Compelled (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 5)

My limbs felt weak as I hurried to pull on the clothing I’d been given. The plain black shirt, clearly Lucien’s, fell below my thighs, and I breathed in the crimson scent before forcing myself to keep getting dressed. The next item was too-big-for-me sweatpants, but I managed to tighten the drawstring enough to keep most of my parts under wraps. There was also a pair of socks, which I put on, and then I hurried into the bathroom to brush my hair. It would be a mess after my sleep.

The reflection in the mirror was one of wide eyes and dilated pupils, flushed cheeks, and lips that looked fuller than usual. For no damn reason at all.

In truth, I looked like a woman who’d just had a long night of hardcore sex resulting in dozens of glorious orgasms. Which was definitely not the case.

I mean, I’d had the glorious orgasms, but that was hours ago, which meant all of these physical changes had to be my close proximity to the vampire and the way he was stirring both his blood and mine inside me.

After running a brush through my hair, I quickly braided it to keep it off my face and decided that was the best I was getting, since I was already late.

Racing out of the bedroom and into the hall, I moved toward the stairs. Toward the pull of power.

To find Lucien and Len in one of the sitting rooms.

“Len!” I cried, heading straight for the fae. “What are you doing here?”

He got to his feet and met me halfway as he moved in the graceful way of a faerie, like their limbs and muscles weren’t built the same way as the rest of ours.

“Hello, little wolf,” he said with a broad, silvery smile. Everything about this male was larger than life, including his size and how otherworldly and handsome he was in the silver color of his race. “I’m here to be your bodyguard since our young Lucien cannot guard his wolf due to a conflict of interest.”

Lucien didn’t comment on the “his wolf” remark, and I had no idea what to do with it, so I shoved it aside and focused on what I could: Len was my bodyguard.

A sense of relief hit me. The fae was someone I knew and trusted, which would make this entire selection so much easier to handle.

“The masters are okay with an outsider being with me through this?” I had to double-check because it seemed too good to be true.

“I have more than a little influence with the masters,” Lucien said, seeming relaxed. “The rules state that as long as it’s not me or someone else competing for your mateship, you can have any security.”

Letting the last of my anxiety rest, I nodded. “Should we get going then?”

“Yes, follow me. The guide is outside,” Lucien said.

Whatever joy he’d felt at seeing his friend was gone, and he was all alpha again, hiding his emotions and taking the weight of the world’s responsibilities on his shoulders.

It hit me then that I’d once again been selfish in thinking only of myself and how this all affected me. Lucien had really gone to bat for me, stepping up for the selection and even earlier in the shower. He’d been helping me, keeping me safe, protecting me for a long time. It was time for me to start showing my appreciation by following his rules about the selection and not making his job more difficult.

The sooner this was over, the sooner we could all get back to our lives.

When Lucien and Len headed out of the room, I trailed a few steps behind. They were having a discussion in rapid whispers, but it was too quiet for me to hear more than a few words. I heard enough to know it was about my security and what Len could expect from the guards and masters—information I probably should have listened to, but I just couldn’t find the energy to force my way into the conversation.

Sleeping had helped, and the vampire blood wasn’t burning any longer, but I felt a little flat. I wondered if this was part of the “you’ll need to feed too” thing Lucien had mentioned. I mean, what was I supposed to do if that happened for the rest of my life? Would bagged blood work?

As gross as it sounded, at least I knew it would keep me alive as long as Mera and the others. Or maybe my aim should be to figure out how to rid myself of vampire blood once and for all and go back to my normal life. Of course, I had to make it through the selection first to ensure that I even had options to consider.

When we exited the security gates, Lucien paused his conversation with Len and looked around. “Hmm, I told the guide to wait for us at the Chambers, but I figured he’d ignore me.”

Clearly he’d known better than to ignore the Crimson House master.

“Everyone listens to you here,” Len said with a low laugh.

Lucien took another look around before he waved us forward. “It wasn’t an order, and I expected the other masters would insist on his presence, worried about Bee being a runner.”

“Or a flyer,” I said drily, since my nickname had a new context to it now.

Lucien’s gaze was filled with a low simmering heat when it met mine. “Or that.”

We pushed forward, walking through the Crimson House streets before turning out of this section into another part of the maze. Lucien was clearly taking the shortest route today.

Len remained with us, seeming not at all curious about the design of the mazelike streets, which told me he’d been here before. “Do you know how to find your way out of Crimson City without Lucien?” I asked him. “Just in case we have to run or hide during the selection.”

The fae shot me a wink. “I think I can work it out; I’ve been here more than a few times.”

Lucien slowed his pace to match mine. “If you get into trouble, call for me first. Don’t try and take on the vampires alone. Even Len will struggle against the full force of the ten masters, including Carter and guards.”

“How do I call you?” I shot back. There were no phones in this world, hence why mine was back in my desk drawer in the bookstore.

His expression didn’t change. “Len knows how. And since he’ll be with you at all times, there’s no need for you to know.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “All times, eh? So, even in the shower?”

Hands wrapped around my biceps so fast that by the time my gasp escaped, I was already dangling off the ground. Vampire speed was so fucking unfair.

As I snapped out of my shock, I kicked out as hard as I could, but the bastard managed to side-step my strike. My shoe scraped along the side of his pants. “Stop fucking manhandling me,” I snarled, fired up.

He brought his face close to mine. “No one touches you in the shower, Bee.” His irises were darkening, gaze burning into me, and all I could breathe was his scent. Oxygen vanished, replaced by cherries. “If you need someone in the shower, you will summon me and no one else.” His grip tightened; the firm hold on my skin doing things to me. “I don’t share well, and we struck a deal that for your time here, you belong to me.”

With my head spinning, I struggled to remember when we’d struck such a deal, but there was clearly no point in arguing with him. If my traitorous vagina was any indication, Lucien temporarily owning us sat just right with her. It was an archaic concept, but not one I was unfamiliar with, since shifters were all about the animalistic claiming. I just hadn’t expected it from a vampire.

Arching under his touch, my head filled with memories of his fangs in my thigh and clit, and I was left staring into piercing green eyes while breathing embarrassingly heavy. Lucien’s expression gave nothing away, but he hadn’t released me, which told me he was waiting for my agreement.

“Okay,” I finally said. “I won’t invite Len—”

His chest rumbled, loud enough to interrupt me.

“Len or anyone else into my shower,” I growled back, frustration biting at me.

My feet hit the ground as I was released, and we both turned to find a smirking Len watching us. Lucien didn’t say anything to his friend, marching off at a pace that had me scrambling to keep up. When we reached the set of guards on this entrance, Lucien addressed the closest one.

“She needs to be escorted to her assigned room for the selection. And note that her fae security is to stay with her at all times.”

The guards, both smaller and way less intimidating than Lucien, nodded in a few quick jerks of their heads. “Yes, Master Lucien,” the closest one said, running a hand over his completely shaved head, showing discomfort. “We will ensure that everything is taken care of.”

Lucien didn’t seem that satisfied by the answer, as he shot me a quick glance—a final wellbeing check, by the looks—before he turned and left. Len moved in closer behind me, effectively guarding my back. “Follow us,” the bald vampire said. “All of those called for the selection are being housed on the top level of the Chambers.”

Well, that answered one of my questions about what lay above the two levels I’d seen.

The guard, whose name I learned was Galco, chatted about the selection as he led us through the building and up a set of stairs I hadn’t even known existed, hidden as they were behind a door on the ground level.

“I’ve been working for the masters in security roles for most of my three hundred years,” he said, his hazel eyes shining with enthusiasm. “I’m young for a vampire, and working for the masters is a steppingstone to becoming one. They only let those with a decent level of power guard the front gates, so I’m hoping this will lead to big things for me in the next few thousand years.”

“Do all vampires live forever?” I asked him.

Galco turned back from where he stood on the stairs, seeming a touch surprised by my question. It was odd, but in my last time here, I’d never asked that question. I’d just assumed they did because Lucien was ancient as hell, but maybe not all vampires were as long-lived.

“Not all,” Galco said, confirming that thought. “Only the strongest and oldest bloodlines will regenerate forever. But we all live a long time. Even the weakest will live a thousand years, and those that are masters live forever.” He shrugged. “Well, they do if they don’t piss off Lucien and he wipes them out.”

Galco resumed his journey up the flights of stairs, and I was reminded that if I didn’t turn into a hybrid, I would only live for a couple of hundred years. I’d be out of Mera’s and Lucien’s lives in a mere blip of time.

For some messed-up reason, my chest ached at the thought of leaving this world so soon. I’d leave everyone I loved.

They’d go on and live their lives and have adventures, and I would be in the afterlife wondering if any of them would ever cross to my side of the veil.

Dammit, I couldn’t dwell on this right now. Worrying about the future would have to wait, and maybe it was worth remembering that even an eternals’ existence could be cut short. Alistair, Lucien’s brother, had been killed in the Desert Lands.

Life was short, so I would focus on fighting to enjoy every second I had.