Ravaged

Other titles by Jaide Fox:

Beastmen of Shadowmere Book One: Marked by the Beast

Beastmen of Shadowmere Book Two: Seduced by the Beast

Beastmen of Shadowere Book Three: Conquered by the Beast (Coming Soon)

Beastmen of Shadowmere Book Four: Tempted by the Beast (Coming Soon)

Beastmen of Shadowmere Book Five: Captured by the Beast (Coming Soon)

Pleasure Masters 1: Ravaged

Pleasure Masters 2: Dominated (Coming Soon)

Pleasure Masters 3: Mastered (Coming Soon)

Dark Lords 1: Captured by the Dark Lord

Dark Lords 2: Seized by the Vampire Lord

Dark Lords 3: Ensnared by the Dream Lord

Intergalactic Mayhem: Intergalactic Bad Boys

Intergalactic Mayhem: Intergalactic Pain in the Ass

Demon Huntress Book One: Sacrificed

Summoner’s Captive (Coming Soon)

Earth Girls Aren’t Easy

His Forbidden Fruit

Night Shade

Sexdroids

The Sky Fox

Archangel

Captured by Aliens
1
: Alien Captive

Captured by Aliens
2
: Alien Abduction (Coming Soon)

Heart of Darkness

Chapter One

Planet Antares

Rain spattered against the window, obscuring Maura Nephrite’s view of the
blue oceans of Planet Antares
. Lightning flashed,
gleam
ing violently from the clouds above. The violence of the storm echoed the
turmoil in her body and mind as she and the other women were transported to their final destination.

The spires of the Antarian
civilization reached to the sky like s
hining white and silver needles,
a feat of architecture few advanced people managed in this day and age. Antares was known for its vast, tranquil beauty, but beneath that calm exterior
laid
a lust for violence
unmatched in much of the galaxy
.

Knowing they approached the Coliseum of Thunder, which was housed in the middle of the city and w
h
ere most of the city’s residents gathered for holiday
and work breaks
, made Maura’s stomach tie into knots.
She watched as lightning erupted from the cloud cover, feeling dread wash over her.

The tales of the glories to be had fighting in the arena were legendary, as were the gladiators who routinely spilled blood and died there.

ShadeShifters.

Capable of shifting into any manner of horror at will, their race had been hunted almost into extinction until they’d found
sanctuary
on Planet Antares to satisfy the bloodlust of the people for
thrilling
games. Many of the criminals of the federations faced their death at the hands of ShadeShifters, and no manner of weaponry or cunning was a match for them. The seals of power etched onto their bodies kept their power in check and their minds intact…for a time. The more seals a ShadeShifter had, the closer they were to going berserk and in need of extermination.

At least, that’s what legend had told.

They were both feared and admired for their abilities—mostly by men. Women had no desire to go near them though their race was renowned for being masters of pleasure. The pleasure came with a price, however, for they were
so
extremely dominant in their sexual appetites that they were unable to find willing mates
to explore their perverse desires with
.

It was that which had led her and the other
unfortunate
women aboard the shuttle to their fates.

To keep their gladiators happy, the Antarians were willing to take doomed women into their fold and allow their beloved
entertainment, the
ShadeShi
fter males,
the opportunity to mate.

She supposed she should have considered herself fortunate.
Had she not been faced with the prospect of execution for her crimes against the intergalactic federation, she would not be here.
Mated to a monster was better than death or life imprisonment.

Maura’s misfortune was that she’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time and actually been caught in the act of rebellion against her government. She’d pleaded guilty in the hopes of mercy from the courts, but she’d almost wondered if her sentence had been dealt harsher for the simple fact that she was young and of breeding age and the ShadeShifters were in need of mates.

It didn’t matter. What was done was done.

Maura tried not to allow depression and anxiety to overcome her.

The shuttle pulled to a stop outside the massive gates
that opened up into the coliseum. She and the others had been dressed in sheer gowns and wraps that left little to the imagination
. They would provide no protection from the pelting rain they had to get out into.

The moment the doors slid open, guards poured inside and caught them by the manacles around their wrists, ignoring the wild whipping of the wind and the sheeting rain as if it didn’t bother them.

“Move forward,” a guard commanded, yanking her to her feet and prodding her out the door.

The moment she entered the atmosphere, she
was blasted with water and
felt the frigidness of the weather, no doubt harsher because of inclement rain. Her shift clung immediately to her body, making her appear naked.
The water seemed to come from every direction, making it up her nose and into her throat.

She gasped
and strangled, struggling to keep up with the herd.

The guards drove them into a clumsy run inside the great doors of the coliseum. She was thankful to see that a roof over the immense structure would provide them further protection from the storm, they were nevertheless not given an opportunity to recover from their dowsing.

They slipped on the slick stone floor, running clumsily, coughing and choking from their pelting and freezing from the wetness of their clothes. They skidded into each other as they passed through the antechamber and another door was open
ed
. Beyond, a great wide space opened like the maw of a beast ready to devour them.

Inside the massive mouth, they heard the cheer of thousands of spectators watching the games in progress.

Maura had no idea what to expect, but she hadn’t thought to see ShadeShifters fighting amongst themselves. She caught a flash of blue lightning erupting from one of the men, saw another launch himself from the ground as sudden leathery wings sprouted from his back.

Terror-filled, Maura averted her eyes and followed the line of women up a staircase that led to a walkway up to a stage centered in the coliseum.

The master of the games stood at their approach, turning to the crowd with his hands held high, a smile upon his face as he spoke into the microphone housed on his ear and just beyond his lips.

“The prizes have arrived!” he said.
His voice echoed around the stadium above the din of the crowd.

In every direction, the crowds roared in approval.
They stomped the bleachers with their feet, making the stands rumble as if an earthquake shook the ground.
The stage vibrated beneath her feet, the rumble so strong she felt it straight
up
her legs.

Maura swiveled her head, seeing the stands above them filled to the brim with men and women who’d come for entertainment. Below, the fighting had
seemed to come to an end, though she hadn’t seen who’d been victorious and who the loser.

The men standing, facing the stage were huge. Spirals and spiky swirls etched their skin, glowing blue and purple as they controlled the shifting of their bodies, still fueled by the rush of the fight.

Maura thought they would look more like monsters, based simply on the tales she’d grown up with as a child. Her mama likened them to the bogeyman, and used the ShadeShifters to keep her in line and make her obey. Now she saw they looked no different than any other man, other than the glowing black tattoos on their bodies. They were taller than she was accustomed to, broader and more muscular, but their build could be a direct cause of their gladiatorial occupation.

“The winner of the games will make the first selection of his prize. The second the second choice, and so forth. Winner, come and claim your mate,” the master of the games said amidst the rabid cheering of the audience.

Maura stooped and sneered, hoping she looked as unattractive and bedraggled as she felt. The soaking of her shift, though it revealed her shape, should make her less attractive than the flowing and embroidered gown had before the dowsing rain had gotten a hold of her. Her long brown hair hung in tangles around her face, and she did nothing to push the tendrils back off her forehead.

She hung her head down, hoping the winner would move on to more attractive fare.

In her mind, whoever had won against the others had to be that much closer to losing his mind and going berserk. As much as she valued her life and had chosen this path, she didn’t want to be bound eternally to a brutal maniac. She’d far rather have last place in this
instance
.

Booted heels climbed the long staircase. The weight of the man mounting the stairs sounded loud in her ears. She winced inwardly at every stride, shrinking inside with fear as he approached.

Maura stared at her feet as he passed by, examining each of the women. He moved down the line, checking each of them visually first. Not seeming to find what he was looking for, he began to physically touch them, turning them around to examine them from every angle. When he reached Maura, he was rough, grabbing her around the waist to pull her around.
The size of his hands in comparison to her body seemed immense.

He stopped in his progress. On her.

Maura felt her heart
clench painfully in her chest, making her feel like she might hyperventilate or faint
. Her breathing became erratic as he cupped her ass, then turned her so he could cup her breasts.
She jolted at the touch, stunned at his boldness.
He grunted in approval.

“This one!”
he announced for all to hear
, sealing her fate with the simple phrase.

Again, the crowd around them cheered wildly.
The roar of approval nearly drowned out her thoughts, making her ears ring and hum.

Maura’s world spun out of control. She felt dizzy, breathless as
rough, calloused fingers
tipped her face up to look him in the eyes.

She squinted them shut, hoping to blot out the sight of his face for just a few moments more
and pretend this wasn’t really happening
.

“Look at me, woman. What is your name?” he commanded
, barely audible above the din
. His voice was a deep baritone that rumbled in his chest.

Maura swallowed the lump in her throat, slowly opening her eyes to gaze at the man she would now call master.
Her gaze met his chest first. She hadn’t realized how much taller he was up close, as scared as she’d been. Slowly, she drew her eyes up that broad expanse, past his etched collarbone and the cording muscles of his neck.

His jaw was stubbly with black hair and squared with his jaw. There was an almost belligerent jut to his chin despite the cleft marking the center of it. His lips were thin with no softness to
curve them. His cheekbones were high and angular and his nose was straight and aquiline.

When she finally drew her gaze up
and met his eyes
, she found him looking down at her
. He was remarkably attractive in a brutal sort of way.

“M..Maura Nephrite,” she stammered.

He nodded, looking satisfied.

“The second winner may come select his prize,” the master of the games announced.

Maura was forced to stand beside her new master while the other women were given to the warriors as prizes. When all had been selected, leaving only the losers on the field, the games were dismissed and they were to be taken to their new homes.

He caught her by the manacles on her wrists, leading her away down the stairs and through the coliseum. The gladiator’s rooms were a part of the immense building.

Maura’s legs felt heavy with trepidation. She tried to walk as slowly as she could, but he tugged on her, urging her at a faster pace than she would have liked. She knew there would be no denying what would happen between them, but she’d hoped for a little more time to get used to the idea before she actually had to perform.

She only hoped he wasn’t a complete monster as she feared.

He punched a keypad and opened the door to his suite, dragging her inside and closing and locking the door. He freed her hands and pointed to the bed.

“Take off your wet clothes and get on the bed,” he said.

Maura rubbed her wrists, looking between him and the bed. “Right now? I don’t even know your name.”

He stripped the belt off the loincloth he wore and dropped it to the floor. “Raker Anilan. Take off your clothes and get in the bed. I’
ve waited long enough
to claim my prize. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Inside, her mind reeled. She began to shake, and she didn’t think it was from the conditioned air blowing on her still wet skin and hair
, thought that didn’t help
. She tried to think of some way to put him off, but for the life of her, she could think of nothing. With trembling hands, she grabbed the hem of her shift and peeled it
with difficulty
up her
legs
.

She didn’t move fast enough for him. He stepped close and ripped the garment off her body
, leaving her naked before the rake of his eyes
.

She gasped, trying to take a step back
for an escape that wasn’t there
.
He caught her around the wrists, pulling her against his hard body and looked down at her. With one hand, he tugged her arms behind her back, thrusting her breasts against his naked chest. With his free hand, he roughly grabbed her jaw, forcing her face up to him.