The Empress' Rapture Read online

  © 2014 by Trinity Blacio

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  For more information contact:

  Riverdale Avenue Books

  5676 Riverdale Avenue

  Riverdale, NY 10471.

  www.riverdaleavebooks.com

  Design by www.formatting4U.com

  Cover by Insatiable Fantasy Designs Inc.

  ISBN

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-62601-100-7

  Print ISBN: 978-1-62601-101-4

  Chapter One

  Sierra carried her packages to the warehouse’s backdoor where her boyfriend, Jack Armstrong, had turned the large space into an apartment. She had been dating him now for a while and couldn’t wait to surprise him. Using the powers that she’d inherited from her mother, hidden hands unlocked and opened the door without making a sound. She took a step halfway through the door and stopped in her tracks. Grunts and snarls first reached her before her eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the apartment.

  Martha, the town slut, and three Trolls were fucking one another in the middle of the floor. Sierra dropped most of the bags in her arms. The smell of sweaty sex and rotten flesh filled the room. Her gaze landed on the pile of flesh-driven Trolls. Jack’s masculine scent stood out among the rest and penetrated her stunned mind.

  One of the Trolls turned, looked at her, and smiled.

  Her shock transformed into horror. Jack is a Troll! Jack is a Troll!

  His long, thick cock pumped into Martha’s ass, and another Troll’s dick slid into her pussy.

  Martha’s scream, muffled from the cock in her mouth, rang in Sierra’s sensitive ears. She didn’t know if Martha was enjoying screwing the Trolls or not, but she wasn’t waiting around to find out.

  The last shopping bag dropped to the ground. On automatic pilot, Sierra turned to run out the door, her heart pounding hard against her rib cage. Have to get away. Trolls hurt anyone who interferes with a good fuck. Sierra had just turned to run when out of the corner of her eye she saw long green fingers grab the hood of her coat and yank her back. Zipped tightly over her body, the coat tightened around her neck cutting off her air. The Troll threw her to the floor further into the room. Looking up, she cringed as Jack approached her. Gone was the once handsome man she dreamed of fucking and in his place was a grayish-green giant, its back hunched, with rotten teeth and claws blackened with dirt and decay, and his cock a large rotten stump that stuck straight up.

  Her gaze flew to his. “You’re a Troll. How could you lie to me? Stay the fuck away!” Sierra hissed. Her feet propelled her body backward and scooted her backwards across the wooden floor as she pushed away from Jack’s ugly true form. Finally, Sierra shrieked and jumped to her feet.

  “It’s really too bad you had to find out, but it won’t stop me.” His laugh, cold and hard, rumbled in the room. “You’ll be mine.”

  With the back of her coat shredded, a cold draft raced up her spine. Sparks flew from her hands as she concentrated on the power she possessed inside her. The other Trolls, now done with the town slut, advanced on her. Magic circulated around everyone, and electrical sparks pierced the air, sending each one of the ugly things flying across the room. Glass exploded around the warehouse as the large windows shattered. The Trolls landed onto the kitchen table, breaking it. Martha stood and, seeing the scene for the first time, screamed, falling to the floor, but Sierra didn’t have time to help her. She’d made her bed, let her sleep in it.

  Move your feet, lady, and get the hell out of here!

  She reached the door without any interruptions. The cold wind blew in her face, taking her breath with it for a minute. The long, dirty alley seemed to stretch out before her. Sighing with relief, she saw the tank of a car she owned at the end of the alley. Not caring who noticed her, Sierra revved up the car with her powers. Her legs ached, and numbness permeated her back, but she managed to reach the vehicle. With a shaky hand she threw open its driver’s door.

  Sierra jumped inside, but movement caught her attention. Her small hands shifted the car into reverse, slamming her door shut with a thud. Three of the ugly creatures barreled out of the warehouse, Jack in front. His gaze was that of hate and the promise of retribution. She flinched when the tires squealed as she backed up her car. Sweat beaded her forehead, her palms clammy, and the steering wheel stuck to the wet gloves that covered her hands. Her foot heavy on the gas pedal, the car sped away. In the distance Jack and the other Trolls yelled, but she was unable to discern their words and didn’t give a rat’s ass either.

  Reaching into the pocket for her cell phone, Sierra pulled it out and punched in Amy’s number.

  “Hello!” Amy Nelson, her best friend, answered on the first ring.

  “Meet me at the Cascade Park now! Bring an extra coat and shirt along with you. I might need some bandages too, and make sure no one follows you, please! Call the police. Have them go to Jack’s place, but tell them nothing.”

  She flipped the phone shut, Ten minutes later, she slid the car into her hidden parking spot that Amy knew about—their secret place. Tired from using so much power to camouflage the car from passing motorists, she scanned the surroundings and knew all was clear for now. The clock on the dash read 4:00 p.m. If I go home now, Dad will be there, and all hell will break loose.

  “Fucking Trolls! I am in so much shit!” She punched the dashboard. “They’ll never let me move out of the house now!” Tears streamed down her face. She flinched and tried to adjust in the seat. Her back stuck to the leather. The sticky wetness of blood rolled down her back. Seconds later, Sierra rested her head against the steering wheel and closed her eyes.

  Someone banged on the window, and she jumped, adrenaline zipping through her body. Searing pain shot down her back as she moved.

  “Sierra, open the fucking car now!” Thomas, Amy’s oldest brother, demanded and jiggled the doorknob.

  A low moan escaped her. There would be no hiding now. Her father and older brother would arrive soon. Opening the door, Amy stood behind Thomas next to Frank, her other brother. She stared silently at her friend.

  “Don’t be mad at Amy. We saw her sneak the bandages.” Thomas leaned into the car and pulled her out. She fell against his chest, a small whimper escaping her, and burrowed her face into his shirt.

  “What the hell happened? Who did this, Sierra?” Thomas whispered.

  Her body shook, and she clung to him. Here I am, twenty years old, and I can’t even take care of myself. Great…Mom is going to start on me about needing a mate now! I can just hear her. “Sierra, if you had a mate you could shift and your powers would grow.” Then she’ll give me that look she always does when she knows she’s right.

  Thomas gently picked her up and placed her on a rock. He moved in behind her and carefully removed the shredded coat. Frank held a blanket in front of her, and Thomas began to remove her shirt too. The screech of tires in the distance drew her attention and she cringed.

  The pain proved so fierce it prevented her from talking. She grabbed the blanket with a shaky hand and covered herself the best she could.

  An earsplitting growl pierced the air. Her father arrived and scared the crap out of her. He and her brother stepped out of the woods in their beast form glancing around the area, searching.

  “Shit,” she yelled and jerked. Another twinge of pain sliced up her back. She would have tumbled off the rock if not for Thomas’ meaty hands holding her.

  “Sierra, I won’t put anything on your back right now. It needs to be cleaned, and these cuts are all rough and full of dirt,” Thomas said.

  S
ierra nodded to Thomas and turned to her father who stomped up to her, picked her up, and avoided her injured back. Bright red eyes glowed. Drake, a wolf and predator, protected his offspring. Carrying his bundled daughter to the car, he shifted to human form, as did her older brother. Sierra’s eldest brother stood waiting, his werewolf eyes aglow.

  Warm air encircled Sierra’s body when she crawled into the backseat and lay on her side. Everyone from the pack would come to the house now. One of the alpha’s daughters had been attacked. The pack would want blood and go on the hunt.

  She clutched the blanket and listened to her father and brother talk. Sierra had almost fallen asleep when the tires of the truck turned onto their driveway, the crunch of gravel under the tires signaled they’d arrived home. A warm, concerned smile graced her brother’s face as he glanced back at her, and his large hand reached down, squeezing her small one.

  “Mom will fix you up!” With his voice full of love, he opened the door as Drake opened the back door.

  Sierra scooted to the end of the seat and wrapped the blanket tighter around her frame.

  “Come on, princess, let’s get you fixed up.” Her father’s gentle hands lifted her into his arms, and he carried her into the large a frame house.

  Looking over her father’s shoulder, Sierra watched Thomas pull into the drive behind her father’s car, driving her car. Frank followed behind in the Nelsons’ family vehicle, the whole family in tow.

  “Oh, my god, my baby girl. Are you okay?” Mary Ann, Sierra’s mother, walked beside them, her face lined with concern.

  “It’s just a couple of scratches. I’m not a baby, Mom,” Sierra mumbled into her father’s chest.

  “You’ll always be my baby, no matter how old you are,” she replied daring her to say anything.

  Her dad gently placed her on the couch in the family room. Sierra lay on her stomach, her head facing the cushions, and let the tears fall.

  “I’ll be fine, Momma,” Sierra whispered.

  Her mother stroked her hair and pulled the tresses away from her back to examine the injury. Footsteps and low conversation signaled the arrival of more of the pack. She sensed their tension and energy in the room as she tried to listen to their conversations, but couldn’t

  The room quieted down, and no one said a word as she moaned as the disinfectant was poured onto her back. Mary Ann poked and prodded her back as she cleaned, stitched, and bandaged her. Sierra had managed not to cry out too many times, but one cut had been deep. As her mother cleaned it, Sierra screamed.

  “Baby, I need to give you a shot. Whatever clawed your back left dirt and God knows what else. I don’t want to risk an infection.”

  Mary Ann pulled a needle out of a medical supply bag and filled it with penicillin.

  “You’re lucky I can get these supplies from your uncle.”

  The sting of the needle was nothing compared to the pain that wracked Sierra’s back.

  “I know, Mom.” Exhaustion descended upon Sierra, but she knew the questions would come now, and so she waited to sleep.

  Her father knelt on the floor next to her and she turned her head to gaze at him. His big brown eyes gazed down at her, small traces of gray hair mixed with his black hair as a peace fell into his eyes. She reached up and brushed it back, trying to smile. He grabbed her hand, giving her the strength she needed to tell her story.

  “Tell us, little princess, what happened?” he whispered and kissed her head.

  She squeezed his hand harder and took a deep breath. “I went to Jack’s place to make a special dinner for him. We’ve been going out for three months, and I wanted to celebrate. I’d made him a charm. I don’t know why I couldn’t tell he was a Troll. There should have been some trace of his power, but there wasn’t. I should have known. He has to have someone powerful working with him…” She sighed as fresh tears slipped down her face. “Anyway, when I opened the door, three Trolls were there.” She heard the growls echo in the room from the pack, but ignored them.

  “They were…oh well…you know what they do with Martha. I could smell Jack. His scent was mixed with that of the Trolls. He was one of them. He told me there was nothing I could do, that he would have me. I dropped my bags and ran. Jack caught me and pulled me back into the warehouse. I guess when he grabbed my coat, his claws cut into my back. I thought it was only the coat.” The rest of the story became harder and harder for her to explain.

  “I’m sorry, Papa. I had to use my powers…they would have….” Her body shook with the force of her raspy sobs. She barely heard the shocked gasps of the others.

  “If you were mated, this wouldn’t happen. Damn, this stupid Chameleon trait! Sometimes I wish your grandmother had never had that in her genes!” he yelled, getting up and pacing the room. Others moved out of his way as he partially shifted.

  The Trolls would have kidnapped her. She knew this. They all knew it. If she hadn’t gotten away, they would have raped her and impregnated her, like they had so many others, keeping her as their breeding slave.

  Sierra closed her eyes and hoped for sleep without the nightmares. She was safe at home for now, but she knew Jack wouldn’t give up.

  Chapter Two

  The wind howled and whipped the snow through the tall evergreens. Sierra’s steps faltered, and she looked up. No stars lit the night sky. Fingers of ice bit at her face. She started walking again, taking in the night and enjoying the peace and quiet. Nighttime was her favorite time no matter what season. She was alone, no customers from the store where she worked, or annoying brothers to deal with and a father issuing commands. Her father was in a meeting with his generals discussing possible ways to deal with the Trolls that roamed their city.

  Her back still bothered her, but she was a fast healer like everyone else in her family. She couldn’t believe how lucky she’d been to actually get out of the house without one of her father’s assigned guards. It had been so easy to slip by them. She needed time to think, to be alone from the hassle her mother kept giving her about finding a mate.

  I mean, on one hand I would have more power and be able to shift if I was hurt to heal myself. If I were just a normal shifter, I wouldn’t have Trolls and others after me. Ugh, why does my family have to be so different!

  The last three months had been a lie. Jack wasn’t the person he’d claimed to be. Somehow, he’d found out what her family tried so hard to hide: her chameleon gene. That night she’d been prepared to give him her most precious gift, her virginity.

  What a waste. I am so stupid!

  Branches crunched behind her. Sierra’s head snapped up, and goose bumps covered her arms. She stood still, not moving, as an owl hooted in the distance.

  A low grumbling snarl echoed through the trees. Animals scattered across the ground, and birds that had been sleeping took flight, sensing a predator.

  She scanned the woods and saw nothing, but moments later the growl sounded again, closer this time. To her left in her peripheral vision, a black leopard appeared not twenty feet away from her. His gaze never left hers as he paced back and forth for a minute than stopped.

  He sat down in her path, his gaze never wavering from her as his tongue cleaned his private parts. Golden eyes gleamed in the darkness as it stared at her. It was almost as if the beautiful animal knew he was blocking her way on purpose. The brush rustled behind her. She turned to find another leopard obstructing her path from behind her. Only this animal was pure white and beautiful. The cats had her trapped between them.

  “Just great. I suppose now I’ll be cat food! Can’t anything go right?”

  She threw her hands in the air. Her legs gave way, and she plopped to the ground. She rocked back and forth, waiting for them to attack. “My dad is going to kill me if I make it home.”

  * * * *

  Roman stared at the woman huddled on the ground before him. He smelled her fear, her scent, and her blood!

  She’s hurt! Roman relayed to his brother. They’d found their mate. With her scent
imprinted on his brain, the cat in him wanted to mate, but the man wanted to comfort her.

  Roman looked at his twin brother, Garth, who inched his way closer to the woman, trying not to scare her. They’d searched for years for this woman, their mate. Who would’ve thought that a run in the woods would bring them right to her? Here on business for their den, the tension had been high, as they’d waited for the local werewolf pack’s alpha. He smelled wolf blood on her, but from what he could discern, she didn’t carry the odor of shifter.

  Yet, to have her close, and not run to her played havoc with his gut. It would only be a matter of time now before she would be theirs. First, they needed to find out what was wrong with her. Roman lifted his head and focused on her body. Due to his night vision, he saw the little spots of blood that soaked through her white winter jacket. He sniffed the air and detected another odor in the woods: a male scent. Both he and his brother growled. The sound of footsteps moved closer.

  Move, Garth, now! We’ll observe from the trees.

  He knew she watched them with her big brown eyes from under her arms as they moved towards the woods leaving her. He sensed she was in pain.

  She reached behind her, and her hand came back with blood on it. She didn’t even pay attention to her surroundings or see the stranger until both brothers heard the branch snap in front of her.

  She tipped her face upward and stared at the man in front of her.

  Garth tensed. Look, she’s afraid of him.

  The stranger glowered down at her with beady red eyes like she was nothing more than a piece of shit.

  We should go out there. Something isn’t right! Garth insisted.

  We will wait. It could be family or anything.

  Roman’s gaze never left her form. He waited, knowing if the man touched her he would kill him.

  “What the fuck are you doing out here? We had a date, remember! We were supposed to leave at 7:30 for the party. I came by to pick you up and smelled you out here. Why aren’t you dressed?” the man bellowed at her.