“We drove to the airport. On the way, Clay gave him "the lecture," including all the do's and don'ts of meeting the Alpha, which was only slightly more complicated than an audience with the queen. Don't sit until you're invited to. Don't talk unless he asks you a question. Don't eat before he does. Don't make direct eye contact. Jeremy demanded none of this, but that wasn't the point.”

“Xavier leaned forward. "Sarcasm aside, you don't need a guy like that, Elena. Maybe you think you do - only female werewolf and all that - but hell, I've seen what you can do - tied to a chair, up against a male werewolf. You can do that, you don't need some fucking psychopath like Clayton Danvers-"He stopped, noticing my gaze."He's standing right behind me, isn't he?" Xavier muttered."Uh-huh."Xaview tilted his head back, saw Clay, and disappeared. He reappeared on the opposite bench, pressed up against me. I looked over at him, eyebrow raised. He swore under his breath and teleported to the far end of the other bench. Then he stood and turned to Clay."You must be-""The fucking psychopath," Clay said."Er, right, but I meant that in the most respectful way. Believe me, I have the utmost regard for, uh...""Raging lunatics," I said.Xavier shot me a glare."Oh sit down," I said. "He didn't bring his chain saw.”

“That's my point, you dumb f-ing Mick. You're not just letting him poach on your turf--you're opening the gate and inviting him in...Why don't you just hand him a bouquet of roses and a box of f-ing condoms while you're at it, Jacko?""It's not like that," Jack said."No? Nadia is yours, and it's about time you had the balls to do something about it.”

“I don't forgive him," I said."Hell, no, you don't. And why should you? So he can feel better? Get on with his life? And what's he done to help you get on with yours?”

“At the time, it seemed to me that Jeremy was spending a lot of time with a piece of plastic pressed against his ear, talking to himself. Which was fine by me. We all have our eccentricities. Jeremy liked talking to plastic; I liked hunting and eating the rats that ventured into the motel room. Or, at least I did like hunting and eating the rats, until Jeremy caught me and promptly kiboshed that hobby. Some of us are less tolerant of eccentricities than others.”

“You want to keep looking?" I asked."Yeah, maybe.""I'll leave you to it, then." I started for the door."No." He said it quickly, and reached for my arm, but stopped before he touched me. "I mean, if you're tired, sure, but you don't have to."Derek doesn't want her to leave ♥”

“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.”