The Reluctant Empress

Published by: eXtasy Books

Author : Gabriella Bradley

ISBN :978-1-4874-4295-8

Page :203

Word Count :59700

Publication Date :2025-07-24

Series : #

Heat Level :

Available Formats :

Category : Fantasy Romance , Science Fiction Romance , Fantasy , What's New

BrandsExtasy Books
Product Code: 978-1-4874-4295-8

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Acelia’s desperate bid for freedom leads to a deadly confrontation with her abusive husband.

Acelia is determined to escape her oppressive life and abusive husband and secretly fulfills a lifelong dream of going to the space academy. After graduating, she is accepted for the position of communications officer on an explorer that will embark on a five-year mission.

Perfect…

But her plans go awry when Mitah comes home unexpectedly and unleashes his fury…

Seeking refuge at the hotel near Space Dock, Acelia crosses paths with Ezra, a charming science officer who is waiting to depart on his ship.

Two days later, she reluctantly says goodbye to the new friend in her life and boards the Storm Falcon, embarking on a space odyssey that will lead her to the biggest adventure of her life.

She’d been so tempted to keep on one of her new modern bodysuits—one made of much thinner material with short sleeves—but had kept on her old suit. Now she was glad because it’d have made matters worse if Mitah had discovered she’d gone shopping. As it was, he would be furious because she was outside after dark. She’d suffer his anger for a bit, and then he’d most probably leave. He rarely stayed the night.

After punching in the code, the door clicked open, and she went inside, her heart pounding in fear of his wrath. How was it that he had come home this late? Or had he been there most of the day? Was it true after all that he had someone watching her all the time?

Her stomach still in knots, she followed the sound of his voice coming from the living room. He was wearing his leather jacket and pocketed his cellphone when she walked in. A leather jacket in this kind of weather? Warily, she took in the thunderous expression on his ugly face, the long scar cutting across it from forehead to jaw prominently white against the mottled red of his skin.

“What is the meaning of this? Where the hell have you been?” was his growled greeting, which immediately indicated she hadn’t been followed, or he would have known where she was.

A cold shiver ran down her spine. She’d seen him angry, but never this furious. She felt as if she faced the devil himself. “I-I w-w-went for a walk. It…it was so hot, and—”

“For four and a half hours? In the dark?” He took several strides toward her, his face contorted in fury, his fists balled.

“The…the p-park… I was watching the swans and—”

“Lying bitch! You know my rules!” he shouted. “How dare you disobey me! Answer me! Where the hell were you?”

The punch landed on Acelia’s cheekbone before she had a chance to ward it off or duck. Usually, he hit her in places where no one could see the bruises… For a second, she saw stars and stumbled.

He grabbed her shoulder and shoved her to the floor, then stood over her as he undid the buckle of his gun belt. He tossed the holster and phaser on the floor and wound the belt around his fist. “Take your clothes off!”

“No.”

“Strip, or I’ll do it for you.”

She tried to roll away, but he had her wedged between his boots. Half sitting, she pushed against his boots with all her might and wriggled to get loose. He bent and yanked the zipper of her suit down, then grabbed the collar and forcefully stripped it down to her waist, his fingernails scraping her chest and arms. She tried to stop him, clawing at his arms and hands, but to no avail. He shoved her back down to the floor, raised the belt, and whipped it across her breasts and chest.

Acelia lifted her arms to protect her face, wriggling desperately to get out from between boots that held her like a vice, but all she could manage was to partially roll onto her chest. He continued whipping the belt down on her back and across her shoulders. With each blow, he called her a whore, a bitch, a slut, with more offensive language spewing from his mouth. She didn't scream or utter a sound. She never did…wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

Anger overwhelmed her.

Hatred.

Fury.

Her fingers slid over the smooth floor, unable to find purchase to pull away. Through a haze of pain, she saw his holster lying on the floor not far from her hand. She managed to grab it, yanked the phaser from the holster, clicked the safety off, aimed up, and pulled the trigger, then dropped the weapon.

It all happened so fast.

He didn’t disintegrate but fell to the floor with a loud thud.

“By the gods, I think I’ve killed him,” she muttered as she pushed away from his body. Sliding along the smooth hardwood floor, she got to the wall and propped herself against it. She stared at the fallen form of her husband, at the black scorch mark on his chest, his bloodshot, black, lifeless eyes gazing up at the ceiling, the belt still wrapped around his fist.

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The Reluctant Empress

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