Catch Me

Find him and bring him back—no matter what the cost—before the vacuum of power pits vampire against vampire in a deadly showdown for supremacy with her boyfriend Austin’s immortal life at stake.

When she discovers that her ex Shade may have been “accidentally” responsible, Val Shapiro’s problems take on a whole new dimension and her loyalty to everyone in her life will be tested.

 

Reviews

“Once again, I really enjoy this series. It’s so much fun to read and to see the adventures that Val and her faithful hellhound get into. This series is so underplayed that it saddens me. I want more people to read and know this series! It’s so awesome that I don’t understand why it isn’t promoted more! It’s is such a great series that I simply can not stop raving about it. . . . If you love Richelle Mead (VA Series) or Jennifer Estep (Mythos Academy) you will definitely enjoy this series. Please give it a try!!” — Books with Bite

EXCERPT—Chapter One

Though the moonless night was already black as ink, I retreated farther into the deep shadows of a live oak outside my townhouse. My mouth went dry, my heart pounded, and my stomach churned as if a dozen vampires were cavorting about inside me. Yes, it was my most frightening outing yet—a date with Austin.

Beside me, Fang, my trusty hellhound, snorted. YOU’VE TAKEN ON DOZENS OF VAMPIRES, MAGE DEMONS, AND BLOOD DEMONS . . . AND YOU’RE AFRAID OF A DATE WITH THE GUY WHO WANTS TO BE YOUR BOYFRIEND?

I’m not afraid of him, I sent Fang telepathically.

THEN WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

Oh, maybe looking like a child to the vampire who was way over a hundred years old and sexy as hell. What did he see in me, an average-looking eighteen-year-old with virtually no experience in this kind of thing? I’d never really “dated” before, though I had two short-lived relationships—one with Dan Sullivan, a full human, and the other with Shade, the broody shadow demon. Neither had prepared me for a date with a sexy vamp.

After the fabulous Valentine’s Day flash mob he’d arranged for me with “zombies” dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” a couple of weeks ago, I’d promised to go out on a real date with him, and this was the first time we’d both been able to arrange it.

Unfortunately, Fang could read all my doubts and insecurities and would call me on every single one of them. I cringed, waiting for it.

YOU’RE NOT HALF BAD-LOOKING, Fang said.

Gee, thanks.

DON’T BE AN IDIOT. WHAT COULD HE POSSIBLY SEE IN YOU? WELL, MAYBE IT’S THE FACT THAT YOU’RE AN AWESOME SLAYER, OR MAYBE BECAUSE YOU’VE SAVED HIS BUTT AND COUNTLESS OTHER VAMP AND DEMON BUTTS IN SAN ANTONIO MANY TIMES IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS—NOT TO MENTION THAT OF UNSUSPECTING HUMANS. OR MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, HE’S HOT FOR YOUR INNER SUCCUBUS WHO MAKES HIS BUTT FEEL SO GOOOOOOD.

“That’s a lot of butts,” I murmured. But I had to admit my inner succubus—I called her Lola—liked Austin, too. A lot.

YOU DO GET THAT LOLA ISN’T A SEPARATE ENTITY? YOU ARE THE SUCCUBUS—THAT ONE-EIGHTH DEMON PART OF YOU ISN’T SOMETHING OR SOMEONE YOU CAN SEPARATE FROM YOUR HUMAN SELF, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU MIGHT WANT TO.

“How can I forget when you keep reminding me?” I muttered. Besides, I’d only wanted to get rid of Lola before I’d been kicked out of my home. Everyone else in my family—my mom, stepfather, and half-sister—was fully human, so I’d felt like a freak. But now that I’d discovered the Demon Underground, I didn’t feel so much freakish as I did . . . inexperienced.

WELL, Fang drawled. THERE’S ONE WAY TO GET THAT EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW.

Yeah, I know. I’m doing it, aren’t I?

IF YOU STOP HIDING—FROM YOURSELF AND HIM.

Austin drove up then, in one of the black luxury cars the San Antonio vein of vampires kept in their motor pool. He stepped out of the car, wearing jeans that snugged in all the right places, a black leather jacket, snakeskin boots, and his ever-present cowboy hat. My heart beat faster. What a hottie—and so out of my league it was ridiculous.

Fang nudged me with his nose. DON’T BE RIDICULOUS. YOU’RE VAL SHAPIRO, THE SLAYER, THE DEMON UNDERGROUND’S PALADIN ENFORCER. HE’S OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE.

Yeah, right. As if I could hide from Austin’s keen vampire vision anyway. His gaze found me in the depths of the shadows, and a slow, sexy smile widened his mouth. “Hello, darlin’.”

Would any girl not melt into a puddle right then and there? True to form, Lola surged front and center, her interest sharpening. As for me, I swallowed, trying to get some moisture in my mouth. “Hi,” I managed. Oh yeah, I am witty beyond belief.

He leaned against the car, waiting for me to come to him. “Shall we go?”

I took a deep breath and sauntered toward him, or tried to. Instead, I tripped over a root of the massive tree. Graceful, I was not.

I felt my face flame hot and wished I could rush back inside without looking like a fool.

TOO LATE, Fang jeered.

Sooooo helpful.

I put a fake smile on my face and managed to leave the darkness of the tree without stumbling again. I headed toward the car under the streetlight, and Austin moved around to the other side to open the door for me.

I hesitated before getting in.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, his face hidden in his hat’s shadow.

I glanced up at him anyway. “Where are we going? Am I dressed okay?”

I really didn’t have much in the way of clothing to choose from. Jeans, a shirt, and one of my many vests was pretty much my go-to uniform, and tonight was no different. I needed the vest to cover the stakes in my back waistband. Not to use on Austin, of course—he was one of the good bloodsuckers in the New Blood Movement—but after being a slayer for several years, I kind of felt naked without them. The rest of my vampire-hunting kit was in the backpack I carried like most girls carried a purse.

“Perfect,” Austin said, opening the car door wider.

Good, because I didn’t have anything suitable to wear to someplace fancy and didn’t know if anything like that was open this late at night anyway.

I slipped inside to let the luxurious leather seat cradle my butt, but it seemed weird to see Fang sitting on the sidewalk instead of jumping in beside me. “Where are we going?” I asked again.

Austin leaned his forearms on the roof and door to dip his head where he could see me. He gave me a slow grin. “Well, darlin’, there are these rogue vampires attacking tourists in Brackenridge Park—”

“Near the zoo?” That didn’t bode well.

“Yeah, and I thought maybe we could have ourselves a little fun chasing them down.”

Relief coursed through me, and I relaxed. Grinning back at him, I said, “Sounds great.”

Austin glanced over at Fang, who looked as though he was an eager, tightly-coiled spring about to boing loose. “You wanna come?”

DAMN BETCHA, Fang said, though Austin couldn’t hear him. He leaped into the car, jumped over my lap, then bounded into the back seat. LET’S GO!

“That’s a yes,” I told Austin with a laugh.

As Austin went around to get into the driver’s side, Fang exclaimed, WOW. FIRST DATE, AND HE’S TAKING YOU OUT TO HUNT EVIL VAMPIRES WITH YOUR HELLHOUND. DOES HE GET YOU OR WHAT?

He gets me, I confirmed, smiling.