The Chosen (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #15)

by J.R. Ward

“What curse is this?” he demanded. “What curse…is this!”

Hharm is a complete AssHOLE

Trez’s mate, Selena, had gone unto the Fade mere months ago,

Eventually, V cursed. “I wish I knew what would help you, my brother. I mean, if you need a reassuring hug…I can probably pay someone to give you one.”

Trez Latimer felt a little like a god as he stared out of the glass wall of his second-floor office at his club.

Trez!

messy. Better to tolerate them than risk a species exposure by murdering them just to free up parking spaces, supermarket lines, and your Facebook feed.

intrusive episodes, and they were getting more frequent instead of less so—

I can’t keep going one more night, he thought. “Please…help me…”

Trez praying

Leaning his head back, he looked up at the low black ceiling and poured his broken heart into word. “I just want her back. I just…I only want Selena back. Please…if there’s anyone up there, help me. Return her to me. I don’t care what form she’s in…I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t live like this for one more fucking night.”

Trez's fervent prayer

In the glass, the reflection of a huge male figure standing right behind him made him spin around and go for the gun he kept tucked into the small of his back. But then he recognized who it was. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

V! Omg! I think I found it!

“Well?” he prompted. “What are you doing here, especially without a Tony Manero polyester special on?” Lassiter, the Fallen Angel, smiled in a way that didn’t include his strangely colored, pupil-less eyes;

Lassiter

“I want you to meet me for dinner tomorrow night.” Trez looked up. “What the hell for?”

Lassiter glanced over and shrugged. “Just dinner. Tomorrow night. Seven p.m.” “I don’t eat.” “I know.”

“Figure I’d begin with a bang. I mean, if you’re going to turn over a new leaf, you should start as you mean to go on.”

“Don’t bother denying it. I can see it in your face. And you’re right, I didn’t want you, I’ve never wanted you—and don’t get it twisted. I’m not jealous, I’m fucking disgusted. I’m in love with a male of worth and I had to be with you because I needed an incubator for my son and my daughter. That and the fact you threw yourself at me in your needing was the only reason I was ever with you.”

This is one of many scenes that made me hate Qhuinn

“Not when it comes down to this. Now get the fuck out of the way.” Blay blinked once. Twice. A third time. Funny, the ache in his chest made him wonder if Qhuinn hadn’t pulled the trigger and he’d somehow missed the discharge.

Yep. There is the 2nd reason I started wanting to beat the crap out of him

pregnant. I want her stripped of her rights to see my young, and I want her out of this house. Whether it’s because she’s been sentenced to death or because she’s been banished…that’s for you to decide.” Wrath’s cruel and aristocratic face cranked in the Brother’s direction. “Thank you for carving out my role in this, asshole. And if you’re talking banishment, right now it’s you I’m debating that over, not her.”

mahmen who had just departed, having lied to him all along. No, that was merely a nursemaid of some uncommon station.

The last thing he saw? The King’s massive fist flying in the direction of his jaw. Talk about fireworks, and then it was lights out, no one left at the inn for him, his legs falling from under him, his weight bowling-pin’ing it to the cave floor.

wasn’t his usual his jam,

Error

All at once, iAm went statue, everything about him going stock still.

iAm rose slowly to his feet, like maybe if he moved too fast, his head would explode. “Selena?” he whispered. Except this couldn’t be real…could it?

“Are you all right?” she asked. In a voice that sounded absolutely, positively, exactly, like his brother’s dead shellan.

Goddamn Lassiter. Dinner invite. Sal’s. WTF.

And yes, Trez was vaguely aware that her scent was unusual and pleasant, but that was nothing more than he’d notice if he walked by a bouquet of flowers.

Trez stumbled back until he slammed into the wall—and then he found himself lifting his arms as if to ward off blows. Through the crosshatch of his wrists, he took stock of the eyes, the lips, the nose…the hair…the throat and shoulders…the body… Selena… That was the last thing he remembered.

And that was when the ghost arrived. She came unto him through the wall of the cottage, stepping out of that which was solid as readily as one would still air.

Xcor

“Who is she?” Trez asked in a broken voice. “Where did she come from?” “It’s not Selena.” iAm got to his feet and paced around.

“She’s Selena—” “No, according to her résumé…” iAm ducked into his office, leaned over his desk, and picked up a single sheet of paper. “Her name is Therese, and she’s just moved to Caldwell. She’s looking for a waitress job as she puts down roots here.”

But a crazy attraction to a guy who couldn’t stay upright was not what she had come here for. A job.

There was no going back to where she’d come from. No returning to Michigan—

Thresea

Sometimes, though, for destiny to work, it had to make sure you were blind going into things. Otherwise, you would turn your wheel and hit your brakes…and avoid your fate like the plague.

And that was when she touched him.

Nope. As she fell on top of him…he put his arms around her and fucking kissed her.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I should have done that.” The male frowned and shook his head. “I mean, I shouldn’t have done that.”

She’d come to Caldwell in search of a fresh start, a new definition of herself…an escape from everything that had come before, all the lies and the deceit, the falsity.

natch, as V would say.

you. I would care to apprise you of a certain individual you would be wise to watch with care.” Wrath cocked an eyebrow over the rim of his wraparound. “Do tell.”

He couldn’t believe there was actually a flashing PSYCHIC sign in the window. Right next to the obligatory open palm sign that was up-lit. In purple.

Throe

“A psychic, though,” he muttered. “A human psychic.”

Right, this was the last time he took the counsel of a glymera sweetheart who had been drunk at the time. Without that female’s rather boozy advocacy for this so-called psychic,

Why would that drunken female know anything about reaching out to the Omega? Through a human portal, no less.

He went to put his hand on the panel and immediately frowned, taking it back and shaking the thing out. It had felt as though a slight electrical charge had gone into his palm.

The crash that came from across the space was loud enough to ring in his ears and leave him jumping out of his own skin.

At that very moment, the door he had come through slammed shut and appeared to lock itself.

Glancing over his shoulder, he was prepared for he knew not what. But something was in the room with him…and it was not of this world.

he could hear nothing but the drumming beat of his own heart. It seemed as though he was alone, but every instinct in him was telling him otherwise.

Nothing was moving in the space. Nothing…at all. By some trick…or he knew not what…the flames on the candles were utterly stationary, as if they were in a photograph,

Their heads were facing each other, and one was in the process of bringing a beer bottle to his mouth. They were not moving.

He thought back to what the female who had sent him here had told him. A psychic downtown. A witch. A human witch who had portals to the other side.

A scratching sound,