Crucible of Cain

By Torie Grace

This book is a standalone, complete story. No Cliffhangers. HEA. Multiple POV.

The Possessive Collection is about dangerous men and the women who become the object of their obsessions.

Abagail woke up to a living hell. She was surrounded by killers, and a faceless voice had told her she would be given as a prize to one of them. After they had fought to the death.

Cain knew that there would be a lot of death before he could claim his prize. And he would be more careful this time. He wouldn’t lose this one. He wouldn’t make the mistakes he made before. He would make sure this one lived.

This book is subtitled as Book Two under this collection. However, each book is standalone and not related to each other in their storylines. They are published under the ‘Possessive Collection’ title so that readers can quickly identify my books that share the genre of Dark/Taboo Romance.

This book is in the Dark/Taboo romance genre. It contains subject matter that some readers may find disturbing.

Due to the content, this book is intended for adults 18 years and older.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Torie Grace
• Release date: Nov 1, 2018

Book preview

CRUCIBLE

OF CAIN

By

TORIE GRACE

BOOK TWO

POSSESSIVE COLLECTION

Crucible of Cain by Torie Grace

© 2018 Torie Grace

www.toriegrace.com

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

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 your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Due to the content, this book is intended for adults 18 years and older.

Trigger Warning.

This book is in the ‘Dark Romance’ genre. It contains taboo subject matter that some readers may find disturbing.

A WORD FROM YOUR AUTHOR ABOUT BDSM Vs DARK.

Hello, my loves. We meet again.

If you have come here from one of my BDSM books, we need to have a quick chat.

I write two types of books, BDSM themed and Dark Themed. The book you are about to read is in the Dark category. So, what does that mean? Well, my BDSM books are about BDSM. Safe, Sane, Consensual. My Dark books are not. There is nothing safe or sane about these men. And as for consensual, most of the time it is dub consent at best.

Dark themed ‘romances’ are just as described. Dark. They contain taboo subject matter. And although you might see ‘echoes’ of BDSM ‘type’ behavior, it is not. The men in the ‘Dark’ books are not Doms, they are obsessed, controlling and dangerous.

Please do not confuse the two.

CONNECT WITH ME

Ctrl + Click on link

Website – www.toriegrace.com

Twitter

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Other books by Torie Grace

Poison Series

Nevermore Series

Possessive Collection

Dark Ice Collection

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

EPILOGUE

DEMON

CHAPTER ONE

CAIN

PROLOGUE

Cain pushed up again slowly. His only contact with the stone floor was his scarred knuckles and the pads of his toes. His muscles burned at his slow pace. He tightened his stomach muscles, and they flexed and rippled in response. Once his elbows were straight, he started to lower again, letting out a slow breath. He hadn’t kept count of how many pushups he had done, it didn’t matter. He would keep working his muscles until he couldn’t move them anymore. It was the only thing for him to do in this black box.

Cain, door!

Cain cocked his head to the side at the guard’s bark and leaped to his feet. It wasn’t meal time, it wasn’t time for the needles. So, what did they want? It must be more discipline. Because he didn’t think his punishment would be over yet. He had broken Master’s order, he had disobeyed. He closed his eyes as he remembered the sound of breaking bones. The loud cracking echoing off the walls like a gun blast, the screams, the blood.

He had lost his temper, he wasn’t supposed to kill that one. But with the rage, the drugs, the training…. He fought, he fucked, he killed, that was who he was.

He knew he should have been put down because he disobeyed Master. That was the cost of disobedience, be put down, put to death. But, he was a Champion, so Master had given him a second chance. Be punished, but live. He felt the pain in his body from the last round of punishment, of discipline. But, he blocked it out. He needed to go to the door, he needed to obey.

The black box was so small it only took one of his large strides to reach the door. He turned, dropped to his knees and put his hands behind his back. He heard the big steel bolts slide back and the door creaked as it was pulled open. Don’t you move, Cain. He smirked. It was all he could do, he never smiled. Any sign of true happiness here was punished. On the rare occasions he was happy, he kept that smile on the inside.

So, he just smirked. He could hear the fear in the guard’s voice. Smell the stink of that fear, that shake, that smell, it was something they couldn’t hide. Their bodies knew they were in the presence of death, and that weakness betrayed them.

Cold steel shackles locked around his wrists and ankles. Stand up, Cain.

Cain rolled back onto his feet and stood up, his lighting fast movement made the guards gasp. He bit back his smirk this time, they should be scared. He would obey for now, but they all knew that sometimes when a guard made Master unhappy, that guard got tossed to the fighters to play with. Step Out!

Cain stepped out of the black box, turned to the right and stopped. One guard took a place in front of him, the other behind him, snapping the third chain onto the shackles on his wrists. You know the drill, Cain. The one in front started walking down the long hallway and Cain followed. The floor was hard packed stone. Worn smooth over the years by the hundreds, if not thousands, of feet that had stepped upon it. The walls and ceiling were also stone. This was a cave, he had heard the guards call it that… a cave. Every so often there was a steel door, painted black, and bolted shut. It was deathly quiet here; The only sound was his bare feet and the guard’s boots slapping on the stone floor.

The shackles around his ankles had a joining chain long enough so that he could take half a stride. But, even with that, the smaller guards had to take quick steps to keep up with him. They reached the elevator, another thing the guards had named for him. He couldn’t speak, but he listened, he tried to learn. He knew that Master would not be happy that he was learning things that Master had not taught him. But, he had not been ordered to not learn such things either. So, maybe it was OK.

The elevator ride was quick, and the doors opened in a different place. That was how it always happened. You got on the elevator, the doors closed, and then the world felt funny under your feet. Then, the doors opened, and you were in a different place.

He tensed as he saw where he was. This place was the discipline place, the place of pain. When he hesitated to step forward the guard behind him gave his back a shove. It was a stupid thing to do, the shove had no effect, Cain barely felt it. But, it triggered every violent, homicidal, cell in his body.

He spun around to the guard and charged. The guard barely got out a startled yelp before his head was crushed between Cain’s massive chest and the elevator wall. There was a loud crunch and Cain felt a wetness splatter onto his chest and run down his torso.

Cain! Stop!

That voice cuts through him. His Master’s voice. Cain stopped instantly and stepped back. The guard's lifeless body slumping to the floor. His Master snapped out a command. Come here, Cain!

He turned, stepped off the elevator and saw his Master. Arms crossed, a look of disapproval on his face. Cain quickly dropped his eyes and went to Master. Then, he fell to his knees at his feet. Master walked a slow, silent, circle around him. Cain followed Master’s shiny shoes, tap, tap, tap. When Master stood in front of him again, he spoke to Cain, his tone cold as ice.

Do you like disobeying me?

Cain’s eyes went wide, and his heart jumped. He shook his head frantically. No! He didn’t like to disobey Master! Master sighed. And yet, you have. You will be disciplined until I am sure you will obey. This is two infractions in less than a week. I am very disappointed in you, Cain. Cain’s heart sank, and his shoulders slumped, he had disappointed Master. He would take the discipline. He deserved it, he deserved the pain.

Good, I see you understand. Stand up.

Cain rose slowly to his feet. He would never toy with Master as he did with the guards. Master pointed to a steel door to the left. Cain walked towards the room. He knew what was in there.

Pain. Limitless, unbearable, pain.

Cain opened his eyes and rolled onto his back. Master said yesterday was the last day of discipline. So, today he would go back to his home. The guards said that he had been here two weeks. Time didn’t really mean anything to Cain. But, he took note.

He stared at the ceiling. But all he saw was black. It was so dark that that was all he ever saw in the box. He lifted his arms above his head and stretched, then flinched as pain shot through him. His skin was raw from the whips. The places they had burned him throbbed with painful heat. And his muscles ached from where they hung him from the ceiling. Images flashed across his mind’s eye, the screams, his screams, echoing around that room. The blood, the searing pain…

He rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes and taking in a deep breath he blocked out the pain. This is what he had done all his life. Block out the pain. He couldn’t afford to be weak.

This time, when the elevator doors opened the different place was a slightly better place. This was where they took him to get the needles. But, it was also where he was taken after a fight. The man in the white coat, the… Doctor, he stitched up his skin and put his bones back into place. But it had been a long time since he had been here. He was older, he was a Champion, he was death. He didn’t get hurt much anymore, he was the one doing the hurting.

After the Doctor cleaned and stitched his wounds, the guards took him back to his home. Cain sighed with relief as he entered the Champions living area, this was his home. He walked past the other Champions homes straight to his door and waited. That strange buzzing sound happened, and his door swung open. He stepped inside and dropped to his knees. The guards removed his shackles and the door closed behind him. Once he heard the door click shut, he rose to his feet, walked to his bed and lay down on his side facing the wall. Letting out another relieved sigh, he let his eyes drift close.

CHAPTER TWO

ABBY

TWO YEARS LATER

DAY ONE

Abby’s head was pounding. She raised her hand to her temple and rubbed. What had happened? She slowly slit her eyes open, expecting to see her bedroom. The sight that greeted her had her snapping her eyes wide and sitting bolt upright.

Her eyes darted around. She blinked, this can’t be right, she had to be dreaming.

She was in a large room. It had gray concrete walls, floor, ceiling, and around the walls, there were doors painted black. They looked like they were made of metal. She raised her hand to rub it over her face and then froze, she was almost naked! She was only wearing her black bra and panties. As her mind started to clear, she realized; This was no dream, this was very real.

She went to lunge forward, to run, to do anything. And came up short. Black mental bars bared her escape. Swinging her gaze frantically around, she saw she was in a cage. It seemed to sit up off the floor. Black bars surrounded her on the sides and top. And the floor of the cage seemed to be made of thick wood.

Panicked, she started to scream. Help! Somebody, help me!

A voice comes out of thin air, echoing around the room. Ah, you are awake. Time for introductions.

She gasped. Someone was here. Please! Help me!

The voice chuckled, then turned cold. "No. And Yes. No, I will not help you in the way you wish. But yes, I will give you some help. Stop screaming. Loud voices get them worked up. Heed that advice."

Abby’s heart was hammering in her chest. And her skin grew cold and clammy as sweat erupted then cooled. What did the voice mean about them?

She jumped and shrieked as the doors surrounding the room slid open. There was a grinding metal on metal screech that melded into a heavy groan. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Her eyes darted from one door to the next. Each one led into pitch-black holes, she couldn’t see anything.

Then, her hand flew to her mouth, to hold back a scream. Men, large men, were stepping into the room. One coming through each door. They had a thick metal cuff around one wrist attached to a hefty chain that lead back through the doors. The chains made a clinking, scraping sound as they were dragged across the concrete floor. They were dressed only in black sweatpants; their chests and feet were bare.

She tried to jump away from them. But her back slammed into the bars of the cage. Then she realized there was no point. There was nowhere to go, they were coming in from all sides. Her breath came in pants, her heart painfully slamming into her breastbone. Her eyes darted from man to man. Some were yanking at their chains trying to get closer. But the chains were short, it had stopped them about ten feet from her cage. She trembled as they strained to get to her, snarling and growling. None were under 6 feet tall, and they were packed with a couple of hundred pounds of muscle. Scars crisscrossed their bodies. They were a terrifying sight.

But, there were two. Just two. That stood above the rest.

They were the biggest, at least 6’8, 6’9, and they were beyond massive, they were giants. Muscle layered upon muscle, each one defined and cut. Their skin, like the others, was covered in scars.

They were also the calmest.

The one to her right had black hair shaved close to his head, and his eyes were dark as night. He didn’t struggle or fight. He stood, head up, his eyes boring into hers. Then the side of his lip curled up, and his eyes shone with pure lust and malice.

To her left was the black-eyed man’s opposite. He stood with his hands at his side. As his fists clenched and unclenched, the muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled. His massive bare chest rose and fell as he took in deep steady breaths. He had golden blonde hair, shaved at the sides and longer on top. His head was lowered, but he looked at her through the hair that hung over his forehead. She gasped when she saw his eyes… Oh, those eyes! She had never seen anything quite like them. A pale, but vibrant blue, they locked onto her darker blue ones and held. Unwavering.

Her gaze jumped from the blonde to the other men. The others were not only smaller, but they were more animal than man. They snarled and lunged at the end of their chains. These two, they were beasts as well, but they seemed more intelligent. More… human.

Slowly, the chains started to retract, pulling them back toward the doors. The others fought, growling and digging in their feet. But not these two. The black-haired one took slow steps backward, holding the malice and lust filled smirk on his face. She turned her head to the blonde one and met his eyes again. His nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched, he took a step back, then another and another. The whole time he kept his eyes locked on hers.

Once they were back inside, the doors slid closed with a metallic screech and a final thud.

Then the voice was back. He chuckled. It was the evilest sound she had ever heard and raised goosebumps all over her clammy skin. What is it about curvy little blondes that get’s their motor running? Another chuckle. Oh well, I prefer a raven-haired girl myself. But, each to their own.

The voice sighed. Well, you’re popular, I knew you would be. And it seems you have picked a Champion, good choice. Cain is an excellent fighter, and he doesn’t break his toys as often as the others do. You have a fair chance of survival with him. Another chuckle. "Well, until he loses a fight, of course, can’t let him keep his toys if he doesn’t win. That’s bad training, that would reward bad behavior. Well, that was if he survived a loss."

There was a sound, like he was drawing in deep on a cigarette or cigar and then slowly letting it out. But, well, maybe he is not the one you want. Let me guess, it was those eyes of his. Yes, always so deceptive. But, if you ever get close enough, you will reconsider your choice. He laughed. Then again, if you get close enough, it will be too late for you to reconsider. It will be over for you. Ah, but what is the point in talking about choices anyway? You may have picked a Champion, but it is not you who decides. It is them. You will go to the winner, if Cain wins, you will go to him. If he loses, he will die, and you will go to the one that lives. I suspect who that will be, you have already met him, the black haired one. Demon.

Abby’s mind spun. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and took in a slow deep breath. She had to stay calm even if every instinct in her body was screaming in panic. The blonde was Cain, and the black haired one was Demon. And…. She would be given to the winner? Her eyes snapped open. The winner of what?  She shouted out to the empty room. "Where am I? What do you mean, Give me to them? What do you want from me?!"

The voice came back. It was ice cold and sent a shudder through her body. She had detected a slight accent before, maybe Eastern European. But, when he spoke now it thickened and added more venom to his words. "First, you address me as Master. And don’t you ever forget that."

She found

Reviews for Crucible of Cain

[Brooke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story definitely isn't for everyone, but if you like your dark romances DARK then this is for you. I practically inhaled this book.