Equilibrium: Slayer's Heart

By Catharina Shields

18+ - Buffy Meets Blade without the butch!

Buffy meets Blade without the butch in this action-packed paranormal romance.

Vampires, demons, a rebellious werecat, and impossible male chauvinist colleagues are just a few problems Seattle P.D.'s spunky rookie cop, and Slayer Maiden, Samantha Kensington, has to deal with.
Not much of a social butterfly, her only friends are Chi, a mysterious Chinese monk and live-in mentor, and her obese pet cat, Sammie.
As Slayer Maiden, Samantha is an indestructible warrior. She possesses an arsenal of equally indestructible weapons such as her morphable, and inexhaustible, crystal shards and...the Slayer's sword, the Emerald Empress.
Just three months shy of her twenty-fourth birthday, the age when all Slayers perish, Samantha knows she's running out of time. Things take a turn for the worse when she's teamed up with enigmatic Detective Julien Chateau, and can't get him out of her mind or dreams!
Now, not only does she have to battle mobster Gabrianni's growing army of vampires, but she has to guard her sensitive heart when she feels powerfully drawn to her new partner.
For the legendary Slayer Maiden is invincible unless her slayer's heart, the source of all her power, is compromised.
And it can only be compromised if she falls in love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Catharina Shields
• Release date: Mar 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452442532

Catharina Shields

{PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LIST OF MY AVAILABLE E-BOOKS} I've always enjoyed storytelling, ever since I was a child. My love for storytelling has evolved from hand-drawn comic strips, to creating hand-puppets - "Meemies and Fluffies" - for my younger brother and sisters' morning puppet show, to writing stories in longhand in spirals armed with only a Penmate pen while battling a stiff hand and dreaming of a day when I'd finally own a typewriter. Today, in my peaceful Southern California home near the mountains, I can't go a day without my computer and I now enjoy storytelling via my e-books, specializing in mystery, drama, Young Adult and paranormal romance. If you've read one of my books and like them, please leave a review, good or bad, and add me as a favorite author {a single click on a button to your left is all it takes}. Remember . . . reviews are tips for Authors.

Book preview

**~~**

To protect and serve the balance of the universe . . .

Buffy meets Blade without the butch in this action-packed paranormal romance.

Vampires, demons, a rebellious werecat, and impossible male chauvinist colleagues are just a few problems Seattle P.D.'s spunky rookie cop, and Slayer Maiden, Samantha Kensington, has to deal with.

Not much of a social butterfly, her only friends are Chi, a mysterious Chinese monk and her live-in mentor, and her obese pet cat, Sammie.

As Slayer Maiden, Samantha is an indestructible warrior. She possesses an arsenal of equally indestructible weapons such as her morphable, and inexhaustible, crystal shards and...the Slayer's sword, the Emerald Empress.

Just three months shy of her twenty-fourth birthday, the age when all Slayers perish, Samantha knows she's running out of time. Things take a turn for the worse when she's teamed up with enigmatic Detective Julien Chateau, and can’t get him out of her mind or dreams!

Now, not only does she have to battle mobster Gabrianni's growing army of vampires, but she has to guard her sensitive heart when she feels powerfully drawn to her new partner.

For the legendary Slayer Maiden is invincible unless her slayer's heart, the source of all her power, is compromised.

And it can only be compromised if she falls in love.

**~~**

Equilibrium

Slayer’s Heart

Published by

C.Shields at Smashwords.com

Copyright 2011 by Catharina Shields

Cover Design by Catharina Shields

Edited by D.Brooks & C.Shields

All Rights Reserved

Special Acknowledgement:

Warm and very special thanks to D. Brooks for helping me proof and edit my work. Your generous help and razor-sharp insights have been invaluable to me.

Author’s Note:

This is an original work of fiction.

All characters depicted are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental. All characters are 18 years of age or older.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

**~~**

Table of Contents

Prologue: A is for Amy

Chapter One: To Protect and to Serve…Equilibrium

Chapter Two: When It Rains, It Pours

Chapter Three: More Than Meets A Vampire’s Eye

Chapter Four: Getting Too Close For Comfort

Chapter Five: The Sixth Partner

Chapter Six: Too Close For Comfort

Chapter Seven: Amy, Meet the Slayer

Chapter Eight: Forbidden Dreams

Chapter Nine: Struggling

Chapter Ten: Meeting Samantha’s Fam

Chapter Eleven: Never Judge A Book by Its Cover

Chapter Twelve: Slipping

Chapter Thirteen: Another Slayer Foe?

Chapter Fourteen: Choices

Chapter Fifteen: More Revelations!

Chapter Sixteen: Internal Affairs, Eternal Pains

Chapter Seventeen: Refocusing

Chapter Eighteen: Q & A, and More Unwanted Attention

Chapter Nineteen: Amy Meets With Destiny

Chapter Twenty: It Gets Personal

Chapter Twenty-One: Jealousy Made Him Do It

Chapter Twenty-Two: He Taketh And Giveth

Bonus Chapter: Phoenix Rises

About the Author

Prologue

A is for Amy

Vagabond Inn on 15th Avenue E, Section C

Seattle Washington, 6:46 p.m.

The door burst open and the dark motel room came to life. A trio of friends stumbled in with laughter, nearly falling to the filthy carpet as unstable as they were on their feet, needing each other’s support just to stay upright.

Their silhouettes revealed two tall and one petite figure. The taller figures flanked and guided the smaller one toward the unmade bed in the center of the room. Closer observation revealed two boys and one girl. The two boys urged the girl forward, and moving in unison, tossed her unceremoniously on the creaky bed.

Hey, you two! she snapped. Watch it! Then she burst into giggles and dropped back on the bed. She was as drunk as a skunk.

The two boys were still standing, but now they suddenly seemed stable on their feet. The moment they relieved themselves of her, they quit their laughter. They were silent, staring down at her giggling form bathed in the flickering light from the door behind them.

Their faces were hidden in the shadows, but the pretty, dark-haired girl was in full view. She was still laughing uncontrollably, completely unaware of the change in them, and it wasn’t hard to see she was more than just a little drunk. She was damned near wasted.

She also didn’t look a day over eighteen although she passed that over a year ago.

Her slender body was dressed in typical street clothes. They were a bunch of old thrift store rags that had been torn and then pinned together with large safety pins. Although she was slim, her belly was large. There was no doubt she was very pregnant.

She wore heavy makeup, but underneath the gunk she was a very pretty girl. Her rough look somehow didn’t suit her, but the disguise was vital to her survival on the mean streets of Seattle. No one would hold that against her to look as tough as she possibly could.

She finally stopped giggling as her red, bloodshot eyes looked up at one of the boys. A look of sadness flooded her heavily made-up features as moisture shimmered in her eyes. I missed you, Todd. Where you been all this time, you sonofabitch?

The two boys slowly turned their heads and exchanged looks before they returned their attention to her.

You missed me, Baby-girl? the one with spiky do asked as he put a knee on the bed before slowly crawling over her. She seemed to relax, not noticing how the other boy went to the door and silently closed it, returning the room to darkness.

Yeah, my Pookee-bear, she answered with a pout. "You know how scared I get when you’re not around? Then what do you do? You go and leave me alone for a whole fucking week. The bed moved, and she slowly smiled. She damn well knew the other boy had joined them on the bed even if she really couldn't see him. What’re you two gonna do to li’l ole Amy?" she said with a giggle.

Thinkin’ maybe we can do a threesome, Baby-girl? Didn’t you say you’d wanna do that sometime? her Pookee-bear, Todd, cooed.

Well yeah, she said with a naughty giggle, "but I was thinkin’ maybe a threesome with two girls, not two guys, Todd."

So, you don’t wanna, then? he asked.

I didn’t say that! she cried with a giggle. She could feel him smiling as he began undressing her, and she felt a rush of hot anticipation. Come on, Stu, she said a little breathlessly, why don’t you help Todd? They say women in my state get really, really horny so I’m pretty sure I can take on both of you like it’s nothing.

You’re a bad, bad girl, Amy, Stu chuckled, exchanging looks with his pal again.

This time Amy saw it, though. It puzzled her because it looked as if they could see each other in the dark. That was almost impossible, of course, since it was really dark in there. Then again, she was drunk out of her mind. She had to be because she hadn’t even noticed they’d removed her clothes as quickly as they had! They made little work undressing her, stripping her down to her tiny black panties in no time flat.

Damn! she thought. "I must really be drunk."

Her two lovers immediately began rubbing and kissing her body. She giggled, moaned, and purred with delight, enthralled by their hands that seemed to be everywhere it felt good. She writhed and arched to make sure she felt them over every inch of her heated body, briefly wondering when those hands would warm because they sure felt cold to the touch.

She was confident, though, she could warm them up soon enough. The fire raging inside her burned for two. Or three. The thought of having sex with the two most gorgeous guys she knew got her extremely excited, and it made her heart pump hard and fast.

Oh yes! Yes, yes! That’s it! she cooed and gasped. Touch me there, Baby . . .

Todd was vigorously rubbing her between her legs. His fingers were still too cold, but her pussy burned hot. She was sure she could warm her baby’s fingers up in no time. The greedy nether lips were hungrily sucking around his probing fingers, and she was demanding more, more, and more.

Stu moved over her and suddenly covered her mouth with a somewhat aggressive kiss. She winced, but he didn’t give her any time to protest. His cold fingers took her by her jaw as his mouth vacuumed over hers, and his tongue barged into her mouth, making her cringe.

Todd’s spiky head bent as he cupped and kissed her very large, pregnant belly. Yes, Amy was very pregnant. Her large belly came briefly into view in a strip of light that came in through the crack of the worn motel curtains in front of the dusty window.

Oh, I love it that you’re pregnant, Amy, Todd groaned.

She briefly—and happily—broke the kiss with Stu and looked down her body at her boyfriend’s silhouette with curious, hazy eyes. "You love it? Why? Since when did you ever give a sh—Oh I see! she burst into giggles. It’s cuz it makes me horny, huh?"

Before her boyfriend could answer her, Stu captured her lips in another unpleasant kiss, and now he was kneading her swollen breasts.

Todd merely kissed her belly again. As if in worship, he gently petted and caressed the taut skin over her grown belly. Then he rose on wide held knees, slowly stroking his pale shaft. Open those legs real wide, Baby. Daddy’s comin’ home.

Todd heard her moan against Stu’s lips as her slender legs folded and spread. He licked his lips as he inched closer, pushing her arched limbs a little wider before he positioned himself, aiming for her small entrance. He watched in heated fascination how the tip slowly pushed in between her shining, fleshy lips. He barely pushed in before pulling out again, watching how the pink inner walls grasped his retreating member.

Yeah, you want it, don’t you? Todd murmured to himself. "Fuck! This is hot," he added while repeatedly pushing until she began to flow nicely.

Amy just barely tore her mouth free from Stu’s ravenous lips, frowning as she looked down her length. You’re thing’s cold, Baby. Push deeper inside where it’s nice and hot, she cooed before Stu grabbed her jaw and hungrily covered her mouth again, ignoring her muffled protest—and slap against his shoulder.

Don’t worry, Sweet-thing, Todd said absently as he used the dome to spread her hot slick over her fleshy slit. You’re gonna make both of us warm again.

Ow! Amy angrily cried out. Goddamnit, Stu! You fucking bit my tongue, you moron—! Her tirade was cut short when Stu’s hand clamped down over her delicate throat making her gasp. He barely gave her a moment to catch her breath before he aggressively crushed his mouth over hers again.

She could taste blood. Her blood.

Amy went stiff, but suddenly winced when she felt Stu’s teeth prick her lips. It hurt, and she was no longer amused. She launched into an angry struggle just when Todd shoved inside her, burying himself to the hilt in one, painful go. It hurt, but it also gave her what she needed to ignite in rage and the strength to snatch her mouth free of Stu’s abusive lip-lock.

"Ow—! she cried out. Fuck this! This ain’t fun anymore! It’s fucking OVER!" she snarled as she made to get up.

Stu made the mistake of trying to stop her, because she wasn’t going to have it. With a vicious growl, she swung her hand around and slapped him square in his face. In the next instant, the hand he still had around her throat tightened, and his other grabbed the wrist of the offending hand and shoved it, and her, down on the bed.

It ain’t over ‘til we say it’s over, understood?! Stu snarled close to her infuriated face. "And no bitch, NO bitch, ever touches me like that!"

Amy clawed at the cruel hand clamped tightly over her throat, but it wouldn’t budge. Then caught her breath and froze in horror when Stu’s face passed into the tiny strip of light and she got a good look at him.

Was she seeing things?

What the fuck happened to you?! she got out as Stu widened his grin above her.

What’s the matter, Amy-baby? Don’t you think I’m sexy? Don’t all you girlies think vampires are sexy?

V-V-Vampire? she croaked.

Yeah, Amy-darlin’, he chuckled. Todd and I are the real deal.

Oh . . . my . . . god . . . she got out in breathless terror.

Stu chuckled diabolically, lowering his head to stare into her horrified eyes with fierce, undilated pupils. God, Amy, his grin widened, showing long, deadly fangs, ain’t gonna help ya now. Ain’t nobody gonna help you now.

Please— her face crumbled in terrified weeping, please don’t kill me, she choked through tears.

We’re not gonna kill ya, Amy, Stu chuckled. "At least, not yet. But you’re gonna wish we had. Believe me, sweetheart. You’re gonna beg us to put you out of your misery once Master is through with you."

At that moment, Todd hauled back hips, and with a horrible growl, slammed his hips forward. Amy screamed when the head bruised the closed mouth of her pregnant womb. Luckily, he didn’t damage her, but he wasn’t done, either. Not by a long shot.

Gotta open you up, Amy. I wanna meet my spawn, he growled as he grabbed her thighs in vise-like grips, ignoring her pleas. He kept thrusting, rocking his hips harder as he shoved deeper into her. She couldn’t stop him with Stu holding her down, and her strength was quickly draining.

Tears sprang into her eyes. T-T-Todd . . . don’t do this . . . she whimpered weakly, again and again, as her eyes began rolling up in her head and her movements became feeble and slow.

Shhh Amy, don’t be a poor sport, Stu chuckled cruelly. It’s his baby, too, and Todd here just wants to make sure it’s fed so he’ll come out perfect like us. Not sick and weak like you. Don’t you worry none, Hon. The Master has plans for you. You’re not gonna die tonight. Not tonight. Although, like I said, Stu pursed lips as he nodded, you’re gonna wish you had.

But by then he was talking to a girl who had lost all consciousness.

With a long, low growl, Todd finished between Amy’s limp, wide legs. He nearly howled as he shot his cold demon seed deep into her already filled womb. The fetus curled up inside was quiet as the infected cloud began closing in until it was completely swallowed up by it.

Fuck! That was great! Todd laughed. It was just like he said it would be!

Can’t wait to feel what you’re feelin’, Todd. He said I can do it, too, so move aside—"

Enough! a growl rumbled out of the darkness behind them.

Todd and Stu stopped laughing and exchanged frowns. In the next instant, huge hands grabbed Todd and Stu by the backs of their necks. Caught off guard, they blinked big, undilated eyes in surprise before they were forcefully torn off the bed and flung against the walls like ragdolls. They crashed so hard, their naked bodies broke through the drywall in an explosion of dust and debris before they finally dropped to the floor.

As if their legs were springs, they immediately jumped to their feet. Their lips drew back as their eyes flashed bright red, and they hissed while showing deadly fangs. But then they paused. They seemed to recognize their assailant.

The giant, shirtless man standing by the bed had his broad, muscular back to them. He showed no fear. He, as well as they, knew they posed no threat to him.

Didn’t expect the master would send his d—you here, Todd said as he rose to his feet.

The giant calmly bent and scooped Amy’s unconscious body up in his massive arms, but paused as he stared down at her heavily made-up face in silence. His undilated eyes slowly roamed her small face.

Go, he finally said. His voice sounded unnaturally deep. It seemed to rumble up from somewhere deep in his chest. The police come now.

Fuck the police! Stu snarled, itching for a fight. We can smell ‘em a mile away and we’ll kill ‘em all before they can fucking blink an—

—GO! the giant barked over his massive shoulder, his eyes burning eerie green. Or I slaughter you and leave your carcasses here to rot.

Stu and Todd glared with fierce defiance at the bigger creature, but they didn’t challenge him. Instead, they bent and grabbed their clothes and boots off the floor.

This is fucked UP, Todd snarled. I’ve been loyal. I’ve done everything Master wanted, and I’m real tired of being treated like an idiot— but he abruptly stopped because when they both straightened, they saw they were alone in the room.

The giant and Amy had disappeared so fast, not even their vampiric eyes were able to register it.

Damn! Stu said, awestruck. Did you see him leave?

No. Todd looked angry again. Looks like the master’s dog is fast on his feet.

Yeah, Stu sighed. "That was pretty fucking fast if even we couldn’t see it. Then he looked at his spiky-haired friend. I thought he was just like us?"

Well, it’s clear he ain’t, Stu, Todd drawled. It’s no rocket science he’s a little bit more.

**~~**

Chapter One

To Protect and To Serve . . . Equilibrium

Seattle P.D., East Precinct, 7:45 p.m.

Another ruckus at that infested Vagabond Inn at Section E, Al, a blond cop mumbled disgruntled to his partner.

He passed a young female cop’s desk, not seeing her watching at him over the open lid of her laptop with big, greener than green eyes.

There’s always some crap goin’ down in Section E. I’m gonna ask Chief if we can get a different route. I’m sick and tired of those teens and petty misdemeanors. I want a real case, his dark-haired partner said, rising from his chair. Chief is going to have to hear me out this time.

Pff, the green-eyed cop said beneath her breath. Good luck with that.

I’m a cop, Rich, not some dysfunctional family’s taxpayer-funded babysitter.

I hear ya, Al, his blond friend sighed as they headed for the exit, pulling on their jackets. Let’s give Jim and Brady back-up before the detectives arrive on the scene.

Emerald green eyes watched them silently, waiting for them to pass. The moment they had, she shrugged, and then a big grin flashed across her face as she returned her full attention to the laptop screen.

"Now, let’s see what you’ve mailed me. Oops! Sorry! I meant e-mailed me, she giggled softly, opening a highlighted e-mail from the list in her inbox. She shot up surprised brows. Oh, you sly and naughty, boy. I’m-ah thinkin’ you’re upping the ante now."

Since investing a healthy sum to get the laptop, Officer Samantha Kensington carried her prized possession wherever she went, and she treated it as if it were made out of gold. She also enjoyed using the internet, and with WiFi available just about everywhere, the darn thing was handy to get online whenever she felt like it.

It was a fascinating concept, she thought to herself for the umpteenth time that evening alone, and she wondered how people got through a day without WiFi in the not-so-distant past.

Pff! Duh, she said, rolling eyes. "They all have a life."

Soon after getting her laptop, and figuring out how to use the internet, she discovered a plethora of information online. Sometimes, she felt it was just too much for any one human brain to absorb. Every so often, though, some of that internet info popping up unexpectedly was too much for her less-than-jaded brain to want to.

During one of her internet surfing binges—that’s what Chi called it—Samantha encountered a man with the screen name, Mirrorless. She’d been e-mailing him on a daily basis for the past three months. She told herself—and Chi—that it was all for research and it shouldn’t matter she was enjoying herself in the process, right? Work was work, but there was absolutely NO reason why she couldn’t have fun, too.

Besides, life was too short. In her case of all cases, that was all too painfully true.

Her chosen, public—and unchosen, secret—line of work required a good dose of good old fashioned levelheadedness. Being a cop on the rough streets of Seattle was no cakewalk, and it was important a person keep their head screwed on right. Especially cops.

She was a uniformed police officer, after all, although still pretty much a rookie. She’s only been Officer Samantha Kensington for two years, and she’s already seen more than her fair share of human—and not-so-human—misery.

Strange, though, and despite everything, Samantha was a chipper twenty-three-year-old woman with inexhaustible energy and an inextinguishable, positive attitude. Most times, though, she was a little too vivacious for her colleagues’ sense of professional conduct as befitting an officer of the law. After all, they were cops, trained to protect and to serve the public, and a degree of decorum was expected of them although they seriously doubted Kensington understood that.

No matter how annoying she could be at times, though, they couldn’t deny she was a good cop. She was as tough and fearless as they come, and she was always eager to lend a helping hand.

She was also a natural with firearms. Her aim was impeccable.

They also noticed she never shied away from most situations most cops would think twice about. What was so surprising, though, was that all of this was packaged in barely five feet, five inches of bubbly girl who never dated, never went out with colleagues, and never gave anyone a hard time.

Unless you were unfortunate enough