“I heard you talking about the Night Angel,” she said. “Kylar Stern.”“Mmm.”“I want you to know something,” she whispered into his ear, making him shiver. What the hell was she saying? “Kylar’s my brother. He’s coming for me,you dirty fucker, and if I don’t kill you, he will.”

“I don’t know. I mean we haven’t talked about it. He literally left afterwards, and all he’s done since then is poke me with his pen.” “Probably because he wants to poke you with something else,” she said dryly”

“What do you want, Annika?" He dipped his head so his lips brushed her ear."Make me come." "God, Creed. Make me come.""Don't say it like it's an order. Ask for it.""No.""That's my Ani," he murmured. "Too proud to beg." "You get what you want when I get what I want.""Please. Please make me come.""Too late for begging," he said against her ear. "I want more now.""What do you want?""I want the truth," he said. "I want to hear you say you want me.""Creed." "Say it.""Can't.""Say it.""I want you," she blurted, unable to stop herself or the giant sob that followed.~Annika/Creed”

“What the hell was that?""Puma," he said. "Mountain lion.""I knew that was a lion." She stopped suddenly. "You didn't hurt him, did you?""Marcie, he wanted to eat you! Are you worried about his soul or something?""I just wanted him to go away," she said. "I didn't want him to go dead."-Marcie and Ian”

“Penryn? Who are you talking to?” My mother sounds almost frantic now.“Just my own personal demon, Mom. Don’t worry. He’s just a little weakling.”Weak or not, we both know he could have killed me if that’s what he wanted. I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing I was scared, though.“Oh.” She sounds calm suddenly, as if that explained everything. “Okay. Don’t underestimate them. And don’t make them promises you can’t keep.” I can tell by her fading voice as she says this that she’s reassured and walking away.The baffled look the angel shoots at the door makes me chuckle. He glances my way, giving me a you’re-weirder-than-your-mom look.”

“I should go," I said thickly. "Let me know when you want to start practice again. And thanks for...talking."I started to turn; then I heard him say abruptly, "No."I glanced back. "What?"He held my gaze, and something warm and wonderful and powerful shot between us."No," he repeated. "I told her no.""I..." I shut my mouth before my jaw hit the floor. "But...why? That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You could have had a baby. And she...she was, you know, into you..."The ghost of a smile flickered on his face. "Yes, she was. Is. And that's why I had to say no. I couldn't return that...couldn't give her what she wanted. Not when..." He took a few steps toward me. "Not when my heart is somewhere else.”