Romance: Seducing The Quarterback

by Stacie Duncan

  Anya knew what she had found. Just the confirming it in her mind sent chills all over her.

  There was a lot to do. They had to arrange visas, handle shipping, and she would go to the US before her marriage. Caleb wanted her to just come, and she wanted to, but there was something there. He shifted his eyes around that much. He would stop and stare into space sometimes. She needed to know everything. This was her life she was talking about, and she wasn't going to give it over when she didn't know what was going.

  Room service arrived with a breakfast of porridge and honey. There were berries on the side. It was delicious. They made their way out to make arrangements and went from there.

  * * * * *

  Anya's departure to the US was scheduled in less than a month. She said her goodbyes to her friends and went to visit her parent's grave. She would miss them the most. She'd been going to their grave since she was a little girl. She begged the church to have them buried near the city so she could visit them, and the priests obliged after a hefty sum from her parent's estate. They'd died when she was a little girl.

  She was excited to be leaving Siberia. She hated the cold. She loved it when she could walk around in shorts and short sleeved shirts, but that wasn't very often. She felt chilled everywhere she went. Her nose would run and her face would sting. She'd have to constantly wear chap stick and apply lotion so her skin didn't crack. No matter what, though, that chill was always there, haunting her like her parent's death.

  She dreamed of beaches and green meadows. She wanted to feel the sun without feeling like the air was stabbing her. It was too much—it always had been. She was ready to leave.

  They were standing in his suite on the last day looking out over the city. It could've been any city, but it was the tundra. She would finally leave it behind. They both had to wear fur just to be comfortable. The night air could kill you.

  “I want you in my life, Anya, but you won't love me.”

  She was shocked. “I already do.”

  “But you don't know me for who I am.”

  “I can feel you already.”

  “No. You have no idea. I will show you.”

  “Show me what?”

  “In time.” He looked out over the balcony for a while and Anya knew that something was very wrong. People have this kind of conversation before they marry, but this felt different. He was different, but there was something more. She needed to understand. “There are things you never knew existed.”

  “I didn't know this kind of love existed, Caleb. It couldn't possibly be that bad.”

  “It is.”

  * * * * *

  The trees were black. Their needles were waiting to pierce through soft flesh and whatever lay hidden within the shadows they cast would devour the entrants. Fear is a tangible entity, a protector. It should never be ignored. Don't go near him. You will love him; you will trust him. He will shelter you in his arms and you will lie with him, but when you enter the forest, he will crush your skull.

  She was wearing a white flowing nightgown, something you'd find in another century. Her arms were reaching out and her voice was wailing.

  “Mother!” The woman was a brightly lit apparition.

  She was wailing. Her screams were the cold wind, stabbing through flesh and cracking bones. That face told a message from beyond the thin veil between the worlds.

  Anya tried to sit up, but his arms were tightly wound around her. He was still sleeping. He looked so peaceful, with his soft snores and his fluttering eyes. He must be dreaming. She felt safe. They would leave to Portland, and she would make her decision there. The flight would leave at noon and it was five in the morning. She decided to push his arms off of her and get dressed. The same breakfast of porridge, berries and honey arrived in less than an hour. It was strange. He always had that in the morning. She'd never eaten it before, but the sugar was comforting. It reminded her of when she was in the orphanage and she'd sneak honey from the priest's table to put in her oatmeal.

  When he awoke, the first thing he did was get up and kiss her. It was such a comfort to be the first thing he saw in the morning.

  They got ready quickly and were on the flight without any trouble. He would have to wait while she went through customs, which was going to be a grueling process. America had closed their borders off so tightly that she had no reassurance that she could enter.

  She'd never been on a plane before. Caleb had insisted on her getting a widow seat. He said the experience was thrilling. He got them a seat in first class, where he said they would be waited on. This was when Anya first realized that Caleb was a man of means. She figured that the agency, as wealthy as they obviously were, had paid for the suite, but they hadn't. She figured that Caleb had nice clothes that he bought for that night, but they were all designer.

  “You're rich, aren't you?” They were waiting for the plane to take off.

  “Yes.”

  “How rich?”

  “I can buy anything.”

  “Billions.”

  “Yes.”

  “You are comfortable with me asking this?”

  “You have to know. I am your husband and you will be my wife. Well, maybe. You will decide.”

  “Whatever it i—.”

  “Just wait and see, Anya.” He wouldn't tell her no matter how much she pleaded. He just kept giving cryptic messages. She thought back to that dream when her mother was screaming out to her. The forest had always seemed terrible to her. You could die easily in the forest in Siberia. People rarely traveled inside of it. If they got lost, they would die within a few hours. Was she just anxious? What did he mean when he said, there were things she never knew existed?

  She thought about strange government conspiracies and aliens, but none of it fit. Whatever was going on must be terrible, or at least very strange, or else he wouldn't be saying those things.

  The thought that she wasn't safe had occurred to her, but he loved her. Nothing bad could come out of the right kind of love, and Anya knew bad love from a mile away. All women who have experienced it know it. They can smell it like they smell rotten eggs or putrid flesh.

  “As weird as it is, I don't care. I love you, Caleb. Love is good.” That would be her affirmation. She'd use it to stay strong. No matter how afraid she got, she would say it and it would make her feel better, because it was true. She was afraid, and she was worried her fear would overcome her, but she couldn't allow that to happen.

  You can't feel it when a plane takes off. You can hear it and you can see it. Anya watched as the city started rising up above her and she said goodbye. She could see the bustling downtown streets she had known her whole life. She knew she'd never see it again. She was above the skyscrapers. She could see in people's backyards and the tops of buildings. Then Anya saw the clouds. They were walking on a blanket of fluffy mist. It was an ethereal landscape, a part of heaven and she looked over at Caleb.

  “It's so beautiful!”

  “It's almost like you can walk on it, huh?”

  “Yes! I want to.”

  “Trust me, you don't want to.”

  Soon the clouds got so thick that all she could see was white, and eventually, day faded into night. She closed her eyes.

  “This is your captain speaking. We are now approaching Portland International Airport. The temperature is 67 degrees Fahrenheit and it is overcast with a light drizzle. It is 11:35 PM, but if you look outside you can still see the lights of the city.”

  Anya opened her window screen and looked outside at her new home. The window was covered in a thin mist, but she could see lights looming in front of her. It was different. The buildings were different. People dressed differently. All the signs were written in English and the harsh language could be heard all around her. It was overwhelming. People acted differently. They were calmer and nicer. They seemed more innocent and naive. Some would even smile when you walked by. It was a different kind of energy.

  She went through customs fine. They looked thro
ugh her things. She didn't like that, but what else could she do. They wanted to intimidate her and she wouldn't give them that power. They did make a display. They tried to interrogate her and trap her. It was funny. She'd dealt with a lot worse, but they thought they were putting her through the wringer. At one point, she sat back and smiled and they looked infuriated. Men want to wave their things around and when you don't seem impressed they get mad. If this was the worst the states had to offer, and she suspected it was, then she would be fine.

  When she finally got into the city, she could see where she was. It was forested, heavily, but it was different. Instead of being dry, it was wet. Everything was always wet. The forest wasn't dark or icy. It didn't scare her. It was green and beautiful. There were meadows and fields of flowers. The air was moist and warm against her skin. It felt like a refreshing shower.

  They walked out of the airport and to Caleb's limousine. That was when it hit. He was sitting in the seat next to her. It was made of leather. There was a full bar, a flat screen TV and touch screen consoles. There was even a moon roof. This man could give her the world and would if she asked for it. She'd never seen such wealth in her entire life.

  “What can I expect?”

  “Why would I say when I can show you?”'

  They had been traveling for more than an hour past the highway, which was dotted by tiny waterfalls dropping from the forest and over the rock walls lining the road. When they got into the forest, things were darker and it was hard to see. They passed through a black gate and pulled up to a four story estate lined with gardens she never even knew were possible. There were stepping stones, floating in a tiny brook leading up to the mansion which had statues on either side of the wooden double door that was three times as tall as her. It was built around a majestic pine that was as thick as her apartment, which was showcased in the living room by glass windows that went all around the trunk. The entire house was meant to be a shrine to the beauty of the forest surrounding them.

  “I hope you feel at home here.”

  “It's beautiful.” She didn't like the forest at home. It was black and silent, but the forest here was full of life. Everything was green. She'd even seen houses with moss covering their roofs. Everywhere she looked there was something green. There was no dirt or mud. Every single centimeter of land had something growing out of it. It was as though nature's power was embodied in this place and it reached out to her in a way that unsettled and amazed her all at the same time. Had she been afraid of nature or what she knew was waiting for her inside of it?

  “Come on. Let me show you to our bedroom.” He took her up to the second story. The walls were lined with statues of bears in different poses. He really seemed to like bears. They were everywhere in the house. He also had mounted fish and nature paintings. She was starting to get a feel for his style and she loved it regardless of her disdain for the environment.

  “This is my bedroom.” He opened another massive wooden door. There was a small sitting area with antique couches and a marble coffee table held up by angels. There was another wooden door that must've led to his bedchamber. He walked over to it with a tantalizing smile. When he opened the door, she could feel her heart pounding. It was strange to her, but the moment had a real significance to it. She felt like a young bride who was finally lifting her veil.

  His bed was the centerpiece of the room. It was solid wood with four posters and a white silk canopy. The posters were as thick as small tree trunks and had intricate designs with flowers and vines carved into them with tiny inlaid gold leaf.

  At first he seemed playful. He jumped onto the bed and she fell into his arms, but a harsh depression quickly started to show on his face.

  “This might be our last night together.”

  Chapter 5

  Anya went hiking with her parents every year until she was ten. She would hate going into the forest. It was cold and dark. It scared her. She didn't like the walk. It was hard on her legs and her chest always hurt. They would have her layered with at least two jackets and three sweaters so she had to waddle around over branches and roots. Her parents always said it was good to go out in nature.

  There was something there when they went that last time. She didn't know what it was until it was on them. A fierce beast that seemed as big as a car reared up when they entered a clearing full of berries. The bear was black all over with soft fur and a layer of dirt covering its entire body. She remembered the way the blood was dripping from its fangs when it was over.

  Her parents were lying there bloody and she would've been killed had she not hidden behind the bushes. When she saw it happen, she was in shock for just a moment and then she ran. She didn't know how she got to the highway. She barely remembered the way, but she did remember the police car that stopped and picked her up. Her jacket was covered in blood and he wanted to know what happened.

  Everything after that was a terrible blur. Ever since then, she didn't like bears or the forest, but Oregon was different. It felt as though nature had a twin personality. So when she woke up to find herself in his arms, those arms that she'd never leave, she wasn't afraid. Whatever happened today would never tear them apart. They would always be together. She wouldn't be the same without Caleb. The idea of waking up in her apartment, or going back to Siberia was too much. She couldn't do it. She needed to see his face every morning like she needed water or air, and she knew that he felt the same way.

  Just looking at him made her swoon. She was pacing around the room. What did he have to tell her? How could it possibly destroy the bond they had? The way he talked about it, it sounded like something unnatural, but she honestly wouldn't care if there were bodies in the basement so long as she could be with him. He didn't understand her world. He couldn't possibly know the lengths people had to go to survive in her country. She'd seen a lot, and she'd done a lot, she couldn't be daunted.

  Anya watched him stirring. His face was contorted. She could tell he'd been dreading the moment when morning came, and she was too. She was afraid. If he was so sure, knowing how strong their bond was, then it had to be something terrible.

  When he opened his eyes, she was standing over him and he tried to hide his despair.

  “Would you like breakfast, Anya?”

  “What were you thinking?”

  “I make wonderful blueberry waffles.”

  His kitchen was simple. He seemed to have a modest life despite his means. It had a marble island and a state of the art stove. He had the finest stainless steel appliances, but she knew this was nothing. A man like him would often own an industrial kitchen with a chef.

  He opened the fridge and Anya looked inside curiously. There were tons of different types of berries, fish and, in the cupboards, there were plenty of different kinds of oats and wild vegetables. Anya was starting to see a pattern in his diet.

  He took out a large container filled with blueberries and scarfed down a handful. He licked his fingers clean and looked up and smiled. She loved it. He was like a child who just found a piece of candy. The waffles were delicious. He topped them with honey which accented the blueberries perfectly. He loved to dip his thumb in the honey and lick it off clean. It was strange to see the way he savored every single bite. When he was done, he sat back and patted his stomach. He did seem a little unsettled. He went quiet and she stared at him for a moment.

  “Whatever it i….”

  “You don't know that.”

  “Yes, Caleb, I do.”

  “I wanted to spend more time with you, but it will just make me hurt more.”

  “You don't have to do this.”

  “Yes I do! You have to know!” He was furious. She'd never seen him angry before, and it scared her more than she was expecting. It almost looked like he was getting larger. His face was contorted.

  They walked slowly, hand in hand, to the glass doors leading to his wooden sanctuary. In front of the tree, there was a statue of a woman wearing garlands of flowers, holding a globe in her hands. Her
stomach was pregnant and full. On her forehead was a crescent. She almost seemed like she was alive, mother nature in embodied in white marble. Her eyes were intense and seemed to stare right through her. Anya felt a shiver pass over her even though the air was warm. She could smell growing moss and mildew. Nature was all around her.

  He stood back and the air rippled. It was like some invisible force was changing him. She gasped as he hunched over and fur began to mar his beautiful body. His face grew longer and his nose was black, like an animal’s. She shrieked as he took form. She stepped back as far and was jolted by her body hitting the glass window behind her. The beautiful man she loved was standing before her in the form of giant black bear. He looked up at her expectantly.

  There was blood all over her shirt and they were lying on the ground. Their bodies were spread all over the grass and the beast was in front of her. She ran out of the doors and into the car he had waiting for her. He ran after her, butt naked, but she couldn't bring herself to turn around. She was shaking and balling. He was not human. He was a monster in the worst form she could possibly imagine. He was a predator that could've killed her at any time. She couldn't think about him ever again. She had to leave this place. God knows what he would've done to her if she had stayed. She thought she could love him, but she couldn't. He was a bear. She looked back and remembered the signs. The porridge, the honey, the berries. All of it should've warned her. She wretched at the thought of being with an animal, an inhuman beast who would devour her and crush her skull. The man she'd loved was dead. He didn't exist in the first place. He was, instead, a shell.

  The natives in her area had stories of men who could change shape. She always wondered why they held on to such a belief. They didn't consider it a myth or a strange old belief, they always said that it was fact. They said that they'd seen them before. Many were glad to leave the city, they said, to get away from the shifters, and now she knew why.

  They were demon in human form. They were vicious predators, they had said. They'd tell people to be wary of men who were like animals. They said that they ate like animals, they walked and talked like them to, but she never believed it. It was impossible.