How to Snag a Shifter-The Book of Brooklyn Book One: A Young Adult Paranormal Romance Witch Series (The Book of Brooklyn Witch Series 1) Read online

  How to Snag a Shifter

  The Book of Brooklyn Book one

  Karin De Havin

  9 Yards Publishing

  The Book of Brooklyn Series

  Book Two: How to Date a Werewolf

  How to Date a Werewolf is available for preorder now!

  Also by Karin De Havin

  The Supernatural Genie Academy Series-Prequel to The Time is Forever Series (A YA Historical Fantasy)

  The Genie Academy Book One

  The Genie Academy Book Two

  The Genie Academy Book Three

  The Time is Forever Series (A YA Time Travel Romance)

  Jin In Time Part One

  Jin In Time Part Two

  Love In The Time Of Jin

  The Katran Legacy (A YA Dystopian Heaven Series)

  Nine Lives One

  Nine Lives Part Two

  Heavenly Returns

  Heavenly Discovery

  The Shifter Vampire Alliance (A YA Paranormal Romance)

  The Girl Chameleon Episode One

  The Artist Vampire Episode Two

  The Girl Chameleon Episode Three

  The Artist Vampire Episode Four

  The Girl Chameleon Episode Five

  The Artist Vampire Episode Six

  The Girl Chameleon Episode Seven

  The Tokyo Academy Series (A YA Supernatural Urban Fantasy)

  First Contact

  Reality Strikes

  The Final Showdown

  The Book of Brooklyn Book One

  How to Snag a Shifter

  Copyright © 2020 by Karin De Havin

  Published by 9 Yards Publishing

  Cover design by MiblArt

  All rights reserved

  This book is the property of Karin De Havin, in all media both physical and digital. No one, except the owner of this property, may reproduce, copy or publish in any medium any of this book without the expressed permission of the author of this work.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, places, brands, and events portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Contents

  1. Life Reboot

  2. Bestie Material

  3. How to Snag a Shifter

  4. Wizards Have Day Jobs

  5. The Ditching Spell

  6. Witch Magic

  7. The Big Witch Reveal

  8. Witch Exam

  9. The Set Up

  10. Grand Opening

  11. The Dark Side of Witchcraft

  12. True Confessions

  13. Dog Magic

  14. The Tipping Point

  Thank You from the Author

  About the Author

  To Dave: The best food conjurer a girl could ask for!

  To Sammy: I know you like to go for walks and enjoy the fresh air, but I really don’t want you to return with presents like a dead grasshopper, a centipede and a mole!

  To Strom: My very own book dragon and witch expert who helped a bat familiar turn into a wisecracking side kick.

  1

  Life Reboot

  Just when I thought my life couldn’t get any more complicated, my dad throws me a curveball. I have a new mother. In fact, she’s standing in front of me right now. To prove what an insensitive jerk he is, Dad proudly informs me he proposed to “the love of his life” on the Brooklyn Bridge. The same place where he proposed to my mom—the bridge I’m named after. A double punch to the gut.

  The fact that I am a witch should give me solace. There are plenty of spells in my book to take care of the situation quite nicely. Unfortunately, my mom forbade me from using magic against my dad. I can’t cross her. She’s not just my mom, she is the leader of one of the most powerful covens in the world.

  I let out a sigh and give my dad’s new wife a beauty pageant smile to match her looks. “Nice to meet you, Kimberly.”

  She shakes my hand like a limp fish and then throws her bottle blonde Manhattan blow out over her shoulders. The color stands out against her sprayed-on tan. She is the living opposite of my stunningly beautiful Egyptian mother.

  Kimberly gives me a smile to equally phony as my own. “Good to meet you, Brooklyn. I’m excited to be your second mother.”

  Thank goodness my mom sat this meeting out. Otherwise, Kimberly would surely be a slimy sea slug—a Glossodoris Atromarginata to be exact.

  My father has a shit-eating grin on his face. He thinks I’ve accepted his new bride just because I played nice and didn’t turn her into a toad.

  Dad beams. “I knew you ladies were going to hit it off.” He drapes his arm over Kimberly’s slim shoulders. “We are going to have so much fun hanging out together.”

  Not! “That's going to be hard since I’m moving to California.”

  Kimberly’s smile grows wider and more genuine. “We are looking forward to coming out and visiting you.”

  I eye her fake tan, certain she wouldn’t mind getting a real one in California. “My mom will want us to get settled first.”

  Dad nods. “Of course, sweetheart.”

  I want to gag. What’s with the sweetheart? He usually just calls me by my name. I move toward the front door of the apartment. It only takes ten steps. “Well, it was great seeing you guys.” I open the door for them. “Sorry, but I need to get back to packing.” I run my fingers across the endless boxes stacked in the tiny kitchen like I’m highlighting a prize car on a game show. “Plenty more where these came from.”

  Dad nods and grabs Kimberly by the waist possessively. “Have a good trip to California. Call me when you’re settled.”

  I shut the door behind them just in time.

  My mom materializes next to me, a hint of pale turquoise mist lingers around her. “I think you handled that well, Brook.” She gives me a hug. Her favorite perfume, Shalimar, lingers in my hair. The fragrance is as a complex as she is.

  Mom finally lets me go. “I would have turned Kimberly into a horned toad and thrown her in your father’s face.”

  Her bitterness finally bubbles to the surface. She had worked so hard to keep it under control these last five months.

  I laugh. “And if the myths are true, he’d get warts all over that chiseled face of his.”

  Mom doesn’t laugh. Instead, she sits down on the sofa stacked with linens waiting to be packed. She gives me one of her, “we-need-to-talk” looks.”

  I push aside a fuzzy grey blanket and sit next to her. “Okay, what’s up?”

  She lets out a sigh. “Something has come up in Los Angeles. I need to leave tomorrow. Do you mind finishing up the packing and flying out by yourself?”

  Normally I’d be ticked that she would abandon me and leave with so much work to do, but I actually will enjoy the distraction. Seeing my dad with his new wife hit me harder than I thought. “It must be important.”

  She squeezes my hand and tucks my hair behind my ear. Her large, dark brown eyes revealed nothing but love for me. “Thank you for understanding, Brook. I know you were looking forward to flying out together.” She hands me a business card with a phone number scribbled on the front. “This is Ainsley’s information.” She presses the card into my hand. “If you have an emergency, call him.”

  “You mean the vampire guy that’s the artist?”

  She smiles. “Yes, you
met him a couple of times when you were younger. His artwork is stunningly beautiful.”

  “Right. I remember when we walked by the Spencer Gallery and his fairy paintings were on display in the window.”

  “Yes, last year.” She slides forward on the sofa. “I told Ainsley you’d give him a call.”

  “Okay, will do. But you don’t have to worry about me. You know I can take care of myself.”

  “Of course you can. But I thought if you ever felt lonely, you could reach out to him. He’s a very nice man.”

  Was she trying to set me up with a vampire? So not my style. Time to change the subject. “I’m hungry. Want me to order in?”

  She stands up and walks toward her room. “That would be wonderful. I feel like Thai food tonight.”

  “Perfect.” I watch as she moves slowly toward the bedroom, dread lingering around her. Whatever is going on in LA is dangerous.

  The boxes have now taken over the entire apartment. I squeeze down the skinny path I’ve made to the refrigerator. Inside on a glass shelf sits an apple and a bunch of dried up celery. I gaze down at the stack of take out menus balancing on top of a shoe box on the kitchen counter. Nothing looks appealing. I glance at Ainsley’s card tucked under a black cat magnet on the fridge. I pull it out, thinking, why not give the vamp a call? Grabbing my phone, I punch in the number. It rings and rings and then it clicks over to voicemail.

  A soothing British male voice says, “Cheers, this is Ainsley, I’m busy painting my next masterpiece, leave your mobile number and I will return the call.”

  I hesitate, not certain if I should hang up, but my intuition tells me to say something. “Hi, this is Brooklyn, Eshe’s daughter. Can you give me a call?”

  I click off feeling like an idiot for not leaving my number. Picking up the menus, I cruise through them trying to decide what I want to order for the tenth time, when my phone rings. “Hello?”

  The smooth British voice of the vamp says, “Cheers, Brooklyn. Been ages since I’ve seen you. Your mother said you might call. What is the problem? I can be there in a flash.”

  I bet you can with your vampire speed, I think to myself. “Everything is fine. I’m just a bit…”

  “Lonely,” he says having read my mind through the phone.

  “Right. You wouldn’t happen to be hungry?”

  He laughs. “Well, we vampires aren’t known to have much of an appetite for food.”

  I smack my forehead. What an idiot. “Sorry to bother you.” I try to hang up, but he is still on the line.

  “It was said in jest. My sort of vampire can actually consume human food in small amounts. It would be my pleasure to take you out to dinner. What appeals to you?”

  His British boarding school way of speaking is kind of cute. “Do you mind taking me to my favorite restaurant here in Brooklyn?”

  “That would be no trouble. I can be there in five minutes.”

  How can he get from Manhattan to Brooklyn in such a short amount of time? It usually takes at least thirty minutes. What am I thinking? He’s a vamp, he can fly here. “Terrific. You have the address?”

  “That will not be necessary.” He clicks off.

  Of course, he doesn’t need the address, he read my mind and knows exactly where I live. Ugh. It’s been a long time since I’ve hung out with a vamp. Now I remember why I stopped being friends with Shaun in tenth grade. Vamp’s powers make your head spin.

  Speeding down my pathway through the living room, I dive over three boxes to get into my bedroom. I can’t go out to dinner wearing sweats. Riffling through one of the boxes I packed full of clothes, I pull out a pair of black skinny jeans and my favorite splice front top. It’s my go-to low-key sexy dinner outfit. Not that I want to be sexy for Ainsley, he’s way too old. But it will be nice to look like a real woman after weeks of packing boxes in shapeless unisex sweats. Putting on some makeup, I finally feel pretty again. People say I’m beautiful, but I’m nothing compared to my mom. I mean how can I compete with someone who won Miss Egypt?

  A loud fluttering sound reverberates in the living room. Then I hear something tapping at the window—Ainsley has arrived.

  I unlatch the window and he steps inside just missing a stack of boxes. How could I forget he is drop dead gorgeous? When they came up with the expression, tall dark and handsome, they must have used Ainsley as their model. His skin is tanned, the farthest thing from the stereotypical white vampire pallor.

  He smiles and tiny dimples form on his high cheekbones. “Good to see you, Brooklyn. You’ve grown into quite the lady.”

  My cheeks burn. “Thanks. I did a lot of growing from twelve until eighteen.”

  He chuckles as he glances at my cleavage. “You have indeed.”

  Now I know why women swoon in front of vamps, especially handsome ones like Ainsley. The way his dark eyes take in my body makes me quiver all over.

  “What restaurant have you chosen for our culinary repass this evening?”

  Have I just slipped into a historical movie? My guess by the way he is speaking, Ainsley must be at least a hundred and fifty years old. Yet, it’s nice that he is a gentleman and pretends he doesn’t know where I want to go. Or maybe he can shut off his mind reading ability? Just in case I say, “The name of the restaurant might sound cheesy, but I love the food at the VeggiSpot. Its Brooklyn casual, but the chef does the most amazing things with veggies. A true artist.”

  “Like myself.” He works his way toward the door. “Sounds smashing.”

  The whole ten-minute ride to the VeggiSpot I stare out the window knowing this will be the last time I get a glimpse of this part of town before I fly off to LA. Ainsley glances out the window as well. I don’t know if he is just being polite or if he is haunted by something.

  The driver stops in front of the VeggieSpot and Ainsley laughs. “You should have warned me it was a casual bistro.” He glances at his impeccably tailored black pants and matching black jacket. “I am a trifle overdressed.”

  I give him a smile as I open the door. “I’m sure the ladies will appreciate it. I called ahead to get us a table in the back. Because I’m a regular, the owner let me do it. Otherwise they usually don’t take reservations.”

  He nods and follows me as I waltz through the bright red door like I own the place. After all the money I’ve spent here I kind of feel like I do. I stand in front of a partition made out of barn wood. The hostess smiles. We are on a first name basis. “Hey, Bren.” I turn back to Ainsley. “I have a friend with me tonight. I reserved the table in the back.”

  She eyes every inch of Ainsley’s body. “Nice job, Brook.” She gives me a wink as she picks up two menus. “You and your ‘friend’ follow me.”

  She motions to the table covered in a multicolored, tie-dyed cloth by the large ficus tree. “Enjoy.”

  A grin takes over Ainsley’s face as he watches Brena return to her station. “It appears you’ve taken a few of your dates here. “

  I give him a shy smile. “A few. It’s one of my favorite spots. Even in Brooklyn, finding great vegan food still isn’t easy.”

  He nods. “Eshe told me you were a vegan.”

  The way he says my mother’s name so casually makes me wonder how long they have known each other. The waiter arrives dressed in faded blue jeans and a tie-dyed shirt to match the tablecloth. One of the things I like about the place is there is a touch of the bohemian hippie vibe everywhere. “I’ll take the eggplant marsala.”

  Ainsley scans the menu. “I would like the sampler, please.”

  “Good choice,” I say having enjoyed the sampler more times than I can count.

  He nods. “I find samplers are the perfect option for my limited appetite.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you able to eat food?”

  He leans back in the distressed wood chair. “I have your mother to thank, actually. She worked with my Scottish witch friend Rhonwen, and they discovered an ancient spell that made my thirst for blood disappear.”
/>
  “Wow, that’s amazing. So, you just need human food now?”

  Ainsley shifts in his chair. “Not exactly. Instead of blood for energy, I use thoughts—memories to be more precise.”

  Interesting. I knew my mom could be inventive with her spells, but this ancient one is on a whole new level. “So, you take people’s memories?”

  His eyes narrow. “No, I would never do such a thing. Despite the fact that I am a vampire, I was human once. It would be a complete violation to take some one’s memories.”

  A vampire with a conscience. No wonder my mom helped him. “Okay, then memories from animals?”

  His face brightens. “Precisely. Dogs in particular. I find they have more than enough memories to spare.”

  Fascinating and mind blowing at the same time. “Really, like what?”

  Of course, the waiter picks this exact moment to deliver our meals. He smiles and places the red and turquoise striped plates down on the table. “Enjoy.”

  Ainsley waits until the waiter is out of earshot. “Dogs’ memories are usually of their favorite play toys. They cherish the time they spend with their owners as well. But those moments are precious, so I would never take one. Besides, I find the memories with their toys have the most energy.”

  Call me speechless. I sit for a moment not knowing what to say. Instead, I dig into my meal. “Yum.”

  Ainsley takes a bite of a grape leaf-wrapped spanakopita. “I didn’t mean to disarm you. You are still young and learning the ways of our paranormal world.”