The Vampire Shadower Series

First published: 2013

Republished: April 2024

     Kinsley Preston's seemingly perfect life shatters when she inherits the mysterious 'Book of Protection' after a series of harrowing events. Suddenly, the reality of vampires and shapeshifters isn't just fantasy; it's her new normal.

Thrust into a hidden world that challenges everything she knows, Kinsley grapples with a legacy steeped in blood, secrets, and tragedy. With her fabulous best friend Rachel, her crazy Aunt Marie, and the gorgeous college professor next door drawing her deeper into this shadowy world, Kinsley must navigate a path filled with danger and heartache.

As she confronts a destiny that intertwines her past, present, and future, one thing becomes clear: her life will never be the same. 

CHAPTER ONE

     The University of Washington campus is beautiful in the daylight and downright creepy at almost midnight.  

Shelly Wright walked briskly from the library to her dorm room, mentally cursing herself for ending up alone and walking. She also cursed herself for being scared. She was on a safe campus, it wasn’t like someone was going to attack her. 

     There was no sound as the man moved from the shadows and stalked Shelly. If he didn’t want her to see him, she wouldn’t. This time he wanted her to see him. To feel and fear him.  It increased his fun to hear their hearts beat faster, feel their blood pump rapidly, and taste their fear. That was what he really wanted: the taste of her fear.  

     He moved quickly. Anyone watching Shelly would have thought she just disappeared. He pulled her into the shadows, fisting his hand into her dark brown hair, ripping her head back. Resting the knife at the carotid artery on the side of her neck, he put his nose into her hair and breathed in her essence.  

     “Don’t make a sound.” His menacing voice echoed in her skull.  He dragged the knife lightly across Shelly’s throat and the thin line of blood looked black in the shadows. The cut was deep enough to escalate her fear and cause her to whimper.  Closing his eyes, he relied on thousands of years of evolution to take over. His tongue snaked out to lick away the blood and the small slice instantly healed, leaving behind only a welt-like mark.  He decided to show her exactly what he was capable of. Exactly what he was.   
  It took over an hour for Shelly to die. She never did make any noises above the terrified pleading sounds he loved to hear. Her bloodless corpse would be found propped against one of the many trees that dotted the UW campus, her naked body entirely covered in welt-like burn marks.  The first mark on her throat would never be seen because most of her neck was now missing. It would also be blamed for her death by bleed-out.  Seattle didn’t know that Death had come to the Emerald City. But soon His wrath would be known to all.  Seconds from the end, Shelly’s pale lips had tried in vain to mouth the impossible word.  “Vampire.”  

CHAPTER TWO  
   It was my 21st birthday. Hot damn! I was celebrating at Seattle’s newest nightclub, Screamers. Aptly named, the place was kind of Goth meets Grunge meets Seattle Preppies. I know, sounds strange. However, it seemed to be popular. Screamers had only been open for a month, and on a Wednesday night in May, the place was packed. 

      I was with my best friend, Rachel, my parents, and my aunt. My parents and aunt had driven in from our hometown of Paradise. Yes, I said Paradise. Forty-two miles north of Spokane. Population 2,471.  My parents own a small farmhouse that has been passed down in my dad’s family. My mom is a seventh grade teacher and my dad runs a consulting company from home. I don’t actually know what he does. How there is even a thriving consulting business in Paradise is beyond me. Dad says he gets a lot of out of town business from cities in the Pacific Northwest. People have certain problems and he helps solve them. He wants me to work with him this summer and learn the business. I don’t have any desire to move back to Paradise. That place is not exactly my idea of a paradise.  Rachel grew up there, too. She’s going to be a lawyer and I’m going to be a teacher.  I watched my mom sip her soda and my dad order a shot to do with me. I don’t know why they stay in Paradise. They don’t fit in with anyone in that town.  Their only real friend is my Aunt Marie. She’s not really my aunt, though. She’s my mom’s best friend who has always lived with us. 

     She’s somewhere around my parents’ age of forty, doesn’t look a day over eighteen, and is completely, totally, insane. No, really. I’ve seen the court documents that declare her legally incapacitated.  She was at the bar with my parents because they can’t leave her alone. You never know what kind of trouble Marie will get into. She was currently doing a little bump and grind on the dance floor with a couple of college guys I secretly think would have kidnapped her if my dad hadn’t been watching so closely. They had Aunt Marie sandwiched between them and I was afraid I was going to have nightmares for a month.  

     “Come on, Kinsley, let’s have our traditional birthday shot!” I could barely hear my dad over the noise.  I stepped to the bar and eyed the shots. There were eight. 

     “I can’t drink all of these, Dad. Where did they come from?”  

     “All the gentlemen at the bar bought them when I mentioned you were single,” Dad said.  My mom winked at me.  “I figure you can do four and Marie can do four.” Dad laughed. “Pick your poison.”  

     Marie has super hearing. She floated up to the bar. “Did I hear something about shots?” She knocked back each one with barely a breath in between.  

     The bar was so caught up in chanting and cheering, they didn’t see Rachel take two of my shots for me.  I did pretty well for the rest of the night. I kept a soda in my hand and sipped at it. Even though I like to drink, I really don’t like to get drunk. When I drink too much I have these bizarre dreams about people dying.  

     I knew we’d be going back to our room soon and Mom, Dad, and Marie would be going back to their hotel. Mom wanted me to stay with them, but I couldn’t.  Rachel and I still live in the dorms because we’re resident advisors. We monitor floors, mentor students, and keep order in our section. It’s a new thing the university is trying.  

     Mom and Dad are so overprotective. Mom says it’s because I don’t know how dangerous the rest of the world can be. She didn’t even want me to go to college. She wanted me to stay with her and get a job as a para-educator at the school. Dad finally convinced her I needed to go out on my own and that I would be safe.  In the beginning, Mom wanted to see me every weekend possible. Since I’d made it two whole years without being attacked in the ‘big city’, we were down to once a month visits. Because of Rachel’s and my job in the dorm, they had to drive to Seattle to see us. I don’t know where my parents came up with the money for gas and hotels. Apparently Dad’s consulting business was going better than I ever gave him credit for. I knew Mom’s teaching salary wasn’t supporting their ‘smother our daughter’ campaign.  

     We left Screamers at almost two in the morning. Mom, Dad, and Marie had to get back home the next day. They would be back in two and a half weeks to help Rachel and me move our belongings home for the summer.  Not only did Mom and Dad need to get some sleep before their drive back, Rachel and I had classes in a few hours. It was going to be a long rest of the week; all two days of it. We also had finals coming up.  Rachel and I said our goodbyes and took a cab back to campus.  Pulling up to our dorm, we noticed several police cars and crowds of people.  

     As we got closer, we overheard comments like:  “Did you see her body?”  “It’s crazy! Her throat is missing but there’s no blood.”  “My roommate saw it; she said it was awful!”  “This is so awesome! Wait till I call my parents. They’re gonna freak!”  

     The police were asking people to return to their rooms and Rachel and I joined in and ushered a group of pajama-clad girls back to the dorms.  At four in the morning, the ASB and University Presidents issued the protocol for the remainder of the school year. No one was to go anywhere alone, there was a strict curfew to be in rooms by midnight, and everyone with a cell phone and defense spray needed to have it on their person at all times. 

     Someone had been murdered on the UW campus. 

Published: May 2024

     When Kinsley Preston is thrust into the supernatural world as a Vampire Shadower, she's handed a personal mission: rescue her kidnapped aunt from the clutches of a malevolent vampire.

This quest not only requires Kinsley to harness her newfound powers but also to navigate the complexities of her connection with the dangerously charming Beckford Alexander, deepening her understanding of what it truly means to bond with him as she ventures further into the shadows.

Navigating a labyrinth of loyalties among vampires, shapeshifters, and humans, Kinsley finds herself at the heart of a fragile alliance. Her unique powers as a Shadower, balancing on the edge of human and vampire worlds, are the only hope to maintain this uneasy peace.

Yet, with each step, she uncovers unsettling truths and the real cost of her power. The stakes are more than survival; they're about finding her place in a world where she is not fully human.

However, one thing is sure: evil should beware of Kinsley Preston, Vampire Shadower.

CHAPTER ONE

     When I die, I hope I can stand on my own two feet, staring down whatever monster is about to kill me.

     I know, kind of dramatic. When did I become a drama queen?

If I were normal, I'd picture my death at one-hundred-something with my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, maybe even great-great-grandchildren, hovering around me. Unfortunately, I'm not normal so I don't plan to die an old lady in my bed.

     None of that is in my future.

     When I found out I was a Shadower, my life changed forever. When your destiny is to protect good vampires and destroy evil vampires, you don't get to have the white picket fence and raise the two-point-five kids. You die killing a monster.

     When I die, I hope I can be as brave as my parents. As brave as my Aunt Marie.

     Because just like them, I know I'm going to die.

CHAPTER TWO 

     "Who really thought it was a good idea to name a town Ecstasy?"

     Raven stood gazing over the Pacific Ocean, her short black and hot pink hair moving like Medusa's in the coastal wind. The sun was coming up, giving the water a silver tint. The late September breeze was cool off the water and gave me goosebumps.

     "I think it's kinda cute," said my best friend with a smile. That was Rachel, the eternal optimist. Her long blonde hair was braided and tucked under a wide-brimmed, white hat. "Of course, it could have been a group of perverts," she added with a laugh. Eternal optimist with a twisted sense of humor.

     "No, really," Raven persisted. "What group of founding forefathers thought it would be a good idea to name their town Ecstasy?"

     Electricity seemed to move from the bottoms of my feet to the top of my head. I stood for a moment and absorbed the current, realizing what it meant.

     "No," I said slowly. "A cadre of vampires named the town."

Raven narrowed her eyes.

     Rachel jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "I knew it! I knew Marie would be here!"

     "Just because I can feel the electricity I think indicates vampires doesn't mean Marie is here with Isaac."

     "Sure it does," Rachel said with a shrug. "Since you're a Shadower, you can feel when a vampire is near."

      "Well," I said, "I think I can tell. It would have been nice to be trained for real." My parents were supposed to train me, but they were killed. I have a legacy to carry on and I don't even know what it entails or if I want to.

     "Can you feel Marie or Isaac?" Raven asked.

     Thinking of Aunt Marie with that evil vampire made my skin crawl. Having been his captive for four days and seeing the scars he'd given Marie the last time he'd held her captive, I didn't even want to think about what could be happening to her.

     I shook my head.

     Raven growled. Sometimes I forgot she was a cougar since she spent most of her time in human form being my friend and bodyguard.

     "I hate being a plain ol' human," Rachel said. "I could be more helpful if I had superpowers like you two."

     Lately, I wished I was just a plain ol' human, too.

     "When Scott wakes up from his pain pill nap, he might call Beck and Nathaniel," I warned the girls.

     Scott used to work with my parents killing vampires. He's just a regular human, too. Beck and Nathaniel are my non-human friends, bodyguards, and who knows what else. In only a few months, my life had become quite complicated. My twenty-first birthday brought huge changes. Not only did I learn about the existence of vampires and shape shifters, I learned many of the things we see on TV and read in books aren't true. Ha! That's funny. Of course it's not true. Not many people know vampires are even real. Needless to say, my vampire education from movies was pretty much worthless.

     Beck is a vampire, college professor, and the hottest guy I've ever met. Well, one of the hottest guys. There's also Scott. Hence, my moral dilemma.

     I realized yesterday I think I'm in love with both men. Maybe not in love, in love. I'm not sure I know what it means to be in love with someone. But I knew I was willing to lay down my life for both men and they were willing to do the same for me. That's got to be some form of love, right?

     Yes, I really want to find Marie because her kidnapper is a sick vampire son of a bitch. But I also had to get out of Seattle and away from the magnetic pull of both Beck and Scott. I felt like a floozy because I wanted both guys. What was wrong with me?

     This is how I had become a drama queen.

     "Hell-o, Kinsley!" Rachel's voice broke through my tumbling thoughts. "You're blushing. What were you thinking about?"

I think her comment made me blush more because she laughed.

"Scott won't call Beck unless he has to," Rachel said, fighting a smile, reminding me what had started my thoughts.

     Rachel was right; Scott and Beck didn't like each other. Okay, that was an understatement. They hated each other. Yet, I needed both their expertise and had to find a way to make them play nice together. Of course, getting them in the same room without bloodshed was my first goal. It helped they were trying to work on it themselves. It only took me being kidnapped and almost drained of all my blood.

     "We need to find the house," Raven said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. Technically, she worked for Beck. She was probably worried about the ramifications of letting Rachel and me talk her into skipping town to go halfway down the Oregon Coast without telling anyone what we were doing.

Marie had been with Isaac for almost four days, and I needed to find her. Beck and Scott could be as angry as they wanted; Marie was my priority.

     "She didn't write the address down. We're going to have to wait for city hall to open so we can get the records." Now Rachel sounded annoyed. Apparently, six straight hours in a car throughout the night had taken its toll on all of us.

Rachel was fairly sure she knew where Isaac had taken Marie. About eighty years ago, he had bought her a house on the Oregon Coast. We thought we had the key, we just didn't know exactly where the house was.

     "Let's get a hotel room, coffee, and showers. By that time, City Hall should be open. I don't care how small a town is, it should be open by eight." That's me: the reasonable, logical one.

     Rachel and Raven's eyes both lit up at the word coffee. It was a little after five and that gave us plenty of time to become human.

     Human. That was kind of funny.

     I was glad I still had a sense of humor.

     We piled back in the car and pulled away from the lookout. A few miles later we passed a faded wooden sign.

WELCOME TO ECSTASY, OREGON. WHERE THE DAY MEETS THE NIGHT.

POP. 1042

     "'Where The Day Meets The Night'? What the hell does that mean?" Raven asked.

     Rachel and I shrugged.

     We crested a small hill and Ecstasy came into view. It resembled a picture-perfect fishing village. Boats were moored at docks, and we could see people scurrying around, pulling lines, and setting out into the open ocean. Other boats were just specks on the horizon, already out starting their day. The houses were all Victorian era with fresh paint, white picket fences, manicured lawns, and trees lining the sidewalks.

     "Is it creepy, or is it just me?" Rachel asked, poking her head between our seats with a look of disgust.

     "Creepy?" Raven said. "I don't think it's creepy. I think it's cute."

     Rachel and I looked at her with raised eyebrows. This was the woman who didn't like small towns because she either needed to be in the middle of a city or hiking in the mountains.

     "You think it's cute?" I asked in disbelief.

     Raven ignored me, pulling the car over in front of a particularly gingerbread-looking house with a Bed and Breakfast sign.

     "I've always wanted to stay in a Bed and Breakfast!"

     "Now you're just scaring us," I said.

     "I was expecting some run-down ghost town," Raven said. "This place is beautiful! I know we're here for a serious reason, but I'm glad we don't have to sleep in the car and worry about being attacked by vampires."

     I kind of understood her relief. I hadn't been sure what to expect of Ecstasy, either. But I still thought she was acting weird.

I was getting ready to say just that when power flowed over my skin. It was stronger than the usual electricity feeling. I looked at my arms and saw my hairs standing on end.

     "Ooh! There's another Bed and Breakfast across the street! Which one do we pick?" Rachel bounced in the back seat.

     They left the car, each going to different inns.

     "Hey! Wait! Where are you guys going?" I yelled at their backs.

     Neither one answered as they went into the buildings.

     The car was still running and their doors were open.

     What the hell?

     Knowing Raven could take care of herself, I took the keys from the ignition, then closed and locked the doors. I jogged across the street to the inn Rachel had disappeared into.

     As soon as I touched the screen door handle, electricity shot through my arm and threw me backward onto the porch. I landed with a whoosh of air from my lungs, pain radiating up my spine.

     From the doorway, an old woman who looked something like the witch from Snow White smiled at me. Then she slammed the door.

     "Hey," I yelled, climbing to my feet. "Open the door!"

     Through the window, I saw the little old lady standing with her hands on Rachel's shoulders. In a split second, she was leaning in to kiss her! Before I could pound on the door again, Rachel leaned in to meet the old woman′s lips.

     "Screw this," I said.

     I ripped the screen door off its hinges and tossed it into the yard. I placed my hands above and below the doorknob of the main door and shoved. Wood splintered as my Shadower strength ripped the door open.

     A shimmer of iridescent rainbow covered the old woman as her white hair turned chocolate brown, her skin tightened as if from invisible Botox. What was once old had become new again as Rachel crumpled to the floor.

     The beautiful woman turned to me. "Ahh, Shadower. I could feed from you for days."

     "What?" I asked, blinking as my brain tried to catch up.

     The woman glided toward me, rainbow shimmer in her wake. I backed up until my butt bumped the broken door.

     What had I gotten us into now? I glanced at Rachel′s still form on the floor. I couldn't tell if she was breathing.

     A popping sound startled me for a moment. I'd only heard that sound once before. A flash of light gave only the briefest warning before the sudden and dramatic arrival of Beck. Damn it.

     "Lilith!" he yelled, stepping between the woman and me.

     "Oh, Beckford." She ran a finger down Beck's cheek and jealousy reared its ugly head in my gut.

     "You know this. . . this thing?" I asked.

     Lilith, if that was her name, hissed and swiped her hand at my face. I only had a moment to register her fingernails were longer than normal before pain knifed my cheek. I raised a hand to my face, wiping blood.

     Beck's nostrils flared and he grabbed the woman by the neck. He flew her back until she slammed against the far wall, still held in his grip.

     She laughed, a rich sound that had me stepping toward her. I shook my head to clear it.

     "Still like it rough, I see," she purred.

     "Enough," Beck said, his power filling the room.

     "They came to me, Beckford. You know I demand payment. I'll take you or the Shadower. You can have your human and cat back."

     I looked across the street to the Bed and Breakfast Raven had entered. Had the same thing happened to her?

     "You will not touch my Shadower."

      "That's how it is, hmm?" Lilith asked. She didn't seem worried she was pinned to the wall by a pissed off vampire. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying it. When her legs wrapped around Beck's waist, I stepped forward.

     "Stop, Kinsley," he said.

     Wait? He was telling me to stop and not the psycho slut who had her legs wrapped around him?

     "What?" I asked, truly perplexed now.

     "You brought Rachel and Raven to the House of Lilith. Now the price must be paid." He closed his eyes and lowered his head, dark hair brushing his shoulders.

     "What does that mean?"

     Lilith laughed, a sexy melodic sound that crawled across my skin and made me shiver. What was she?

      "Allow me to transport the women away, then I will come to pay the toll."

     "Oh, no no, Beckford. You might not come back. I've waited centuries to taste you again. I'm assuming I get you. You don't want me to touch your Shadower." She glared at me.

     My cheek pulsed and throbbed, and I was thankful for my healing Shadower ability. I was debating if it was worth it to attack Lilith. Probably should wait until I knew what I was up against.

     "What are you?" I asked.

     "Kinsley," Beck warned.

     Lilith removed her legs from Beck, pulling herself from his grip without a struggle. She was on me before I knew what was happening. One minute I was standing, and the next I was on the floor covered by Lilith's body.

     Her silky hair sent erotic waves of pleasure over my neck and down my body. I moaned as the pulses made me feel things I'd never felt before. I arched into her, rubbing my breasts against hers.

     Wait!

     I closed my eyes and said through gritted teeth, "What the hell are you?"

     Lilith made a sound I couldn't distinguish. I opened one eye to see her face scrunched in pain as Beck tried to pry her from me.

Lilith shrugged from Beck's hands, pushing herself against my thighs. I moaned again.

     "I, my dear Shadower, am Queen of the Succubi."

     Then she kissed me.

     Beck growled and ripped Lilith away, throwing her against the wall. Pictures fell to the floor in a shower of broken glass.

     "I tire of playing games! Give me the Shadower or I get you!" She strode from the room, uninjured.

     I lay on the floor in shock. Dear lord. A succubus? The queen? No wonder her name was Lilith.

     "Beck—"

     "What the hell are you doing in Ecstasy?" he demanded.

     "How did you know where to find me?"

     "Will you never answer a question?"

      "You're one to talk!" I said, gently pulling myself from the floor.     My skin was tingling and my knees were weak. Maybe Rachel was just passed out from ecstasy. Wait. "Is that why this town is called Ecstasy? Was I feeling succubi instead of vampires?" I slowly made my way to Rachel.

     Her skin was sallow and wrinkled. "Did that bitch steal Rachel's youth?" I knelt, feeling for a pulse. It was slow but steady.

     "She will recover because you interrupted. It will take time, though."

     I glared at Beck.

     "Do not argue with me. It is your fault Rachel and Raven are hurt! If you do not trust me, then maybe this arrangement is not going to work."

     A fist grabbed my heart. Was he dumping me? I mean we weren't a couple but we were. . . what were we? I needed Beck to help me find Marie. I needed him to help me understand what it meant to be a Shadower. I also needed him to help keep my friends and me safe.

     Damn. No wonder he was so angry. I'd kind of taken advantage of him. Who did I think I was? Xena? Buffy? Wonder Woman? What in the world made me think I could find Marie without anyone getting hurt?

     I opened my mouth to apologize. Beck cut me off.

     "You will get Rachel in the car then get Raven. I will pay Lilith and we will go home."

     "What do you mean pay Lilith? What do you pay her?"

     "She is a succubus. What do you think she demands as payment?"

     I swallowed. I wouldn't sleep with Beck. How horrible was it I didn't want him to sleep with anyone else?

     A knowing smile lifted his lips.

     "Stay out of my head," I said quickly.

     Beck narrowed his eyes. "You have already told me not to take your thoughts. I can tell you are jealous without reading your mind."

     "I am not jealous!"

     He raised an eyebrow.

     We were bonded. I had no idea what it meant. He liked to refer      to me as 'his' and he could read my thoughts when he was in my head. He could track me and do his little 'popping in thing' I really needed a name for.

     Rachel moaned and I ripped my gaze from Beck's, happy for the reprieve, relieved she was okay. 

     "Could you do something for once without arguing, please? Take Rachel to the car, get Raven, and send Nathaniel to pick me up around noon."

     "Noon? You're going to be with her for six hours?" Really, I wasn't jealous. I carefully picked Rachel up and moved to the door. "Why does Nate have to come back and pick you up? Can't you just pop home like you got here?"

     "I will not have the energy to pop home. Six hours of sex with a succubus of Lilith's power will drain much of my energy."

     I almost dropped Rachel.

     "Sex?"

     Lilith appeared in the doorway. "What did you think the payment was, Shadower?" She was completely nude and I felt my face heat as I turned to leave with Rachel in my arms.

     "Can I, uh, just go get Raven?" My voice cracked.

     "She's so precious, Beckford. Can I have her? Give me one hour and all will be even."

      Beck growled and I heard him push her back in the room and slam the door.

     I put Rachel in the back seat of the car. Squaring my shoulders, I headed to the door of the other house to get Raven, trying not to think of Beck and Lilith. Naked.

     I cautiously reached for the doorknob, remembering the shock from the other house. Nothing happened when I grasped the cool metal. I wasn't sure what to expect when I swung open the door.

     I gasped and four sets of eyes locked on me. Two old women and two younger women surrounded Raven. She was spread eagle and naked on the floor. Her eyes were open but glazed over.

     I barreled through the door. "Lilith said I could have Raven! Get away from her!"

     The women moved away as I approached. Raven's clothes were shreds of fabric surrounding her on the floor. I grabbed a blanket from a couch, wrapping it around Raven as I picked her up.

     "I've got you."

     The women watched like we were prey. I suppose we were, but not today.

     "I couldn't overpower them; why?" Raven whispered.

     "They're succubi."

     "That explains why they destroyed my clothes." She tried to laugh.

     I backed toward the car, the women crawling along the sidewalk and grass, ready to pounce. I carefully put Raven in the front seat.

     "Why don't they affect you?"

     "I don't know. The Queen of Sluts who entranced Rachel had some pull over me, though." I shivered when I thought of the power that had flowed over my skin like a thousand seeking fingers.

     "Queen?"

     "Yeah, umm, Beck's here and he's pissed," I said as I started the car.

     Raven groaned and closed her eyes.

     "I'm supposed to take you and Rachel home and send Nate back to get him around noon. He's paying the," I wasn't sure what to call her. I liked Queen of Sluts. It fit. But it wasn't very nice. "He's paying the Queen of Sluts in sex." Nice was overrated. Besides she'd attacked Rachel and me and was, right this moment, attacking Beck. The latter bothered me more than the former. No time to think about that now.

     "We're leaving? We just got here!" Raven pulled the blanket tighter around her.

    "I said Beck told us to leave. We're not leaving."