Fang Me

By Parker Blue

The vampires want it. The demons want it, too. And someone is willing to kill Val for it.

Val and Fang have to find the powerful Encyclopedia Magicka before either of San Antonio's warring underworld factions locate it or the consequences will be deadly for the entire city. As usual, Val's vampire enemies (they still call her The Slayer) want her dead. Even some of her fellow demons may be less than trustworthy, since they'd like to grab the legendary book of spells before she does. Val has a personal claim to the Encyclopedia--her demon father left it to her when he died--but someone stole it recently. And that can't be good.

Battling vamps and dodging demons, Val struggles to unravel the mystery and find the thief. At the same time, she's fighting her attraction to sweet, sexy Shade--her favorite shadow demon. Rumor has it that Val will lose her part-demon, vampire-fighting powers if she gives herself to him.

With a crowd of vamps and demons out to trick her or kill her, it's not a good time for her to risk her job as the city's best vampire hunter by falling in love. The stakes are high and aimed right at her heart. But Lola, Val's hungry little lust demon, doesn't like being denied. Will Lola finally get her way?

What's a part-lust-demon-teen supposed to do? Whatever it takes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BelleBooks
• Release date: Mar 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781611940251

Parker Blue

I live in Colorado Springs with two dogs, one of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to Val's part-hellhound mutt, Fang. Parker loves to hear from readers via her email: [e-mail]

Book preview

way?

The Demon Underground Series

Bite Me

Try Me

Fang Me

Make Me

Forget You

Dare Me

Catch Me

Fang Me

by

Parker Blue

Bell Bridge Books

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or locations is entirely coincidental.

Bell Bridge Books

PO BOX 300921

Memphis, TN 38130

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61194-025-1

Print ISBN: 978-1-61194-012-1

Bell Bridge Books is an Imprint of BelleBooks, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 by Pamela McCutcheon writing as Parker Blue

Make Me © 2012 by Pamela McCutcheon writing as Parker Blue

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

We at BelleBooks enjoy hearing from readers.

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*10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Cover design: Debra Dixon

Interior design: Hank Smith

Photo/Art credits:

Room scene © Unholyvault | Dreamstime.com

Girl © Konstantin Yuganov | Dreamstime.com

:Emft:01:

Dedication

For the wonderful furry creatures who fill my life with love and companionship—Mo, a terrier-poodle mix (the model for Fang) rescued through Dreampower Animal Rescue; Daisy, a sweet Maltese rescued from a puppy mill by National Mill Dog Rescue; and Spooky, a long-haired white cat inherited from my mother, who adopted him from the local humane society.

Pets fill your life with joy and laughter and love you unconditionally—what’s not to like? Adopt one today and practice responsible pet ownership!

What Has Gone Before

MY NAME IS Val Shapiro, and I’m a succubus lust demon. Well, partially anyway. I’m only one-eighth demon, but that’s the part that dominates my life. It’s a bitch to keep the lust under control—I almost drained a guy dry of his sexual energy when I was sixteen—but I do a good job of keeping it in check by channeling the lust and the extra strength and speed that comes with it into slaying vampires on the dark streets of San Antonio. Hence my nickname, the Slayer.

My dumb younger half-sister, Jen, wants to be just like me, even though she’s totally normal. If you can call a perky blonde cheerleader type normal . . . Anyway, when Jen sneaked out to join me on one of my hunts, my mom and stepfather panicked and figured I was a bad influence on her, so they fired me from their New Age bookstore and kicked me out of the house—on my eighteenth birthday no less. Happy birthday to me.

It turned out okay, though, ’cause I gained an awesome new telepathic canine friend, Fang—part hellhound, part scruffy terrier, and all snark. He was sent to me by Micah Blackburn, leader of the Demon Underground. I hadn’t even known it existed until then, probably because their main goal in life is to keep themselves hidden and help each other find jobs and live ordinary lives where so-called normals won’t freak out at the sight of them or what they can do.

Oh, yeah, I also lucked out and found a job with the city’s Special Crimes Unit, so I actually got paid to kill vampires. When they paired me up with mortal Dan Sullivan to shut down a vein of bloodsuckers who were terrorizing the city, we learned they were actually an organization of good vamps called the New Blood Movement who set up blood banks so they could snack on stupid volunteers. I thought Dan and I had kind of a romantic thing going, but when I lopped off the head of the real bloodsucker responsible for the vampire problem, Dan’s ex-fiancée Lily Armstrong, it kinda ruined that. Not to mention that he was totally weirded out when the succubus inside me—I call her Lola—tried to sink her hooks into him and slurp up all his yummy goodness.

So, he dumped me and found someone human to snog with. No biggie. I got over him when I got to know Shade. Part shadow demon, he has interdimensional energies whirling through his body. All you can see of him is that swirl, unless he’s touching someone else to ground himself in this reality. Then he’s totally hot. And he touches me a lot. Just to help me keep Lola under control, you understand. Not that it’s a hardship. Did I mention he’s totally hot?

Anyway, someone stole the Encyclopedia Magicka that my demon father had given me, and used it to poison the blood banks and turn the vamps insane. Not that I was totally opposed to that, but it meant they were hurting innocents, so I helped the vamps catch the phase demon, Josh, who’d poisoned them, and Andrew, the fire demon who tried to burn down their home.

Turns out the books have some kind of dark magick inside them that make the demons go nutso. But to make it up to the Movement, I agreed to take some time off from the force and help them find the books before the dark magicks make someone else do something stupid.

How? I have no clue.

Chapter One

WEIRD. DEFINITELY weird. I stood outside the wrought-iron gates of the Alamo Heights mansion at a quarter to midnight and gawked. Sure, the dark spooky brick mansion housed the biggest vein of vampires in San Antonio—I knew that. But the fact that said creepy mansion was lit up by cheery red and green Christmas lights? Too surreal.

Okay, it was the season, with Thanksgiving over and done with a week ago, but after all the mayhem and violence that had happened here, it seemed totally bizarre.

Fang snorted. YOU WERE PART OF MOST OF THAT MAYHEM AND VIOLENCE, he said on a private channel in my mind.

Here I am, Val Shapiro, the mighty Slayer, feared by vampires, demons and humans . . . yet somehow totally disrespected by my own dog.

SOMEONE HAS TO KEEP YOU FROM GETTING A FAT HEAD, Fang retorted. AND WHO BETTER THAN YOUR BEST FRIEND?

It was my turn to snort. Fat head, me? Fat chance.

Shade bumped my shoulder with his. You okay?

Ah, Shade, my new boyfriend. How did I get so lucky? The shadow demon and I tried to date like a normal couple, but our relationship wasn’t exactly ordinary. I kept the shadow demon within Shade grounded in this reality so he didn’t let the big bad demons through into our world, and he fed the lust demon within me.

Not like that. I was still untouched, cherry, a total V. I’d just found out recently that giving that up would be a way bigger choice than I’d ever dreamed. Lose my virginity, lose my powers. Yep, those very things that made me the Slayer—enhanced senses, fast reflexes, and rapid healing—would be forever lost to me if I ever did the deed. So, I remained a frustrated slayer.

As Fang put it, sucks to be me.

Oh well, circumstances had forced me to be the Slayer for a while longer. Once this job was over, I’d have to make the big decision.

I bumped Shade back. I’m fine.

You don’t really have to do this, Val, he said.

I sighed. It was what I wanted to hear, but it wasn’t true. Yeah, I do. I not only gave my word, I signed a contract. Though it had taken a week for the demon lawyer and the vampire lawyer to hammer out a contract we could all agree on.

Fang spoke to both of us this time. DEMON LAWYER . . . BLOODSUCKING LAWYER. REDUNDANT MUCH?

Shade chuckled and I gave Fang a wry grin. I really don’t have a choice. Besides, I took leave from Special Crimes and if I don’t do this, there’s no pizza in your future. Hellhound or not, Fang liked the creature comforts of urban living.

THEN GET IN THERE. GO TO WORK. WORK, WORK, WORK.

I didn’t mind working. I just wished I could bring home the bacon by slaying evil vampires on the dark streets of San Antonio. That was a whole lot more appealing than playing assistant to Alejandro, leader of the New Blood Movement, one of the good vampires . . . who apparently had strung up twinkling Christmas lights as a sign of the Movement’s sweetness and light.

I glanced at the lights again and sighed.

I’m sure Lieutenant Ramirez would take you back in the SCU in a heartbeat, Shade said.

I COULD EAT CHEAP, Fang offered. THIS ISN’T WHAT I SIGNED ON FOR.

Too bad I had. It’s only midnight to dawn, five days a week, I reminded them. The lawyer had gotten me that much. That was about seven hours a day this time of year, but hey, it was better than fourteen.

Shade hugged me with one arm. I worry about you.

My legs went all limp and rubbery. Sheesh. Here I was, eighteen years old—an adult who faced down bloodsuckers—and feeling all gooey and dopey like a kid, just because a guy said he cared about me.

GAG ME.

I glared at Fang. Shut up. You’re no better when you’re around Princess. Fang had a thing for Shade’s dog. Her royal highness claimed to be a pure-bred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but there was definitely a lot of hellhound in her, too.

Ignoring Fang’s eye roll, I hugged Shade back, loving the way it felt to touch a guy without worrying about Lola ripping his energy out of him. I’ll be fine. And you can always call me if you get too worried.

Okay. Then, a little tentative and awkward, he placed his hands on either side of my face, so that the swirling mess that was his face disappeared and revealed the sight of Shade I couldn’t get enough of. He kissed me gently, and I melted.

Lola stirred. She liked Shade a lot, and was obviously up for any lust energy he cared to send our way. But I didn’t like to take advantage too often. Nothing wrong with going in to a dangerous situation feeling a little edgy. Kept me on my toes.

But turning down all that sexy energy didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy the heck out of his kiss. I met his with a hungry one of my own, and it was just me . . . and Shade. I loved this kind of kiss, where I knew he was kissing me because he liked me and not just because Lola made him feel really good.

Fang butted in between us. ENOUGH WITH THE LOVEY DOVEY STUFF. YOU PROMISED TO MEET ALEJANDRO AT MIDNIGHT.

Reluctantly, I pulled away and checked my cell. Yeah, I had five minutes. I’d better go, I told Shade.

He nodded. Okay, but call me as soon as you get home.

I will. After one last brief kiss, I let go of him and grabbed my Valkyrie motorcycle.

Shade punched in the combination to open the gates and Fang trotted along beside me as I walked the bike up the long driveway. It seemed a bit out of place next to the limo and shiny black luxury cars, but who cared? I wasn’t here to impress anyone.

I heard Shade’s motorcycle roar off and I steeled myself. Alone now except for Fang, I might as well get it over with. There were no guards at the door this time. I hesitated for a moment, wondering why I had no problem battling a brace of vampires, but felt a twinge of fear at the thought of playing nice and being assistant to the one vamp I actually considered good.

BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT STUPID, Fang said. AND HE PRETTY MUCH OWNS YOU UNTIL YOU FIND THE MISSING ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICKA.

I grimaced. Too true. But before I could knock on the door, it was opened from the other side.

Austin, a tall, lean cowboy, and one of Alejandro’s lieutenants, stood there grinning at me. Hello, darlin’. You plannin’ on coming in sometime tonight?

Though Austin was always nice and polite, he also usually managed to make me feel foolish.

Sure, why not? As a comeback, it was pretty lame, but a few hours from now, I’d think of a real zinger.

Austin bowed me through with a flourish and I tried to act nonchalant as I sauntered in the door. I followed him into the great room—a huge space with soaring ceilings, immaculate dark hardwood floors and lots of heavy wood and wrought iron furniture. Very Spanish Mediterranean.

Not that I could see much of it today—the entire place was filled with bloodsuckers. What the heck . . . ? Vampires, wearing black leather, black silk, black you-name-it, filled the room to overflowing, spilling down the hall and into the next room like an inkblot. Conversations came to a halt and I saw nostrils flare as if they scented my humanity and the blood that lay beating just beneath the fragile layer of my skin.

Fang’s hackles rose and he took a step back, growling.

Fear spiked through me, making my blood sizzle and my eyes flash purple. Lola leapt up, ready and willing for action. I checked to make sure the stakes were still hidden under my vest in the back waistband of my jeans. Yep, but three wasn’t gonna do it with this crowd.

When the vamps didn’t move, I realized maybe attack wasn’t what was on their bloody minds. Instead, they all stared at us, unmoving, some with amusement or boredom on their faces, some disgusted, but most with no expression at all.

What’s going on? I asked Austin.

Alejandro swept forward, all Latin grace and sophisticated host. My apologies, he said, smiling at me with his typical charm. And he had a lot of it. With his long, dark hair, smoking hot bod, and a natural charisma, he oozed sex appeal . . . and he knew it. Luckily, I’d never been sucked in under his spell. A little matter of his drinking blood . . .

He seemed embarrassed. I should have warned you I invited all of the members of the Movement to meet you.

No kidding. But now that I’d relaxed, I noticed something else—pine garlands with red bows topped the windows, holiday do-dads seemed to perch on every surface I could see, and there was even a Christmas tree in the corner . . . with twinkling fairy lights on it, fergawdsakes. Baffled, I asked, What’s with the holiday cheer?

Alejandro laughed. Only Valentine Shapiro would notice such a thing in a roomful of vampires.

Luis, another of Alejandro’s lieutenants and a snooty Spanish aristocrat type, sniffed with disdain. There is more than one reason for the season. Some of us like to celebrate the holidays just like humans. But from the sneer on his face and in his voice, I gathered he wasn’t one of them.

WHY NOT? Fang asked. THEY WERE HUMAN . . . ONCE.

I guess . . . It was just hard to picture Luis and some of the others knocking back a bit of egg nog or hanging stockings by the chimney. Of course, there were no nativity scenes or crosses. There was a limit to how completely the vamps could co-opt Christmas.

Rosa, a gorgeous Latina with long flowing hair and the third of Alejandro’s lieutenants, gestured impatiently. Why not? Besides, it makes us seem more . . . likeable . . . when we come out, yes?

Now that made more sense. The vampires of the New Blood Movement wanted to come out into the mainstream, wanted to be accepted for what they were, not what the lurid literature and entertainment industry had made them out to be.

OH, YEAH, ALL THIS CRAP IS GONNA REALLY MAKE THEM LOOK HARMLESS.

I agreed, but tried to be more diplomatic. Uh, maybe. But do you think you might be trying a little too hard?

Told you so, someone muttered from the crowd.

Alejandro sighed. Perhaps you are right. But we want to put people at ease, let them see there is nothing to fear.

WHAT THEY WANT IS MORE DONORS FOR THEIR BLOOD BANKS, Fang added cynically.

That was true, too, but who could blame them? And, much as I disliked the blood banks, they were a whole lot better than the huge amounts of random fangings—and bloody deaths—we’d had in town before Alejandro started his Movement.

There, you see? Alejandro exclaimed. Already you have helped us. You are just what we need. He made a beckoning gesture. Now come, I wish to introduce you to the rest of my family.

I went to stand in front of the Christmas tree next to Alejandro, feeling strangely self-conscious with all eyes on me. Vampires of all shapes and sizes stared back at me. You’d think from seeing Alejandro and his lieutenants that all vamps were totally hot. Not so much. The ones staring . . . hungrily? . . . at me pretty much ran the gamut of human society.

Furthermore, Alejandro said, I wish to use this occasion to have all of you reaffirm your oath to the Movement in the Slayer’s presence.

Whoa. Tension suddenly filled the room at the mention of the S word. Why? Surely they’d all known what I was before this. Then the light dawned. He wanted me to read their minds while they swore undying allegiance.

Fang chuckled humorlessly. YEAH. HE WANTS YOU TO FIND OUT IF HE HAS ANY MORE TRAITORS TO WORRY ABOUT.

Oh, crap. No wonder they were upset. I mean, who liked to have their mind read? They had no way of knowing it wasn’t my thing, that I didn’t really enjoy mucking about in the dregs of a vampire’s mind. Besides, I could only do it when one tried to control me, and I only did it then to confirm the bloodsucker’s guilt or to protect myself and others . . . or apparently, when I was working for Alejandro.

Protests burst out around the room. Alejandro tried to calm them, but I tuned him out as a familiar sensation crept through me. Someone was trying to control me, someone named Jasper. Worse, he wanted both Alejandro and me dead . . . this very moment.

You two behind her—get her! someone yelled mentally.

I whipped two stakes out of my back waistband and whirled around, looking for the assailants. No one there. Were they in front?

I spun again to face the crowd, stakes at the ready. No one moved. What the hell?

The air took on a real tinge of unleashed danger as all those expressions sharpened and turned wary . . . and Jasper’s thoughts turned to triumph.

Oh, crap. He’d played me, and I’d gone and done the stupid thing he’d hoped for. I’d just threatened an entire vein of vampires with only my trusty hellhound for back-up.

We’re toast.

Chapter Two

SHE’S ATTACKING Alejandro," someone yelled.

Three of them rushed me, moving inhumanly fast. Well, guess what? I was that fast, too. I jerked aside so the leading bloodsucker flew past and crashed into the Christmas tree. It fell, bulbs popping and glass icicles shattering. Fang jumped on him, snarling and biting.

The other two grabbed my arms to immobilize me. They yanked the stakes out of my hands, and I would have been cool if they’d stopped at disarming me. But when one of them bent and tried to fang me, I lost my temper. I jerked backward and brought my wrists together as hard as I could. They didn’t expect me to be as strong as they were, so their hold wasn’t as tight as it should have been. Their heads banged together and their surprise made them let go.

I whirled, looking for weapons, and saw that Austin had hold of the tree hugger. The tree! I grabbed an unbroken icicle decoration as the fanger rushed me and I lunged for his heart with my makeshift stake.

DON’T KILL HIM, Fang shouted in my mind.

It was almost too late, but I was able to deflect my aim and stab him in the shoulder instead. The rest of the crowd surged forward. Alejandro yelled, Stop, but some were too ticked off to listen.

Time to let Lola loose. My blood was already sizzling with lust for the hunt, so it was easy to call

Reviews for Fang Me

[mlleehreen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

FANG ME by Parker Blue is the third Val Shapiro book, and the last I received in a free reviewer bundle through NetGalley. I’ll go over the pros and cons in a minute, but my final verdict is this: I wouldn’t pay money to read these books.

One thing that I give the author credit for is that she’s willing to change the game on her characters. In FANG ME, she severs the cord between Val and the Special Crimes Unit, and by the end she hands Val a completely new role and set of responsibilities. With a young character like Val, it’s nice to see her growing into herself, trying things out and looking elsewhere when she doesn’t find a perfect fit.

The plot revolves around the stolen Encyclopedia Magicka. There’s a hot, annoying guy in town – Trevor – who says he’s the Keeper of the books, and it’s his job to find and, er, keep the books. For some reason, everyone at the Demon Underground decides to cooperate first and ask questions later and Val is the only one who’s suspicious.

There’s more drama with the vampires, more drama with Val coming to grips with her powers – she finally finds out what happens when she loses control – and some developments with her boyfriend, Shade. The plot is par for the course with this series; the pace is good but Val isn’t much of a sleuth and it’s pretty easy to figure out who the bad guy is.

The reason why I can’t get into this series more is the writing. I find it flat and sketchy, just the bare bones of what I need to follow a story. When I read I want all my senses firing, I want to know what the characters are seeing, smelling, feeling, touching. It’s a matter of taste. Parker Blue is not trying to write the kind of book I like to read.

[dpchapman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another good book by Parker Blue. This third installation of the Demon Underground series picks up where Try Me left off. There are new changes in Val’s life and with it you see her growing more as a part human/ part succubus. As her relationship with Shade develops, she learns new things about herself.Now the plot had a lot more drama to it than the previous two books and the ending left me want more. A lot of questions are answered but I like where this series is heading and I can’t wait for the next one!

[rhonda1111 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4 STARS This is the 3rd book in the series Demon Underground. So far I have enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book when it comes out.Val is still looking for the stolen book. But because she worded a promise wrong she is now working for the good vampires till they are found.There is someone new to the series from LA underground Trevor who is keeper of the books. His father was keeper before him and was put in the book with magic. He warns that mage demon will want the books bad. He can find the books if he is within 500 feet.Everyone loves Trevor except Val. She does not trust him, but Shade thinks she is jealous because he likes him, her friends like him even her mom invited him over for Christmas Party.Val gets shot by an arrow through her leg durning a fight by her own side in the fight.Lola gets out of control from Val.It is a race to see who finds the book first. Some want it to control the world, some want it to save their side from others and use the knowledge for helping. Val wants it safe and so she can quit helping the vampires. Shade is helping trevor to find the books.Fang & Princess are still cute and funny. It would be funny to here my own pets talking.Love the series, its funny, action and romance in the demon & vampire world. I was given the 3 books of the series in exchange of honest review.

[claudette1_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

My rating: 2.5Unfortunately, I didn't like Fang Me as much as the other installments in the Demon Underground series. Also, I expected this to be the last book so I was kind of disappointed when I found out that there is at least another one planned.There is no particular reason, the whole plot felt just flat and inconsequential. The books hunt was boring, it didn't hook me at all, and Trevor's character was so damn unnerving that I almost gave up on the book.There were some interesting twists, though, and I'm looking forward to read how Val will deal with her new situation and how her relationship with Shade will evolve.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book has so much action in it. As the reader, we finally get some real answers as to what is going on. I love that Val finally found someone who can appreciate her. I now how some kind of respect for Dan, but I still think he is jerkwad for what he did. Val is also learning to control her inner demon. In the beginning, you see her struggle with who she is. I was happy to see that Val has accepted everything and is learning more and more control. The big showdown at the end was sweet. I adored all the sword action and fighting. This is one series I am now hooked on!The series is not done yet. There are still more on the way. The Demon Underground series is great for those who love some real drama and real fighting. This series had my heart racing! It made me feel Val's every emotion! If you love paranormal romance, fighting, and some real good betrayal, read this series! Plus, you'll fall in love with Fang!

[rachybee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved it, I really did! This series really is a hidden gem. Taking aside a few spelling and grammar mistakes, this book series is really fantastic. I can understand why people may overlook it and make assumptions before they read it, unfortunately I admit I’m guilty of that myself--I assumed that it’d be another badly written, stupid story lined book with boring, plastic characters that you sometimes find with not very well know books, and yet it’s not. This whole series is fun and snarky, filled with action and attitude, featuring an awesome, kick-ass heroine. This book was as good as the previous too, with Val being her usually tough, bring-it-on self. I really love her as a character. She’s tough, but not too tough, with enough vulnerability that you’re able to emphasise with her without having her being a wuss or too soft. One of the things I love about her is that she’s so realistic. She reacts just like I expect a teenage girl to, and she acts exactly like one as well. She’s experiencing first love and her changing emotions and hormones and she’s acting just like a regular teenage girl would, unlike some heroine you see nowadays where they react in a completely unrealistic manner. I’m still in love with Fang. How can you not be? He’s an adorable, sarcastic talking hellhound who acts like Val’s pet one moment and her best friend slash big brother the next. He’s such a sweetie and I love having him in the series. He makes each and every book for me! I like seeing Val with Shade, although I still don’t know how I feel about them together. I really do like Shade--he’s such a great guy and he’s been so good to Val, but I just can’t help but miss Dan. I really felt that the two of them had something in the beginning of this series, and yet with each book it has disappeared a little bit more and considering that Val and Shade are well and truly a couple, having slept tother, and Val admitting that she doesn’t really feel anything for Dan anymore, I just can’t help but be sad over that. Val and Shade have something good and they both seem to love each other, but for some reason, I don’t get that joy and giddiness over reading about the two of them together like I did when Val was with Dan. Perhaps it’s just me--maybe I’m weird, but even though I’m happy to see them together, I’m still holding out a tiny hope that Dan ditches Nichole, Val and Shade split up some way (I know, I know, I’m so mean) and then Val and Dan run away together. I really enjoyed the storyline in this book, although I knew from the beginning there was something off with Trevor. I never trusted him--he seemed too good, too perfect....there was defiantly something up with that. So it’s surface to say that I wasn’t surprised to discover he was the bad guy, but I was a little bit surprised to learn that Val is the new keeper. I had a feeling something like that might, might happen, especially when Val slept with Shade and lost her abilities, but I wasn’t expecting it so soon. I thought maybe at the end of the series. It’s going to be interesting to see how Val acts now as the Keeper in the next book. I can't wait for Make Me, the 4th book set for release sometime in 2012.....

[wakela_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once again Parker Blue delivers a great book. I was so glad that I had a chance to read all three stories in this series back to back. I couldn’t put them down.We start off with Val and Shade still together from the last book. This is good because I was really feeling bad for her that so many people kept turning their backs on her.There is the same intense action in this book as in the previous two. It does leave you with a few unresolved issues. So we know that more then likely there will be another book in the series.If you haven’t had the chance to read this series, then make sure to add this to your TBR because it is well worth it. In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.

[shelleyjax · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary of the story of the Demon Underground thus far; My name is Val (Valentine) Shapiro, and I‘m a succubus lust demon. Well, partially anyway. I‘m only one-eighth demon, but that‘s the part that dominates my life. It‘s a bitch to keep the lust under control. I almost drained a guy dry of his sexual energy when I was sixteen, but I do a good job of keeping it in check by channeling the lust and the extra strength and speed that comes with it into slaying vampires on the dark streets of San Antonio. Hence my nickname, the Slayer.My dumb younger half-sister, Jen, wants to be just like me, even though she‘s totally normal. If you can call a perky blonde cheerleader type normal. Anyway, when Jen sneaked out to join me on one of my hunts, my mom and step-father panicked and figured I was a bad influence on her, so they fired me from their New Age bookstore and kicked me out of the house—on my eighteenth birthday no less. Happy 18th birthday to me.It turned out okay, though, because I gained an awesome new telepathic canine friend, Fang, who is part hellhound, part scruffy terrier, and all snark. He was sent to me by Micah Blackburn, leader of the Demon Underground. I hadn‘t even known it existed until then, probably because their main goal in life is to keep themselves hidden and help each other find jobs and live ordinary lives where so-called ―normals won‘t freak out at the sight of them or what they can do.Oh, yeah, I also lucked out and found a job with the city‘s Special Crimes Unit, so I actually got paid to kill vampires. When they paired me up with mortal Dan Sullivan to shut down a vein of bloodsuckers who were terrorizing the city, we learned they were actually an organization of good vamps called the New Blood Movement who set up blood banks so they could snack on stupid volunteers. I thought Dan and I had kind of a romantic thing going, but when I lopped off the head of the real bloodsucker responsible for the vampire problem, Dan‘s ex-fiancée Lily Armstrong, it kinda ruined that. Not to mention that he was totally weirded out when the succubus inside me—I call her Lola—tried to sink her hooks into him and slurp up all his yummy goodness.So, he dumped me and found someone human to snog with Nicole Jones. No biggie. I got over him when I got to know Shade. Part shadow demon, he has interdimensional energies whirling through his body. All you can see of him is that swirl, unless he‘s touching someone else to ground himself in this reality. Then he‘s totally hot. And he touches me a lot. Just to help me keep Lola under control, you understand. Not that it‘s a hardship. Did I mention he‘s totally hot?Anyway, someone stole the Encyclopedia Magicka that my demon father had given me, and used it to poison the blood banks and turn the vamps insane. Not that I was totally opposed to that, but it meant they were hurting innocents, so I helped the vamps catch the phase demon, Josh, who‘d poisoned them, and Andrew, the fire demon who tried to burn down their home.Turns out the books have some kind of dark magick inside them that make the demons go nutso. But to make it up to the Movement, I agreed to take some time off from the force and help them find the books before the dark magicks make someone else do something stupid.How? I have no clue.**Review** Fang me is the third book in the Demon Underground series featuring, of course, Val Shapiro as a part demon (succubus) vampire slayer. As this story begins, she has worked out a contract to work for Alejandro until the Encyclopedia Magicka books are found. She gets to work 5 days a week, from midnight to dawn while she searches San Antonio for the books. She also is obligated to use her powers to help Alejandro maintain order among his vampires. In doing so, she has taken a leave from the Special Crimes Unit.Val and Shade have become a couple since the last time we checked in on them. Val keeps the shadow demon within Shade grounded in this reality so he didn‘t let the big bad demons through into our world, and he feeds the lust demon within Val who she calls Lola. The problem with their relationship is this; if Val and Shade have sex, and she loses her virginity….say goodbye to her enhanced senses, fast reflexes, and rapid healing along with the ability to be an effective Slayer.The book Val is looking for, Encyclopedia Magicka was created a very long time ago by a group of demons who wanted their part-human descendants to understand their heritage. If Val thought this was going to be easy peasy, a surprise arrives at Aleyandro’s door in the form of Trevor Jackson.Trevor Jackson claims that he is from the Demon Underground of Los Angeles, and also claims to be the keeper of the Encyclopedia Magicka and wants it back. Val had the books for thirteen years, and nothing bad happened to her, or to Micah’s father, so she is correct in presuming that Trevor is full of himself and not to be trusted. Too bad others don't feel that way. Trevor has a deep dark secret he is hiding away, and it doesn’t come to revelation until later in the book. Along the way of looking for the book, voices are talking to Val’s subconscious mind telling her to “Help me. Find me.” Could the book be a sort of Book of Shadows? As she gets closer to finding the book, a new prophecy is forespoken. “Seek not, lest you find more than you bargained for. Keep not, lest you are prepared to meet your destiny.” To Val, who doesn’t trust Trevor, this can mean only one thing; find the books before Trevor Jackson does or the world as we know it will change drastically.A whole new cast of characters is introduced, including the actual Keeper of the book who has been trapped for 90 years, as well as several others who didn't realize that they were part demons. Val is still a serious character that you can fall behind, but her choices she makes in this book, aren’t well thought out. She continually puts herself in danger, which I guess if she's the slayer and all, makes sense but her choice with Shade (NOT SPOILING!) was one that probably means a new direction for this series. Yes, Val still has strength of conviction, purpose, and character, but she doesn't get the point that she needs help from others around her to help save her when she gets drained, or puts out too much power. Former partner Dan Sullivan, is nearly nonexistent in this release. He has hooked up with Nicole Jones, while Val has taken a leave of absence from the SCU. His participation, however, does lead to Val's finding the books and the final climax of the story. The end of this book was absolutely correct in it's conclusion. The choices that were made by Val, had no other alternate route to follow. Thank you No! there are no cliff hangers in this book, which I really enjoyed! And, we get to look forward to another release in the series!Make Me will be Book 4 in the series and will release Spring of 2012, per Parker Blue’s Facebook page.

[readingbeader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Val Shapiro slakes the succubus part of her person by stabbing vampires – making the world safe for humans. Learning to live with her inner demon has isolated Val from the rest of the world, so she is scared and excited to find out that she isn’t the only one. Val and other members of the Demon Underground navigate a world in which demons just want to blend in; Vampires want to “come out;” and part demon dogs can talk to other demons telepathically.

Val’s character grows and changes through the series, even thought the series only spans a few months in “actual time.” I do wish we knew more about Shade, so I’m ready for Val to move beyond her own little self-absorbed world, she is only 18, but I’d think someone who kills vampires as a hobby/job would be a bit more mature.

I’ve enjoyed this series so far and was anxious to read the third installment. This galley has formatting issues that need to be cleaned up before mass release: quotation marks are shown as – and ||. Paragraphs don’t start and end properly. It’s odd to read that way, but at least it’s consistent. I had read Bite Me and Try Me before – free on my Kindle, no formatting issues on those versions.
Bite Me sets up Val as a vampire slayer in Texas – a place where vampires have decided to set up blood banks to get “volunteer” donors so they can come out and live as legal citizens. The idea that all vampires are not evil is a new one to Val and the SCU- Special (Supernatural) Crimes Unit for those of us who read a lot of paranormal fiction- not so much. Try Me follows immediately on the heels of Bite Me taking place within a few days of Bite Me’s ending. Val and Shade’s relationship grows and becomes complicated by revelations concerning demon nature. Fang Me solves the mystery of the missing books in a fairly satisfying way. I look forward to the 4th installment of this series. I’m ready to find out what Val plans to do with her life.