Close Encounters of the Wicked Kind Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to the Close Encounters of the Wicked Kind Scavenger Hunt

I don't know if you enjoy snarky heroines but I definitely do. One of my first 'girls' happened to be Willie, a spunky, foul-mouthed halfie. She was born a cougar shifter but through a twist of Fate she was partially turned by a vampire. Her life was devoid of anything good until one night... She finds her mate and learns to deal with one of his oldest friends.

Half in Love

Willie Krenshaw wanted nothing more than a few minutes watching the waters of Lake Erie after a long workday. What she ended up with was a drugged male vampire and an itch to be a Good Samaritan. When her inner kitty starts sniffing around at the male she's helping, she knows Fate's evil sense of humor is in full swing. Being a shifter-vampire hybrid is hard enough, but having a male vampire as her fated mate is just too much. Nickola, the vampire she assists, finds her breathtaking and does all he can to push Fate's agenda. Stephen is the male vampire Nickola is investigating for the Council. He takes aim at the couple, intent on pulling Nick to his side or killing him. Between Stephen's scheming and the Council's interest in Willie, can they survive the chaos long enough to test the depths of their passions?

Excerpt:
“Nick, we have a problem,” she shouted through the front door before turning and awaiting the vamps on her front steps. She scanned the surrounding area for danger, keeping her senses open. Her body reacted to Nick’s nearness before she even heard him. Her cougar purred loudly and pressed against Willie’s mind. It wanted to rub against him for support and reassurance. Damn mating needs.

The males stepped out on her porch and both lifted their noses to the air. She would have found the vampy instincts funny if there wasn’t a deader in the truck parked in her driveway. She wasn’t sure she was more scared or angry.

“Oh, Nickola, you have a dead human in your vehicle. Did you know it was there?” Alex smirked at Nick and bared his fangs when the other male made a move toward him. “I would suggest you keep your anger in check. You can’t best me, and you need my help with the Council tomorrow.”

Nick took a deep breath and moved toward his truck. Willie winced in sympathy, she knew there would be no easy way to get the smell of decaying human out of a vehicle. She watched him approach his truck and tried to hide the grin as he grumbling under his breath about cleaning bills and asshole vampires. She tried to ignore the other bloodsucker who was slowly sidling up to her. As soon as Alex opened his mouth she knew she couldn’t ignore him. Shit.

“I will gladly take care of the body for you, dearest Willimena, as a gift and a token of my goodwill toward you.” Alex’s cool breath whispered over her cheek sending shivers down her spine. His body invaded her space, and her kitty growled deep in her mind. There was only one male that should be that close to her, and he wasn’t the one. She stepped away from the blond vamp and scowled up into his perfect face.

“I’m not sure taking a gift from you is such a good idea, Alex. I think Nick and I can take care of the problem.” She waved a dismissive hand toward the Hummer. “Why don’t you run along and we will see you tomorrow at the Council.”

“Oh, you poor delusional girl. Don’t you know that I can’t go anywhere until you’re brought before the Council? I’ve been tasked with bringing you in, and it would be my head bouncing across the floor if I lose you.” He leaned down and breathed in her scent, closing his eyes as he hummed. “You are so delectable. I could take you into my flock and keep you safe. I promise that they can’t kill you if you are under my protection.”

“What is it with you? Let me spell it out for you so you understand me completely. I. Don’t. Want. Your. Help.”

“You will, little anomaly. When the Council sentences you to death, you can beg me then for my help.” He turned to watch Nick walk around the vehicle. He nudged her with his shoulder like they were good friends and whispered his next thought. “For his benefit, you’ll end up begging me.”

A hiss slipped through her lips. “I will never beg for anything, especially from a vamp.”

He turned to her with a smirk and a laugh before heading down to Nick. She felt like the little kid that everyone patted on the head and put up with because she was cute. She hated being considered cute. Cute was a bunny or a sleeping baby. She was not cute, cuddly, or anything else soft. She was a hard, misunderstood bitch. It had taken her years to get the personality traits right to keep others away from her. In two days she went from being a feared creature of the night to some softly indulged child. The need to stomp her foot and scream at the irritating male was almost too much, but she swallowed the scream and pressed her heels into the steps. She huffed to herself and flounced down the steps. Might as well find out what they would be doing for the evening now that a stinking body was invading her plans.

“It’s a present from Stephen, how nice.” Nick stood momentarily in front of the Hummer door and then yanked it open. The corpse tried to fall out of the vehicle but was caught and held by the seatbelt. Fluttering in the breeze was a small piece of white paper pinned to the guy’s chest. Nick reached in and pulled the note off the body.

“So, don’t keep us in suspense. What does the note say?” Willie wandered down the driveway and peered into the vehicle. The dead guy was handsome, wearing a T-shirt and jeans. At least he wasn’t bleeding all over the inside of the truck. There were two sets of puncture marks on his neck, both dribbling small streams of blood into his shirt. The guy hadn’t been dead too long before he was placed inside the Hummer.

“It says that I’m paying for my involvement with the Council and that if I want to save myself and those I find dear to me, I’ll drop my investigation and leave him alone. The note is actually quite long winded, but that is the gist of it anyway.”

“How lovely, Nickola. Does Stephen think you have dear ones? Hmmm… Would one of those be our dear Willimena? How delicious. I can’t wait until tomorrow night.” Alex had sauntered to the vehicle and was leaning casually against the bumper. The tone of his voice grated on her nerves. How could one male be so fucking condescending?

Want to read more?

Amazon

B&N

Siren BookStrand

Here is the hop info and the rules for the Grand Prize:

The Grand Prize is pretty awesome! Plus everyone on the list is giving away something on their individual stops! The hop runs July 1-30, with there being a different stop, with a different question everyday.  Here is the list of authors that you can visit everyday of the hop. 

To enter for the Grand Prize you must find the answer to my question and enter it in the rafflecopter space marked with "Lea Barrymire's answer" it's the only way that is acceptable to be entered for the GRAND PRIZE. We want everyone to have fun and play along.

a Rafflecopter giveaway