Escaped

By Trinity Blacio

Best-selling paranormal romance author Trinity Blacio launches the first novel in her #1 Amazon romance best-selling Running in Fear series, with the story of Jaycee Manz, who has been on the run since her sixteenth birthday. After growing up fast and depending on no one, how is Jaycee supposed to handle three male werewolves who claim to be her mates? Can she learn to trust them or will she continue to run?

Her mates are all passionate, strong shifters, and they are all determined to protect her, regardless of what she wants for herself. Together, all four try to find peace and love, as the most powerful alphas in the U.S.—Remi, Dane and Mark—declare war on anyone who stands in their way of claiming their runaway mate. But can the independent Jaycee be claimed?

In this sizzling werewolf ménage, love, lust and power take center stage in the struggle for ultimate survival. Proving that what hits us hard can also make us strong.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Riverdale Avenue Books
• Release date: Feb 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781626013438

Trinity Blacio

Trinity Blacio is an established romance writer of best-selling Running in Fear series, as well as a number of dark fantasy, erotic romance, erotic horror and ménage titles. She is the mother of two children and lives in Ohio. Her work can be found at Freya’s Bower and Ravenous Romance, as well as the work of her alter-egos Maria Moonstar and Selene Noreen.

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Escaped: Book One of The Running in Fear Series Copyright © 2017 by Trinity Blacio

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

For more information contact:

Riverdale Avenue Books

5676 Riverdale Avenue

Riverdale, NY 10471

www.riverdaleavebooks.com

Design by www.formatting4U.com

Cover by Scott Carpenter

Digital ISBN: 978-1-62601-343-8

Print ISBN: 978-1-62601-344-5

First Edition published by Ravenous Romance, 2009

Second edition, February 2017

Praise for the Best-selling Running in Fear Series by Trinity Blacio

Plot marathon. If you are ready to have no breath no break and turn the page finding a new plot almost at every corner, you will be in paradise! …each book put me in a different mood from angry to hungry, from screaming to crying, from WTF to WOW. Honest! This series is a roller coaster of emotions.

—Mary’s Ménage Reviews

"I really like shapeshifter stories and I like the fact that as individuals who possess both human and wolf qualities, they are able to perceive life in greater depth. It seems that wolf society also overcomes some of the loopholes in human relationships that seem to plague society in ever-increasing amounts. …There are some important issues that drive this story and it seems that all Jaycee’s mates must learn some important lessons before the ‘course of love runs smooth.’ I am looking for the next part in this novel.

—Book Binge

I was taken on an emotional roller coaster ride in this book. Not only do we get romance but action as well. The author does a wonderful job of combining the two and keeping the story fast paced and interesting. With the many twists and turns in this book I was glued to my seat and turning those pages to see what would happen next.

—Long and Short Reviews

Dedication

To Sherrilyn Kenyon,

Who told me to never give up on my series

And

To all the authors who have a vision and a dream—

Keep writing!

As authors, many of us have trouble with the publishing world and just do not make it. They give up and go away. I was going to be one of those in the first year of my writing career. But the words of a few special people kept me going.

One such person was best-selling author Sherrilyn Kenyon—and yes, I am a huge fan girl. When I met her a few years ago at a convention, I was on cloud nine. But what I wasn’t expecting was her encouragement and thoughtful words when we were discussing writing. I told her about my Running In Fear series and what it meant to me, and I’ll never forget what she said.

Never give up on your series. There will always be people who will try and bring you down.

Six years later, I have the rights to my series back. I’m slowly adding new material, editing the mistakes, and getting ready to publish the series again. Every time I questioned whether or not it was it worth it, I would think of those words.

So, in thanks for her encouragement, I’m dedicating my series to Sherrilyn Kenyon. Thank you for your help. This series will be out there showing other authors that it can happen, that they should never give up on their dreams.

As with the female characters in this story, each growing stronger, refusing to be victims again, each author must first believe in himself or herself. Thank you again, Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Introduction

Running in Fear was one of my most successful and well-read series. I started it in 2009, and I’ve written eight novels and a short story in this universe of intergalactic shifters and their mates. My fans have waited diligently for the final novel in the series, which will be published after all eight of the previously released titles are reissued.

I’ve learned so much as a writer and storyteller since I started this series. Hence the need to edit and add a few more details to the characters and situations you’ll find in the series. So you are reading what I like to call the new and improved Running in Fear series, or Running in Fear 2.0.

I have toned down a few of the scenes, but I did want to keep the emotional intensity of the series. As a survivor of child abuse and rape as a teenager, I have found that every person deals with this issue differently. I have tried to show that in these novels. No, there are no rape scenes, remembrances, or flashbacks of those scenes. Instead, I have tried to show how each abused woman grows around such traumatic events. The main heroines of these stories come together to fight the single enemy that has brought on these hideous events in each of their lives. Their men, heroes in their eyes, try to help each of them deal with their hidden hurts and emotional baggage.

So, curl up and see how my ladies show their men how strong they are while submitting to their special loving.

Below are some numbers for national hotlines for anyone who needs them. Any abuse is wrong and should be reported. Be careful out there and be safe.

National Hotline Numbers

National Child Abuse Hotline

1-800-422-4453

National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

National Runaway Switchboard

1-800-786-2929

National Sexual Assault Hotline

1-800-656-4673 [24/7 hotline]

[Hosts an online hotline]

Chapter One

Dane Glassgo stood in all his glory, scanning the surrounding area for any threat to his mate. His thick, black fur blew in the cold wind. The Alpha in him never let his gaze travel far from the small cabin in the valley. His thoughts lingered on the woman inside. Tonight, he would claim her. Impatience had marked each day of the past eight weeks, but finally the time had come. She was now in his domain, and he wouldn’t let her leave.

It was funny now to think back on how a chance visit to his little sister, Shelly, had yielded this all-consuming obsession. From the moment, this woman’s scent of roses and cream had wafted toward him, the wolf inside him had clawed to escape. It was more than just her natural perfume that excited him. Her pheromones drove him to the brink of madness. And yet he hadn’t even seen her face-to-face. The mere vestiges of her scent were enough for him to know this was the woman who would be his mate.

He’d tried to forget about it and take other females, but that hadn’t worked. Every time an opportunity to couple with another female presented itself, his stomach flipped in rebellion. Even Blair, his live-in play toy of the past several years, had lost her appeal. Dane finally understood that this female was his and only his.

He still couldn’t believe she was finally here, alive and well.

* * *

"This damned well better be an emergency or I swear I will tear this person apart! Dane growled as he rolled over and answered the phone. What?"

"Dane," Shelly whispered into the phone.

Suddenly wide awake, Dane threw his feet over the bed and gripped the phone tightly. What’s happened, Shelly? Is Jaycee okay?

On the other end of the line, a voice on a loudspeaker paged a doctor. Shelly, who is in the hospital? Dane growled. His hand began to cover itself in black fur, and his face started to transform.

"Jaycee. He beat her up, Dane. Oh my God, you should see her! I can’t even recognize her face! They don’t know if she’ll make it, Dane. There are machines everywhere, and they’re taking her down for surgery now." Shelly sobbed.

"I’ll be there in one hour!" He dropped the receiver, grabbed his clothes, and dashed for the bedroom door. Dane tried to push the beast back, but it threatened to take hold of him at any moment.

An hour later, the hospital door whooshed opened as Dane entered with his family right behind him. His parents and his brother had insisted on driving him, knowing he would destroy his own car trying to get here. Dane scanned the hallway, and people skirted away from him as he made his way to the elevator.

"Dane, you need to stop. You’re scaring everyone. His mother tried to grab his hand, but he wouldn’t have it. He pushed the elevator button and looked down at her. I’m going to kill him, Mother. If that piece of shit ever gets out of jail, he will be dinner." His teeth started to change, but he pushed his beast back again as the elevator door opened and people walked around him to get out of his way.

"Dane, calm down. Your eyes are red," his father ordered as he stepped into the elevator next to Mark, Dane’s younger brother.

Dane closed his eyes, pulling the beast further back inside. He finally opened them when the elevator hit the fifth floor: the Intensive Care Unit. The door slowly opened, and he saw his sister waiting near the nurses’ station, her eyes swollen from crying. She ran into his arms.

"She just came out of surgery. They had to put two pins in each of her legs, her jaw is wired shut and you can’t see her eyes. He broke each eye socket. The doctors said it’s a waiting game now. If she lasts the night and doesn’t contract pneumonia, she’ll survive."

Machines beeped as he stepped into Jaycee’s room. Her scent mingled with the stench of alcohol and blood. As he approached the bed, Dane reeled. Her face was covered in bandages, and her legs were strapped into temporary casts. A police officer who’d been sitting in her room glanced up at him.

Shelly nodded to him. Officer Charles, this is my brother, Dane. He’s the one I told you about.

Dane recognized the officer as one of his own. The man stood and sniffed the air, then lowered his head in respect. I’ll leave you, but if you need anything, Alpha, please don’t hesitate to ask. I should tell you the bastard that did this is now sitting in jail, but we have no idea where his goons are. She’ll have 24-hour protection until she is released.

Dane studied the man, then nodded. Thank you. I’ll stay here until she awakens. I’ll also have others from my team watching her. I’d appreciate any updates afterward. I don’t want her to know I was here.

As he moved farther into the room, claws sprouted out of his hands, fur broke through his skin, and his muzzle started to grow. I have to leave for a moment. Stay with her! he ordered and dashed out of the room, heading straight for the stairs as his beast roared to escape.

The Exit sign was only a few feet away. The park… he had to get to the park. Glancing around outside, he could see the entrance to the park. His feet ripped out of his tennis shoes, and his jeans tore at the seams as he entered the dark park. Dane stopped and tore off the rest of his clothes. The beast broke free, and the howl that had been bursting to come out finally rent the night air, stilling every animal around. Tears fell, soaking his fur.

Suddenly he felt his mother’s gentle hands stroking him. I don’t know why humans do this to each other, Dane. We will all have to be strong for her and stand beside her now. Just know that Shelly, your father and I will be with her nonstop until she is released and comes to the cabin. Now come, be with her while you can. His mom rose and held out new clothes and shoes for him. The beast retreated, but kept a silent vow of death.

* * *

Dane’s heart surged with a sense of protectiveness as the memory faded. He shook his head and glanced down at the cabin once more. He couldn’t believe the anger that had triggered such an uncontrollable period in his life. He’d never been able to completely control his beast, but on that day in the hospital, nothing could stop him from changing. The strength it took for him to control himself and wait for the right time to avenge his mate’s pain and suffering had amazed even his parents.

From behind the scenes, Dane had made sure Jaycee wanted for nothing while she recuperated at the family’s cabin. He’d protected her from her so-called husband and made sure he didn’t get out of jail, until now.

Heavy flakes of snow blew across his field of vision. He shook his head and waited for his sister’s appearance in the window. That would be the signal that she’d told Jaycee about their family. He would take care of everything from there. The time was close, and his cock grew hard, waiting for its new home in her wet folds. His sensitive ears picked up the conversation that had suddenly turned to yelling. He whipped his head around again to the cabin and saw his sister in the window.

The wind carried Dane’s howl to the lodge as he made his way down to the cabin, the wolf in him stalking its mate.

* * *

Jaycee gazed into the flames of the stonewall fireplace with a new sense of self.

I did it! Now, Jaycee Black is free. That is, Jaycee Manz is free, and James Black is tucked away in a prison cell never to hit, rape or torture me again. She pulled her knees up to her chest and covered them with her T-shirt. She rested her head on her knees, the muscles in her legs still weak and stiff from disuse. Her casts had been removed only a week ago.

The lone cry of a wolf in the distance reached her ears again. The sound was so beautiful and mournful in the night. She’d always loved wolves and felt at peace with them, especially since her mother and father were shifters. A memory of her collection of wolf figurines flashed through her mind. She’d collected them all her life. Thanks to that asshole James, they now lay shattered in a million pieces in the trash.

Hey, Jaycee, do you want a glass of wine? Shelly asked from the kitchen.

Bad memories clouded her vision, and she shook her head in an attempt to dislodge them.

She smiled. Sure. Hey, thanks again for letting me come up here with you and your family. I won’t be able to thank your folks enough. Tell me, how long have your parents, Camille and Jericho, owned this place? Jaycee took the glass of wine from Shelly and sipped it. Shelly sat down on the other end of the sofa.

We’ve had this place since I was child. You know you’re family to us. Mom and Dad wouldn’t have it any other way. I should warn you, though. We have this cabin to ourselves now, but my brothers will be around soon, coming in and out. She gestured outside and rolled her eyes.

Jaycee laughed at her friend’s annoyance. She’d always wished for some brothers. Maybe then she wouldn’t have fallen for James’ tricks. I’m surprised I haven’t met them sooner, with me staying at your apartment these last eight weeks.

"Well, there is something