J.R. Ward

“Bottom line? The fabric of the race's society is going to unravel, and if you think that's going to help in the war, you've got your head so far up your ass you're using your colon as a mouthpiece.”

“Michael Rafferty was a goodman. A solid man. He was never going to be Hugh Jackman handsome or Bill Gates rich or King of England powerful. But he was hers and he was Sean's and that was more than enough”

“Although she was ashamed to admit it now, the darkness in him had been the largest part of his allure. It was such an anomaly, a contrast to what she'd known from life. It had made him dangerous. Exciting. Sexy. But that was a fantasy. This was real.He suffered. And there was nothing sexy or thrilling about that. (Zsadists & Bella)”

“Just don't go out fighting. I don't need to know where you're going, that's your biz. But if you get yourself killed, I got ninety-nine problems and you're the biggest one of them." Rehv to John”

“We also mark what's ours. And as I'm not going to see you for twelve hours, I think I'll leave a little more all over you.”

“Rhage stepped out in front of him (JM), "Hey, hi! How are you?" Hollywood stuck his hand out. "I'd like to introduce myself. I'm the piece of meat that's going to force you headfirst into your buddy Quinn's Hummer as soon as it gets here. Just figured I'd introduced myself before I rope your ass and throw you over my shoulder like a bag of sand.”

“I ejaculated about ten minutes ago and the stuff was black. So everything is not normal."Silence greeted that happy little announcement. Man, if he had hauled off and sucker-punched V, he would have gotten less of a shocked-out reaction.”

“She was seriously staring.Which was what you did when you got a gander at a man who is hung like a Louisville Slugger.”

“Well, duh. He was six feet, six inches tall and built like a brick shithouse.”

“Phury glanced at John and thought that sometimes it took only a hairbreadth between cars to avoid a mortal accident. Sometimes your whole life could hinge on a fraction of an inch. Or the beat of a nanosecond. Or the knock on a door. Kind of made a male believe in the divine.”

“With stumbling feet, he blindly walked somewhere, anywhere. When he got to the king's study, he looked over his shoulder and checked the carpet over which he'd trodden. No trail of his blood. Which, considering the way his chest was hurting, was a surprise. Sure as shit felt like he'd been shot in the heart.”

“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.”

“If you eliminate all possible explanations, then the impossible is the answer.”

“V tired to imagine giving up his proclivities. "My monster needs to get out. Especially now.”

“Phury was the only other possibility, but he was a celibate with a broken frickin' heart. Not really man-whore material.”

“Well, aren't you Mother fucking Teresa”

“As the two of them came up against each other, Qhuinn's mouthdropped open. But not because he was shocked and not because he wantedin on the action.He simply couldn't breathe. It was as if his ribs had frozen along withhis heart.No . . . no, goddamn it, no . . .”

“V was half way down the hall when he heard a yelp. He hightailed it back, barging through the door. “What? What’s …”“I’m going bald!”V whipped back the shower curtain and frowned. “What are you talking about? You’ve still got your hair…”“Not my head! My body, you idiot! I’m going bald!”Vishous glanced down. Butch’s torso and legs were shedding, a rush of dark brown fuzz pooling around the drain.V started laughing. “Think of it this way. At least you won’t have to worry about shaving your back as you get old, true? No manscaping for you.”He was not surprised when a bar of soap came firing at him.”

“Red Sox looked around Jane at the patient, “Your mind reading coming back?”“With her? Sometimes?”“Huh. You getting anything from anyone else?”“Nope.”Red Sox repositioned his hat. “Well, ah…let me know if you pick up shit from me, k? There are some things that I’d prefer to keep private, feel me?”“Roger that. Although I can’t help it sometimes.”“Which is why I’m going to take up thinking about baseball when you’re around.”“Thank fuck you’re not a Yankees fan.”“Don’t use the Y-word. We’re in mixed company.”

“As she shuffled back, he glanced down at the tent between his legs. Christ, that goddamn thing in there was huge; he looked like he had another arm in his pants.”

“Blay:Better than the full bifta. Especially because Qhuinn was beautiful to watch when he had sex. Just….beautitful.Back when Blay had tried to do the hetero thing, the two had tag-teamed a number of human females – not that he could have recalled any of the women’s faces, bodies, or names. It had always been about Qhuinn for him. Always.”

“Xhex:John, she said softty.He paused and looked over his shoulder toward the bed.I love you.”His handsome face tightened in pain, and he rubbed the middle of his chest, as if someone had fisted up his heart and squeezed it dead.And then he turned away. As she hit the confines of her prison…She was screaming at the top of her lungs.”

“It was the wife, John thought. And she was giving this tough guy a tongue-lashing. And the man was taking it."Okay. I love you. Bye." Tohrment flipped the phone closed and put it in his pocket. When he focused on John again, he clearly respected his wife enough not to roll his eyes and make some macho, shithead comment about pesky women.”

“V chuckled. "I had to do something to shut you up. Every damn time I've run into you since I grew it, you ask me if I've French-kissed a tailpipe."(Rhage)”

“Sister," he murmured, not as an inquiry, but a statement of fact. "Brother mine," she groaned... before her consciousness slipped from her grasp and she drifted away. But she would come back to him. One way or the other, she would not leave her twin ever again.”

“When he nodded, the physician disappeared into thin air, and then a moment later, Payne felt a warm palm encompass hers. It was Vishous's un-gloved hand against her own and the connection between them eased her in ways she couldn't name. Verily, she had lost her mother . . . but if she lived through this, she still had family. On this side.”

“The male's diamond eyes locked on Payne, and though she hadn't seen him in forever, she knew who he was. Sure as if she was staring at her own reflection. Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes for last she had known, he breathed no longer. "Vishous," she whispered desperately. "Oh, brother mine...”

“Ride?" Rhage snorted. "Please. That thing is a sewing machine with an air dam taped to it. My GTO could dust the fucker in fourth gear from a dead stop."When there was an odd sound from behind, John looked back. So did the three Brothers. "What." Xhex bristled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I can laugh, you know. And that's . . . pretty damn funny." Rhage beamed. "I knew I liked you.”

“At the last minute, she bobbed left so that he stabbed the wall she'd hit, trapping the blade in the Sheetrock. As he went to try to get the thing free, she whirled around and nailed him in the gut with her backup blade, springing a hole in his lower intestines. Meeting his shocked stare, she said, "What, like you didn't think I'd have a second knife? Fucking idiot.”

“Qhuinn's eyes shifted away from his buddy--and just happened to measure the distance down to the stone patio below. Hmm . . . doing a swan dive onto all that slate might just get the images of those two out of his head... of course, it would also turn his brain into scrambled eggs, but really, was that such a bad thing?”

“Then you would hold me up, wouldn't you." He traced over her features with his fingertips. And as he did, for some strange reason, he felt the arms of infinity wrapping around them both, holding them close... linking them forever. Yes, he mouthed. I would hold you up. I will ever hold you up and hold you dear, lover mine.”

“Indeed, the human mind appeared to suffer from a crippling need to fabricate in the absence of concrete proof.”

“You are so beautiful, he mouthed. But of course she couldn’t see his lips. Guess he was going to have to show her.”

“I would hold you up. I will ever hold you up and hold you dear, lover mine.”

“I miss you. I miss you so fucking bad it hurts, but I don't know how to find you even though you're right in front ofme.”

“The essential truth of life, he was coming to realize, wasn't romanticand took only two words to label: Shit. Happens.But the thing was, you kept going. You kept your friends and yourfamily and your mate as safe as you were able. And you kept fighting evenafter you were knocked down.”

“And it was because of their long history that he searched for something to say, something that would get them back to where they had been.All that came to him was...I miss you. I miss you so fucking bad it hurts, but I don't know how to find you even though you're right in front of me.”

“Layla brought her arms around herself, no doubt because she was remembering the feel of another, stronger set. "I have wanted to, but he holds back. I hope...I believe it is because he wishes to mate me properly first, in ceremony."Payne felt the awful weight of premonition. "Beware, sister. You are a gentle soul."Layla got to her feet, her smile now saddened. "Yes, I am. But I would rather my heart be broken than unopened and I know that one must ask if one is to receive.”

“Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they were right for each other. He'd read that book, seen the movie, bought the soundtrack, the DVD, the T-shirt, the mug, the bobble-head, and the insider's guide. He knew every reason they could have been lock and key.But just as he was aware of all that aligned them, he was even clearer on how they were damned to be ever apart.”

“In the silence, she felt the past and the present shift and mix, but that was a mirage. There was no way to comfort the lost boy he'd been back then. But she had the grown male.She had him right in her arms, and for a brief moment of whimsy, she imagined that she was never, ever going to let him go.”

“Some things are destined to be -- it just takes us a couple of triesto get there.”

“No, you've got it all wrong, John." Reading his emotions, she shook her head. "You're not half the male you could be because of what was done to you. You're twice what anyone else is because you survived.”

“You know, Qhuinn's an interesting character." Saxton reached out with an elegant hand and picked up his port. "He's one of my favorite cousins, actually. His nonconformity is admirable and he's survived things that would crush a lesser male. Don't know that being in love with him would be easy, however."Blay didn't go near that one. "So do you come here often?"Saxton laughed, his pale eyes glinting, "Not for discussion, huh.”

“The thread of will-they-or-won't-they was the real driver of every word and glance and shift of body.So...this was a date, Blay thought. A subtextual negotiation slipcovered in talk of books read and music enjoyed.”

“She wanted to say something smart and kind, put together some combination of words to reach him where he'd reached her with his. But the thing was, there was more courage in these revelations of his than she had ever shown anyone, and in a world that was full of taking and cruelty, he was fucking breaking her heart with what he was giving her.”

“I want you to know...that you can trust me."John locked eyes with her and was instantly transported to a different plane of existence. Mighta been heaven again. Who the fuck knew or cared. All he knew was that there was only her and him together, the rest of the world drifting away into fog.Was it possible to fall in love with someone twice, he wondered dimly.”

“She was staying. A little longer.V smiled to himself. So this was what winning the lottery felt like.”

“Butch nodded as if he knew exactly what was doing. "Like I said, my man, it's whatever. You and me? Same as always, no matter who you screw. Although… if you're into sheep, that would be tough. Don't know if I could handle that.”

“...the only thing that had tethered her to the earth had been him and it was strange, but she felt welded to him on some core level now. He had seen her at her absolute worst, at her weakest and most insane, and he hadn't looked away. He hadn't judged and he hadn't been burned.It was as if in the heat of her meltdown they had melted together.This was more than emotion. It was a matter of soul.”

“As his ears rang and his heart broke for her, he stayed strong against the gale force she let loose. After all, there was a reason why here and hear were seperated by so little and sounded one like the other. Bearing witness to her, he heard her and was there for her because that was all you could do during a fall apart.But God, it pained him to see how she suffered.”