“I’m not a violent man.”Joshua, Jerico and Evan choked dramatically and began coughing.Remy snorted. “And if you believe that, Saria, I’ve got a sinkhole I can sell you for farmland.”“You’re not helping my cause,” Drake complained.“Ignore them. I always do,” Saria advised.”

“Jesse, we can’t do this.” “Sure we can, honey. It’s the perfect night for it. You’re a woman, I’m aman. Those little twinkling things overhead are stars. I believe it’s referred to as romance.”

“I’m used to doing things my way, and Aidan is set in his medieval ways.”“What’s medieval?” Joshua wanted to know.“Ask Aidan. He’s good with answers,” she replied resentfully.“Medieval refers to the days of knight and ladies, Joshua. Alexandria thinks I would have made a great knight. They were men who served their homeland with honor and always recued and took care of their fair maidens.” Aidan drained the contents of a third glass of ruby liquid. “A fitting description, and quite a compliment. Thank you, Alexandria.”Stefan coughed behind his hand, and Marie hastily turned to look out the window.Alexandria found a reluctant smile curving her soft mouth. “That’s not all I could call you, but for now, we’ll leave it at medieval.”

“If you need to talk about your childhood, you’re safe with me. If you need to break into a million pieces, I’m right here, Lev. I’ll find them all, I’m good at details, and I’ll put you back together. You’re safe here.”

“I wasn’t going to argue with you. Why ever would you think that? I never argue."Lucian smiled at her. She was so small, it amazed him she was such a strong person. "Of course you do not argue. What was I thinking? Go to sleep, honey, and allow my poor body to rest.""I’m already asleep. You’re the one gabbing.”

“Do you see, Solange, that you are the only woman in my world? The one woman who can choose life or death for me. You are the center of my world and you always will be. When I tell you that your pleasure is mine, I mean that literally”

“I thought you were planning on talking him to death," Darius informed the golden bat dryly as he himself shape-shifted from a black bat to a feathered and much more powerful predator."Someone had to do something while you were playing with your rock patterns," Julian replied easily, allowing iridescent feathers to erupt along his own body, becoming a raptor more than able to keep up with his companion's aggressive flight.They began to fly side by side easily toward the forest where they had left Desari. "I could do no other than protect the man of my sister's choosing." Darius managed to make it sound as if his sister had a hole in her head.Julian snorted. "Protect me? I do not think so,old man. You were the one standing back in the shadows while I destroyed the beast.""I had to ensure you came to no harm through other traps and snares. You certainly wasted enough time with the undead," Darius replied softly.”