Ray of Hope: The Cursed Elements Series Book 1

by K. Mawhood

  “So, Brayleigh, you’ve only been fishing a few times before?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, but it was a long time ago”

  “Did you go with your dad?” Liam asks.

  Her cheeks begin to turn red and she looks at the ground like she is ashamed. I feel bad for her but I need to learn more about her. I bounce my knee and decide to turn the conversation again, but before I can, Cayden beats me to it.

  “You don’t have to answer anything, we are just trying to figure out more about you,” he says.

  “No, it’s just a little hard to talk about… I didn’t have a dad. I never had parents at all. I grew up in foster care from as far back as I can remember. It wasn’t all bad. I learned to fish from a foster dad who was actually really nice but that didn’t last too long.”

  Imagining her as a younger girl, innocent and beautiful, it makes me sick to think of the things that might have happened to her. I’ve heard stories about foster homes. I meet all the guy’s eyes and realize they are all thinking like me.

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Wyatt says sympathetically.

  She looks up and looks at each of us, “See, this is why I hate telling my story because of how all of you are looking at me right now. With a bunch of sadness and pity.”

  “Not pity, just we don’t have much information on what happened to you so our minds are wondering and that’s not good,” Cayden murmurs.

  “What about you? Do you go fishing with your dad?” she questions back at Cayden.

  “I did when I was younger but stopped when I got older,” Cayden answers.

  “Why did you stop going?”

  “My parents shut down when my brothers died,” he says slowly with sadness in his eyes.

  Wow, that was surprising for Cayden. He never reveals anything about his past. I think even he’s surprised by the expression I see on his face. She seems to feel a little less ashamed at spilling her own guts. She turns to me and gives me a look saying it’s my turn.

  “All the time,” I say. “We live on a farm so it’s a necessity.”

  “No, I hardly went with my dad. I did go with my uncle a lot though,” Liam says.

  “The first time I fished was the first time we came here together,” Wyatt answers.

  “When did you first come here?” she asks.

  “We’ve been coming here for twenty years. We first came with our dads, and then eventually it was just us,” Wyatt says.

  “So it was a testosterone trip,” she jokes, before pausing with a question on her face, “Wait a second, so y’all have been coming here for that long and you needed hiking guides from us?”

  “No, we just needed a reason to come over and introduce ourselves to the girl next door,” Liam says, smirking.

  “Of course you did,” she says sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

  Laughing, I look at them to see if this would be a good moment to start the, “We are wolves and we should make wolf love,” conversation, and they all nod in agreement.

  “Brayleigh,” I take her hand in mine and I feel a tingle going from my hand to my cock. It’s ridiculous that just touching her hand is making my cock hard. I look into her blue eyes and continue, “We need to talk to you about something but we don’t want you to freak out. Can you do that?” I ask.

  Her face is half confusion, half fear. She has no idea what we are about to say. I mean, how bad can it be with all these stupid shows and movies these days? It should be more believable and easy to take in.

  “Did you bring me out here to murder me…” she whispers.

  We all burst out laughing. “No, not at all,” I say.

  “Kelsey told us this morning that you saw wolves?”

  “Yeah…” she answers slowly.

  “How many did you see?” I ask.

  Still confused, she answers, “Four.”

  I give her a small smile and ask the final question.

  “And one licked your neck, right?” I ask.

  “Yeah, how did you know?" she asks, looking at all of us.

  “You were there too, weren’t you? Why didn’t you speak up and tell my friends I’m not losing my mind?” she asks with frustration.

  “Yeah, we were there, you saw us,” I say calmly.

  “No, I didn’t. Wait, why the hell didn’t any of you help me if you saw what was happening?” she asks, now getting angry.

  “You didn’t need any help. They weren’t going to hurt you,” I say with confidence.

  “How do you know? Can you read wolf minds?” she asks, trying to be sarcastic.

  “We would never hurt you,” I say smiling at her. This is the moment she will connect it, hopefully. Or else, I’ll just have to flat out say it.

  She meets my eyes and then her eyes travel to each guy, studying their characteristics. Our hair and eye color match when we shift.

  Realization dawns on her face. “Ha, ha. Very funny. I mean, somewhat funny. So what, you saw the wolves and thought you would joke about my brush with death?”

  “No jokes. We are telling you the truth,” I reply calmly.

  “This is a boat full of wolves. Welcome to our world,” Cayden says with a smirk.

  Chapter Ten

  Brayleigh

  “What the fuck do you mean welcome to our world?” I ask with a confused expression.

  They are really dedicated to this trick. I mean, yeah, if I think about the wolves and compare them to the boy’s hair and eyes, they are similar. They must have drawn the same conclusion and thought it would be hilarious.

  “The second we met you, we could sense the wolf in you,” Wyatt says.

  “Well, we think you might be a wolf because of the feelings and emotions our wolves feel when we touch. Have you felt it or is it just us?” Cayden asks.

  Wow. They are still going.

  I have felt it but I thought it was just my lady bits being all selfish and wanting to be used and abused. I’m not feeling so well. This doesn’t seem like a joke anymore, and I really don’t want to be on this boat right now.

  “Like I said before, we would never hurt you, but we also wanted you to know. If you are a wolf, we wanted you to be aware,” Barrett says with candor.

  They all start to stand up and head towards me.

  “You don’t look too well. You are really pale. Do you feel faint?” Wyatt asks me.

  I stand up as well and instinctively start to back up. I put my hands up and say, “I’m just a normal bartender. All of you and your wolves are wrong,” I say as I continue to back up.

  Even saying that doesn’t make sense. Why am I even entertaining this idea?

  They are laughing. How can they be laughing? They just dropped a huge life-altering bomb on me. You know what, it’s just chemistry. That’s why it feels so good with them. It’s chemistry and lust. I refuse to believe this. I’m human and always have been. I start to back up and continue to say, “This is crazy. I’m human. Just because you want to fuck me, and your wolves”—I use air quotes—“like me, doesn’t mean I’m one of you."

  They start to smile, probably to calm me down but then their faces turn to concern. I don’t understand why until I realize I’m at the end of the boat and I've already lost my balance. I reach for them, just so I don’t fall into the water but it’s too late. I land in the lake with a huge splash.

  “Brayleigh, are you okay?” I hear Wyatt yelling before diving in after me.

  “Yes, I can swim. I need space. I’ll just wait for y’all in the truck,” I yell as I continue to swim away from them.

  I finally make it to the rocks that I think should have a trail that leads to the Marina. There are vines and branches everywhere but I can’t reach any of them to pull me up. I finally get a hold of one but it is so small, there’s no way it will take my weight. As I begin to test it by pulling on it, it begins to grow, wider and longer, wrapping around my arm.

  On instinct, I drop it, fuck that nonsense. That is not normal. I look back and think maybe
I should just suck it up and go back. No. I need space. I grab the vine, and start to scale the rocks and branches until I hit the top. I can see the truck in the distance and begin to make the trek there, picking up speed as I get closer and closer.

  Wolves. Ha! This is just great. I find hot guys that are literally camping right next to me, that I feel major sexual tension with at least one of them—I’m not going to lie, all of them—then I find out they are psychos. This is just my luck.

  But then I begin to think of the moment in the woods when I saw the wolves. They were so similar to them. Each one had the same features, including the way I felt when I looked into their eyes. Of course, I was scared but I think deep down, I knew they wouldn’t hurt me.

  What if they’re really telling the truth? No, I can’t even begin to comprehend that right now. Let alone the fact they think I’m one of them.

  The cold front hits as I’m waiting by the truck, all wet and swamp-like. The boys finally make it to the truck after parking the boat and packing up all the fishing stuff. The ride home is going to be extremely quiet and awkward.

  The more I sit and think about it, the more I think I’m going crazy. I decide to do the adult thing. I turn to Liam, who is sitting next to me, “Prove it.”

  “What do you mean?” he asks.

  “I’m not going to believe you until I see something that tells me otherwise because, quite frankly, I think y’all are crazy,” I said matter of fact.

  “Okay. Cayden, stop somewhere secluded,” he says with a smile on his face.

  I can’t wait to laugh when nothing happens.

  My heart is beating so fast it’s making me light-headed. We finally stop at a little pull off before the campground. We exit the car and Liam begins to walk further into the woods.

  He finally stops about half a mile from the road. No one is in sight and all that is heard is birds chirping and the sounds of insects.

  “Well?” I ask with my arms up, shrugging as the rest of the guys fan out around me.

  “Are you sure you want to see this? It’s not the most pleasant thing to witness?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I can handle it,” I declare proudly.

  “Ok, I warned you.”

  He begins to take off his shirt. Well, either way, this was a success because his muscles never disappoint. Then he goes to the waistband of his shorts.

  “Dude, come on. You know you don’t have to do that,” Cayden says with annoyance.

  “The lady wants me to prove it to her, may as well put it all out there,” he states as he pulls down his swim shorts.

  I instantly want to jump him. He looks amazing. His body is so lean, with a perfect V hitting where his shorts used to be, but now all there is is the biggest dick I've ever seen.

  At least I got a show.

  Right as I am about to open my mouth and say something sarcastic, Liam drops down on all fours.

  I'm confused so I move to go to him but Barrett grabs my hand and gently pulls me back.

  "Stay here," he whispers in my ear as I look at his hand in mine.

  I begin to feel anxious, like maybe this was a mistake. I look back at Liam and confirm it. It was a mistake.

  Staring at Liam’s hands, they begin to morph into paws while his legs elongate into that of a wolf's back legs. His entire body is shaking, while the hair follicles transform everywhere, growing the same shade of strawberry blonde as the human hair that used to be on his head.

  As I begin to search for his eyes, a cracking sound takes over as his spine turns from straight into a curvature. I cringe at the thought of how that feels.

  Looking into his eyes, I start to see the transformation his face makes. Everything changes except his eyes. They are the same grey they’ve always been. When it seems like he is all finished shifting, I just stare in awe.

  The shock of it all is why I’m not hyperventilating or passed out cold on the ground, I’m assuming.

  Approaching me, I instinctively back up, even knowing it’s just Liam. He slows down, but continues to move towards me with his head down while looking up at me.

  “Put your hand out, he’s not going to hurt you,” someone says to me. I don’t even know who because all I can focus on are his eyes. They are so beautiful, even more smoky in this form. It’s like I’m getting lost. I want to be with him in his form, running through the woods, being free and together. Which doesn’t make any sense because I don’t run.

  I snap out of it when he nudges my hand with his nose, like a dog does when they want to be pet. There is a wolf in front of me, as tall as my chest. Fuck this.

  “I can’t do this!” I choke out. “This is too much.”

  I turn and begin running to the truck. I know he can’t follow me, not looking like that. I get to the truck and get in again, with a completely different point of view than last time.

  So werewolves are real. This is just great. At least they aren’t crazy, right? No, they’re just fucking animals that could probably rip someones throat out. What am I saying? They wouldn’t do that. I don’t really know them, but I certainly feel like I do. I have this connection with each of them that I’ve never had with anyone else.

  It’s a feeling of wholeness. Not like I’m whole but like I could be the more I get to know them.

  Opening the door, the guys get back in the truck in silence, probably regretting showing me anything. The silence is unnerving.

  “Are you alright?” Liam asks as he lightly places his human hand on my knee. “I know that can be really intense to see.”

  “Intense doesn’t begin to describe it,” I say with sarcasm. I wait a few seconds, deciding whether I should ask or not. I decide to go for it.

  “Does it hurt?” I ask slowly.

  “Not anymore. It did the first few times but now it’s just like changing clothes,” he replies as the others nod in agreement.

  “Oh, good. I would’ve felt awful if it did,” I say.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m just fine. How are you? How did you feel when I shifted?” he asks like he’s hoping for a certain answer.

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t stop looking into your eyes. I felt as if I wanted to shift with you, I think. I wanted to run.” I put my arms around myself, trying to protect myself from what I’m thinking deep down. “But that’s just crazy,” I blurt out.

  “That makes sense. We feel the same way when one of us shifts in our presence. It’s like a chain reaction. When our wolf inside us sees that another wolf is free, able to shift and run around, ours instinctively wants to do the same,” Barrett tells me as he leans forward to look at Liam’s hand still on my knee.

  I look down and Liam follows my eyes. Seeing that this might not be a good time, he removes his hand.

  “So what? You’re saying my wolf wanted to shift with you?” I say, about to be in tears.

  “That’s what we believe. We won’t know until we make sure you are indeed a wolf,” Cayden states as he looks to his right, at Wyatt.

  “What?” I ask Cayden. “Why are you looking at him like that? What am I missing?”

  “Nothing. It’s just hard to get into contact with the Elders. We would have to set up a meeting to confirm it with one of them. It might be a good opportunity to learn more about your history if we can figure out what family you are from.”

  “Well, what if you’re wrong and I’m just human? Then there’s no need to contact them.”

  “What if you aren’t? What if one of your relatives is in one of our packs, just waiting for you to reunite with them? Do you want to miss the opportunity to meet your family?” Barrett asks.

  I start to think back to when my parents ditched me. The earliest memory I had was looking up and seeing a mobile. It was a circular mobile that was woven in burlap. The strings were also burlap that hung from the ceiling. You could tell it was homemade but you could also tell it was made with love. Hanging from the woven circle were animals carved in wood. It didn’t move or anything special but just th
inking about it gives me a sense of security. Something in me just knows the mobile was made by my parents and probably the only memory I have left when I was still with them.

  The thought makes me tear up but also makes me think that since I have no memories or even names of who my parents were, maybe the idea of me being a wolf isn’t so crazy. Actually, if I think about it, weird things have been happening here and there.

  Chapter Eleven

  Brayleigh

  We get to the campsite and I get out.

  “Sorry, but I just need some time to process and think about all of this,” I tell them.

  “It’s ok, we understand. But one more thing before you go,” says Barrett.

  “I’m a mermaid as well, because I’ll definitely be okay with that, no offense.” I deadpan, proud of myself for having a sense of humor right now.

  “You don’t want to be a mermaid. They look more like Ariel had sex with a piranha. She-demons, in other words,” Liam says, being completely serious.

  I look at him shocked, but also giggling at the image of an Ariel Piranha.

  “We would like for you to come back with us to learn more about our culture, if you feel comfortable. I live in Magnolia and my pack also might have some answers for you or know if we are correct in thinking you have wolf blood,” Cayden states.

  Did they just ask me to come with them to meet a bunch of wolves? That is so crazy, I don’t know what to say. Why would I need to? I’m not one of them. Plus, who would go with four guys they just met three days ago. That is just asking to be murdered or entered into a cult with Charles Manson.

  “I’ll think about it,” I say with no expression. Yeah, nothing to think about here. I turn and start to walk to the campsite. I glance back at the truck one last time as they drive away from the campground towards the main road, and for some reason feel sad.