The Boy Next Door (27 page)

“I did hear the stories. I loved them as a child and I longed to see them come true. I would have given anything to experience what you did. I was always told that they would watch over us and guide our lives, make sure that nothing bad happened. They were responsible for the good in the world, and for that little piece of magic that made life wonderful, but I think somewhere along the way that illusion was shattered.”

“I don't know if they were killed off, or perhaps they grew tired of us and they left, but they no longer have any influence here and I think that's sad. I have long wanted to go on a quest in the mountains, for some have said that they enclosed themselves in a cave, protecting themselves from the outside world.”

“From what I've seen,” she said, “I cannot blame them. Especially when there are people like Callum around. I know that he would have seen them as the enemy and as a challenge. He's already destroyed enough...but I lost my faith because of him. Why did you lose yours?”

“I suppose now is as good a time to tell you as any,” he said, and a wistful look came upon his face. His hand moved into his pouch and he started playing with a necklace, and the reason for that became apparent when he launched into his tale.

“Many years ago I fell in love with the greatest woman in the world. She was everything I could have ever wanted from anyone, and our days were filled with happiness. We planned our lives together and every night I went to bed thankful for the glory the world had bestowed upon me. We were even blessed with a child, and I didn't think life could get any better. And it didn't. Shortly after our child was born my wife fell ill, and so did the child. I consulted all manner of healers. I prayed until my throat was raw but nothing helped, and before I knew it everything had been taken away from me.”

“The necklace. It was hers?”

“Yes. And Callum wanted to take it. I could not let him have it.”

“But he took it anyway. So you took me.”

“I did. I am not proud of it and I dread to think what my wife would think of me if she knew...”

“She'd think you were a good man, that you were a man of principle, a man who isn't frightened to stand up to those who seek to dominate others. She'd see you for what you are, a hero,” Abbie said, and with each word she moved closer to Duncan until she was standing by his side.

She breathed deeply and looked up at him with her deep green eyes. She ran her hand down his long arm and linked her fingers in with his, squeezing them until he released the necklace. He turned to her and they both saw in each other something that had been missing from their lives, a spark of innocence that they thought had been destroyed. She was so young yet had lived more than most, and he was a man, the head of a clan, with gray in his hair and beard and the burden of experience. But they each had something the other needed, wanted, and in that moment as they stood in the privacy of the trees attraction sparked between them.

It hadn't been anticipated or even necessarily wanted, yet it felt entirely natural. They were in a wooded clearing with the trees creating a canopy overhead. The branches reached over and blocked out the sun, so they were cast in green shade, and they saw in each other a common need for comfort and companionship. Both of them knew what it was like to lose something precious. They had both been jaded by events in their lives and needed to rediscover what they had been seeking for so long. Furthermore, both of them had a common enemy. Callum had destroyed the maturity that Abbie had been so looking forward to. She had been looking forward to growing up, falling in love, and raising a family, yet it had been far bleaker than she could ever have imagined. And now Callum was threatening everything that Duncan held dear. Both of them wanted to hold onto something that made them feel human, made them feel alive.

They stripped off each other’s clothes and barely a word was spoken between them as they peeled away the layers of fabric and fell to the ground. The grass was soft under their skin and they felt the unfamiliar flush of arousal surge through their bodies. Abbie had been so used to Callum's rough style that the tender touch of Duncan was enough to send thrills sparking through her body. She gasped and writhed as she welcomed him in close to her.

His hands roamed around her curves and her flaming hair was splayed out underneath her – a sea of red amid the green scenery. Their kisses were fervent and desperate. Their tongues twisted together. Abbie felt around his body, all the old scars and war wounds, but she stopped when her palm rested against his chest for she knew inside his heart lay the greatest wound: that of his wife. It induced within her great sympathy and attraction, and a desire to remind him of the good in life. She wanted to touch him in a way that few had and reignite the passion that once burned so brightly within him.

His hands grew tighter around her as the sexual energy bristled through their bodies. Abbie felt him harden and swell. Their lips scorched each other as their bodies entwined together. His long fingers searched her body and found the burning wetness, making her tingle all over. His hot breath washed over her as he buried himself in her neck, while her delicate hands ran down to take his hard lust, curling her fingers around it and stroking slowly. The sensations were so foreign and distant but everything came back to them quickly and they did what came naturally. Their bodies welcomed each other and melted together in the heat of the afternoon. They locked eyes and knew that there was no going back. She was married and he was from a rival tribe yet neither of them felt as though they were doing anything wrong.

Being together and feeling the sheer excitement of attraction and intimacy again only added to their pleasure, and neither of them wanted to turn their back on it. They both smiled as they descended into the erotic bliss; their exposed skin brushed against each other, both of them gasping as their bodies shifted, twisting together until they became one entity. 

She breathed in his scent and clung to him tightly as he plunged himself inside her, his hips moving in a steady, thrusting rhythm. He braced himself against the ground and pounded her body, and as her mind cracked everything that she used to be came pouring out and she was reborn. Her spirit rose through her body like a phoenix and she was gripped by the excitement of resurrection, and glowed with a new kind of beauty. She shrieked with delight and spun the two of them so that she was resting upon him, straddling him, her red hair falling behind her like a cape.

Duncan held her hips steady as she rode and writhed atop him, basking in her glory as she recaptured all she had lost. A wide smile adorned her face as her naked body convulsed and shuddered. For the first time in her life she was making love instead of having it forced upon her, and gone were the shackles of Callum's wedlock. The heaving rhythm of the sexual sea caused a flood inside her. Every fiber of her being shivered as the pulse crackled through her body and swarmed her mind, flowing out in a long warm release. When she collapsed against Duncan's sweaty, sticky body she did so with a long, anguished moan of delight.

Nestling against the crook of his shoulder, she felt the comfort of his beard against her, and felt a new sense of security. And, for the moment, she enjoyed the bliss that came with the sexual heaven, even though in the back of her mind she knew that Callum was already on his way, and he would not take kindly to this turn of events.

6

Almost a week had passed since Abbie and Duncan had shared passion in the forest. Ever since then they had enjoyed sexual union many times, and were sharing an intimate bond that was new and exciting to both of them. They told each other their innermost secrets, and tried to avoid the impending attack of Callum. The sentries watched the horizon carefully but there was no sign of Callum yet, and gradually Abbie became more and more distracted.

“If you want to stay here, I will fight for you. We need to make a stand against Callum and his bullying ways. I will not let him treat you the way he has done. You deserve better than that.”

“I am his wife, and I will go back to him if it will avoid a war,” Abbie said, with sadness in her eyes.

Inevitably Callum did come, and when he did it was with force. The small army waited outside the village and a few of the warriors, led by Callum, marched through the village to meet with Duncan. When he arrived, Callum demanded that the return of Abbie and was surprised when Abbie walked out freely, with no restraints.

“You will find that she has not been harmed,” Duncan said, trying to hide the pain in his voice.

“I do not care. You have transgressed against the agreement between our people and now you shall pay the price. I will take my wife back, and your life shall be forfeited,” he said, raising his mighty sword and pointing it directly at Duncan, who merely looked weary of all the macho bravado. It was at this point that Abbie stepped forward.

“Callum, what are you doing? These people have no quarrel with you. All they want is to be left in peace. You should not demand things from the other tribes. We should be working in harmony together, to share things and—”

“Are you really siding with them against your own husband? Your own
clan
?” Callum asked, narrowing his eyes at her. “They took you in the dead of night and you claim that I am in the wrong here?”

“They only did that because you threatened them, because that's what you do! You treat people like they owe you the world, and when they refuse to bow to your whims you think there's something wrong. There's not, and I'm not standing for it any longer. Callum, turn around and go home.”

“Only if you come with me,” he growled. Abbie hung her head and looked at her husband, and then at Duncan. Then, she walked towards Duncan and linked her arm in with his, much to the shock and dismay of Callum.

“I am not leaving here. I'm happy.”

“You are my wife and you will do as I say.”

“No,” she said, and with that word Callum's strength crumbled. The defiance of the one he had controlled for so long broke him, and she could see it in his eyes. His face twisted into a cruel manifestation of evil and he gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to kill anyone and anything that stood in his way but Abbie had more to say. “You will leave here now without any conflict and you will stop your barbaric ways. Look into yourself Callum and see the person you have become, it is not the hero that everyone sees.”

“Give me one good reason why I should walk away from here and not skewer you all on my sword.”

“Because I am pregnant.” The revelation took Callum and Duncan both by surprise. Duncan looked at Abbie, although she did not meet his gaze. Callum then looked at the two of them and suddenly became aware at what had transpired between them. 

“You treacherous—” he began, but Abbie interrupted him before he could finish the thought. 

“That may be, and yes, I do not know who the father is between the two of you, but do you really want to take the chance of killing your own son? There is still a chance for you to do the right thing. I will tell him about you, but it is your choice about the story I tell.”

Abbie saw in his eyes a transformation. He looked down at his sword and then at the people around him, his enemies who cowered in fear and his allies who were ready to go into battle for him, and in that moment he wondered how he would be remembered. He took a last look at Abbie and then sheathed his sword, and everyone in the village breathed a sigh of relief.

After he had gone, Duncan and Abbie went somewhere alone.

“Is it true?” he asked. Abbie nodded.

“I wanted to tell you earlier but I didn't know how. I don't...I'm sorry that I don't know who the father is.” Duncan embraced her tightly and cradled her head.

“That does not matter to me. If you are happy to stay with me I will raise the child as my own and we will give the baby the life that it deserves.” They looked at each other, smiled, and kissed tenderly, knowing that they had given each other a second chance. Abbie felt something she never thought she would feel again – happiness.

And, although she was saddened at having to say goodbye to her home and her friends like Maggie, she knew that ultimately it was for the best With Duncan she felt safe, like she had always imagined feeling when she used to dream of being in love. Duncan pulled the necklace out of his pouch.

“I want you to have this,” he said, and placed it around her neck. This time it was a gift given freely, with love, and she cherished it in a way that she would never have been able to had she not encountered Duncan.

Sometimes after that day she would gaze across the water at her old home and wonder if Callum had truly changed. All she knew for sure is that there were fewer reports of barbaric behavior, and she hoped that in some way the events would shape Callum into the hero that he always thought he had been. And, on some lonely nights she would sit at the edge of the village and gaze into the dark forest. She rested a hand on her belly and spoke in soft, dulcet tones to her unborn child, telling it all the stories of the mysterious creatures that lived in the forest and how they watched over everyone and protected them.

As she repeated the stories she had heard so often as a child, that feeling of wonder grew inside her again, and sometimes when the light was low she swore that she saw a soft glow amid the trees, and smiled to herself.

THE END

Rescued by the Werebear

Chapter one

“Sofia, you are one of my best writers I know. Several of the things that you have sent to my publication have gone viral. There isn’t anybody that has gotten this close to the Russian administration. We’re very pleased with your work and we would like to offer you a fulltime position here in Washington. We believe that if you can be this tenacious against a dictator, you’ll be a valuable asset.”

Anthony Wallace was my editor, even though I had never even considered going into journalism as a career. I always wanted to be a part of the fashion industry, but sometimes God has plans that you can’t foresee.

“I don’t know why it’s such a surprise that I would be able to get this information into the right hands. I have a few sources that I’ve cultivated over the last few months: dissidents who are not very happy with the way the direction of this country is going. We have formed a small alliance that allows us to work within the shadows.”

It was kind of exhilarating to be a spy, but it certainly didn’t feel like the way they showed it in movies and television. There was a lot more work than actual romance, or any kind of intrigue for that matter.

“I’m amazed that you’re able to get Internet access outside of your country,” Wallace mused.

I had Jensen to thank for that. He wasn’t from this country. He had come here to follow the love of his life. She had died during an insurgence that had gotten out of hand. Innocent bystanders were killed and I was the only one who was able to tell the truth without retaliation. I had learned that my diminutive form and my non-threatening attitude was a good way to make inroads with those who wanted to make a difference.

“I think I’ve already told you this before and I’m not going to reveal how I get things done. That is a secret that will have to stay with me. Your curiosity is to be expected, but I don’t think it’s in my best interest to tell you how to do your job, and you shouldn’t tell me how to do mine.”

I was only teasing him. The screen was fuzzy, but I knew that he was a bald man with a white goatee. He had real journalistic integrity, the kind that made his publication the one to go to.

“I want you to be careful. I’m sure that I’m starting to sound like a broken record by now, but I’ve grown quite fond of you. I know that I’ve been hard on you, but it’s only because I see something in you that I want to cultivate and see blossom into something extraordinary. I’m not saying that your work is stellar, but it has real potential. Now, your stuff is written in a biased way and we’re going to have to work on that when you come to work for me.”

I had a black sweater on and I was still shivering, as the heat was at its bare minimum. Outside, I could see snowflakes and I knew that there was a call for a snow storm. I was going to have to go out and retrieve some supplies and hunker down for next day or two. They were calling it a blizzard and warning people that staying on the streets was not an option.

“I’m going to give your proposition the due diligence that it deserves. I’ve researched your publication and I’m quite impressed that you are not sequestered in any way. There’s nobody that is pulling your strings. I do have to admit that I’m curious what it would be like to come to the United States. I’ve lived here all of my life and I don’t know anything else. I never thought that I would have adventure, but maybe I’ve been naïve to think that my life revolves around these people. I don’t really have any family, except for an old uncle that is pretty much off his rocker.”

My parents had died a few years ago and that was the primary reason why I had started this campaign.

It wasn’t Putin that I was targeting – it was those that were working alongside him. They had been in power for far too long and now they were corrupting the new leader of the country. He didn’t have much say and even though he claimed to be his own man, everybody knew that there was somebody behind the scenes telling him how to act and what to do during a crisis.

“I’m glad that you’re going to give it some thought. The invitation to join this publication is open ended, but I wouldn’t wait too long. There’s going to come a time when people are going to start looking at you. You can’t stay hidden forever and it’s just a matter of time before somebody starts to put two and two together. You think that you’re untouchable, but secrets have a way of rearing their ugly heads at the most inopportune times. I’ve seen it too many times in my life and believe me it translates to any country that is being run with an iron fist. There are those in Washington that have their own agenda. That’s the reason why I want you to be here to help me make those rats scurry into the light.”

I heard the snap of the trap behind my refrigerator and I knew that one rat had already been taken care of. They were disgusting little animals, but this area was known to have many outbreaks of their kind. The temperature had gotten colder and now they were trying to find someplace warm to settle down.

“I have to go now, Anthony. It’s been really nice talking to you and I hope that we do get to see each other face to face one day. I need to get a few things done, but trust me I will be in touch at my earliest convenience.”

I shut down the communication and I sat back and hugged my body. My breasts were form fitting inside the sweater. Had I walked out like this, I probably would have a lot of guys gawking at me like I was an expensive streetwalker offering her goods. It didn’t hurt that my tight jeans molded to my ass like a second skin.

My breath could be seen inside the enclosed space of my bachelor apartment. I don’t even know why it was called that. There was no bedroom to speak of. It was mostly a closet and I decided to make myself at home in the living room. I had to go down to the local store and I just hoped that there was still something left after everybody had finished hoarding supplies for the storm. I didn’t need much and my pantry was pretty much full, but there were some necessities like fresh water and bread that I needed.

I pulled my dark hair up over my head and then I attached the dark blue scarf and wrapped it, so that it was covering not only my head, but my neck as well. It was kind of sickening to see the bland colors and you couldn’t find something flamboyant if your life depended on it. This government didn’t want anybody to stand out in a crowd. They wanted us to be complacent and to live our lives by their rules. The curfew kept crime down, but it was what happened after curfew that made people start to cock an eyebrow.

I was thankful that I was a little handy and I was able to make sure that my apartment had a lock that worked. That was a far cry from what other people had in this building, but I was doing everything I could to make sure that everybody was safe and secure from those that wanted to take advantage. I had become the resident den mother. If they needed something, I could get it through regular channels or from the black market.

I grabbed my black parka, zipping it up and feeling like I was in some sort of cocoon. It was not very flattering, but the chilling bite of the cold was a good incentive to try and not to come down with the death of cold. I’d seen too many fall victim to hypothermia. The elderly were more susceptible, but they weren’t the only ones.

I went out into the hallway to see the peeling wallpaper and the holes in the wall where there was no doubt an infestation inside the building. I heard the click of a door and I looked up to see Tamara. Her blonde hair was disheveled and her makeup was fucked up. She looked like she was drinking heavily and most likely just finished one of her Johns.

“You know that it’s dangerous out there. You don’t see me out in that peddling my wares. Be careful, Sofia, or this weather is going to be the death of us.”

She was blonde, but it was from a bottle and she wanted her clients to see her as something special and unique. She was not like all the others and she prided herself on giving a service that was worth coming back for over and over again. I’d heard screams of approval inside my apartment through a wall that was pretty much paper thin.

“I’m glad to see that you are staying in. It wouldn’t hurt you to take today off, recharge and wait, until this storm passes. The brunt of it is not going to hit until later today, but it has already started. Do yourself a favor, bundle up and make sure that your windows are closed and covered with a blanket or some very thick sheet.”

She nodded her head, her red blouse ripped at the shoulder from an overanxious lover. The black skirt and the spider web stockings were not exactly conducive to staving off this weather.

Chapter two

“I think that you might be my final customer of the day.” The walk over here was a little slippery and the snow had started to fall just a little bit harder than it was already. The flakes were huge, but at least it was fluffy and it probably wouldn’t take much to clear off it off. The streets were virtually deserted and those who had ventured out were not staying out for long. “I think that I’m going to close up early today. Nobody should be out in this.”

I passed him the last of the money that I had received from my last assignment from Anthony. He was nice enough to convert the American money into Russian currency, so it wouldn’t look suspicious.

“I don’t think that you’re going to see too many people out. I just needed a few things.”

I left the proprietor and as I did it occurred to me that I didn’t know him by name. I’d always seen him here and we had talked like we were friends, but we never knew that much about each other. Perhaps, I should take the time to get to know him and maybe there was something there that would be interesting to write about. I could see the lines around his eyes and that look of vacancy that comes from knowing that there is no escape.

I walked with my head down, with my bag of goodies inside my jacket to protect it from the elements. The wind had picked up and you could see the swirls in the street. I heard what sounded like brakes squealing to a stop. It was in the distance, but I couldn’t understand why anybody would risk their lives to come out in this. I heard an engine. I looked over my shoulder to see one of the freelance taxis taking home a fare. Those of us who lived in this neighborhood knew that they were considered to be pirates, jacking up their prices to extremes. If they were caught, they could probably be held against their will for days on end. Repeat offenders could find themselves disappearing altogether.

The soles of my boots were thin and I slipped a few times, but was able to stop myself from falling by grabbing onto the first available thing that I saw.

When I came up to the building I noticed all these black cars parked out front and I decided to take the back stairs. Seeing them gave me a sense of dread. I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling that they weren’t here to see Tamara. It couldn’t be for me. I’d been too careful.

One government vehicle would have sufficed for a clandestine romance, but there were four of them clustered around each other. Two very burly young men stood at the ready by the vehicles.

I slipped out of sight and down an alley way, until I came to the back stairs. The door was ajar; somebody had used a crowbar a long time ago to break in and nobody had done anything to fix it. I was able to fashion a steel bar over the inside. I was the only one that was able to loosen it enough to squeeze through to the other side. It was by my own design. The stairs were littered with garbage and a drunk named Owen was sitting with a bottle at the top of the stairs. This was really the only place in the building that had any heat.

“You know what, Owen? I think you may be the only sane one around here after all. If I had any brains, I would come out here with you.”

He smiled with one tooth missing and raised his bottle. I took it and had myself a slug and it warmed my insides. I did wipe the top of the bottle first to make sure that I didn’t catch anything. I need to keep up appearances, but I wasn’t stupid. I handed it back to him and he gave me this smirk and went back to talking to himself.

I opened the door and made my way over to the stairs that would lead to my floor. I was going to take the elevator, but I had this feeling that I should keep myself incognito. I climbed the stairs two at a time, feeling the cans of pasta sauce slamming up against me. I took care of myself and I ran every day. It wasn’t that I wanted to have a nice figure, but it was something to do when I didn’t have anything else on my plate.

I had my hand poised on the door leading to my hallway, but I stopped and decided to press my ear against it instead. There was nothing but silence. I took a few steps forward and opened the door, gritting my teeth and hoping to God that it wasn’t going to make a noise that would attract anybody’s attention.

I walked cautiously down the hallway towards my apartment and I saw that Tamara had come out at the end of the hall and had begun to shake her head vehemently. I wasn’t sure, but I think that she was trying to warn me away. I was standing at the threshold and I heard somebody inside my apartment. The door was wide open and splintered from somebody using more force than necessary.

“I want everything. Tear this place apart and make sure that there isn’t any place that she could hide from us. Tell the boys downstairs to give us a heads up when she returns.”

I heard pounding and the crashing of glass. I was terrified. For the first time, I was stunned into immobility. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t talk, and the only thing I could do was watch these men in trench coats tear my place apart.

I must have gasped, because the man inside my bathroom came out and saw me standing there. He grabbed for his pistol and suddenly my legs came back to life. It was my natural instinct to survive that made me run like I’ve never run before. The bag of supplies that I had been carrying fell from my jacket and landed on the floor with the two cans of pasta sauce rolling.