“I called Clay from the SUV."How'd it go at the paper?" he asked."She called me perky.""Ouch.”

“How'd you communicate?""Paper and pen. Amazing inventions. Anyway, once we were in Buffalo, I led him here. We couldn't figure out a way in and he got stressed and apparently that" -- she waved at him--- "is what happens when a werewolf gets stressed. By then, the garage door was open, some staff guy bringing in a car. He took one look at Derek and decided it was time for a new job”

“After a moment, he shook his head. “Quickly and mercifully is best. Clay? Go out and ask her into the alley.”Clay looked at Jeremy as if he’d just been told to dance the rumba on a public thoroughfare.I bit back a laugh. “Just walk over to her and point at the alley. Maybe say…I don’t know…something like ‘fifty bucks.’ ” I looked at Jeremy. “Does that sound right? Fifty?”His brows shot up. “Why are you asking me?”“I wasn’t—I just meant, as a general…” I threw up my hands. “How am I supposed to know how much a hooker costs?”“Your guess is as good as mine.”I sighed. “Fine, fifty bucks sounds good. It’s not like she knows what the going rate is anyway. Just saythat and nod at the alley. She’ll follow.”Clay continued to stare at us in silent horror.“Oh, for God’s sake, you’re ready to break her neck but you can’t—”“I’ll do it,” Jeremy said, then shot a look my way. “Not that I have any more experience soliciting prostitutes than Clay does.”“Never crossed my mind.”A mock glare, then he headed out.”

“About Daniel: Two, he hates Clay*Five, he really hates Clay.*Nine, he really, really, REALLY hates Clay.”

“I hear voices. A shout. A laugh. Clay's laugh. I strained to see through the night. Fog had rolled in from Lake Ontario, but I could hear him laughing. The concrete turned to grass. The fog wasn't from the lake, but from a pond. Our pond. I was at Stonehaven, bounding through the back acres. Clay was running ahead of me.”

“I called. Why wasn't anyone here?"- ElenaWe were here." Clay said. "Around, anyway. You should have left a message."I did. Two hours ago." - ElenaWell that explains it. I've been out, by the gate all day, waiting for you, and you know Jer never checks the machine."- ClaytonI didn't know how Clay had known I was coming back today when I hadn't left a message. Nor did I question why he'd spent the entire day waiting at the gate. Clay's behavior couldn't be measured by human standard's of normalcy... or by any standards of normalcy at all.Bitten”

“He looked at me. " I do know how to deal with demons, Savannah." "I know. Sorry.""So I get a hug?""No, but I won't smack you, and we'll call it even.”