C.C. Hunter

“Sometimes this just happens,” Kylie said, much calmer now that she had a sneak preview of hiscomeuppance.“Just happens?” Burnett bellowed out. “Are you freaking kidding me! If you have sex, you useprotection. It’s that simple. This shit doesn’t have to happen! This is nothing but carelessness. It’sirresponsible. It’s unforgivable.”“Burnett!” Holiday rolled her eyes at Kylie and frowned. The fae knew exactly what Kylie was upto now.But Kylie wasn’t finished yet. “Maybe we should put a rule in place. Any male who impregnates agirl should be neutered.”“Enough,” Holiday snapped.“Actually, that’s not a bad plan!” he growled.“Burnett!” Holiday said in a stern voice. “Shut up before you embarrass yourself more than youalready have.” When the vampire looked at Holiday, she continued, “Kylie didn’t buy the pregnancytests for Miranda. She bought them for me.”Kylie flopped back against the seat again, enjoying the look of disbelief on the vampire’s face alittle too much. “Would you like a name of a good doctor who will schedule your little snip-snipoperation?” she bit out.”

“Burnett fidgeted. She had never seen Burnett like this. He looked like a kid who needed to go to the bathroom.”

“Derek's the nicest guy I know. He would never...you know.""He better not...you know!" Hayden bit out.”

“Be patient? That's all you've got for me?" Steve complained ten minutes later.Kylie glanced up at Perry, circling them as they sat behind the office, and then frowned at Steve. "I don't know why everyone thinks I'm the love guru.”

“It was going to be a very long and bat-shit crazy night.”

“Oh, I brought you something." Her mom pulled a bag from her purse. "I know how you like T-shirts," she said.Kylie couldn't help but think, My mom went to England and all I got was a T-shirt, but she smiled and pulled it out of the bag and then chuckled when she read the script across the front: My mom went to England and all I got was this T-shirt."Perfect," Kylie said.”

“She simply stood there and waited for him to show her the next move. And hoped it only involved sword fighting and not seduction.”

“Did you want me to stay?"Kylie's yes and Lucas' no chimed out at the same time."Sorry," Lucas said, not sounding sorry as he looked at Della. "But I need Kylie's full attention to teach her, and you would just distract her.""Right," Della said in a tone of complete disbelief.Lucas frowned at the vamp."Okay," Della said. "I'll just mosey along.”

“So I guess this just means all guys are pieces of shit!”

“Then maybe it's time to change that." Della sat back in her chair."Change what?" Kylie asked."Come out of the closet. You know, like...'I'm gay and here to stay.' You'd need a different slogan, but maybe, 'I'm a lizard and if you don't like it, I'll eat out your gizzard.'" Della chuckled. "Okay, it needs some work, but you get what I mean.”

“We just hide from the people we love. Sad, isn't it?”

“This doesn't make sense.""I know," Kylie said. "And that seems to be the theme song of my life right now. Not a damn thing makes sense.”

“This isn't fair. I tell you guys everything. I don't hold back anything.""Believe me, I know," Della said. "I know more about you and Perry's relationship than the law allows.”

“You'd better be careful, they are going to revoke your vampire license if you get any more romantic and mushy.""Don't worry," Burnett said, his eyes pinched as if serious. "I can still be a jackass, and kick ass, when it's called for.”

“Della pretty much told him the same thing. And she gave him hell. The kind of hell only Della can dish out. Told him he was a piece of monkey shit and that he should go have himself castrated.”

“But I can tell you this, Mr. James, I refuse to be treated with disrespect.""Disrespect?" Burnett growled.And then everything went to hell.Burnett and Hayden exchanged colourful verbal blows. According to Hayden, Burnett was a prick, and according to Burnett, Hayden was an overconfident jerk who had lied.She didn't know if she felt confident the tension wouldn't elevate to physical blows, or if she was simply too tired to care anymore. If they broke each other's noses, so be it.”

“I love you," he said, his voice almost musical with happiness.She shot him a scowl. "Isn't saying that a bit dangerous considering these aren't wooden swords and the ends aren't even taped?"He laughed.”

“She cut her eyes to the woods and whispered, "We're not alone, remember?""I don't care who hears it. I love you!" His voice rose louder this time.She frowned. "Nothing's changed.""Everything has changed," he said.”

“She remembered when they were kids and he'd caught the rock that the bullies had thrown at her. At six, she'd considered him a hero.At sixteen, she considered him a heartbreaker.”

“...Our heats want the good to win. We're still afraid, we still make mistakes, but if we listen to what our hearts want, we will find the right way.”

“She tossed her towel on her dresser and turned to the bed where shed left her PJs. Only it wasn't just her PJs on the bed anymore. Lucas, eyes wide, sat on the foot of her bed, about four feet from where she stood completely naked. She squealed. He laughed. She dashed for the towel. Once she had it around her, she glared from a still grinning Lucas to the door. "I'm killing Della!" He laughed again. "I'm afraid I might have to protect her for this one.”

“Kylie looked up towards the sky. "Sometimes I just wish Heaven wasn't so far away.”

“Nana used to say whenever you start feeling like the world is taking a bite out of you, bite back by counting your blessings.”

“I...I'm sorry," Kylie mumbled."Don't you even try to talk your way out of me being pissed!" Burnett growled. "Not a word!""I just...""That's two words and I said not one!" he snapped, and he swiped his hand through the air for emphasis.Kylie bit down on her lip, and wouldn't you know it that's when the tears started flowing. Big, fat, and fast tears. She sniffled and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her breath caught in her chest. But damn it. Why couldn't this have happened when she was alone?"Those tears do not affect me, young lady!" He pointed a finger at her. While she couldn't hear his heart beat to the rhythm of a lie, she heard it in his voice. ***"I just...""Did I say you could talk?" he asked. He did three more pacing laps, as if working off steam, before he looked at her again. "Where were you going, Kylie?"When she just looked at him, he bit out, "Answer me.""You said I couldn't talk.”

“Not everyone in the world is alike. And some of us are a lot more different than others. Some of us were born like this, some of us were changed. But no matter how this happened to you, if you are here it is because this is your destiny. It was chosen for you.”

“Couldn't I just be a bit loony instead of gifted?”

“And holy hell, if his smile wasn't one of those that made a girl's heart fall over on itself.”

“If she doesn't want to be friends with us, I certainly don't want to be friends with her. Hell, I didn't like the bitch anyway.”

“But you are making assumptions without all the facts, and that's not a sign of intelligence.”

“And this is what you get for laughing at me." He pulled her up a few inches until his lips touched hers.”

“Kylie didn't know which one of the fairies were doing it, or if it was both- she honestly didn't care- but the thousands of tiny pinpricks of panic started to fade. She felt safe and that was all that mattered.”

“What was that, Kylie? Just a thank-you for saving your life.. or was it more?”

“Taken at dawn was amazing I loved how Kylie was so willing to forgive Ellie because I don't think I could do that. However I'm rooting for Derek”

“Life's hard, Love's harder.”

“I personally think the downside of being able to change into anything is the fear that you don't know who you really are.”

“I’d kill for you, Kylie Galen. But more than that, I’d die for you.”She felt a tear roll down her cheek. “You’d better not die on me, Lucas Parker.”

“Just because a person is young doesn’t mean that being loyal to someone isn’t important. And it still hurts if someone isn’t loyal to you.”

“I missed you all my life,” Kylie said. “Ididn’t know I missed you, but I know it now. You were supposed to bethere.”

“Maybe I've forgiven him, but I just haven't forgotten”

“Kylie wurde es flau im Magen vor Angst. Als sie den ersten Schritt über die Türschwelle machte, schien sie zu spüren, dass sich ihr Leben für immer verändern würde.”

“But I have to go. Thank you, Kylie Galen. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for teaching me to think beyond myself. Thank you for everything.”

“I'm in love with you, Kylie." He looked almost embarrassed by the admission. He jumped up, took one step away, then swung around and faced her again. "I don't expect you to say it back and I don't think this will change your mind about anything. But you deserved to know. And I needed to tell you because.....I've never felt this way before-for anyone.”

“The stupid vamp just asked me to marry him. Here, now? As if looking like I just died is how I wanted to be proposed to."Joy did a lap around Kylie's heart. "And you said?"Holiday took a sip of water. "I asked him if we couldn't just live together in sin.""And?""He told me it wouldn't be a good example to our students. So...I agreed to marry him." She pushed a hand against her forehead. "Dear God, what am I getting myself into?”

“I've dug so deep into his background, I can practically tell you when he stopped waring diapers.”

“Holiday leaned her elbows on her desk. "You can't find one thing that points to his guilt.""He slept with your sister!" Burnett roared."Guilty of murder, not of being a piece of shit.”

“Take some very deep breaths," Miranda said. "Relax. Concentrate. Then envision a frosty six-pack and wiggle your pinky."A frosty six-pack. Kylie inhaled. He held out her pinky, and right then Della chimed in. "We are talking a six=pack of soda, not a cold guy with good-looking abs, right?"There was a strange kind of sizzle in the air. And suddenly appearing in front of the refrigerator was a shirtless, shivering guy with great abs. His blue eyes studied the three of them in complete bafflement."What the...!" he muttered.Kylie gasped.Miranda giggled.Della snorted with laughter.”

“Boy trouble, huh?""Boy catastrophe is more like it. I'm not sure I can do this.""Do what?" Concern sounded in Holiday's voice."Do Lucas," Kylie said.Holiday made a funny face and raised one eyebrow.”

“He stood up. "Let's go." The sun spilling through the window hit his chest, making his bare skin look even more golden."That's okay," she sputtered. "You don't have to...tag along.""Yes, I do. I'm your shadow until after breakfast."Oh great. Her gaze slipped down to his open shirt again. Was she going to have to look, or try not to look, at his chest all morning? "Then at least button your shirt." The words were out before she realised how that sounded.The disappointment in his eyes vanished and a sexy twinkle took its place. The twinkle brought out the gold flecks in his irises, which she used to admire so much."Why?" he asked. "Does it bother you?"She glared at him. "Don't go there.”

“Could she learn to like this guy?"“It's nice to meet you." Kylie plastered a warm expression on her face. But she worried he could tell it was a sham."The pleasure is all mine," he said.Kylie just smiled. He was completely right about that.”

“There are a few people who are able to know of their death and use the time wisely. But when you start planning for the end, most people instinctually stop living for tomorrow. Living for the day is beautiful-too many of us don't do it enough-but to live fully, we must live for today and tomorrow. Think about it, if you knew you were going to die in six months, would you start a project you knew that you couldn't finish? Would you go to school to learn to be a doctor? Would you have a child, knowing you would leave it alone too soon? People miss out on so muchif they stop living for tomorrow." - Holiday Brandon”