsadist
wrath
|
J.R. Ward |
|
a91a873
|
With his fantastic mane of multicoloured hair, Phury should have been in Hollywood's league with the ladies, but he'd stuck with his vow of celibacy. There was room for one and only one love in his life, and it had been slowly killing him for years.
|
|
phury
zsadist
|
J.R. Ward |
|
cf6509f
|
And mortal terror in a female was Z's favorite turn-on. He got off on it like most males favored crap from Victoria's Secret.
|
|
turn-on
victoria-s-secret
zsadist
vampire
vampires
|
J.R. Ward |
|
5510f8f
|
Look upon me, Mistress. Watch as I wither!
|
|
lover-awakened
black-dagger-brotherhood
j-r-ward
zsadist
mistress
vampires
|
J.R. Ward |
|
9791cbc
|
"Oh, by the way, Phury's here again, and he brought that Chosen with him. Figured you'd want to know in case you see a random female ghosting around here." Whoa. Surprise. "How's he doing?" Zsadist paused. "I don't know. He's pretty tight about shit. Not real talkative. The bastard." "Oh, and you're a candidate for The View?" "Right back at you, Bahbwa." "Touche." --
|
|
black-dagger-brotherhood
j-r-ward
lover-unbound
zsadist
vishous
|
J.R. Ward |
|
49bfe5a
|
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "If I... uh, hurt your feelings or something."
|
|
sex
humour
lover-awakened
black-dagger-brotherhood
zsadist
|
J. R. Ward |
|
b3c5082
|
"Are you holding her?" Wrath asked. There was a pause. "As soon as I get this bow tied in the back--hold on, girlie. Okay, up you go. She's in a pink dress that Cormia made her by hand. I hate pink. I like it on her, though--but keep that to yourself." Wrath flexed his hands. "What's it like?" "Not totally hating pink? Pretty fuck--ehrm, frickin' emasculating." "Yeah." "Do not tell me Lassiter's been metrosexualizing even you. I heard he talked Manello into going for a pedicure with him--but I'm praying that's just gossip." -Wrath & Zsadist"
|
|
nalla
zsadist
wrath
gossip
pink
|
J.R. Ward |
|
98a1d9a
|
"Abruptly, the sea of people parted . . . and then there they were. Bella, with Nalla in her arms, Z standing beside his girls. Beth broke down all over again as the female came forward. God, it was impossible not to remember how Nalla had started this, putting into motion the need that had become undeniable. Bella was tearing up, too, as she stopped. "We just want to say yay!" At that moment, Nalla reached out to Beth, a gummy smile on her face, pure joy radiating out. No turning that down, nope, not at all. Beth took the little girl out of her mother's arms and positioned her on her chest, capturing one of the pinwheeling hands and giving kisses, kisses, kisses. "You ready to be a big . . ." Beth glanced at Z and then her husband. ". . . a big sister?" Yes, Beth thought. Because that's what the Brotherhood and their families were. Close as siblings, tighter than blood because they were chosen. "Yes, she is," Bella said as she wiped under her eyes and looked back at Z. "She is so ready." "My brother." Z shoved out his palm, his scarred face in a half smile, his yellow eyes warm. "Congratulations." Instead of shaking anything, Wrath shoved that ultrasound picture into his Brother's face. "Do you see him? See my son? He's big, right, Beth?" She kissed Nalla's supersoft hair. "Yes." "Big and healthy, right?" Beth laughed some more. "Big and healthy. Absolutely perfect." "Perfect!" Wrath bellowed. "And this is a doctor saying it--I mean, she went to medical school." Even Z started laughing at that point. Beth gave Nalla back to her parents. "And Dr. Sam told me she's delivered over fifteen thousand babies over the course of her career--" "See!" Wrath yelled. "She knows these things. My son is perfect! Where's the champagne? Fritz! Get the fucking champagne!"
|
|
family
bella
beth
nalla
zsadist
wrath
pride
|
J.R. Ward |