Kristy Cunning Quotes

No one fucking tells me to behave and gets away with it. Besides Vance. That's only because he's the one who is actually supposed to make us behave, and he can sometimes kick my ass.

Why does him touching me always mess with my head? I liked it better when I thought he was gay.

Why do I feel bad about leaving him behind?

I liked it better when I just wanted to key his car to feel good.

He's like Anna. Once they're in your life, you just adapt to their creepy ways and start to find the weird charm in them. Damn him for making me miss her, and damn him for worming his way into the part of my mind that makes me worry about him.

"Are you going to be okay?" I ask when the knocking gets really obnoxious.

He groans.

"Only if you make her stop before I have to kill her and really piss Arion off."

With that, I remember Damien is also a monster, and I turn and head off with the assurance he's a big boy who can take care of himself, even when he looks sad, miserable, and a little lonely.

I stand so abruptly that Leiza startles.

"If Violet wants to find me, I'll be outside chopping wood," I tell her, causing her to choke back a sound that suspiciously resembles a smothered laugh.

When I eye her, she's the picture of seriousness, nodding once again. "Of course, Alpha," she says so graciously.

Tearing my shirt over my head, I toss it to the ground. Leiza's phone rings, and she puts it aside.

"A vampire is calling me. That can't be good," she says as she meets my eyes, almost asking for permission to answer Shera's call.

"They're trying to reach me. Not you. They can kiss my ass. I need a minute to deal with this."

"I thought you were tired and going to get some sleep," Leiza states, and then swallows down whatever else is on the tip of her tongue.

"I'm no longer tired," I point out dryly.

Another nod from Leiza, and I walk out shirtless to go chop some fucking wood for the fireplace Violet rarely ever uses.

There's an axe wedged into one of the piles of wood near the chopping block, making this simpler than expected, so I get to work.

Before I can even make one small pile, Damien is wheeling into the driveway, barely putting the brake on, before he hops out.

His eyes narrow on me, and then his brow furrows. It's when his lips start to twitch that I bristle, feeling a little too transparent.

"Didn't realize you'd gotten this pathetic

Sometimes I can't tell if I'm really dumb or just too damn stupid to live. Then I remember I can't die, so option number one it is.

I didn't expect to like her so much," she confesses. "She sneaks up on a person like that. I have the dazzle. She has the sneaky razzle.

Alas, a gypsy freak is born a monster, when a very elaborate promise is broken among very unnatural creatures.

The peanut gallery around me has stopped giving any commentary, so I have no idea what is going on.
- Violet

This could get a little hairy," I tell them in interruption.

Seriously, I don't want to know this secret. I've got too much other shit going on.

I grimace at the very questionable intestines that belong to some fabled creature that surely can't exist under the radar if all that fit inside it. "If you're a respawner instead of an unkillable being, get out of the kitchen and at least a mile from the house."

Mom assured me there's a five mile seclusion radius.

Damien starts speaking to me, almost as though he's too tired to deal with my tinkering right now. "Violet, that potion has to be fresh. There's no need-"
...
There's a loud, bubbling, sizzling noise that cracks through the air, and I drop to the floor, as a pulse shoots from the pot.

Damien yelps, as he and Emit are thrown into one wall, and Mom curses seconds before she and Arion are launched almost into each other, hitting opposing walls instead, when they manage to twist in the air to avoid touching.

Everyone crashes to the ground at almost the same time. Groans and grunts and coughs of pain all ring out in annoyed unison.

"I warned you," I call out, even as most of them narrow their eyes in my direction.

Damien shoots me a look of exasperation, and I shrug a shoulder.

"She did warn us," Mom grumbles as she remains lying on the floor, while everyone else pushes to their feet.

"No one fucks up a potion

Obviously, the first place I go is Sanctuary. The omegas scatter like flies as I stalk through the doors, pausing to inspect the fact one is hanging precariously to the side.

Bobo rounds the corner with a toolbox, smiling over at me before, he bows at the waist.

"What happened here?" I ask when he straightens from the weird bow.

He shrugs, and I remember he's fucking mute.

Right.

Guess I'll get answers elsewhere.

Leiza freezes when she rounds the corner and spots me.

"What happened to the front door?" I ask her.

She turns and darts inside a wall. Bloody hell. I'm not wearing an angry expression, am I?

I check the mirror, finding no major scare factor. I'm fucking devilishly good looking and my smile is positively charming.

Usually she's less skittish around me. At least in recent days.

Shera is coming down the stairs, but she oddly pales when she sees me.

What happened to front door?" I ask her.

I've never seen my beta run so fast.

"I'll let Violet tell you about it," she calls over her shoulder. "Gotta run, Boss."

Again, I check the mirror.

Good hair.

Perfect teeth.

Excellent outfit.

Not a fucking clue what's going on.

Typically, I enjoy instilling that sort of terror, but I'm still in trouble with Violet, and she doesn't like her Sanctuary members feeling sc

You lose when you take time to fall apart just when things are starting to unravel around you," I tell him in an almost muted tone. "You can eventually have your moment of weakness; you just have to be patient.

dead men tell no tales' thing is a total load of crap, by the way. Ghosts never shut the hell up, and it's hard to believe half the shit they say.

Her scream erupts as my words cut out, because the brake pedal of the van randomly slam on as if there's a phantom foot on it. My heart flutters in my chest as the van's back end skitters sideways in a stomach-churning sensation. With all my strength, I use my foot and try to pry the brake up from the floor, but it's no use.

Anna does that ridiculous thing where she flies out the window for no reason at all.

My eyes feel like they can't get any wider, and I have no idea if I'm clenching my teeth or if my jaw is slack. However, I definitely know my ass is clenched, as the van completely slings around twice, miraculously not flipping.

I can't get those orange cookies out of my head. I want to go beg her for more, but I'm terrified of what's going to come out of my mouth while I'm putting those in it,

I don't think it's healthy to have an argument about communication barriers on the date you've been manipulated into taking.

People are inherently loyal to their own opinion

He laughs under his breath, though I'm not sure what is so funny about that. Maybe it's evil laughter? There's no dramatic dom dom dom like Anna would provide in the background to steer me toward the appropriate conclusion in a time like this.

I really did grow entirely too reliant on her ghostly cues and tension breakers.

DO NOT FOLLOW ME. THIS VACATION SUCKS TOO HARD TO STAY. I'M GOING HOME TO RELAX. Sincerely, the SINGLE gypsy girl who can think for herself P.S. I'LL KEY YOUR FUCKING CARS if you come looking for me before I'm ready to deal with you again.

I take a seat behind my new desk for the first time since I've returned home.

"Shera doesn't really know my taste in decor as well as I'd hoped she would," I say as I look around, taking in my underwhelming office.

Isiah glares at the door when someone knocks.

"I've been trying to speak to you all day. You need to adjust the beta rankings on paper, because Shera was left in charge by the outdated documentation, regardless of your wishes for me to take control until your return."

"I heard you did quite well, even without the adequate authority," I state dismissively, peering into one of the drawers full of pencils. "Now why would I need a bunch of sharpened pencils?"

Shera walks in, shutting the door behind her when she grows tired of waiting for an invitation. "It was fun sharpening all of them, and that drawer looked empty."

When I open the next drawer, I find it also full of sharpened pencils.

I give her a wry look.

She shrugs unapologetically. "It was empty too."

"So you got me a desk full of pencils," I say with a roll of my eyes.

The sting of betrayal never burns any less, no matter how many centuries dwindle on.

Do you really want me to tell the girl you're not allowing her to get her art piece because you think I want in her knickers?" he asks like he's confused.

"Violet! Vance is having daddy issues and is trying to talk him out of giving you the stained glass!" Anna yells very loudly.

Vance's eyes widen. "I'm going to fucking kill you for fifty-three years, you stupid son of a b - " He stops, calming himself, because his grandmomma was a damn fine woman who'd punch him in the nuts for calling her that word…if she knew what it meant.

She always hated dogs. Especially female dogs.

A man without a dream is a man without a soul

Have you ever had to keep a part of yourself hidden? So hidden that you know there's never going to be any way to show someone else without them running away?

I remember a time when women fought over who got me. Not shove me at each other like I'm a piece of fucking leftover meatloaf. For fuck's sake, would some hair pulling be too much to ask?" I ask her seriously.

She looks like she's too confused to respond for a second, as a humored sort of horror lights her eyes.

"I've lived for too fucking long," I add as I huff and look away

Well, I may be terrible at some things, but creating destructive potions by mistake when trying to create something else happens to my specialty.

Violet is missing, and it seems Vance is as well," Damien says on a huff as he exits.

"Why the bloody hell would he leave with her directly after a wolf attack?" I ask as I start toward the door, finishing off my drink. "Without a word?"

"I'm not sure he left with her, so much as chased after her, since it looks like he found her note first," Damien says as he jogs down the stairs.

I have the paper snatched out of his hand before he realizes it's missing, and I flip it over, reading it.

DO NOT FOLLOW ME. THIS VACATION SUCKS TOO HARD TO STAY. I'M GOING HOME TO RELAX.

Sincerely,

the SINGLE gypsy girl who can think for herself

P.S. I'LL KEY YOUR FUCKING CARS if you come looking for me before I'm ready to deal with you again.

"Little rude to leave so soon, considering how hard I worked to find out where the hell you'd all gone," I point out before walking out the door.

I'm gone before they can further delay me.

"She put it in shouty caps!" Damien calls to my back, though I have no idea what the hell that's supposed to mean.

I end up leaning on my sword for a moment, after exerting almost the last of my energy to take down one of the weakest Vampyres. Must be nice to be a Van Helsing, who can carry on idle chit-chat, while fighting like it's a day job.

"I told you to feed more often - "

"I don't want to hear 'I told you so's' right now, you smug prat. I want you to kiss me," I tell him.

"I'll fucking die first," he assures me, quickly knocking the head off the Vampyre, who damn near crept up on me.

After Vance does some fancy sword skills, clearly showing off, five Vampyres lose their head, leaving only two.

I stick behind Vance, shamelessly using the sword-happy Van Helsing as a shield.

"Should we discuss the ghost fanning herself right now?" I ask, as Emily slides up next to us, moving with us toward the remaining Vampyres.

"Pssst," the ghost stage whispers. "The threat's over. You can be cool again."

I step out from behind Vance, adjust my jacket, and ignore the fucking ghost who thinks I have pride or something.

Says the Van Helsing to the stupid Frankenstein's monster, as she stares down the creepy stairs to the basement that looks to dead-end at a stone wall with fucking chains on it," I deadpan. "I'll pass.

From what I've gathered during the time I could stomach listening to your omegas exaggerate every good thing about you, Violet is going tonight to try to talk Arion into some deal with real peace between you two. It's cute how she thinks life is simply that simple. The omegas adore her just for trying to give it a shot."

He flicks an orange peel away after he licks it clean like he's the wolf.

"The only good part of all this is that I now know you'll never again get laid by those wolves, no matter how much they praise you to Violet. They've not just picked out a girlfriend; they've picked you out a mate."

I glare at him, and he just grins, never meeting my eyes.

"Too bad I'm way out ahead of you," he adds.

"I'd say Vance is winning, if this is a sprint instead of a marathon," I tell him, still not even sure if I actually want her or if I just want her long enough to piss them all off.

"Vance lucked into his moment and failed to follow-through with charming stalkery. She's leaving a window open for me at night now."

I roll my eyes as I start heading toward the omega wing.

My epiphany has been that none of you deserve me. You can look. You can fantasize. Like I've had to. Try to bring home a woman, and I'll make farting noises while wearing a dolphin costume and acting like I'm humping each of you. See how long you can hold an erection then.

I'd prefer to never witness that again, so a full weather report will be added to Shera's daily tasks," Arion chimes in, looking idly around the airplane. "On another note, so long as I learn to land a plane, I'll already be an exceptionally better pilot than Vance."

"Do you have any idea how damn fine of a job I just did?" Vance asks Arion with narrowed eyes.

Arion glances over at the smoking wreckage, quirking an eyebrow. "Not really, no," the vampire quips in a very genuine tone.

"Fuck's sake, Arion. It wasn't me who crashed the plane; it was the - fuck it. Never mind," Vance says, sighing in exasperation as he pulls out his phone. "I'll have someone come take care of this and pick us up.

I'd like to buy every rose in your store," I tell the woman who remains silent, as though she's stunned. "And if you have any apologetic balloons, I'll buy those too," I tell her as I scrub a hand over my face. "Better make it every single flower in your store. I have a lot more to apologize for than I can say with just roses. I don't want her as frigid with me as she is with Vance. Personally, I still think he's the bigger ass out of the two of us, but I still should apologize properly."

"I'm sorry?" she says.

"Yes. That's what I want every single card to say," I tell her.

"This is all very confusing," she says quietly, more to herself than me.

Staring at the partially eaten green apple in my hand, I tell her, "You have no idea."

- Damien

I'm guessing this elaborate kidnapping isn't to force me into that tea I rudely turned down a while back, is it?" I ask, my shaky tone betraying my will to sound calm and composed.

She flashes me a fanged smile, but the fangs recede so quickly that I almost worry I simply imagined it.

"You're awfully calm for a girl being abducted. This sort of thing happen to you very often?"

"It's usually the start of a bad day. In this case, it's just the exclamation mark to punctuate the bad day," I state evenly, getting my voice under control.

She moves, and I startle a little. I see her grinning from her profile like my fear is pleasing to her. I knew she was crazy.

Don't piss off a wolf with PMS. Duly noted.

Waking Vance from this trance is impossible. I've tried absolutely everything I can think of.

I even did a sexy crawl across the ground, pretending I was Catwoman the entire time, given my outrageous leather outfit. I meowed.

I meowed at Vancetto Van Helsing.

I'm really glad he didn't see that. It wouldn't be so embarrassing in front of Damien, but it'd be mortifying in front of Vance.

Forever is such a long time to bleed.

Damien was ready to die, until she came to town," Arion states quietly, glossing over Damien's interruption.

"Now I'd rather see all of you die so I can just enjoy her by myself for a while," Damien mutters like a petulant child, as he sniffs the baby's ass and wrinkles his nose. "I'm not tending to that. You brought him, Vampyre. He's your responsibility."

Arion sneers. "As if I know how to tend to a paper shit catcher. I've been underground. What was wrong with cloth diapers? The downside is the trash this era has created out of laziness and - "

"Why are you off on this tangent to begin with, Arion?

Anna returns from an impossible death right around the time when Idun rises, and we're just all going to ignore it. Cool. Makes sense," I finally state, since I'm the only one who seems to have a motherfucking problem with Anna being alive. Well, not dead. Well, not dead for the second time.

It's a screwed up situation when you can't spend your best friend's possible last day with her because she needs to borrow your body