Compelled (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 5)

Hattie didn’t stop until we were well into the first lot of trees and the golden fields were completely gone from sight.

“Keep an eye out for traps,” she said, her head swiveling as she took everything in.

“What sort of traps should I expect?” I asked, calling on my wolf for some focus. It wasn’t dark in here, but it was certainly much duller with only slivers of red light filtering through the canopy.

“It could be anything, but I’d anticipate a few loose frodens—small, armored creatures that roll along the ground and can knock you down in a second.”

In my head I imagined a bowling ball with vampires as the pins.

“Okay, are they dangerous and easy to spot?”

She shook her head. “Not really dangerous or easy to spot since they’re only the size of your hand, but you can usually hear them coming. If you pay attention.”

Vampire hearing might pick up on them, but I was shifter with fluctuating senses.

Hopefully, Lucien’s blood would continue to improve my strength and senses because at the moment all I felt was a little queasy.

“Outside of frodens, what else should I expect?”

As I said that, a huge-ass birdlike creature zoomed out of a tree and over the top of us. If Hattie hadn’t shoved me to the floor, its massive talons would have taken my head clean off.

“Tracker rens,” she said in a rush. “I don’t know what the equivalent is in your world, but if they get their claws into you, you’re going into the nest to be eaten by the rest of them.”

Back on our feet, we both looked around, but it seemed that the giant bird was once again hiding among the trees. “Okay, I think we should start moving and deal with shit as it shows up,” I said, taking a step forward on shaky legs. “Standing here feels like we’re just offering ourselves up to be eaten.”

Hattie nodded, her face drawn. We ducked our heads low and headed in among the trees. It wasn’t tightly packed, with almost no undergrowth outside of the same short, yellow grass from out in the open planes. All we had to do was dodge the tree bases, and we would be fine.

Neither of us spoke for many minutes, choosing to focus on possible ambushes. Without further incident, we reached the first obstacle: a rock wall, probably thirty feet high, and blocked on either side by thick tree trunks.

“Got to go over,” Hattie told me.

She raced forward, and moving like a damn mountain goat, scaled up the side, finding handholds that I couldn’t see from the ground. “Hurry,” she called down to me when she reached the top.

“Yep, coming up,” I called. Normally, I’d be able to get over this wall with almost no effort, but the gurgling of my stomach was getting worse and whatever strength I’d felt from Lucien’s blood appeared to be fading into a cloudy mind and weak limbs.

Was this the next step in my hybrid nature? If so, I wasn’t too impressed by it.

Moving toward the wall, I found a few hand and foot holes and started to pull myself up. At this point, Hattie was sitting on the edge at the top. “Great job,” she called down. “Do you want me to wait and help?”

I shook my head, wedging my hands into the next set of crevices. “No, go on. I’m going to be a while.” She didn’t need to be hanging up there as a target for those tracker-vulture birds.

“Okay,” she said quickly, and by the time I looked up again, she was gone.

Forcing myself to focus once more, my thoughts even more scattered than usual, I continued to climb slowly. So slowly it was almost painful. But I remained on the path I’d chosen, and within fifteen minutes, I’d finally reached the top.

Swinging my leg over, I gave myself a minute to catch my breath, wishing I hadn’t eaten breakfast after all. Kind of felt like the lot was about to reappear.

Had my days without food affected my stomach or something?

I’d never experienced this before, and I had no idea if I’d make it out of this obstacle course without a bathroom break.

Moving my weight over the wall, I thankfully found some footholds and scaled down the other side. It was harder since I couldn’t search out the best route, and when I was about halfway, I decided to just drop off and hope for the best.

It was only a fifteen-foot fall, which should be nothing.

Except I wasn’t exactly in peak physical condition right now, and when I hit the ground, the force jarred every bone in my body. I remained on my feet as a small whimper escaped me. Brushing a hand across my forehead, I was surprised at how sweaty I already was. If this was the aftereffect of consuming vamp blood, I might need to reassess my future plans with Lucien.

Looking around for Hattie, I felt a bite of panic when I couldn’t see her. “Hattie?” I called, peering through the trees.

There was no response.

My heartrate picked up. Shit, shit, shit.

Had she been attacked while I was climbing? Or had she taken my “go on” to mean for the rest of the course? If that was the case, I wasn’t too worried, but I hated to think she’d been attacked while she was waiting for my slow, broken ass.

I tried to call up my wolf to shift, needing her strength and senses, but all I got was a sad whimper. I’d have been super concerned, except that had been par for the course lately, and with no other options, I just stumbled forward and pushed on with this stupid course.

If Hattie needed help, my best chance was to get to Lucien.

In the next part of the forest, my churning stomach was the only audible noise. Followed by a sharp cramp that almost sent me to my knees, and I coughed and dry-heaved as I tried desperately not to vomit.

Clawing my way back to standing, I fought against myself, advising all of my body parts that there was no bathroom here. Just as I got up, a low thud had me turning in time to see a dark grey ball careen across the floor and smash into my right leg, sending me flying sky high in a great tumble of shame.

When I crashed down, I landed on my back, and all the air expelled from my body as I gasped and clawed at the ground. No doubt this would have been hilarious to watch, but living it… not so much.

When I managed to breathe again, I turned to find the bowling ball was coming back for me again. A rumble of annoyance joined my rumbling gut, and as the creature raced toward me, I decided I was done with this shit.

Reaching out, I managed to snatch the ball—a froden, I assumed—up in my hand.

Holding the solid weight, I forced my aching stomach muscles to pull me to a sitting position as I looked down at what I held. At first, all I could see was a hard shell, but then it uncurled from its spherical shape to reveal what looked like a baby hedgehog. The hard shell relaxed, and spikes sprang free from where they’d been curved protectively around the little guy. Strangely enough, nothing stabbed into my skin, but I had the sense its shell could be used as a weapon. If needed.

It blinked big eyes up at me, and the urge to fling it across the world faded somewhat. “Dammit,” I murmured. “You are too freaking cute to be such a pain in my ass.”

It didn’t try to escape, seeming curious about what I was, and I didn’t let it go just yet. Getting to my feet, my stomach let out its loudest gurgle, and I had to pause to breathe through it. “Apologies if I vomit on you,” I told the froden in my hand. “Apparently, I have the supernatural equivalent of food poiso…”

My words trailed off as a thought hit me. Food poisoning.

Hattie had given me a plate of food this morning. Hattie who was not here, having taken off the second she could. “That fucking bitch!”

The froden squeaked, and I realized I was holding it a touch too tight. Loosening my grip, I ran a thumb over the soft belly. “Sorry about that. I was just lamenting the fact that women should not be trying to destroy each other like this.”

Being betrayed by a woman just hit differently.

Was it possible that Hattie had been playing me all along? From the first moment she inserted herself into my life in the hallway? But why? I’d told her from the damn start that I didn’t want to be in the selection.

Did this have something to do with Donovan and House of Jade? That smile he’d shot her way now took on an entirely new meaning. Maybe this had all been one big plan originating from her tier one master.

Leaning over, I gently placed the froden on the ground. “Go free, little one,” I said. “Hopefully you find less terrible friends than me.”

I took off then, marching fast as anger fueled me. Part of me was still hoping I was wrong and this was all a big coincidence.

Maybe someone else had tampered with the food when it was sitting on the table before Hattie picked it up?

Or maybe I was making excuses for her shitty behavior.

Just had to get to the end, and I’d find out.