Compelled (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 5)

Lucien stuck around to thoroughly clean me up… and down. When I could stand again, I knew we had to be seriously late for the morning events.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked as I stepped from the shower.

For some reason my next words stuck in my throat. Why did it destroy me so thoroughly when someone gave a shit about my needs? I didn’t know how to deal with the rising wake of emotions that ensued from such a statement. “I’m fine,” I choked out.

Lucien didn’t just take me at my word, striding forward, unconcerned with being naked and wet as he took a towel and stroked it over my body, drying me. “You need to get dressed now,” he said when he was done. “When you’re naked, I have a much harder time controlling myself.”

“That goes for both of us, Crimson,” I said with a strangled laugh. “Your weapon of mass destruction is waving around about to start another battle.”

He tilted his head like he was trying to figure out if he’d heard me right. But seriously, his cock was impressive enough that if he didn’t want me to jump on it again, he needed to lasso and contain it.

Before anything could happen, the doorbell chimed, and Lucien let out a curse as he strode from the bathroom. “Still naked,” I called out after him, but he gave zero fucks.

Weirdly enough, my wolf was rumbling in my chest because, apparently, I did give some fucks about another vampire seeing him naked. This possessive shit needed to be brought right under control and soon because Lucien had made it perfectly clear that when this was all over, he was done.

He wanted nothing to do with long-term relationships, mate bonds, or children.

As hard as it was to accept, I had to respect his wishes—even if he did give me the most mind-blowing orgasms of my life and said heart-clenching things like I reminded him of a bee, the one creature literally essential to Earth’s survival.

Sadly for me, the essential part I filled in his life was on a time limit, so this was an enjoy it for now and walk away when it’s done situation.

Len’s voice reached me, and I realized he was the one who’d chimed the bell to let us know he was returning. I relaxed my hands, which had partially shifted into claws, and was about to walk from the room clad only in the bath sheet, when Lucien appeared in the doorway. Blocking my exit.

His expression was dark, and my mind immediately started throwing terrible scenarios at me. “What’s wrong?”

His expression didn’t ease. “Nothing is wrong. What clothing do you need?”

I shrugged, inching the top of my towel higher. “I can look for myself. You should get to the breakfast or whatever we’ve missed.”

He didn’t move, even as I sort of nudged him out.

“No.”

I stilled. He didn’t sound angry; it was a simple statement.

“Excuse me?”

“You do not dress in front of Len. You do not walk out in a towel if he’s in the room.”

I started to splutter and protest because what the actual fuck, when he wrapped his hand around the lower half of my face. He tilted my head back and leaned over to press a long, lingering kiss to my lips.

“Until the selection is done, you belong to me, Bee. And I never share.”

Clarity and sanity returned in a blast. “I thought we went over this last night at the dance,” I said in an angry hiss. “We might be fucking, but—”

My words were cut off as his hand slipped under my towel and he stroked through the newly pooled moisture between my thighs. Yeah, I was a hot mess completely turned on by his dominance, but that didn’t mean he got to know that.

“Seems we agree on the terms,” he said, sliding across my swollen, aching flesh once more, and I barely stifled a groan.

His hand was gone in the next second and then so was the vampire, the closed door of the bathroom staring me in the face. “We’ll wait outside in the hall for you.” His words drifted through to me, and I slumped against the door, my forehead cracking onto the wood as I lost the ability to hold myself up.

I was in so much trouble that it wasn’t even funny.

How did this happen? How did I find myself tangled in romance and drama like I was starring in my own paranormal romance novel? Leading lady roles were for other supernaturals… like Mera. I was more of the quirky sidekick.

It was almost as if her leading role had spread like a virus into my life, and now I was going to be navigating a story on my own. Just as she had.

“Am I strong enough for this?” I asked the still closed door. “Seriously?”

No one answered, thankfully, because a talking door would have been fucking terrifying. Just like Mera’s talking cloud of smoke. Tilting my head back, I stared into the ceiling above and scowled. “Don’t you be sending me any animal, smoke, or goblin sidekicks. This is not a fairy-tale story. I repeat. Not. A fairy tale.”

With that statement made, I opened the door and headed for the wardrobe. I took out a nearly identical outfit from before, only the jacket this time was a deep burgundy color made from a velvet-like material. When I was dressed, hair smoothed back again and game face on, I left the bedroom and exited into the hallway. Len moved forward from where he’d been leaned against the wall, face nearly expressionless, except for a small smile playing around his lips. “Ready to go, princess?” he asked.

“Not a princess,” I shot back. “No animal sidekick or leading-role potential in sight, thank you very much.”

To his credit, he managed not to look surprised by my crazy outburst.

“Not sure Lucien would agree,” he said. “I mean, he’s got you in a starring role at his side.”

I resisted the urge to punch the enigmatic and powerful silver fae. “Shut up.”

His laughter followed me down the hall as I took off, but he soon caught up to me. “Seriously, you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

That did give me a moment’s pause. “What do you mean?” I finally had to ask when it was apparent he wasn’t going to continue on his own. “And where is Lucien?”

He’d said we would wait in the hall.

“He was called ahead to view the obstacle course, and he wants to ensure it’s safe for you,” Len said without hesitation. “And I’m telling you, Lucien has your blood scent now, and I’ve never seen him like this. Truth is, my friend has a big heart and an obsessive tendency to go in full throttle when his emotions are involved.”

None of this was new information to me, and I didn’t care about the obsessive and possessive nature of the master vampire. If I was only going to have him for a short period of time, then I sure as hell wanted a hundred and fifty percent of him. Nothing less would do.

“I’m all in, but I have to remember that it’s not forever,” I told Len quietly. “Lucien and I are fucking and feeding for the duration of this selection because it keeps me strong and all of our urges under control. But after this is over, so are we. I just have to figure out how to deal with whatever is happening to me as a hybrid wolf-vamp.”

“Right,” he replied softly, clearly not believing a word of it. “Crimson and Bee, just partners in crime.”

I elbowed him, but he was made of steel, and all I did was bruise myself. Luckily, I was all hopped up on vampire blood, Lucien’s power sloshing around inside me and filling up my wells of energy. I was healed before the true pain even kicked in.

When we reached the ground floor, we exited into the area where the breakfast was supposed to have been. At first, I couldn’t see the other selected, but then we followed the voices, moving through a doorway and into a much larger room with windows spanning three sides.

It sounded like they were finishing up, which probably meant I’d missed breakfast. Again. Well, I guess I did eat already, if you counted that little blood exchange.

As much as I loved food, I wouldn’t have missed this morning with Lucien for all the pancakes in the world, even if I starved to death in the process.

Some experiences were worth dying for, and sex like that… might just be one of them.

Last time I’d been here, I’d felt pathetic throwing myself at a vampire who didn’t want me. This time was all different.

Lucien wanted me, so I would embrace it all.

Until that time ran out.

Ticktock.