ca03851
|
That's what we all want, isn't it? Power without price.
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the-summoning
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Kelley Armstrong |
61ef03c
|
Screw caution," Tori said. "I'm outta here." We looked at her. "Well, I am. As long as someone comes with me." We kept looking at her. She sighed. "Fine, but when everything goes to hell, just remember, I get to blame you guys, because I wanted to leave right away."
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kelley
chloe
tori
reckoning
derek
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Kelley Armstrong |
e0f5c63
|
If it gets too bad, go. I'll understand." I won't."
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derek
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Kelley Armstrong |
0cf1a8b
|
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"
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Kelley Armstrong |
5dd974d
|
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."
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Kelley Armstrong |
52480b5
|
Another night then,' Mom said. 'Maybe on the weekend we can have a barbecue and invite your sister.' 'Or,' I said turning to Rafe, 'if you want to skip the whole awkward meet-the-family social event you could just submit your life story including your view on politics religion and every social issue imaginable along with anything else you think they might need to conduct a thorough background check.' Mom sighed. 'I really don't know ..
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|
the-gathering
kelley-armstrong
|
Kelley Armstrong |
7ff1687
|
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 had..
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Kelley Armstrong |
70d33b4
|
I don't forgive him," I said. "Hell, no, you don't. And why should you? So he can feel better? Get on with his life? And what's he done to help you get on with yours?"
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coping
life-lessons
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Kelley Armstrong |
4f95f51
|
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."
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Kelley Armstrong |
f665de4
|
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.
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Kelley Armstrong |
f39b2dc
|
That's what being crazy was, wasn't it? You thought you were fine. Everyone else knew better.
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Kelley Armstrong |
2b7d7e7
|
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"
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Kelley Armstrong |
14fbe97
|
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" --
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|
derek
lauren
|
Kelley Armstrong |
aad2466
|
You were just worried about me." An exhale, relieved that I'd understood. "Yeah." I turned. "Because you think I'm worth it." He put his fingers under my chin. "I absolutley think you're 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 absolutley do. I lifted onto my toes, put my hands around his neck, an..
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Kelley Armstrong |
547d435
|
I let her through. She checked Derek's pulse and his breathing, saying both seemed okay, then leaned down to his face. "Nothing weird on his breath. Smells . . . like toothpaste." Derek's eyes opened, and the first thing he saw was Tori's face inches from his. He jumped and let out an oath. Simon cracked up. I madly motioned for him to be quiet. "Are you okay?" I asked Derek. "He is now," Simon said. "After Tori jump-started his heart."
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Kelley Armstrong |
74f54dc
|
Maturity is highly overrated.
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Kelley Armstrong |
74158a3
|
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.
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Kelley Armstrong |
9d4476b
|
He said "cool" like I say a Spanish word when I'm not sure of the pronunciation."
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|
spanish
funny
language
|
Kelley Armstrong |
5b98933
|
We're not naked, we're skyclad!
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|
kelley-armstrong
pagan
|
Kelley Armstrong |
9beafba
|
We scarified a mosquito. I bet that's what did it. It was probably a virgin too.
|
|
humor
|
Kelley Armstrong |
8387b46
|
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.
|
|
love
inspirational
supporters
support
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Kelley Armstrong |
5c7ec99
|
I'm not going anywhere, not without Chloe." Derek"
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Kelley Armstrong |
afe6fe6
|
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." - Clay to Elena"
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Kelley Armstrong |
8d34087
|
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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Kelley Armstrong |
6ced42c
|
You know, I couldn't imagine living somewhere without seasons." Yeah?" Real seasons, I mean. I'd miss the changes, the variety. Especially spring. I couldn't live without spring. Days like today are worth every snowstorm and slush puddle. By March, it seems like winter will never end. All that snow and ice that seemed so wonderful in December is driving you crazy. But you know spring's coming. Every year, you wait for that first warm day, t..
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Kelley Armstrong |
602321e
|
There was no closing my eyes and sliding back into that blissful dream of normal. This was my normal now.
|
|
the-awakening
kelley-armstrong
dramatic
|
Kelley Armstrong |
72250ad
|
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"
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Kelley Armstrong |
5a55622
|
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?"
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
2b0d9a3
|
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.
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
5da4b19
|
He turned my way, and I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't notice for a second. Then I realized I was staring at him, and looked away fast, cheeks flaming. I could feel him looking at me. Frowning slightly, like he was trying to figure something out. Before he could, I gulped my warm water and said, "Must be almost lunchtime," which was a stupid thing to say, but all I could think of. It took him a moment before he answered, shru..
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
25db2ee
|
He blocked me. " What'd you do, Chloe?" I sidestepped. He sidesteped. "You like him, don't you?" he said. "Yes, I like him. Just not..." "Not what?" "Talk to Simon. He's the one who thinks..." "Thinks what?" Step. Block. "Thinks what?" "That there's someone else," I blurted before I could stop myself. I took a deep, shuddering breath. "He thinks there's someone else." "Who?" I was going to say But Derek's expression already knew the answ..
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
7bd209c
|
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.
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Kelley Armstrong |
28c80c4
|
I had a stupid crush on a guy who barely tolerated me most of the time. Was that the kind of girl I was? Pick the jerk over the nice guy?
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Kelley Armstrong |
541b054
|
I screwed up. Again. You're shocked, I'm sure.
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Kelley Armstrong |
4435f3a
|
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."
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Kelley Armstrong |
0589873
|
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"
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Kelley Armstrong |
badf97b
|
Xavier leaned forward. "Sarcasm aside, you don't need a guy like that, Elena. Maybe you think you do - only female werewolf and all that - but hell, I've seen what you can do - tied to a chair, up against a male werewolf. You can do that, you don't need some fucking psychopath like Clayton Danvers-" He stopped, noticing my gaze. "He's standing right behind me, isn't he?" Xavier muttered. "Uh-huh." Xaview tilted his head back, saw Clay, and ..
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
a116c4f
|
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 be..
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Kelley Armstrong |
fe8ad47
|
When Rae got back, she spread her empty hands wide and said "Okay, guess where I hid it." She even turned around for me, but I couldn't see a bulge big enough to hide a flashlight. With a grin, she reached down the front of her shirt into the middle of her bra, and pulled out a flashlight with flourish. I laughed. "Cleavage is great," she said. "Like an extra pocket."
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
669ddb3
|
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..."
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|
derek
|
Kelley Armstrong |
892c51d
|
Maybe my expectations for honesty are too high.
|
|
honesty
|
Kelley Armstrong |
43512a8
|
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?"
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
5c2d884
|
Derek's change came faster now and maybe a bit easier--no vomiting this time. Finally it was over, and he fell onto his side, panting, shaking, and shivering. Then he reached for my hand, holding it tight, and I entwined my fingers with his, shifting closer and using my free hand to brush sweaty hair from his face. "Whoa," a voice said, making both of us jump. Simon stood in the entrance to our corner, a pile of fabric in his hands. "You re..
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|
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Kelley Armstrong |
71cc3b0
|
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.
|
|
relationships
|
Kelley Armstrong |