Compelled (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 5)

When I was done, I left the bathroom wrapped in a bath sheet, entering Lucien’s room once more. On the bed was a pile of clothing, along with a selection of shoes and boots on the floor.

Sifting through the items, I recognized many from the wardrobe back in the Master Chambers. Had Lucien packed up all my things from there?

It was against the rules for me to stay in his house, but I really hoped he’d decided to say “fuck the rules,” seeing as I’d almost died on the master’s watch.

When I’d chosen an outfit for the day—black jeans, a red shirt, and a black jacket, all of which made my hair look darker and my skin more olive—I slipped into a pair of black biker boots that gave me another half inch of height. My hair fell straight down my back, and I felt as prepared as I ever would be to take on this day.

Moving the rest of the clothes in the pile, I noticed the edge of a cream-colored envelope, which must have been placed with the outfits. Pulling it free, I recognized the official itinerary for the day with the same fancy swirl as the last one.

There are twelve selected remaining in the competition.

Congratulations.

You are one of them.

Below is your agenda for today. Do not miss any of the items, or you will be disqualified.

First: Breakfast with the masters. Refuel and relax. One-on-one conversation with both Master Lucien and Master Carter.

Second: Hunting. Whoever claims the biggest prize will win a date with the master of their choice. Runner-up will date the other master.

Third: Stone of Katu blessing. You may have fallen from favor with the gods. Do not rest on previous blessings.

Fourth: Dinner for all selected.

Of all the things, it was the first line that knocked me the most. Only twelve selected remaining… How the heck was I one of them when I’d finished dead last in the obstacle course? Carter and his pull over the tier one masters was starting to be a real pain in the ass. They clearly looked after their own and would do anything to ensure that he brought this eleventh enclave to Crimson City.

All of which was great, except for the fact that he wanted me at his side when he did it.

Leaving the room, I heard a thud and leaned down to scoop up Bowley, allowing him to spin up my arm and onto my shoulder. His spikes gave him great traction—without tearing me to pieces, which was nice.

“Are we ready to take today on?” I asked my animal sidekick in a cheery voice. “And by that, I mean get ourselves eliminated for real.”

Lucien, who appeared in the hall a moment later, must have heard my statement. Surprisingly, he didn’t cheer me on. “I think at this point, it’s best to get to the end of the selection, and I will choose you. I think the plan for elimination is over now since Carter is determined to push you all the way through.”

Tilting my head to the side, I moved toward him; in usual fashion, something about Lucien drew me closer. “What if Carter chooses me too? Who decides then?”

Lucien leaned closer, and I swallowed hard at the way my body reacted to his energy and scent. “We fight for you,” he said softly, near my cheek.

Holy shifter gods. Now that might be worth making it to the end for. If it wasn’t for the small chance that Lucien would get hurt or worse, I’d have been wanting that every single day of the week.

“Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to a fight,” I partially lied. “The stone will probably reject me this time anyway, and no one can counter that.”

Lucien straightened, crossing his arms over his chest. He wore a simple black shirt, and I tried not to notice the way it did nothing to hide all those warrior muscles. “With the amount of my blood in your system,” he said seriously, “the odds of a Katu rejection is almost zero. Can you even feel your wolf today?”

I stilled, searching deep to find just a whisper of her energy. I’d been so damn distracted with almost dying and Bowley’s appearance, I’d forgotten to check on my wolf.

“I can barely feel her,” I choked out, pain lashing at me. “What does that mean? Is she dying? Should I stop taking your blood?”

Lucien didn’t appear to know the answer; he just stared at me, lips thinning. “I’m not sure what to do to help you now. When I drained the tatan root powder from your system, it was clear that the vampire blood from the first time I saved you has now infiltrated into your cells. No matter what happens, I cannot remove it completely. You are now and always will be part vampire. A vampire who will need blood to survive.”

I shook my head like I could make his words untrue with that motion. “I mean, I know we discussed the possibility of me being a hybrid, but it’s still hard to wrap my head around.” And I’d kept shoving it into that box in my head, refusing to deal with it. “I mean, how is this even possible? You can’t generally change other beings into vampires, right? That’s just made-up human lore.”

“Correct,” Lucien said. “We cannot change most of the races, but apparently shifters are compatible in a way we never knew. You’re the first of your kind, and we’re feeling our way in the dark trying to figure out what’s happening.”

“Fucking great,” I grumbled. “I never wanted to blaze trails. I told my parents the same thing when they dragged me to pack mixers, dressed me up like I was their doll, and made me be ‘pretty and silent.’ All in an attempt to gift me to an alpha…”

I trailed off as Lucien took a purposeful step forward, irises black. “Your parents tried to sell you off?”

Some of my fury faded under his. “Yeah,” I shrugged, “that’s a fairly close representation of their actions.”

My face burned from the heat he was suddenly throwing off. “That will never happen again,” he told me, voice rasping as his fangs extended. “Not while I’m alive and can kill anyone who tries to control or hurt you.”

He’d already killed once for me, and now he was vowing to take out others as well.

It was kind of sweet. “You romance in the oddest way,” I said, finding myself reaching out to touch him. I needed to touch him. “My parents can’t hurt me anymore. Mera took care of them by stripping their wolves. They’re out living shitty human lives.”

He relaxed under the touch of my hand on his chest, but his eyes remained black.

“Thank you for Hattie yesterday,” I went on. “No one has ever defended me in that way. Are you in any trouble over her death?”

He clasped his hand over the top of mine, pinning it to his chest.

Signature move apparently.

“Nothing I shouldn’t be able to handle,” he said in his low, rumbly tone. “Her family does have some power and connections, but few want to take on a tier one master. In Crimson City, we are judge, jury, and executioner.”

I swallowed hard against my dry throat. “Right, well, I guess we should head to breakfast and hope this time I’m not poisoned.” If we didn’t move soon, I was going to drag him back into the bedroom and forget the selection.

Lucien didn’t release me, and I wondered if he was feeling the same primal urge. “Crimson?” I rasped, resisting the impulse to clench my thighs against my rising need.

I was going to give Mera a run for her money in horniness if this kept up.

The heat around us grew, and before I could say his name again, he released my hand only to loop his arm around my waist and pull me into his body. “Leave,” he growled, and I had no idea who he was talking to until Bowley squeaked and rolled from my body, landing on the ground, and took off down the hall.

Lucien lifted me higher, and on instinct, my legs wrapped around his waist. His mouth landed on my neck, and I tilted my head to give him all the access he needed. As his fangs sank into my skin, a jolt of pleasure slammed into my pussy, and I orgasmed in a freak sudden event. It was so damn strong that my body clenched with the sensation, and Lucien let out a deep rumble, which only sent the spirals of intensity higher.

He pulled back a second later. “Feed,” he told me, eyes a hypnotic swirl of darkness. It was full-on when he was like this, but I liked it. More than I’d ever admit.

When his darker energy was in control, it turned my body into a needy, wanton, desperate beast that would do anything to feel its master’s touch.

“Feed,” he repeated, and I didn’t even hesitate to bite him.

Except I’d forgotten to call on my wolf, which would usually mean I had blunt teeth that could not cut through vampire skin. And yet, somehow, I did, and his blood filled my mouth.

I moaned again and rocked against him as I fed. Lucien’s hard length pressed into me with enough force that even through my jeans he was hitting all the right spots.

Rocking harder and faster, I chased my next orgasm, and I was so lost in the sensation of feeding and riding him that I didn’t notice him spin us around until my back was against the wall. He used that structure to brace me so his hands could make short work of getting both of our pants unbuttoned and pushed down, and when his cock thrust inside me, I screamed and thrashed against the sensations. I came so hard that my mouth was jerked off his neck and I almost smashed my head into the wall.

Lucien caught me and, with a low laugh, slowed his next stroke to give me a chance to sort my shit out. I was going to embarrass myself if I kept this up. He started to thrust up in long, sure strokes, pulling all the way out before sliding deep into my pussy.

I lost sense of anything else in the world.

I forgot about the selection.

I forgot about my near death.

I even forgot about my wolf, and she was such a huge part of me that I couldn’t understand how Lucien kept doing this to me.

But I never wanted him to stop.

The early pull I’d felt toward him had exploded into an obsession, and part of me knew that nothing would stop this now. Not until we crashed and burned. But I couldn’t care about the inevitability. I would take whatever lay at the end of this path because Lucien made me feel so good, both physically and emotionally. This warrior vampire protected me, cared for me, and gave freely of his blood to me.

I’d never had that before, and I was greedy for more.

I wanted it all.

He leaned into me, tilting his head to the side again, and I was surprised to see that the healing skin held only a small bite wound. Not quite the two pricks of a vampire bite, but certainly far less ravaged than my usual wolf teeth.

There was no time for me to truly comprehend what this meant because when Lucien filled my body like this, my brains turned to absolute mush.

Maybe in the near future I’d have a freak out over my new teeth, but for now, there was only one focus in my mind.

My next orgasm.