When He's Dark (The Olympus Pride #1)

by Suzanne Wright

“You’re admirably good at remaining calm.” Bree smiled. “I get that trait from my dad.” James snorted. “Your father, God rest his soul, didn’t remain calm. He acted calm and claimed to forgive the people who pissed him off. Then he did shit like shoot your asshole-ex in the ankle from his balcony.”

Elle shrugged. “When you’re a person who’s looked into the eyes of the Antichrist daily since you were a child, not a lot can rattle you.” James sighed at his niece. “Damian is not the Antichrist. And maybe you could be a little more loving toward your younger brother.” Elle gave him an impassive stare. “Evil does not respond to love. It knows only darkness.”

Pallas cats could never be described as stellar members of the shifter community, but wolverines? Well, they stole, lied, gambled, and started fights over pure bullshit. Why? Because they could.

“I would ask you not to give up on him yet. But if you feel that, in giving him time, you will be wasting your own, I understand. He has had chance to make right choice, and he has not.” Valentina sighed. “It is sad for a mother to realize she raised an idiot.”

“Have you no ethics at all?” “I have some. They sleep a lot.”

“They are happy.” “They are dysfunctional.” “And yet happy. That is good, no?” “When she does weird stuff like knock him out with chloroform occasionally because she thinks he breathes too loud, no.”

“Well, aren’t you just a breath of fresh judgmental air?”

“Okay, we need to make it clear right now how you should act when you feel like dishing out orders to me. Step one: Hesitate before you decide to throw your metaphorical dick around. Step two: Hesitate again, reminding yourself just how useless it would be to exert authority over me. Step three: repeat the first two steps at least once. If all else fails, go play Russian Roulette with a fully loaded pistol, because it’ll save me the trouble of shooting you in the face.”

He gave his head a little shake. “Why are we fighting?” “We’re not fighting. We’re arguing.” “How is that different?” “My claws are sheathed, and you’re not bleeding. But that can change fast.”

Everyone needed an escape sometimes. Some used drugs or alcohol. She used books, and anyone who thought that was childish could go fuck themselves with a Tiki torch.

“Don’t you get it yet? I don’t have a single interest in living a life that doesn’t have you in it.”