Ray of Hope: The Cursed Elements Series Book 1

by K. Mawhood

  He takes my legs in his hands and spreads them to show my cleanly shaved lips. His mouth lands on my pussy and I cry out as I fling my head back in complete bliss. Then he stops.

  “What the fuck,” I say as I look down at him.

  “Eyes,” he demands.

  I grab his hair and push him down on me again but continue to look into his eyes. His tongue hits my clit in the exact right spot and he begins to move it in circles. “Oh yes, right there,” I say to him, keeping his head in place with my hand. He lets go of one leg and begins to slowly insert one finger into me.

  I moan and say, “More, please!” He adds another finger and I feel the wave building. I’m so close, I can feel it right there. He can sense it as well because he makes a bold move. He lets go of my other leg and wraps his huge hand around my throat and slightly squeezes the sides. That pushes me over as my orgasm hits my entire body. My muscles tense, my toes curl, and I hold his head in place as he continues to roll his tongue on my clit, making the orgasm last as long as possible.

  I’m exhausted. He’s completely proud of himself as he helps me down and picks up my dress. I step into it and begin to button it while he pulls his joggers up and throws my shredded thong in the trash.

  I would like to say the urge to fuck him is gone, but it’s not and I have no idea why the feeling is so strong. I would assume it’s like blue balls but times infinity.

  “I don’t know what is happening to me,” I blurt. “I don’t do this, I don’t just fool around with people in bathrooms. It’s not like I regret it because I definitely don’t, but I’m freaking out,” I say while trying to talk over the still running water. “And why the fuck is the water on!”

  He just smiles and moves my hair behind my ear.

  “What? Is there something on my face?” I ask.

  “No, silly, and the water is on because I didn’t want everyone hearing how amazing I am with my mouth.” he says with a wink. “And you’re not the only one. I feel like I can’t stay away from you and when I’m near you, I just want to kiss you.”

  I relax a bit, just knowing I'm not the only one.

  “I’m going to head out there first since it’s been a while. The last thing they heard was that I was checking on you. Oh and by the way, you aren’t a horny slut.” he says while exiting the bathroom.

  Great, just great. I wonder how many stupid wolves heard that comment. Ugh! I look in the mirror at my slutty self and gasp at the sex hair atop my head. It’s awful. I quickly fix it and again, rinse my face with cold water.

  I check myself again and head out the door. I see everyone already has full plates in their laps and has found seats in different groups around the fire. It’s beginning to get dark and along with that, the temperature is dropping. I can tell because I just realized my nipples are poking through my dress because in the rush to get out of the bathroom, I didn’t put my bra back on.

  Chapter Twenty

  Brayleigh

  I grab a plate and load it with food. I’m so ready to eat and go to bed at this point. I find the guys and sit in the chair I’m assuming they saved for me and begin eating. I feel like eyes are on me so I look up and, once again, three pairs of eyes are on me, while Liam is grinning and wolfing down his food, pun intended.

  “What?” I ask with a mouth full of food.

  “We can fucking smell it on you. You reek of sex,” Cayden says between his teeth.

  “Well your noses are wrong because I didn’t have sex, thank you very much,” I reply while slowly eating the first piece of beef on the kabob. Okay, maybe not the best thing to eat during this conversation, since they all tense and look at me like they are going to start drooling.

  I guess we are all feeling like horn dogs today.

  “Then what happened?” Wyatt asks hesitantly.

  I feel like I’m going to break his heart just telling him. He’s the kind, sweet one, with blue eyes, a sexy as hell surfer bod, and kissable lips. See, it’s happening again. My spasm chasm is tingling, the greedy bitch.

  “I just had an appetizer,” Liam jumps in thinking he’s saving me. I can’t believe he just said that out loud.

  They all look like they are going to rip him apart.

  Cayden decides to change the subject, since you know, everyone can hear if they really want to.

  “We’ll talk about this later tonight at my house,” he says with a bite.

  “I agree, this is a conversation for later,” Barrett replies.

  The rest of them nod in approval and we all begin to eat again. Once everyone has eaten, we all move our chairs in a big circle and everyone starts chatting amongst themselves. I sit between Cayden and Barrett as I pull out my phone and check the time.

  Cayden looks to an old man across the way and gives him a nod. The man then nods back.

  “I understand we have a newcomer tonight. She has discovered that when she finds her true mate, she will become a wolf. We all know how amazing our kind is and you will find out as well, Brayleigh. But with all of the positive, there is also much darkness in our world. I want to share a story to give you insight on what struggles might come your way,” he announces.

  Half the crowd groans like they’ve heard this story way too many times.

  “I know, I know, but she deserves to hear what our life can be like.” He looks at me and smiles a toothless smile. “My name is Don. I was born in 1720 and finally found my mate in 1800. Neither of us thought we would ever find our mates. When we did, everything clicked into place. I was complete and we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

  All the children start to gag and collectively say “ewwww.”

  “We bought a house, started a family, and joined a pack near Albuquerque. One night, I was out with my son, David, looking at the stars. Suddenly, I could sense that someone was watching us. I told David to run inside and tell mommy to take him and go underground.”

  Oh no, I don’t think this is going to be a happy story at all and my heart's already breaking for him.

  “The witches appeared out of thin air and surrounded me. I was unable to move my feet as they were stuck to the ground. They entered my home and then all I heard was yelling and screaming. I had tears in my eyes as I strained every muscle in my body to move. Eventually, the screaming stopped with two cracks. That’s what my wife and son’s life amounted to,” he accounts with tears in his eyes.

  I wipe my face and see Barrett glance at me with sadness. I instinctively take his hand and pull him towards me to cuddle. I need their touch right now. How can anyone be so heartless to kill a child, and just because of what he is?

  “I’m so sorry for your loss,” I tell the old man. “Were the witches always so evil? And why are they going after wolves? Sorry for all the questions but I’m so new to all of this and just want to learn as much about my past as possible,” I say quietly.

  “It’s quite alright,” a younger woman says, sitting next to Don. Her name, I think, is Colleen. I introduced myself to her earlier. “The witches currently hunt both our kind and the bloodsuckers. We do not get along with the bloodsuckers either. According to the elders, it didn’t start out like that. We were all equally powerful, with no huge issues, but it’s through the years, they have grown stronger, things have happened and family lines have been diminished, by both vampires and witches.” she explains.

  “So how do you know if someone is a vampire or witch?” I ask feeling incredibly stupid.

  “You don’t always know. Sometimes vampires will make you feel extremely cold inside. Witches can give you the heebie-jeebies or nothing at all. They might even lure you to them like a siren as well. It all depends on what magic they use,” Barrett answers this time.

  I make a mental note because if I am actually a wolf, I need to not get murdered.

  “Do you have any other questions?” Cayden asks me with a hint of anger still in his voice.

  “I don’t think so. I have no idea what to ask. I don’t even know if I’m actually
a wolf since I have no idea about my past.”

  No one says anything, probably because no one else knows what to say. Mrs. Jackson smiles at me and I spot, I’m assuming her husband, giving Cayden a look.

  “Mr. Jackson mentioned to me that there might be an elder in Pennsylvania who might know more about your situation,” he says to me as everyone starts their own conversation.

  “I guess we’re going there then,” I say nonchalantly.

  They all just stare like they are surprised.

  “What? I’m figuring me out. Whatever it takes,” I declare.

  “Okay, Pennsylvania it is. When do you want to leave?” Wyatt asks.

  “I’ve never been there before! I say we leave tomorrow,” I answer smiling.

  They all agree and we finish eating our food, making small talk with everyone again.

  We put our plates in the trash and clean up the grills. I bring out tupperware for leftovers while the guys gather the chairs and put out the fire. Everyone heads to their own house. I’m in the kitchen washing dishes when they file in. They all gather around the coffee table, sitting on couches and recliners.

  No one says anything so I look over and ask, “What’s going on?”

  “It’s a meeting. Can you join us in here while we wait for Cayden to get out here,” Barrett asks.

  I slowly make my way over and sit on the floor because I don’t want to cause problems by sitting next to only one person. I know what this is about and it’s going to be awkward.

  Cayden opens the door to the restroom and I spot what he has in his hands. I look at his face, half expecting steam to come out of his ears with how red and angry he looks. He heads toward me.

  “You must’ve forgotten this while you weren’t having sex,” he says dropping my bra in my lap.

  Psh. For all he knows, I could’ve left that when I showered earlier.

  “And I know it’s not from when you showered. Trust me,” he adds.

  Ok. Do they read minds as well...

  “No, I just knew that’s how you were justifying the bra in the bathroom.”

  As he sits down, I look at the ground, blushing. I hate what I did, but only because it is making the other guys feel bad. But then, even thinking about being intimate with four different guys feels… wrong.

  I’m just going to start because I’m feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

  “Like I told Liam earlier, when we weren’t having sex, I don’t know what’s going on with me. I’m more… turned on than usual. It happens when I or one of you touches me… Do I sound crazy?”

  “Nope,” they all answer in unison.

  “So, what’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t speak for everyone else but my wolf is becoming more drawn to you by the day,” Wyatt says.

  All of the others nod as well, confirming they all feel the same way.

  “Yeah, well, there is one of me and four of you. So how’s this going to work? I can’t tell my wolf, who I don’t even know, to tone it down.”

  “I can get a spray bottle and spray you when you try to jump one of us,” Cayden suggests like a smartass.

  “Haha, but for real. What do I do?”

  “You let it play out. We let it play out. We need to agree on two things: we need to all be honest about what happens and we all need to keep our jealous feelings aside for the time being while you and your wolf figure out what you both want,” Barrett says.

  He’s always the mediator. My sexy mediator.

  Wyatt puts his hand up in the air and says, “All in favor, raise your hand.”

  They all put their hands up, some faster than others. They all stare at me. I can’t believe I’m actually going to agree to this but I have to because believe it or not, I want to. My body wants to and apparently my bitch does too.

  I hold out a bit longer to watch their faces turn from content to utter panic. Then I raise my hand.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Brayleigh

  I wake up with a completely different attitude from yesterday. We all agreed last night to let it play out and that’s exactly what I’m going to do, for however long I’m with them on this crazy trip.

  I grab my shower bag and head to the bathroom. I turn my shower on to warm the water while I brush my teeth and go pee. Then I get undressed and get in. The water feels so good. I love morning showers.

  I hear a knock at the door. “Are you taking another shower? Trying to wash off Liam this time?” Cayden jokes.

  I completely ignore him because I know, deep down, he’s still hurt. I can tell that even though he acts like a rock, he’s more like a geode. A rock on the outside and beautiful but jagged on the inside.

  Drying off, I wrap the towel around me and step out. I begin to fan the door to help some steam escape. I look over into the kitchen and see Cayden making coffee for the day. The coffee maker beeps so I decide what the hell. I try my best to saunter past him and get a cup. I pour my coffee, add creamer and sugar, and take a sip. I feel his eyes on me the entire time.

  I take another sip and set it on the bar. I head back to my room to get dressed for the day and sneak a peek behind me. He’s still watching me. Good. Right before I get to my door, I drop the towel completely, walk in, and shut the door. Now you can think about my ass all morning, Mr. Grumpy Gills.

  After dressing for the day, I exit the room and head towards the kitchen to grab my coffee. I spot the guys sitting around the table eating breakfast. They all glance up at me as I make my way to the empty chair next to Barrett.

  The news is playing in the background. “A small tornado touched down in a wooded area north of Magnolia. There were no houses where the storm hit so there were no injuries. The tornado came out of nowhere and passed just as fast. We will have more on this story after a short break.”

  “Oh my gosh, that’s awful. I hate tornadoes and hurricanes, they scare the shit out of me,” I say with a shiver.

  “I wonder where exactly it touched down? Either way, I’m glad it wasn’t here,” Wyatt interjects.

  Cayden looks a bit anxious as he fidgets with his food. Standing up, he takes his plate, empties the food into the trash, and heads straight to the back door without a word.

  “What’s wrong with him?” I ask the others but then I think about what his mom shared with me and it clicks. Why did I have to say hurricanes?

  “He’s probably just going to go check around the area and see if there is any damage,” Liam answers me while taking my hand in his, giving mine a comforting squeeze. I wonder if the others know as well. They are so close, there’s no way he’s kept it hidden.

  Changing the subject, I ask, “So, are we really heading to Pennsylvania today?” before taking a sip of my coffee.

  Wyatt sets his spoon in his bowl and swallows his bite of cereal before responding. “Yep, we will be leaving in a few hours. I couldn’t get flights on such short notice, so we’re driving.”

  “Wow, I didn’t really think y’all would be able to set up something so fast. I’m glad we are driving. I love road trips,” I say, practically bouncing in my spot.

  Chuckling, Barrett places his hand on my thigh, causing a shiver to go through me. “I’m excited too, doll. That means even more time with you.”

  “There’s a lot to do there. After we get some answers from the Elder we can take you around to see the sites,” Wyatt adds.

  I give them all a bright smile. I can’t wait.

  I’ll finally get to start crossing some things off the bucket list I made once I was free from the system. I never really had a chance to do a whole lot as a kid and I made the list and a promise to myself to get out into the world and do and see new things. I’ve just been busting my ass so hard at work, trying to save money for the company I want to start that I haven’t had a chance to do much on the list.

  If I don’t get any answers from this trip, at least I can be grateful I got to travel around with these awesome guys for a while.

  “Anyways,�
�� Wyatt continues, “after you eat, go ahead and make sure you have everything ready to go, and then we can just hang around with the pack until we are ready to leave.”

  Nodding. “Sure thing. I didn’t really unpack my bag to begin with, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

  After making sure I have all my stuff together, I head out into the living room but the house is oddly quiet. I check all the rooms looking for the guys, but they aren’t in the house. Wow, I can’t believe they just ditched me here without a word as to where they were going. Rude.

  Heading outside, I check all around the house and still don’t see them. Huh. Where the hell did they go? Shrugging my shoulders, I decide to walk around for a bit. Maybe I’ll see them.

  I reach the area where we had dinner last night and see a few people sitting around the still blazing fire pit. I wonder if they just keep that going all the time like that? I see Sarah and Harry sitting by the fire. When she spots me approaching she waves me over.

  “Hey, y’all haven’t seen Cayden and the others around here, have you?.”

  She raises her eyebrows. “They left you alone? That’s surprising. But no, I haven’t seen them since last night.”

  Sighing, I say, “Well, that’s just great.”

  She smiles. “Why don’t you hang out with us for a while? Make them come search for you, not the other way around.”

  I chuckle at that. “Sounds good to me,” I say, smiling back at her.

  I take a seat next to Sarah. “So how long have y’all been mated?” I ask her.

  “Almost three years now,” she answers with a soft smile.

  “How did you guys meet?” I’ve been curious about how the men have to go out and find their mates. Like do they actually go out in search of them or do they just meet naturally?

  Harry answers this time. “We bumped into each other at a store. I was looking at my phone not paying attention, and when I turned a corner I literally ran right into her. I knew instantly she was my mate,” he says, grabbing her hand to hold.