Compelled (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 5)

“Someone better explain immediately what is happening here,” Donovan said, expression drawn.

“She attacked me,” the vampire snarled, the shoe still lodged in his chest backing his accusation.

Donovan spun on me. “Is this true?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation since there were plenty of witnesses and I was standing barefoot. “He grabbed me and tried to force me to follow him. No one gets to lay hands on me without retaliation.”

Despite recent circumstances and evidence to the contrary, I was still a wolf shifter with an animalistic nature and hand-to-hand fight training. Relying on powerful males had become a common theme in my life lately, but it needed to stop. One day soon they would all be gone, and then it would only be me left. The one I’d always relied on.

“Is this true, Flarion?” Donovan asked, turning back to the vampire. “Did you grab one of the selected without permission? Have you all learned nothing from Carter’s actions not one sun movement ago?”

Flarion started to splutter and rage as the metallic scent of his blood grew stronger. “She was heading away from the dance floor. Stupid wolf thought she could ignore the summons. If you want my opinion, the vermin should be flayed and turned into a rug for my floor.”

Seeing red, I surged forward again, only to find strong arms around my shoulders holding me back. As the scent of crimson wine filled my senses, relief hit me—Lucien held me. I turned to find his green eyes locked on Donovan.

Thank fuck. Whatever Len had said to him, the surfer-vamp was back in control.

“Flarion touched one of the selected without their permission,” Lucien said calmly. “I believe that warrants time in the pit. Let’s see that it happens.”

Donovan nodded his head, and then guards appeared from the shadows, taking hold of Flarion. The vampire spluttered and shouted, fighting against their hold, but the guards didn’t seem to care, hauling him out of there with ease.

“Back to the dance floor,” Donovan said, clapping his hands together and then straightening his dark blue suit.

Lucien tried to lead me away then, but I tugged on his arm to stop him. “I have no shoes,” I said, waving at the puddle of red silk on the floor. “I can’t dance in this dress without them.”

Lucien shot me a slow smile, and I fought to remain angry with him for his shit from before. This side of him was as charming as the other side was terrifying… and both sides were sexy. They were also part of the reason I was in this mess.

“I’ll find you something. Size nine, right?”

Should I be surprised that he knew my correct size? “Right.”

He disappeared as a new song started, and through gaps in the crowd, I could see lots of couples dancing, including Carter. Len appeared in my peripheral, and I turned to give him a smile and nod. He’d saved the day by calming Lucien down.

Speaking of, the master returned a moment later, holding a pair of silvery heels, which were almost identical to the ones I’d used as a weapon. Like the gentleman he wasn’t, he held an arm out and allowed me to use him as a support while I slipped on the shoes. The moment I was done, I released him. “I think you’re wanted on the dance floor,” I said shortly.

He didn’t leave, stepping closer instead. “I won’t apologize for what I said before, Bee. Carter should not have touched you. None of them should be fucking touching you. You stand here”—he waved his hand across the silky material—“looking positively edible”—his fangs descended, and I was trying really hard not to react—“and no one should be touching you.”

He moved so we were touching. “Until this selection is done, you belong to me. Remember that. We made the deal.”

I couldn’t remember my own damn name, let alone this deal he kept referring to.

“I can’t get around touching Carter,” I managed to say.

I waited for darkness to fill the green of his eyes, but he controlled himself. “Yes, Len pointed out that demand might be an impossible one. Touch him only when necessary, in the official capacity of the selection. I think I can keep my vampiric nature under control if it’s clear you’re doing a job and nothing else.”

My name was called over the speaker, ordering me to the dance floor. Lucien’s name was next. We didn’t move though, the moment and confusing feelings holding us in stasis. “I know we’re playing this game to win,” I said with a sigh, my chest tight, “but it doesn’t—”

“Feel like a game,” he finished.

I nodded. Lucien was not acting as I’d expected. Last time I’d been in Valdor, he’d been coldly holding me at arm’s length. But this time… this time he was burning hot.

“Your blood is calling to me,” he said so softly that I almost didn’t catch it. “I’m in too deep to back away. Game or not, let’s just see how it plays out.”

My throat was too choked up to reply, so I just nodded my head.

Lucien led me to the dance floor, and he stepped right into the role of master looking for a mate, moving toward the selected who were waiting for him. The first up to the plate was Hattie, and I laughed when she saw me and jumped and waved. “Where the hell have you been?” she mouthed as Lucien approached her. She didn’t wait for my reply though, stepping into his arms and smiling up at the handsome vampire.

Now I was the one fighting the urge to threaten bodily harm if he touched another female. Which was ridiculous. Sure, Hattie—and all the others—were beautiful. Tall and svelte with a range of skin colors from the whitest white to many dark-skinned supermodels. I appreciated the beauty of the female form, and in this room, there was a prime selection. Not that any of us should be viewed like a slice of beef to be bought.

Forcing myself not to watch Lucien, I stepped up to join the end of Carter’s line, silently fuming for so many reasons. I should be back in Torma opening my bookstore and living my boring life.

Boring.

The word bounced around my head, and almost instantly I rejected the very notion. It was time to change my mindset. Time to stop being angry and start finding my blessings. No matter how hard this selection was, it was still better than an empty life. In truth, since Inky picked me up from Torma and took me to the library, I’d been on a nonstop rollercoaster adventure, and it wasn’t over yet.

It certainly wasn’t easy, but I’d felt more alive in the last few days than in all the months before. I’d spent so much time hiding from myself. Hiding from Lucien and the pain of almost dying. And his rejection.

I’d simply stopped living.

But there was only so long you could hide from the truth.

My truth: Lucien was under my skin. Denying it was like denying myself… I couldn’t do it any longer.

I knew a time would come very soon when the selection was over and I would once again be back on Earth, once again mourning his loss, but until then I was going to embrace this life. Every dramatic, angsty, emotional piece of it.

After all, it wasn’t every day you got to participate in a vampire selection while the sexiest master in existence drank your blood.

Turned out I was living a story worthy of an urban fantasy heroine, and curse my soul, I was going to enjoy every second of it.