Authors: Cassandra Cole
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Bryn sat in her office and tried again to be happy. It had been two months since she had stood by Tyler’s side and watched him sign his contract. She hadn’t heard a thing from him since. She had called and left multiple voice mails and sent several text messages, but he hadn’t returned any of them. She rubbed the small bump that was starting to form in her stomach. She wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer.
She didn’t really want to. She loved their child and she still loved Tyler, even if he felt differently. She didn’t want to hurt or embarrass Tyler, but very soon she was going to have to tell the world. Since word got out that she had gotten Tyler his deal with the Tigers, plenty of other players had called and asked if she would be willing to take them on as a client. While her notoriety was nothing compared to that of her father, she was in front of the television and other media on a regular basis these days, and someone was bound to ask.
She had hoped to make the announcement with Tyler by her side, and for the past several weeks she had held out foolish hope that she could still do that. She knew she needed to face facts and get on with her life, but that was easier said than done. She had held tight to her fantasy for so long that it was as much a part of her as the baby that was currently kicking inside of her.
She finished up what she was working on and checked her watch. It was after seven. The days weren’t getting any shorter. As tired as she was now she wondered how she was going to be able to cope when the baby finally came. She tried to convince herself she had plenty of time to figure tat out as she closed everything up and headed back to her apartment. She had just sat down to enjoy the takeout meal she had grabbed on the way home when her doorbell rang. When she opened the door she was stunned to see Tyler standing there.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Of course,” she said, and showed him to her couch.
“I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you,” he said, “but I needed time to think about everything.”
“Tyler I don’t want a thing from you,” she said, knowing full well that was a lie. She wanted everything from him, but she couldn’t say that. “I just need you to acknowledge that the baby is yours. I have no intention of lying about it.”
“It really shocked me to find out I’m going to be a father. It was the last thing I expected.”
“I know, and I would say I’m sorry if I could, but I’m not. I love our child, even if you don’t.”
“Bryn, I have always taken everything in my life for granted because everything has always worked out the way I wanted. Not only do I get to play baseball and make millions of dollars, but I get to do it for the team I cheered for as a kid. I’ve had women, including you, falling at my feet my entire life. I thought that was all I would ever want.”
“I’m not going to stand in the way of any of that,” she assured him. “It was foolish of me to ever think a man like you could love a woman like me.”
“I keep thinking about that night in the hotel in LA,” he told her. “That night changed my life forever.”
“It changed both of our lives,” she said. “The difference is that it changed mine in a good way.”
“I always thought that night meant so much to me because the sex was so great,” said Tyler.
“It was pretty amazing,” she agreed, and couldn’t help but smile at the memory.
“Yeah, but it was more than that. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the reason I look back so fondly on that night is because I spent it with you. We may have had other nights before that one, but that was the night I fell in love with you. I didn’t realize it at the time, and with everything that happened right after, winning the series, the thing with your father, then finding out I’m going to be a father, I just got overwhelmed.”
“I think I’m the one who’s overwhelmed,” she said. “Did you really just say that you love me?”
“More than that,” he said, pulling the biggest engagement ring Bryn had ever seen out of his pocket. She was staring so intently at it that she didn’t see him drop to one knee. “Bryn Malone, will you marry me?”
“Oh my God!” she whispered. She was so caught off guard that she wasn’t sure what she was experiencing was real.
“I was an idiot not to see it sooner. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I can’t wait to start our life and raise our child together. Please say yes.”
“Yes,” she said softly through the tears of joy spilling out of her eyes. “I will marry you.” Then he slid the ring on her finger and kissed her passionately.
Tyler and Bryn were married a month later and five months after that Tyler Michael Bennett Jr. was born. Tyler spent the next seven summers pitching in Detroit, and after that Bryn got him a five year deal to finish his career in the Motor City. He spent his off seasons with his wife and family in suburban Los Angeles and never regretted one minute of his life.
The End
IN HEAT by Ella Hart
“What the hell is going on here!?” Nadia thought to herself, as she tried to move her sore arms, only to realize that they were bound just above her head, making even the smallest movements more and more painful as time went by. She had no idea how long she was out, and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a crack in the ceiling, from which a trickle of water kept falling right on her foot.
All around her, there was an unnatural shade, coming from the only source of light in this hellhole, a burning torch. Upon trying to look around, Nadia noticed several lumps in the corners of the room, the size of a human body. She wasn’t sure if it really was someone, in the same situation like her, though she really hoped she wasn’t alone here, or if it was a sleeping monster that will awaken any minute and do horrible, unspeakable things to her.
She stopped trying to move, as it caused her too much pain, and she was still scared to try and speak to the shapes that lay not far from her. The room, which she could see now was a dungeon or at least an outdated torture chamber, because of all the manacles and the huge rusted metal blades sticking out of the cracks in the walls, was floored with black marble, which somehow shone in the soiled light, apart from the circular stain that was in the center of the room. She hoped with all her heart that it wasn’t blood.
If she wanted to get the heck out of here, she needed to act. “Come on, Nadia! Think, think!” She ordered herself silently, as her brain pounded with questions why and how this happened. But, that was irrelevant right now. She had to try and talk to those things, whatever they were and see if there was a way out.
She bent forward, as much as her bound arms allowed her, and tried to speak. The lack of saliva made her attempt unsuccessful initially. “Hey!” She tried again, this time, with success. “Hey, you! Do you hear me?” One of the lumps stirred a little.
Nadia immediately turned her attention towards it, and yelled louder. “Hello! You there! Talk to me!” Then, she remembered all the little league games her dad used to take her to, and sounded the noisiest whistle of her life, thinking how proud her dad would be right now.
This seemed to shake the lump some more, and finally, a face revealed itself. It was a young woman, more or less the same age and stature as Nadia herself. Early to late 20s, long hair, full-bodied. “He-hello?” It answered in reply.
“Yes, you there!” Nadia yelled back. “Are you tied up? Can you help me get these chains off?”
In reply, the girl lifted her arms, showing her bound wrists, as the chains rattled.
“Why are you making so much noise?” There was another stir from another side of the dungeon. Nadia turned towards it. “Where are we? What is this place? Can you get us out?” Her voice didn’t sound optimistic.
“Save your strength, newbie.” The reply was cold. “We’re all in this together, and before it all starts, not to say finishes, I’d suggest you get back to sleep and try to rest.”
“What the heck are you saying? Waiting for what to start?” Nadia was losing her patience. “I’m not waiting for anything, and I sure as hell ain’t going back to sleep, do you hear me?”
A deep sigh reverberated through the room. Another lump stirred from slumber and joined the conversation.
“Leave her be, Christa. The girl’s upset, like we all were when we woke up here for the first time.” This voice was softer, more sympathetic. Nadia couldn’t see the girl it belonged to clearly, but it didn’t matter. Her voice was consolation enough and she was grateful for even the smallest signs of concern. “You were brought here for a purpose, just me, like Christa, like the rest of these girls.”
“There are more?” Nadia gasped.
“Yes, this isn’t the only dungeon. There are many more.”
“How do you know this?”
“The guard that brings us food and water is… well, let’s say kind to us. Kinder than the rest, at least. After some persuasion, he told us what they’re planning to do, and trust me, it isn’t pretty.” A few gasps escaped the darkness.
“What? Tell me! Now!” Nadia ordered. At least, if she knew what was going to happen, she could find a way out of this nightmare. The last thing she was going to do was die here, or be subdued to whatever horrors were awaiting them. No way!
“Seriously, guys! How many times do I have to tell the story?” Christa was annoyed. A few loud yells, calling out her name, urged her to continue.
“OK, OK. Don’t get your panties in a knot. You were kidnapped, just like the rest of us, drugged or whatever, not sure if it’s the same for all of us, because not everyone remembers.”
A flashback hit Nadia, with the strength of a tsunami. A girls’ night out, she with Annie, Joanna and Millie. They were going out to… club Presto? Yes, that was it!
She had a few drinks, they all did, but not so many that she’d get wasted and not remember what happened. She went home a little earlier, because she had some business to take care of in the morning. She took a taxi, and somewhere during that taxi ride, things got hazy. There was a taxi driver, and he offered her, gum? Was that it?
“So, then they bring us all here…”
“Who’s they?” Nadia interrupted.
“Theeeeeey,” Christa emphasized, “are shapeshifters. You know, people with the ability to change into an animal, in our case, a wolf.”
“A werewolf? Are you for real? Is she? Really?” Nadia shook her head.
Christa took a deep sigh. “I said a wolf, not a werewolf. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt me again. Let me just finish the story, and then do whatever you want, alright?” She was getting more and more upset.
“So, we’re brought here to be their breeding cattle. It’s just that this guy didn’t put it that way, he was at least nice enough not to, but that’s the bottom line. Breeding cattle. Because there are no female wolf shapeshifters on the island, there was a fallout or something and all the females left, leaving the males to die out. Well, this was their way of fighting Nature: get regular girls pregnant and breed heirs. Easy peasy, right?”
“So, what happens to us after that? Or if we don’t get pregnant?” Nadia asked.
“Well, the guy said we’re shipped back, but something tells me they wouldn’t bother with that. They don’t have any use for us anymore, so why go the extra mile of bringing us home safe and sound?” Silent gasps echoed throughout the dungeon.
*****
All of a sudden, a key rattled in the door and it swung open violently, letting in a refreshing gush of wind. A young man entered, carrying trays of food and jugs of what appeared to be water. Just looking at them made Nadia’s stomach twist in a painful knot.
“Alright, girls! Rise and shine!” His voice was jolly and festive, as if he was getting them ready for a Christmas party. “Let’s have you wined and dined, and then you’ll be taken before the Alpha. You should all be very proud of yourselves, it was a really tough decision which girls to choose and which ones to leave behind, so congratulations, you made it to the final round!”
He clapped his hands, and a small hoard of men followed, releasing the chains and helping the girls to the food and drink.
Feeding time was over quickly enough, and each girl was bound again and taken out, one by one. When it was Nadia’s turn, she protested loudly.
“Get your hands off of me!” She yelled at the man who grabbed her by the arm, trying to squirm out of his grasp.
“Well, well! Looks like we got ourselves a fighter! The Alpha will be pleased with her!” One of the men commented, and laughter roared in agreement.
Nadia was taken down a moldy corridor, and then out into the sunlight. The bright rays almost burned her eyes, and the sea sparkled in the distance, but it was all too much for her. She shut her eyes, in an effort to acclimatize herself to daylight again. But, still, the smell of fresh air awoke new hopes in her, and the birds soaring high above the little island she found herself on, didn’t mock her with their freedom, but actually sang to her of going home, one way or another.
Then, the sun disappeared as they entered a little forest, and approached a hut.
“Go inside, they’ll take care of you there. I’ll be waiting in front. Don’t be late!” The man pushed her towards the entrance roughly.
“Hey!” Nadia protested, annoyed. Her eyes showed hatred that could only be expressed physically, but she knew now wasn’t the time to act on it. One step at a time, she entered the miniature hut.
Inside, she was greeted by a smiling, elderly woman, who was arranging what appeared to be a vanity table, with all sorts of makeup, perfumes, brushes and other beauty paraphernalia. She was in no mood for getting all dolled up, but the lady was busy ushering her into the chair already set for the occasion.
“Come on, come on! We mustn’t be late! I’ve got several other girls to take care of after you!” She didn’t sound rude, but there was a note of urgency in her voice. Nadia took a seat without objection. As the old lady started brushing her hair, she felt she had to ask her something.
“I thought there were no other women on the island.”
“Well, technically, no.” The old lady took a hair pin in her mouth. “We’re the… well, I don’t know what to call us really. We gave great results after the Day of Fertility, and they generously decided to keep a few of us here, to take care of the new arrivals.” She stuck the pin in Nadia’s hair.
“Results?” Nadia stood still, looking at the little lady’s reflection in the mirror.
“Yes, babies. Or in our case, twins. There’s even a woman here who gave triplets. Can you imagine! Triplets! I was barely able to do twins. Twice, but still, only twins. Hold still now,” she stood in front of Nadia and started putting on makeup.
“So, instead of sending us adrift, as they do with all girls, they kept us here and even found us a purpose. I guess you could consider us… lucky.” Nadia wasn’t sure if that was a question or a statement. “Red or pink?”
Nadia frowned. “Neither.”
“Beige it is,” the lady laughed.
“If they’re sending all the girls adrift, then there must be boats off the island! Where do they keep the boats?” Nadia’s hopes flared up.
“Nowhere where you can get to them, dear. Believe me, I’ve tried.” She was putting on the final touches. “There you go.” She moved away, so Nadia was able to see her reflection. “What do you think?”
She actually did a very good job. Not too much, but still enough to accentuate Nadia’s emerald eyes and golden locks that fell loosely in the back, revealing a swan-like neck and small, pierced ears.
“Oh, but we can’t let you go without a pair of earrings.” The lady added. “Here.” She offered the most beautiful pair of delicate ruby earrings Nadia had ever seen. They glittered like stars, despite their small stature and nestled perfectly in the corners of her lifted tresses.
“Now, just choose something you like from the closet, and you’re off.” Nadia was showed to a closet filled with mostly outdated clothes, but she managed to discover a lovely little black dress, that hugged her Rocky Mountain curves perfectly. Needless to say, she looked like a million bucks, and she knew it. She topped it off with a pair of black ballerina shoes, and was standing surprisingly satisfied in front of the mirror.
“OK, now. Off you go!” The lady smiled sadly, as she saw her out.
Nadia was outside the hut yet again, bound just like before. The tight grip of her guard was present yet again, as she was marshaled onto a clearing. It was obvious that something important was about to take place. She saw many girls, all dolled up just like herself, standing ritualistically with their guards by their side. There were also men who just sat on the side, chatting among themselves. They were clearly dressed for the occasion, but she could still see what great shape they were all in.
Then, one man in particular caught her attention. His black hair was tied loosely in a man-bun, and his beard hid more than half of his tanned face. His chiseled body tightened the buttons of his white shirt, revealing a long shell necklace that hung lightly around his neck. His eyes met hers for a second, only for her to avert her gaze.
“What are you thinking, Nadia?” She scolded herself. “You should be figuring out ways to get out of this mess, and not flirting!”
Then, a horn was sounded, and the guards all moved back, leaving the girls unattended, but still closely watched. A red carpet led towards another hut, connecting it and the girls. When a man emerged out of it, all the onlookers stood up and started applauding.
He was the most handsome man Nadia had ever seen. He had the Adonis look going, and he was sure making it work. His sharp jaw and prominent cheekbones were smooth, enclosed by dark chocolate curls. His upper body was bare, and just one look at him, made her release a shaky sigh. She also knew she wasn’t the only one to do so.
If someone looked up the term warrior in the dictionary, they would find his picture. His lips were thin, but when he smiled at his adoring audience, she could notice dimples in his cheeks.
She knew she was hooked. How could she not be? The purpose of his entire body was to be looked at, to be flirted with, to ruffle up bed sheets with.
“Welcome, welcome!” He had a deep, He-Man voice, which oozed confidence and authority. “I’m happy to announce yet another yearly preparation for the Day of Fertility!” He raised his arms, to which everyone replied with howls. “As you can see, we have a real treat this time, because our catch has been real fine, and we have our skilled hunters to thank for it.” His eyes traveled across the line of girls, and Nadia thought that he’ll start wetting his mouth with his tongue any minute. “What a brute,” she thought to herself. But, that didn’t stop the wave of goosebumps that was traveling up and down her spine.