Ray of Hope: The Cursed Elements Series Book 1

by K. Mawhood

  Hearing the backdoor open, I turn to see Brayleigh and Barrett walking in. Stay calm, I repeat to myself over and over. I glance at Liam and Cayden and try to mentally convey the same thing to them. Liam rolls his eyes and Cayden glares but gives a small nod.

  Cayden

  I’m going to be calm. I’m not going to freak out. Ever since our moment by the river, I can’t stop thinking about her. The way I felt when she was close and how at ease my wolf was made me feel complete. I never asked for this shit. After opening up to her, the way she accepted and understood why I did what I did, I felt this weight lift off my chest, like someone could actually love me despite what I did. I know now it was stupid to think I could keep my distance from this amazing woman.

  “Hey guys, what’s going on?” Brayleigh asks as she passes by me to sit down.

  Fuck, I can smell it on her. Stay calm, stay calm.

  “I’ve been in contact with Walter, he’s going to get back with us this evening with an answer on when we’ll be able to meet the Elder,” Wyatt answers.

  “That’s awesome. I really hope he knows something. I can’t wait to meet him,” she says.

  “Did you have fun? What did you do?” Liam asks as he pulls out a piece of hay from her hair, waving it in front of her.

  She begins to blush and slaps his hand away.

  “We just went on a picnic and horseback riding. It was fun!” she says with a smile.

  “I bet it was,” I mumble under my breath.

  Wyatt slaps the back of my head, causing me to get even angrier. How the fuck is he not feeling anything about this?

  “Hey, doll, why don’t you go freshen up and I’ll talk to the guys about the Elder,” Barrett suggests.

  “Okay, sure,” she says while getting up and heading to Barrett’s room.

  When she is finally far enough not to hear, I turn to Barrett and say, “What the fuck, man?”

  “What? I’m assuming you guys already know what happened then,” he answers.

  “Yeah, we fucking heard you going at it,” Liam says while patting him on the shoulder, like he’s congratulating him or some shit.

  I know I’m not the only one jealous because Wyatt is running his hand through his hair. He does that a lot when he’s anxious.

  “It just happened. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s not like I was going to turn her down. We said we would let it play out… and play out it did, in my favor. I’m not going to apologize,” he says.

  I clench my fists and take a few deep breaths. I need to get this anger out before I explode.

  “I’m going for a run,” I say while getting up. As I head out of the house, I barely get into the woods before my wolf takes form. It feels good to shift. I feel more alive and content in this form. I begin to run and don’t look back.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Barrett

  Liam and I are starting the bonfire. I went to my parents house and invited them to meet Brayleigh. I didn’t fill them in on everything, just that she was special to me and I wanted to introduce them.

  I go in to get the steaks to put them on the outdoor grill. Wyatt and Cayden are still really quiet and pissed off but they seem to have cooled off a bit. At least they aren’t taking it out on Brayleigh. I’m also surprised Liam didn’t say some awful comment to make her embarrassed.

  “I haven’t had steak in forever. I’m so hungry,” Brayleigh exclaims.

  “Did you work up an appetite?” Liam jokes.

  And there it is.

  Brayleigh smacks him in the stomach, “Shut it.”

  “My parents should be here any minute. Keep it PG,” I warn.

  “When am I ever inappropriate?” Liam asks.

  Brayleigh and I scoff as we head outside.

  I see my parents walking up as I hand Wyatt the steaks for him to get started.

  “Hey guys,” I say, taking Brayleigh’s hand and walking towards them. I really hope they like her. “This is Brayleigh.”

  She puts her hand out to greet them but my mom of course takes her in her arms in a huge hug.

  “Oh, Brayleigh, it’s so nice to meet you. Barrett’s told us so much about you. You are so beautiful! Isn’t she beautiful, Steven?” my mom says as she squeezes all the air out of my woman.

  “Let her breathe, Ma,” I say. She finally lets her go as my dad goes in for his normal firm handshake.

  “Yes, she is, Barbara,” he responds with a genuine smile.

  It’s hard to get a smile out of my dad. He’s been a good father but since he’s alpha, he has a hard exterior.

  “You’re too sweet, Mrs. Kline. It’s so nice to meet you. You’ve built such an amazing community here. I felt at home the second we arrived. Thank you for having me,” Brayleigh says.

  Her kind words make my mother smile bigger than she has in a while. Seeing her happy is the best feeling. I will always be a mama’s boy, I don’t give a fuck.

  Wyatt’s phone begins to ring as everyone starts to gather around the bonfire.

  “It’s Walter,” he says before heading inside.

  Checking on the steaks, which are done, I put them on the platter and hand out the plates that are already filled with sides.

  Just as we are about to dig in, Wyatt comes back out with a smile on his face. That must mean that we finally have an answer.

  “We have an appointment at ten a.m. tomorrow. He’s on his way now,” he announces.

  “Badass! Only took forever,” Liam jokes.

  “Shut up,” Cayden grumbles.

  “Boys, stop bickering,” my mom admonishes.

  “Sorry, Mrs. Kline,” Liam and Cayden say together.

  “Haha, you got in trouble,” Brayleigh teases as she slaps Liam’s arm.

  After everyone is done eating, I put the fire out and say goodbye to my parents. They got along really well with Brayleigh, and all the guys behaved themselves, for the most part.

  “I’m going to head to bed. Do y'all want help cleaning up?” Brayleigh asks.

  “No, we’ve got it, darlin’” Cayden says while taking her plate. He pauses before walking away and gives her a small kiss on the cheek. Where he kissed her turns flush as she gives him a sweet smile and says goodnight.

  “Where’s my kiss!” Liams yells out as she’s walking inside.

  She turns around and runs to him, stretching on one leg to kiss his cheek. Making her way towards me, she does the same before heading to Wyatt. Wyatt decides to be sneaky and moves his head at the last minute and kisses her on the lips. When he does, she melts into him, getting caught up in the moment.

  She finally breaks away and walks inside. The pit in my stomach was growing with every second of that kiss. There’s a big difference between knowing something happened and actually witnessing it.

  I can tell the other guys share my feelings by the looks on their faces.

  “I’m going to head in as well,” I say as I gather the other plates and head inside.

  Brayleigh

  As I get settled into bed, I hear all the guys come inside and head into their rooms. I don’t even know if I’m going to be able to sleep tonight knowing what I might find out tomorrow. I really hope he can help me figure out my past or at least point me in the right direction.

  After Barrett and I had the most amazing sex ever, we exited the barn to find a whole garden of flowers with every color imaginable. Apparently having orgasms makes my powers uncontrollable. I didn’t even feel the energy leave my body this time. At least it was flowers and not fire this time.

  Lying there, I decide I’m not going to sleep anytime soon. I get my headphones and put on my sleep playlist. I need to stop thinking.

  Finally, I drift away but it doesn’t last long. I begin to relive the other night, being tied up and thrown in a car. The feeling of not knowing what was going to happen next. I don’t want to be alone right now. I want to feel safe and protected so I go into the next room and open the door.

  “Hey, sweetheart, you okay?” L
iam asks as he gets up.

  “Yeah, I just had a nightmare. Can I sleep in here tonight?”

  “Of course,” he says as he lifts the covers for me to crawl in. I lay down with my back towards him as he puts his arm around my stomach.

  He’s shirtless and the warmth alone makes me feel safe. I put my arm over his as I close my eyes.

  A few minutes later, he pulls his arm away and begins to rub my back.

  “My mom used to do this to me when I was younger. When I couldn’t go to sleep, I would get into her bed and she would rub my back and sing to me.”

  “She sounds like a great mom,” I say wistfully.

  “She was,” he says with sorrow in his voice.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. It was a while ago.”

  “So… are you going to sing for me?” I ask in a playful voice.

  “Trust me, you don’t want that. You’ll definitely have nightmares,” he says chuckling.

  After a while, I finally fall into a deep sleep, feeling safe and happy.

  The next morning I wake up refreshed and excited for today. Liam is draped over me from behind and putting off some serious heat. I crawl out from beneath him and make my way to the kitchen.

  Barrett, Cayden, and Wyatt are already up and ready for the day.

  “Is Liam’s lazy ass still asleep?” Cayden asks annoyed.

  “Fuck off, I’m awake,” I hear Liam say from behind me.

  “Good, we need to get a move on. It’s nine-thirty and we have to drive across the pack grounds to the alpha’s cabin,” Wyatt says.

  I jump up and down in excitement. “I can’t wait, but I also feel like I’m gonna puke from nerves.”

  Barrett puts his arm around my shoulders. “It’ll be ok. Don’t be nervous, we’re finally going to get the answers we’ve been looking for.”

  “Yeah, I know. That’s what’s making me so nervous.”

  He gives my shoulders a squeeze before letting go.

  I decide to wear the other dress I bought from Buc-ee’s—a knee length dress, with floral print and sheer long flowy sleeves. I feel confident as I exit the room. They all look at me with heated eyes, which is exactly the reaction I was looking for. It’s silly to wear such a nice dress for this occasion but if I figure anything out about my past, this is the outfit I want to be in.

  “So, y’all are all gonna hate me but I feel like with everything that’s happened, we need to commemorate this moment,” I say, trying to project my excitement.

  Kelsey would be so proud!

  It doesn’t work because I hear groans all around the room. Why do men hate taking pictures? I set my phone on the mantle of the fireplace, set the timer for thirty seconds and start shooing each hottie to their places. Cayden, Barrett, Liam, and Wyatt.

  I get in the middle and say, “Say cheese!”

  They all say cheese between gritted teeth and my heart warms at the fact they are doing this just for me. The phone flashes and I can’t wait to see how it turned out.

  “Okay, now a silly picture!” I go to the phone and set another timer. I run back gracefully, and make my normal cross eyed, blowfish cheeks silly face and the phone flashes again.

  Getting my phone, I go to the gallery and see the silly picture first.

  “Really, Cayden?” I deadpan.

  “What? I don’t do silly,” he replies.

  He’s just side eyeing everyone like we are a bunch of weirdos. Which fits because they rocked the silly picture. Barrett is making some sort of Grinch smile with his lips and it looks like his eyebrows are practically touching his nose. Liam is looking at my boobs with his tongue hanging out like a dog, and Wyatt is looking up at nothing with a child-like grin, while his left hand is holding up the surf up gesture.

  I swipe right to the other photo and I light up because the picture is amazing. Everyone’s eyes are open, they are smiling and looking so handsome.

  “Aw, you guys, the first one is great! Y'all all look so hot!”

  Every single face reddens, even Caydens.

  “We’re glad you love it, princess,” Wyatt says.

  I beam up at him and immediately send it to all of them, and Kelsey.

  “We should get going, we don’t want to be late,” Cayden says while grabbing his keys.

  Heading towards the front door, following the guys, we head over to Cayden’s truck and pile in.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Brayleigh

  When we reach Barrett’s parents’ cabin I hop out of the truck, my stomach in a bundle of knots. We head towards the front door as Mr. Kline opens it to greet us.

  “Cecil is waiting for you in my office. You guys go on back. Your mother and I are going to leave the house to give you privacy.”

  “Thanks, Dad, we appreciate it,” Barrett responds before leading us down the hallway to the french doors that lead to his office.

  I can’t believe this is happening. The answers I’ve been seeking my whole life could be sitting behind these doors. I grab Barrett’s arm to stop him from opening the door. I just need a second to catch my breath. They all patiently wait for me while I close my eyes and take deep breaths. Opening my eyes, I look at Barrett and nod, giving him the okay to open the doors.

  Walking in, I spot an older man sitting behind the desk. He looks like he’s in his late sixties, with a full head of white hair and a long beard that reaches the top of his chest. A much skinnier version of Santa Claus is what comes to mind.

  Wyatt walks up to the desk and quickly bows his head in respect. The Elder nods in return as he gestures with his arm for us to take a seat in the chairs that have been placed in front of the desk.

  “Sir, thank you for meeting us on such short notice. I hope the trip here went well,” Wyatt says as he takes his seat.

  “My pleasure, young wolf. It’s not very often someone requests my presence these days,” Cecil responds. “Would you like to tell me what this is about?”

  Barrett speaks up then. “Brayleigh,” he says, gesturing towards me, “wants to know if there is anything you would be able to tell her about who her family is.”

  Cecil runs his hand over his beard in thought. “The Elders no longer keep records of females born into the packs. It became too dangerous with the witches and vampires hunting them. I’m sorry, I wish I could do more to help you.”

  My heart drops at hearing that. I knew this was too good to be true. My shoulders slump a little in defeat.

  “Is that all this meeting was called for?” Cecil asks, eyeing us.

  Cayden leans forward in his chair, speaking for the first time. “We also wanted to know if you would be able to help us figure out why she has powers.”

  Cecil sits up straight in his chair and looks at me intrigued. “Tell me more about these powers.”

  Straightening my shoulders again, I start explaining. “Weird stuff has been happening the last week.”

  He interrupts me. “Have these weird occurrences ever happened before?”

  “No, only the past week when we were camping. Actually, ever since I met the guys.” Bizarre, I can’t believe I never put that together before now.

  He leans towards me, seeming very interested. “Explain what the powers do exactly. What happens?”

  “I don’t really know what they do, but I’ve caught things on fire, made plants grow, and I can move water and air.”

  “Can you control these powers?” he asks.

  “Not really, they sometimes just happen when I get worked up. I’m not intentionally doing it or anything. I’ve been trying to control them, but I’ve only managed it a few times.”

  “Interesting, this is very interesting,” he says, stroking his beard again. That image almost has me laughing out loud, but I assume that wouldn’t be very appropriate right now so I contain it.

  He continues, “I protect the records of our people dating back thousands of years. That is partly why the Elders have hidden themselves a
way. If these journals were to get destroyed it would erase our history.”

  He opens the satchel on the corner of the desk and pulls out a worn, brown leather wraparound journal. He passes it across the desk to Barrett and he opens it as the other guys lean in to look. I continue to watch Cecil as he speaks up again.

  “There was a time when wolves and vampires had elemental powers. Each of us either had the power of earth, water, wind, fire, or spirit.”

  “Why don’t we have the powers anymore?” Wyatt asks, looking up from the book.

  Barrett speaks up, reading from one of the pages. “It says here we lost them close to a thousand years ago.”

  “Correct. The witches enacted a curse on the other supernaturals of the world. They feared we were too powerful and we greatly outmatched them. They created a curse that used black magic. They took our immortality and our powers. It’s also the reason our females are born human, and why we put them in the human world to be raised. We could not risk the witches killing our only hope at survival.”

  My heart feels like it stops beating for a second. If they don’t have powers anymore then why the hell do I have them? Maybe I’m not supposed to, maybe I’m just syphoning off their dormant powers, which still isn’t fucking normal.

  “What the fuck! Why the hell haven’t we done anything to stop this?” Liam exclaims.

  Cayden speaks up again. “Why haven’t we done anything to break this ‘curse’? We just let them get away with completely decimating our people! And why the fuck isn’t this public knowledge? The Elders just decided to keep this to themselves?” He’s getting angier with each question.

  I continue to sit frozen and listen, taking it all in.

  “There is a way to break the curse, but it requires someone they referred to as The Power of Five.” He pauses and looks to me. “And I believe, my dear girl, they were referring to you.”

  “Me?” I ask.