Compelled (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 5)

Lucien moved his mouth against me, taking in my slick heat, drinking down everything my body had to offer until the entire shower stall was drowning in my scent. Blood, arousal, want, lust, need… it all blended into a potent cocktail that, even without a pussy full of vampire fang, would still have me on the edge of orgasm.

“Crimson,” I moaned, tilting my head back to cop a full face of cold water. Spluttering, I almost suffocated, and it would have totally been worth it.

When he lifted his head, the sight of my blood against his lips shouldn’t have had my body jerking toward him. Blood play had never been my thing, and yet, with this particular male, it hit me like a shot of lust to my center.

As I jerked again, Lucien rumbled, not an iota of green remaining in his eyes. They were intense in their darkness, and if I hadn’t known emphatically that I was here of my own free will, I’d have thought he was compelling me.

There was no compulsion needed for me to be into this vampire.

That was the honest truth.

Without breaking eye contact, he reached up and shifted the temperature control to bring warmth into the waterfall of water.

“Crimson,” I said again, the nickname feeling right, here in this shower stall with his scent mingling so deeply with mine. “Aren’t you wearing a few too many clothe—”

I didn’t get to finish that sentence before a loud chime echoed through the bathroom. I remembered from last time that meant someone wanted to contact Lucien through the speaker at the front gate.

Lucien stilled, his breathing deep and ragged. For a moment, it didn’t seem he was going to bother checking who it was, but then he shook his head and pushed himself up from my body.

“The official summons,” he bit out. He towered over me, looking down at where I was still sprawled before him like a damn offering to the gods.

Scrambling up myself, I didn’t bother to hide my nudity. Lucien had entered my shower and then proceeded to give me multiple mind-blowing orgasms. We were definitely past the point of being shy.

“You still have the fire of vampire blood inside you,” he said shortly, eyes lingering on my face. “All I did was take the edge off, but there’s a chance the need will return. I will have to share my blood with you next time, but this should tide you over for now.”

“What can I do to help myself if it happens again?”

Lucien shook his head. “You can’t help yourself. This is a vampire need, and only feeding will stem the fire.”

Great. Just fucking great. The last thing I wanted was to be in the middle of a vampire enclave and get hit with this level of need. “You triggered it, though,” I reminded him. “So, if you just refrain from brushing those”—fucking addicting—“fangs anywhere near my skin, we should be okay.”

Wishful thinking at its finest.

“You should be careful,” Lucien shot back just as the house let out another chiming sound. “As your blood and my blood mingle further, more changes could take place.”

There was another chime, and with a growl, he took off at vampire speed, leaving me naked and very confused. Since this was the summons and I couldn’t rock up to the Master Chambers naked, I jogged to the shelf that held the towels and lifted one of the huge pieces of material.

Wrapping it around me, I took a moment to breathe in its clean, fresh scent, still amazed that everything in this house was cleaned and maintained from the energy of the crimson stones embedded in the walls and floors.

If I dropped this towel on the floor, it would be gone in an instant.

Very convenient, especially when you were a master vampire who didn’t like other beings in your house. It was still a wonder he’d allowed me in here for so long.

Moving to the sink, I opened the drawers of the white cabinet beneath and found a full selection of items, just like the last time I’d been here. Many of them were familiar Earth brands, including toothbrush and paste, a hairbrush, and even makeup.

Scrambling through, I used the items I needed but didn’t bother with makeup. My aim was to be as unappealing as possible for Carter. Though, considering how bad I was at applying makeup, maybe I should give it a whirl and go with the whole clown look.

By the time I was done in the bathroom, which included hanging up my wet clothing, just in case it was the only set I had here, Lucien still hadn’t returned. Moving to the bed, I sank down onto the soft surface, enjoying the clean scent of the bedding.

After some time, exhaustion pushed against me, and I closed my eyes, needing a minute to get my energy back. My wolf stirred weakly inside, less compressed by the blood but nowhere as strong as she used to be.

Sorry, girl. We will figure out how to bring your strength back, I promise.

Blood lust or not, though I was craving more of Lucien’s touch, I wouldn’t sacrifice my wolf for it. There had to be a way to merge the two.

A whirring sound filled the room, and I turned my head to see the shutters slowly descending, wiping out the last of the red light until darkness engulfed me. Sleep took me away, as if my body was trained, just like the vampires, to rest during the sleep cycle. Despite my expectation of a short nap, I crashed out so hard that it had to be hours later when I was jolted awake by a hand on my arm.

I came to, screaming and swinging, the same response my phone got when it woke me up. Lucien caught my fist before it could connect, and a snort of laughter escaped him. Through my blurry vision in the low, red light of the room—I’d definitely been asleep for a long time if it was the awake cycle again—I could see that he was more than a little amused. “Still a morning person, I see.”

“Fuck off,” I snarled, before a yawn overtook me. “It’s been forever since I slept.” Forever and multiple journeys through the worlds.

Whatever mirth had been in his gaze faded. “Unfortunately, there’s no time for more rest. Your guard and escort are here to take you to the room you’ll use for the duration of the selection. From there you will be afforded the best in clothing and accessories.”

If anything was going to bring me awake fast, it was that statement.

“Did we work out a proper plan?” I gasped, sitting up, completely naked and freaking out. “What exactly do I do to ensure I’m either eliminated from the selection or chosen only by you?”

Lucien hauled me off the bed in a blink, standing me on shaky legs. Before I could ask another question, he reached over to pick up a pile of clothing that must have been sitting on the other side of the bed. “Put these on for now. We will discuss a plan later, but for the most part, let’s take it one event at a time. Your first job is to be unlikeable to Carter. Think you can handle that?”

It was my turn to snort out a laugh. “I can get you many references from bad dates to confirm my general lack of appeal.”

Lucien didn’t appear to find my joke funny, and I wasn’t sure which part put that grim look on his face. “Get dressed,” he repeated. “We’ll be downstairs waiting for you.”

He moved away as my pulse and heartrate spiked. I remained like that until his broad shoulders disappeared through the door and I was the only one left in the room.

Me and a pile of clothes.

Just as I reached for the top piece, Lucien appeared in the doorway again, and I froze with my hand wrapped around a shirt. His gaze locked on mine, burning into me. “Anyone who touched you and didn’t appreciate the fucking gift they were given deserves to die.”

Then he was gone, and I was left breathlessly wondering why he’d made the effort to return and tell me that. And why it affected me so much.

Lucien had warned me to repel Carter, but he should have said the same thing about himself. I could not fall in love with that master vampire again.

No matter how he made me feel or how my body responded, I wouldn’t survive the heartbreak again.

That was a fact.