Dare Me

When unknown demon hunters from a dark religious sect focus on killing Shade, Val’s ex-boyfriend and shadow demon, she has to bury her feelings of rejection and do her job as Paladin for the Demon Underground. But protecting Shade is more difficult than she ever imagined.

Shade is fighting his own internal demons as long-suppressed memories begin to surface. Lola, Val’s inner succubus, can barely suck, which leaves Val dangerously weak. Austin, Lola’s vamp of choice over Val’s objections, insists his job is to protect the Paladin regardless of Val’s opinion on the matter. Fang is distracted by the impending birth of his pups. Val is distracted by Austin and the tangle of feelings she has for two gorgeously irritating guys who couldn’t be more different.

When she learns the demon hunters’ shocking identities, Val will need all her allies ready, willing and able to help her fight. Even with luck, the cost of saving the world may be more than Val can bear to pay.

 

Reviews

“I love this series! I can’t help it. It’s so unique and fun and exciting! You know, I think Val, other than being what she is, is so human sometimes. She started out in the beginning of the series a girl, with a small knowledge that she has some demon in her blood. . . . It’s been an amazing ride so far and I can’t wait for so much more! . . .  This one was definitely an emotional ride for me. I was so mad, then sad, then excited, then worried. And now, I’m still a little shocked but I can’t wait for so much more! And seriously Austin is HAWT! Like I LURVE him 🙂 Damn, I’m on team Vamper, which is surely not my usual pick LOL But after getting a few sneak peaks into POVs from Val, Shade, and Austin, I can’t help it. Having those POVs has made things so much more intriguing! . . . Val deserves to be happy, even if she has to risk her life all the time for everyone else, so I sure do hope we get MORE MORE MORE, SOON SOON SOON! I love love this series and I cannot wait for another great ride! 5 EXCEPTIONALLY PHENOMENAL PAWS!” — Happy Tails and Tales

“If you haven’t checked out this series you should! It’s very good with lots of great action and characters. This is a great addition to the series and I can not wait to see what happens next. Dare Me is awesome!
I give it 5 BITES!” — Books with Bite

EXCERPT—Chapter One

I glanced up and down the dark, threatening road, lit only by an anemic flickering streetlight. “Why can you never find an evil bloodsucker when you really need one?” I muttered. Here I stood, female, a mere eighteen years old, alone but for a small dog in a scuzzy industrial area of San Antonio, looking like a prime victim. Why couldn’t I get any action?

Fang, the small dog in question, poked me in the leg with his nose. HEY, YOU’RE NOT EXACTLY HELPLESS WITH ME BY YOUR SIDE.

Yeah, but they don’t know that. Especially since we had the advantage of communicating telepathically. And I’m not exactly without skills myself.

Fang, part hellhound, part scruffy terrier mix, and all snark, snorted. YEAH, I KNOW. BUT VAL SHAPIRO WITHOUT MOJO IS KINDA LIKE . . . A REGULAR HUMAN.

As if I needed a reminder. A month and a half ago, on Christmas Eve, I’d had to use a spell in the Encyclopedia Magicka waaaay too many times to exorcise demons not only from my enemies, but friends and allies as well. Ever since, my own personal demon, Lola, had been weak and wimpy inside me. Hard to be part succubus when I couldn’t even . . . suck.

That was the disadvantage of using the spells in the encyclopedia. The more I used a spell, the stronger it became, making any other spells or magickal abilities harder to access. Weird balancing act, especially since I hadn’t been able to rebuild Lola’s strength yet. After all those spells, my succubus was only at about ten percent power.

AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT? my own Jiminy Cricket wannabe asked.

“Shade’s,” I muttered. Everything had been going along just fine until my supposed boyfriend, the totally hot shadow demon, turned cold and distant. No sucking any lusty male energy from him, not when he’d been in a mood since Christmas. And all I’d done was leave him with another succubus . . . because he asked me to. Men. I’d never understand them.

YOU COULD FEED ON AUSTIN, Fang suggested, waggling his eyebrows. HE’D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO BE YOUR STUDPUPPY.

Yeah, that was the problem. The hunky cowboy vamp was only too willing, and it kinda bothered me. Especially since I enjoyed it a tad too much myself. It felt like cheating on Shade.

SO, IF YOU WON’T FEED ON AUSTIN, AND YOU CAN’T FEED ON SHADE, HOW ARE YOU GONNA BUILD LOLA BACK UP?

Well, if an evil bloodsucker would just show up, I’d feed on him. No guilt there. I walked down the street a ways, hunching my shoulders, letting my eyes dart around as if I were scared there was a boogeyman around every corner. Hello, anyone there? Helpless victim here.

Fang helped, trotting along beside me, his tongue lolling out for all the world like he was a brainless toy. SO, WITH LOLA DOWN FOR THE COUNT AND YOUR STRENGTH AND SPEED GONE, JUST HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT ANY VAMPS WHO MIGHT SHOW UP? I MEAN, I’M GOOD, BUT I DO LIKE SOME BACKUP.

I have the amulet, I reminded him, fingering the crystal teardrop hanging on a chain inside my shirt. Dina, the power-hungry succubus who tried and failed to rule the Demon Underground, had used the amulet to enhance her succubus abilities many fold, even controlling men after they left her presence. With the crystal, I could enhance Lola’s abilities until I could get her back up to speed. I didn’t really want to use it, but I had no choice.

I’M NOT SO SURE IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO RELY ON THAT THING, Fang said. YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

I knew enough. I glared down at him. Would you rather leave, go check on Princess? I’m sure she’d love that. After all, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was heavily pregnant with Fang’s puppies.

Fang shuddered. GIMME A BREAK. I JUST ESCAPED FROM HER FOR A FEW HOURS. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT’S LIKE DEALING WITH A PREGNANT HELLHOUND?

I suppressed a grin. I had a pretty good idea. Princess was demanding at the best of times. Pregnant, she must be a real bitch—pun intended. Ah, poor Fang. You—

But I didn’t get to finish that thought as something big, strong, and incredibly fast slammed me up against a brick building. I felt a sharp pain as fangs pierced my neck. What? No foreplay?

Crap. I tried to fight back, but my strength was gone, and he had me pinned. And now that he was within Lola’s field, he was enjoying it waaaaay too much.

Fang clamped his jaws on the guy’s ankle, but he was wearing heavy boots, and Fang couldn’t get a grip. Fear surged through me, and I shoved Lola into the vamp, yelling, “Stop,” but Lola was too weak. It only made him pause for a moment.

He tried to control my mind, keep me quiet. Big mistake—his. That gave me access to his thoughts, and I realized what a cold killer Bruce here really was, how many defenseless people he’d murdered.

How could I stop him? The amulet! Concentrating, I called on it and tried harder. “Bruce, stop,” I commanded, trying to control my panic.

That did it. He froze, fangs still at my neck, then cursed and jerked away, swatting at his rear. No wonder. Fang had jumped up and clamped his jaws on Bruce’s butt.

“You can let go,” I told Fang. “I got him.”

YEAH, I KNOW. BUT HE PISSED ME OFF.

Fang gave one more shake then let go. The big bloodsucker stood there, awaiting my next order, my blood dripping from his fangs, and his blood dripping from his butt.

Anger surged through me, and I snatched a stake from my back waistband. Damn it, he’d almost killed me. I wanted to shove the pointy end through his heart but stopped myself. First, I’d drain every bit of energy I could out of him. I put my other hand on his chest and concentrated. Sinking Lola’s energy tendrils into his chakras, I let lust for my succubus fill him then tried to pull his energy into me.

It was like sucking molasses through a straw. Lola couldn’t draw hard enough, so I used the amulet to augment her puny strength. Oh, yeah, that was the ticket. The flow eased right up, and all that luscious energy surged into the empty wasteland my chakras had become. It was weirdly unsatisfying but more of a rush than usual. This could get addictive.

VAL, WATCH OUT, Fang yelled.

Another vamp was suddenly on me, yanking me away from Bruce.

“Leave him alone,” she yelled.

She? Oh, crap. Lola wouldn’t work on a woman. What weapons could I use on her?

Oh, yeah. Him.

“Stop her,” I told Bruce.

He tried, and if I hadn’t half drained him, he’d have had no problem. Instead, they were pretty evenly matched.

DON’T JUST STAND THERE, Fang said. STAKE THEM!

Yeah, I would, but they were moving too fast. If they’d just oblige by standing still for a moment . . .

Instead, their fight shoved them into me and knocked me off my feet. Crap. I hated being so helpless, without the strength I’d leaned on for so long.

Suddenly, a blur whizzed by me, yanking the stake out of my hand. Another vamp had joined the fray, staking first Bruce then the woman. I scrambled to my feet. What the heck . . . ?

I reached out to control him before he could turn on me, too.

I’d barely sunk my energy tentacles into him when he turned and winked at me from under his Stetson. “You don’t need to do that, darlin’.”

Austin. I should have known. I felt a pull from the amulet, urging me to yank the annoying cowboy under my control, but I ignored it. Instead, I said, “Oh, yeah? Dare me.” I yanked another stake out of my waistband and held it high in my fist.

He dropped his bloody stake by the vamps’ bodies. As it clattered on the pavement, he sauntered toward me, hooking his thumbs in the loops of his jeans. He raised an eyebrow and grinned at me, daring me in return to take him on.

WHAT’S THE MATTER, VAL? HE JUST HELPED YOU.

That was the problem. I didn’t want to be indebted to the sexy vampire, especially since he always seemed to be amused at my expense. When he was a couple of feet away, I said, “Stop right there. Have you been following me?”

He slowed. “Seems that way,” he drawled.

“Why?”

He moved closer, not at all afraid of me or my weapon.      “Because you need me.”

Yeah, right. “I’m Val Shapiro, the Slayer, the Demon Underground’s Paladin protector. Why would I need you?”

His gaze slid toward the bodies he’d staked then back to me, inviting me to make the connection myself. He didn’t have to say a word.

Crap. He was right. I dropped my arm and tucked the stake back in my waistband. “Okay, so I lost some of my mojo. I’m trying to get it back.”

He raised an eyebrow again, now even closer. “By getting yourself killed? What were you thinking?”

I was thinking I was bored out of my mind. My roommate, Gwen, recently turned vamp without her consent, had moved out of the townhouse to live with the good vamps in the New Blood Movement. Shade wasn’t talking to me, Micah was busy rebuilding the Demon Underground, and even Fang spent more time with Princess than me.

POOR BABY, Fang crooned in my mind. SHE’S LONELY.

Oh, shut up. Out loud, I said, “Well, Micah hasn’t really figured out how to use me yet, and I don’t have anything else to do. Why do you care?”

“Because we—the Movement and the Underground—need you.”

“So why have you appointed yourself my protector?”

“You need me. Until you’re better able to defend yourself.”

I touched the wound on my neck where the vamp had pierced my vein. It was still bleeding. That had been close. Too close. Maybe he was right. Damned if I’d admit it, though. “As soon as I’m at full strength, I’ll be able to defend myself just fine.” That snack on Bruce had only added a little to Lola’s tank.

Austin moved even closer and looked down at me with a slow, sexy smile. “I can help with that.”

Oh, jeez. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” I murmured, taking a step back. Unfortunately, that put my back up against the wall.

“Why not? You need to rebuild your succubus powers so you can be the Slayer again.” He placed his arms on both sides of my head and leaned into me, then licked my neck, slowly, sensuously.

Whoa. Sensations thrilled through me. Sensations I had no business feeling. Not with Austin. I jerked away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Using my saliva to stop the bleeding on your neck.” He grinned and tried to look innocent. “What did you think I was doing?”

I gulped then glared at him. “Trying to make me uncomfortable.”

TRYING? HECK, HE SUCCEEDED, Fang snarked.

Austin gazed down at me, his eyes hooded. “I’m here. I’m available. Use me, Val.”

I swallowed hard and tried not to show how uncomfortable I felt. “No. You enjoy it too much,” I snapped and shoved my hand into his chest to keep him at bay. Sharing lust with my boyfriend was okay, and making bloodthirsty killers drool over me so I could drain them of their sexual energy was only fair. But sharing lust with someone I didn’t date and didn’t stake . . . it just seemed wrong.

He backed off, and his expression went blank. “On the contrary. I don’t enjoy it at all.”

Huh? Lola plus male equaled lust. No exceptions to that equation. I let out a disbelieving snort.

He shrugged. “Oh, you can make my body enjoy it, but unless you’re controlling me, my mind is my own.”

Confused, I asked, “What does that mean?”

One side of his mouth quirked up. “My body might feel satisfied, but no real man enjoys . . . that . . . without pleasuring the woman who helped get him there.”

Whoa. The sudden visual made my eyes widen. Oh, crap. I was in waaaaay over my head.

NOW THERE’S AN UNDERSTATEMENT, Fang said with a chuckle.

Austin reached out and fingered a strand of my hair. “Let go, Val. Live a little. Let me show you—”

But I didn’t get to hear what he would have said, because my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and answered it, turning away slightly so I wouldn’t have to see his expression. “Hello?”

“Hi, Val, it’s Micah.”

“Hi, Micah,” I said, letting Austin know this was probably an important phone call. A phone call I had to take which meant I couldn’t possibly, thankfully, continue this disturbing conversation. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes,” he said, surprising me. “Someone broke into Shade’s apartment, looking for him.”

“Is Shade okay?” I asked.

Fang’s head popped up. PRINCESS? IS PRINCESS OKAY?

“And Princess?” I added.

“They’re both fine,” Micah said soothingly. “But Princess is a bit wound up. I need your help.”

“My help? Why?” Shade wasn’t much fun to be around lately, and neither was Princess. If they were both okay . . .

“Because you’re my Paladin,” Micah said. “Just come.”

Fang walked toward my motorcycle, shooting a harried glance back over his shoulder. COME ON, LET’S GO.

“All right, I’ll be there,” I told Micah and hung up. Without meeting Austin’s eyes, I said, “Micah needs me at Shade’s apartment.” As if he didn’t already know, with his super vampire hearing and all.

“So I gathered.”

I followed Fang, saying over my shoulder, “You don’t need to follow me. I can take care of this myself.”

“Sorry, Val,” Austin said, not sounding at all regretful. “You just proved you do need help. Until you get your mojo back, you’re stuck with me.” Austin sauntered after me.

“Then who will take care of the bodies?” I no longer worked for the Special Crimes Unit, so couldn’t call on one of their pickup units.

“I texted Alejandro while you were talking to Micah. He’s sending Luis to take care of them.”
Vampires texting . . . it just seemed wrong somehow.

Behind me, Austin drawled, “And now, if you’re all out of excuses . . . ?”

“Okay,” I said, not at all graciously. “I guess I can’t stop you. But don’t get in my way.”

“Wouldn’t think of it,” Austin said. Then deliberately added, “. . . darlin’.”

My back stiffened, and he chuckled. “But don’t think this conversation is over. We’ll take it up again when we’re alone.”

Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of.