J.R. Ward

“He nodded and curled over his paper, writing quickly. As his words took form on the white page, she got to watch him...and realized she never wanted him to go. She wanted him here beside her forever.”

“You never knew the last time you were seeing someone. You didn't know when the last argument happened, or the last time you had sex, or the last time you looked into their eyes and thanked God they were in your life.After they were gone?That was all you thought about.Day and night.”

“Or, God, maybe this was just life. For everyone on the planet. Maybe the Survivor's Club wasn't something you "earned," but simply what you were born into when you came out of your mother's womb. Your heartbeat put you on the roster and then the rest of it was just a question of vocabulary: the nouns and verbs used to describe the events that rocked your foundation and sent you flailing were not always the same as other people's, but the random cruelties of disease and accident, and the malicious focus of evil men and nasty deeds, and the heartbreak of loss with all its stinging whips and rattling chains... At the core, it was all the same.”

“In a quiet voice, he said, "How long's this been going on for you? With her."John took out a small pad he'd brought with him and wrote: Since the moment I first met her.After Rehv read the scribble, he frowned. "She feel the same way?"John did not drop his eyes as he shook his head. No sense hiding shit. Not with a symphath.Rehv nodded once. "That's so like her. Goddamn it...okay, let's do this.”

“The deadweight of his body,coupled with the aches, made him remember back to a time when he'd gotten colds or flus. Same feeling. Was it possible he was getting sick?Made him wonder if anyone had come up with a product like Dead-quil or some shit.Probably not.”

“I catch you without your ahstrux nohtrum 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.”

“From the shadows, the young heir to the throne came forward, his expression far older than his seven years. Wrath, son of Wrath, was, like Tohrment, the spitting image of his sire, but there the comparison between the two pairs ended. The regent king was sacred, not just to his parents, but to the race.This small male was the future, the leader to come...evidence that in spite of the affronts committed by the Lessening Society, the vampires would survive.And he was fearless. Whereas many a wee one had shrunk back behind a parent when facing a single Brother, the young Wrath stood his own, staring up at the males before him as if he knew, regardless of his tender age, that he would command the strong backs and fighting arms of those before him.”

“Saxton smelled really good and had a handshake that was firm. "You've grown up a lot."Blay found himself flushing as he took his hand back. "You're just the same." "Am I?" Those pearl eyes flashed. "Is that good or bad?" "Oh...good. I didn't mean---" "So tell me how you've been. Are you mated to some nice female your parents set you up with?"Blay's laugh was sharp and hard. "God, no. There's no one for me.”

“The male who'd just arrived laughed as he embraced Qhuinn. "You have such a way with words, cousin. I would say...trucker meets sailor crossed with a twelve-year-old.”

“When you were the son of evil, there was little you couldn't do, own, or kill, and yet her mortal self was an elusive trophy he could touch, but not put on his shelf.This made her rare. This made her precious.This made him...love her.”

“The truth was...he was in love with her. Totally over-the-line, no-going-back, not-even-dead-would-he-part kind of shit.”

“In the cave's innermost entryway, a band of four stood tall and thick, shouldered and heavily weaponed.Members of the Brotherhood.He knew this quartet by name: Ahgony, Throe, Murhder, Tohrture.”

“Being with Mary was different because...he wasn't the only one who wanted to make love to her.The beast wanted her, too. The beast wanted out so it could take her.”

“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.”

“Say the word. Say the word and I won't go.Say the word, Qhuinn. Do it and I'll spend the night with you.Better yet, why don't you just kiss me-”

“To be denied was like getting shut out of a Public Park.”

“V?" Butch said. "Don't leave, okay?""Never." V brushed Butch's hair back with a gesture so tender it was out of place coming from a male.”

“You are in a prison with no bars. I worry about you.”

“I didn't know it would be black," she murmured with a little smile.Horror flooded his face. "Oh, Christ!”

“I love you forever" didn't always need to be spoken to be understood.”

“When she didn't say anything more, he frowned, thinking this was the pair of them in a nutshell: Standing three feet away from each other and being separated by miles.”

“And if you ever put a gun in my face again, I will fuck you up no matter what my job is.”

“Fuckin' A... hope didn't so much spring eternal as it drowned out common sense and self-preservation.”

“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?”

“If sex were food, Rhage would haven been morbidly obese.”

“And I'll wash your other clothes. Shall I also order you a new set of leathers?""Don't-" Wrath shut his mouth. "Sure. That'd be great. And, ah, could you get me some boxers? Black? XXL?”

“The front door swung open, and Zsadist strode into the house. Wrath glared. "Nice of you to show up, Z. Busy tonight with the females?""How about you get off my dick?”

“As far as he was concerned, there were only two good positions for a human. A female on her back. And a male facedown not breathing.”

“Quick question. Does this magical skill with gray matter come with a total lack of compunction for your kind, or is it just you who were born without a conscience?V: I beg your pardon?”

“The front door flew open, and Mary shot out of the house, jumping off the porch, not even bothering with the steps to the ground. She ran over the frost-laden grass in her bare feet and threw herself at him, grabbing on to his neck with both arms. She held him so tightly his spine cracked.She was sobbing. Bawling. Crying so hard her whole body was shaking.He didn't ask any questions, just wrapped himself around her.I'm not okay," she said hoarsely between breaths. "Rhage...I'm not okay.”

“There was a heavy, dark pause of vast significance.Which Jim broke by flashing his hands and belting out, “Booga-wooga!”At least Eddie laughed. Adrian flipped Jim the bird and headed to the fridge for another beer.”

“Time keeps on... slippin'... slippin'... slippin' into the future.”

“After a moment, Wrath turned to John. "This is Lassiter, the fallen angel. One of the last times he was here on earth, there was a plague in central Europe-""Okay, that was so not my fault-""-which wiped out two-thirds of the human population.""I'd like to remind you that you don't like humans.""They smell bad when they're dead.""All you mortal types do.”

“But Tudor mansions on manicured grounds didn't look right with their grand front doors wide open to the night. It was like a debutante flashing her bra thanks to a wardrobe malfunction.”

“Wrath: What the hell are you supposed to ask?Rhage: I know! Who do you like the most? It's me right?Come on, you know it is. Come oooooonnnnn-Butch: If its you,, I'll kill myself.V: No, that just means she's blind.Rhage: It has to be me.V: She said she didn't like you at first.Rhage: Ah, but I won her over, which is more than anyone else can say about you, hot stuff.J.R.: I don't like anyone the bestWrath: Right answer.Rhage: She's just sparing all of you feelings. (grins, becoming impossibly handsome) She's so polite.J.R.: Next question?Rhage: Why do you like me the best?”

“And second, I don't think there's much of a market for your particular brand of psychology." "So not true.""Butch, you and I just beat the crap out of each other.""You started it. And actually, it would be perfect for Spike TV. UFC meets Oprah. God, I'm brilliant.""Keep telling yourself that.-Butch and V”

“Take off your coat.""Excuse me?""Take it off.""No.""I want it off.""Then I suggest you hold your breath. Won't affect me in the slightest, but at least the suffocation will help pass the time for you. [Vishous to Jane]”

“There aren't any syringes." Red Sox came over and held a sterile pack out. When she tried to take it from him, he kept a grip on the thing. "I know you'll use this wisely.""Wisely?" She snapped the syringe out of his hand. "No, I'm going to poke him in the eye with it. Because that's what they trained me to do in medical school.”

“You so need to lighten up about that potato-launcher incident," Butch said.Phury rolled his eyes and eased back in the banquette. "You broke my window.""Of course we did. V and I were aiming for it.""Twice.""Thus proving that he and I are outstanding marksmen.”

“Man" Rhage muttered, "someone hit this place with the Hallmark stick."Until it broke.”

“...When it was finished, the scaled dragon looked around and as the thing spotted V, a growl rippled up to the bleachers, then ended in a snort. "You finished, big guy?" Va called down. "FYI, goalpost over there would work righteous as a toothpick.”

“Tohr laughed softly. "Yeah, I'm not much for the emotive crap either-Ouch! Wellsie, what the he*l?”

“Funny thing about glass. When you broke the shit up, it got pissed and bit back.”

“If the Angels won, the entire Earth would be nothing but one giant Christmas frickin' morning, a choking wave of happiness and warmth and caring and sharing taking over everything.”

“The warrior (Zsadist) rolled his black eyes. "Come on, man. What does it matter to me? You, Tohr. Britney Spears.”

“That is one fine female, true?" V said.There was a low, affirmative grumble."And someone you do not want to mess with," the brother continued. "Man, you should have seen her when we came into that barn. She was standing over his body, ready to take the cop and me on with her bare hands if she had to. Like Wrath was her cub, you feel me?""Wonder if she has a sister?" Rhage asked.Phury laughed. "You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you ran into a female of worth.""This coming from you, Celibate?" But then Hollywood rubbed the stubble on his chin, as if considering the ways of the universe. "Ah, hell, Phury, you're probably right. Still, a male can dream.""He sure can," V murmured.”

“God, he even knew their names. Rhage. Phury. And that scary-ass Zsadist guy.Yeah, no Tom, Dick, and Harry names for the vampire types.But come on, could you actually imagine some lethal bloodsucker named Howard?Eugene?”

“She nodded, wondering why couldn't she have been named Mary. Or Sue.But no, she had to be nine-letter Elizabeth.”

“Perfect date material, she thought. A vampire with the social equivalent of road rage.---Beth about Wrath”

“With that, he looked over his shoulder. Blay's breath shot out of his lungs. "Oh... my God," he whispered.”