Compelled (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 5)

As I neared the stone, my thoughts of mates and tropes dried up to be replaced with anxiety. What would happen this time when I touched the stone?

Lucien sat straighter as I approached, but he didn’t give me any indication that I shouldn’t touch it.

Not like I had any choice; this was part of the selection process.

Julietta, her platinum hair pulled back in a high bun, highlighting the stark beauty of her features, was the one in charge today. Her outfit was white, a power suit that left her boobs pushed up and all but spilling from the top button. Vampires never hid their sexuality, and I was on board with that trend.

“Hatilda of the Jade House, please step forward,” she announced.

Hattie took a deep breath beside me and then strode toward the huge stone. I hadn’t known she was from Donovan’s enclave; her master’s smile was broad as he watched her approach.

“Hatilda, do you honor our gods?” Julietta asked.

Hattie nodded as she lifted her right hand. “I do. Always.” She murmured a few other words that were not in a language I understood, but it sounded ancient and powerful. Then she reached out and placed her hand on the stone, and the light grew infinitely brighter, just for a few seconds, before fading again.

It was almost as if the Stone of Katu was absorbing some of the vampire’s power, growing a little stronger with each touch.

Hattie wore a serene smile, appearing right at home with her hand resting against the stone. “Thank you,” the master said. “Your blessing has been accepted. You may join the selected to the left.”

For the first time I noticed two red-faced females had moved to the right side of the room, away from the main group of blessed. This reminded me that I could fail out here. The tier one masters couldn’t do anything if the stone rejected me.

They’d never go against their gods.

“Simone Lewison of the shifter pack in Torma, step forward.”

I was the last, and all eyes were on me. With a sliver of hope in my heart, I approached the stone, hoping desperately that I wasn’t triggered with some sort of panic attack or flashback when I touched it.

Fail. Fail. Fail. Fail.

One word chanted over and over in my head, even though I knew if I did, part of my heart and soul would stay in this world. At least it would only be part—if I remained in the selection any longer, it might be all.

“Simone, do you honor the gods?” Julietta asked me.

I tore my gaze away from the red, gold, and black sparkle of the stone and looked into her silvery eyes. “They’re not my gods, but I will show them the respect they are due.”

She nodded, her expression remaining neutral. “Touch and receive your blessing.”

I was confident that I wasn’t the only one holding their breath as I reached out and placed my right hand against the middle of the massive stone. Bracing myself for a burst of energy like last time, I was surprised when all I received was a warm blast of air across my body. The stone lit up in a spark of power before that power died off again just as quickly.

Julietta stepped forward, looking down at me from the edge of her platform. “It appears the blessing was accepted. Please make your way to the left side of the room.”

My wolf howled in my chest, satisfied with our strength. From the start, she hadn’t been on board with failing, a feeling that had only grown stronger since she’d started treating Lucien as our alpha.

I walked toward Hattie, who was smiling broadly at me, and I couldn’t help but turn my head back. Both Carter and Lucien were on their feet, staring my way again.

Carter looked pleased, his lips curved and eyes lit up. But Lucien’s expression was more closed off.

Either way, I hadn’t failed out at the blessing, so that meant we were onto the next part.

The obstacle course.

The selected were quiet as we were left the Master Chambers, heading into the maze of Crimson City. We took an exit that I hadn’t been through before, and when I saw Galco guarding one of the gates, his bald head reflecting off the red sunlight, I waved and got an enthusiastic wave in return.

In the streets, the vampire’s speed picked up, and I found myself unable to keep up.

Len took pity on me, wrapping an arm around my waist as he zipped off after the vamps, almost managing to stay with the group.

“Their speed has always pissed me off,” Len grumbled as he reached for a stone in his jacket. Once he got his hand on the quarter-sized, opaque aqua stone, he picked up speed.

In no time we were in the outer area of Crimson City. It would have taken me hours to walk the distance, but we’d made it in minutes at vampire pace. “The course is set out in the Zone of Osida,” Julietta called. “Masters Carter and Lucien will be waiting at the end to see who makes it through and what condition they’re in. This will help them decide on who they want to continue on in the competition.”

“None of that sounds remotely ominous,” I murmured, and Hattie, who was nearby, snorted.

“Don’t worry; I’ll stick with you,” she told me.

My stomach roiled unexpectedly, and I pressed my hand against it, hoping to calm myself. It was just an obstacle course, and I wanted to lose anyway. I had no idea why my body was rebelling by trying to send me straight to the nearest bathroom.

As a shifter, I wasn’t really struck down by stomach issues. Our system was quick to repel any bacterial invasion, so this had to be nerves. Nerves that would not take me down. If I could touch the Stone of Katu without freaking out, I could get through this obstacle course.

Or fail spectacularly trying.

Ignoring the gurgling of my gut, I followed the group as we moved clear of the city and into the countryside that surrounded it. I’d never been this far into Valdor and was curious what it was like out here under the perpetual red light of their sun.

In our immediate area, the ground was flat and covered in a short layer of yellowy grass. Reaching down to run my hand across it, I marveled at how soft it felt—almost like velvet. Moving through this grass, we appeared to be heading toward pockets of forest a few hundred yards away. Beyond this were more treelike structures and even some mountains. The weather remained in an eternal spring here, so there was no snow to be seen on top of the red mountains.

When we reached the forest, it was to find trees a hundred feet high and dozens of feet wide. The entire ecosystem looked ancient, filled with many foreign plant and animal species. I mean, foreign to me, anyway.

“All you have to do,” said Julietta, the only master to accompany us, “is make it to the other side of this forest. Head for a large water crossing, which signals the end of the obstacle course. If you exit without finding a water source, you’ve gone the wrong way. At the request of one of the masters, we’ve also added a few blockers around the perimeter, which will somewhat limit speed and strength in vampires to make it fair for all contestants.”

Many pissed off looks were shot my way, and I forced myself to remain calm, even as my stomach jumped once more. These bitches needed to realize that I was not here of my own free will and the full twenty-plus of them left just had to get their asses out there and win. Because I didn’t want to. The master who’d requested the blockers had to be Carter because Lucien was on board with my plan to lose.

“Best of luck, selected,” Julietta called. “Your time starts now.”

There was a rush of noise as the females let out a war cry, and then they started running. I’d been at the back of the group, so I got to watch their vampire speed until they moved between the first trees, the blockers slowing them from there.

I got more glares then, but soon they were all gone from view.

“I’ll wait for you at the end,” Len said, nudging me forward. “Go before they decide you’re throwing this section.”

“Right, right,” I said.

Hattie linked our arms together and dragged me along at her speed, sending my stomach into a roiling mess until we reached the trees. As the shadows engulfed us, her speed dropped right back to my normal pace.

We were finally in the first task, and I honestly wished I was anywhere else.