Predator & Prey
James D Horton
Author Bio
James D Horton is a breakout new author of the Predator & Prey series which is an urban fantasy setting with a paranormal romance story. It features vampires and the human Lily who falls in with the enigmatic Wolf, who is not your run of the mill vampire. The story starts in Predator & Prey, then continues in Predator & Prey: Beast. The third book in the series is in progress which is Predator & Prey: Control, which will wrap the first set of books focusing on Lily’s story.
James is also the author of two popular non-fiction books which are relationship advice books presenting the successful actions that he and his fiancé use to make their relationship better every single day with their six children.
He lives in Lamar, MO with his fiancé and their children, plus the ever annoying Spock, a Yorkshire Terrier Chihuahua.
Description
Lily works the night shift at a radio station, taking calls from forlorn and damaged souls who can’t sleep. She knows their pain and they find solace in her comforting words. The city is ruthless; nameless creatures roam the streets and prey on the lost and innocent.
As she leaves work one night at the crest of dawn, Lily comes face-to-face with depravity. She is a survivor at heart, but she is unfairly outnumbered and surrenders to her fate. From the shadows an ally emerges, the mysterious and alluring, Wolf. After coming to Lily’s aid, he takes her to shelter.
The immediate danger has passed, but the incident is far from over. Wolf tells Lily she is not prey, and sets off into the night with her by his side to set a wrong right. What she sees when entering the dark heart of the city will change her existence forever. Has Wolf taken on a force too big? Will Lily survive the night?
Book excerpt
“Welcome to Overnight with Lily. Feeling isolated? Not sure where to go next? Call me, the lines are open and I see they’re lighting up now!” I look over the call screen monitor and choose one of the blinking signals at random.
“You’re on the air with Lily, what’s your name and where are you calling from?”
“Uhh..” there is a long pause, “I’m lonely. Alone in my apartment on 39th.”
“Well, hi Lonely on 39th. What’s going on with you?”
“Lily,” the voice says through the headset and it sounds drained, hopeless, tired. “Have you ever thought about ending it all?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what’s the point? Why go on?” I could hear the sobs he was holding back.
“Who broke your heart?” I ask with sympathy in my voice.
“How . . . how did you know?”
“Because we’ve all been there. Boy or girl? How long were you together?”
“Girl, four years.”
“What happened?” I draw him out, guiding his story.
“She’s dead,” the dam broke, my headphones fill with his sobbing.
“How old was she Lonely?” He sounds young. Another damn tragedy. I keep my sigh internal, I hear too many of these stories.
“26. They say it was an ‘accident’ but you know better. I’ve heard you talk around it on the air. You know the things that are running this city at night. You know what they cover up, what they hide from us. No accident leaves you with no blood! Drained . . . dumped in an alley!” His cries overtake his words and it becomes impossible to understand him.
I feel cold. Lonely and his girlfriend are more victims of the city and its night dwellers. Another cover up from the establishment. No one will admit what’s really going on. Only those of us who live on the underside see it and know. We are the victims.
“Lonely I understand your pain. There is something in this city of ours. Something hunting us. The establishment does nothing to stop it, they cover it up. You’re not alone Lonely.” My mind starts to drift to my brother, William. I suppress the memories, it’s my best way of dealing with that pain.
“It hurts,” he sobs. I look at the call board lights and they are full and flashing, this is hitting a nerve out there in the late night life of the city.
“I know Lonely. I know. I grew up in this City. What we call crime, what they cover up, we night folks know the truth. Don’t we Lonely? There are monsters in the night. There is a darkness in the heart of this city. It eats you up and spits you out. All you can do is survive it. You just have to keep surviving, one day at a time and stay out of their sights. Don’t give in.”
“Yeah,” his voice is soft but I can feel his raw emotion filling my headset. “Okay . . .”
“You don’t do anything rash Lonely. You survive. No matter what they throw at you, survive. We may all be walking targets in a concrete jungle, but you can survive.” I twirl my finger in the air, letting Ricky know I’m wrapping this call up.