Rachel Caine

“Claire stretched out against the wall and kissed it. "Glad to see you, too," she whispered, and pressed her cheek against the smooth surface. It almost felt like it hugged her back."Dude, it's a house," Shane said from behind her. "Hug somebody who cares.”

“Hess laughed. "You know, I thought you were a mousy little thing when I first saw you, Claire, but you're not, are you? Not underneath."Oh, I am mousy," she said."All this scares the hell out of me. But I don't know what else to do, sir, except try.Even a mouse bites.”

“Boys. I'd turn gay if they weren't so sexy. ”

“Hannah leaned against the wall. 'Mind if I call shotgun?''Since you're carrying one? Feel free.”

“Rambo was a Green Beret," Hannah said. "Please. We eat those army boys for breakfast.”

“Did he just say--?""Yes," Claire said, smiling. "Yes, he did.""Whoa. Guess I'd better stay alive, then.”

“That's it? That's your big goodbye?" Eve asked.Claire looked at Eve mystified. "I think I need guy CliffNotes.""Guys aren't deep enough to need CliffNotes.""What were you waiting for, flowery poetry?" Shane snorted. "I hugged. I'm done.”

“Survival," I said softly. "It's selfish, and it's dark, and we've always been a species willing to do anything to satisfy our needs. Individuals have morals. Mobs have appetites.”

“I wrestled futilely, then relaxed as a vine wrapped three times around my throat and squeezed.Right," I choked out, and shut my eyes. "I'll wait here, then.”

“I'd blurted out the question only to keep him from noticing that I was working my hands free, but the Warden behind me, some young brown-haired surfer dude, yelled a warning. "She's getting loose!"Narc.”

“People talk about nature as a mother, but to me she's always been Medea, ready and willing to slaughter her children.”

“Claire was struggling through last summer’s diary volume when Myrnin popped in through the portal, wearing a big floppy black hat and a kind of crazy/stylish pimp coat that covered him from neck to ankles, black leather gloves, and a black and silver walking stick with a dragon’s head on it. And, on his lapel was a button that said, If you can read this, thank a teacher.”

“Don't diss me, Danvers. I'm warning you.''I'm not dissing you,' Claire sighed. 'I'm ignoring you. There's a difference. Dissing you implies I think you're actually important.”

“Sure,” she said, and hugged the laptop bag closer. “What could go wrong?”Michael’s eyes flashed to meet hers in the rearview mirror.Besides everything, I mean,” she said.”

“I don’t see a way in,” Eve whispered.Why are you whispering?” Myrnin whispered back. “Vampires can hear us, anyway.”

“Her hands brushed Shane's, and he let go of the cards and took hold.And then somehow she was in his lap, and he was kissing her. Hadn't meant to do that but...well. She couldn't exactly be sorry about it, because he tasted amazing, and his lips were so soft and his hands were so strong...He leaned back, eyes half shut, and he was smiling. Shane didn't smile all that much, and it always left her breathless and tingling. There was a secrecy about it like he only ever smiled at her, and it just felt... perfect. 'Claire, you're being careful right?' He smoothed hair back from her face. 'Seriously. You'd tell me if you got into trouble?''No trouble,' She lied, thinking about Monica's not-so veiled threats, and that glimpse of Shane's dad seated across from Oliver in the coffee shop.'No trouble at all.''Good.' He kissed her again, then moved down her jawline to her neck, and, wow neck nibbles took her breath away. She closed her eyes and buried her fingers in his warm hair, trying to tell him through every touch how much she liked this, like him, loved...Her eyes came open, fast. She did not just think about that.Shane’s warm hands moved up her sides, thumbs grazing the sides of her breasts again, and he traced his fingers across the thin skin of her collarbone...down to where the neck of her T-shirt stopped him. Teasing. Pulling it down an inch, then two.And then, maddeningly, he let go and leaned back, lips damp. He licked them, watching her, and then gave her that slow crazy, sexy smile again.'Go to bed' he said. 'Before I decide to come with.”

“And if you dont come back from the dorm, I'm the one who has to explain to Micheal how I let you go off and get yourself killed like a Dumbass. First rule in horror movies, Clair-Never split up!”

“Monica's eyes were fierce and fiery, but she didn't move, and after a second she turned and ran up the steps to the second floor, where her formally dressed friends were huddled like the cast of Survivor: Abercrombie & Fitch Island.”

“You shouldn't be afraid of me because I'm a vampire. You ought to be scared because you just trash-talked my girlfriend to her face.--Michael”

“This near enough? Whatcha gonna do, doll girl? Cry all over me?"Claire hid her eyes as the biker reached out for Eve with one tattooed hand.No," Eve said breathlessly. "I'm going to let my boyfriend beat the crap out of you."There was a dull thunk of wood meeting flesh, and a howl. Then another, much harder thunk, and a crash as a body hit the floor.The biker was down. Claire stared at him in disbelief, then looked past him, to the figure standing there with the field hockey stick in both hands.Michael Glass.”

“Oh -- who's the Queen?""Her, of course. The White Queen. You're just like Alice, you know. Down the rabbit hole with the Mad Hatter.”

“You're still here. No beer. I'm not corrupting a minor.""But you're a minor," she pointed out. "At least for beer.""Yeah, and by the way, how much does it suck that I'm an adult if I kill somebody, and I'm not if I want a beer?”

“Scoot over, man. I don't like you that much." "Dick. That's not what you said last night.""Bite me.”

“But that quickly faded, and he frowned. "You're bleeding," he said. "What happened?"Claire sighed and held up her wrist to show him the bandage. "Man, you would be so embarrassed if I said it was something else." Michael looked blank. "I'm a girl, Michael, it could have been all natural, you know. Tampons?”

“Perv."He pointed to himself. "Male and eighteen. What's your point?”

“Want to play baseball?’” she asked. Shane’s eyes opened, and he stopped stroking her hair. “What?’” “First base,’” she said. “You’re already there.’” “I’m not running the bases.’” “Well, you could at least steal second.’” “Jeez, Claire. I used to distract myself with sports stats at times like these, but now you’ve gone and ruined it.”

“Shane looked…pale. Pale and shaken and—how predictable was this?—pissed.”

“Okay, this was kissing. Serious kissing. Not just a kiss before moving out, not a good-bye, this was Hello, sexy, and wow, she’d never even suspected that it could feel this way.”

“Claire. Wake up.” She blinked and realized that her head was on Shane’s shoulder, and Michael was nowhere to be seen. Her first thought was, Oh my God, am I drooling? Her second was that she hadn’t realized she was so close to him, snuggled in. Her third was that although Michael’s part of the couch was empty, Shane hadn’t moved away. And he was watching her with warm, friendly eyes. Oh. Oh, wow, that was nice.”

“Damn, Claire. Warn a guy before you do a face-plant on the floor next time. I could have looked all heroic and caught you or something -Shane”

“Don't we look suspicious, the three of us just sitting here in the car?" Borden asked.We'd look a lot more suspicious if we were all three making out in the car," Jazz said. "What?" she added, when Borden turned and gave her a wide-eyed look.You have no idea what kind of happy place you just took me to."Shut up.”