LAILAH
ONE
Aloud crack of thunder pulled me out of the blissful dream I was having.
Not wanting to let the dream slip away, I snuggled deeper into my bed and relished in the warmth it was radiating.
Oh God, this detergent is heavenly. I don’t remember my laundry smelling this good.
Too tired to care, I nuzzled my nose into the fabric to get a better whiff.
All of a sudden, the fabric under me moved.
My eyes popped open, and I discovered that I was shamelessly smashing my face into someone's chest. Slowly, I lifted my face and looked up to find Brayden’s warm hazel eyes greeting me.
“Good morning,” Brayden said, brushing his hand down my back. “Did you sleep well?” I could feel his words rumbling through his chest, which I was still splayed across.
I lurched away from him so violently that I fell off the bed and onto the floor. In addition to my uncoordinated behavior, my body felt sore, but I couldn’t remember why. Wait! Where am I? Why was I in bed with Brayden? And why can’t I remember what happened last night after the party?
I could feel my face burn with embarrassment as I realized I’d koala-ed him in my sleep.
I panicked for a second and wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, making sure that I hadn’t been drooling on him all night.
Thankfully, my wild mass of curls shrouded my face, keeping me from having to look at him.
Brayden slid off the bed and crouched in front of me. “Hey. It’s okay, Lailah, you’re safe. We brought you to our place after everything went down last night.”
Momentarily distracted, I took in his handsome face. His soft, dark brown hair was mussed, when it was typically styled perfectly in that Mad Men slick look. Brayden’s eyes were filled with worry as he watched me—it was as if waiting for a reaction of some kind.
Wait—what did he mean by we? I tried to grasp for anything about what happened after I left the guys outside the event hall. Suddenly, the memories came crashing back, and I gasped at the force of it.
“That was real?” I whispered, wrapping my arms around my legs, trying to keep myself from freaking out.
Brayden sat on the floor next to me and pulled me close, putting his arms around me. When he touched me, a wash of calm flooded through me and brought me back from the edge of a panic attack. “Tell me what you remember after you left us to go to the bathroom.”
I paused, sorting through the fragments of the night and trying to put them in order. “Someone smashed my head, knocking me out . . . Oh, God. It was Mallory.”
Brayden nodded, encouraging me to continue.
“When I came to. I-I was in a field, and there was a demon . . .” I stopped as I watched the scene replay in my brain, and the nightmare unfolded before me once again. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“Mallory’s been dead for some time. I don’t know when the demon fully took her, but there was nothing we could have done for her last night.”
“The demon wanted to kill me. He kept saying that his master would be so pleased that I was killed. Why would someone want me dead? He said something about not knowing what I would be like with powers.” I looked up and met Brayden’s steady gaze.
“He called me Synergy. It’s true, isn’t it? I’m the sixth element.”
Not saying a word, he just nodded his head and took my hand in his. All I could do was take a deep, shaky breath and squeeze his hand like he was my only lifeline.
“We did something special last night, didn’t we?” I asked, vaguely remembering a talking bright light. “Something made me use my powers, but I can’t remember what it was for.”
“You helped us renew the protective wards around the school. You even made them more powerful than before. Now there's no way a demon can try a stunt like that again.”
“I did what? How could I do that? I don’t even know what the hell is going on!” I said as the panic began rising again.
Brayden stood and pulled me to my feet wrapping me in a comforting hug until I stopped shaking.
“Why don’t you take a shower and change?
I know that helps me when I feel like life gets to much.
Then I can show you downstairs and get you some breakfast. I think this is going to be better explained by someone else. ”
“But I don’t have anything to change into.”
“Cami brought some stuff for you when we told her what happened. She stayed here last night too.” Brayden still hadn’t let go of my hand and led me to a half-open doorway.
He flicked on the light to reveal the bathroom.
“Everything you need should be here for you. Beth made sure it was stocked for when you needed it.”
“Beth?” I think I’d heard the guys mention her before…
“She's our resident director, or as Parker likes to call her, the Den Mom. She makes sure we’re looked after while at school. She'll be the best one to explain things to you after breakfast. If you need anything, my room is to the left of yours.”
“Thanks, Brayden. If you hadn't been here, I think I might have lost it,” I said, smiling.
“Anytime.”
He surprised me by kissing my forehead before leaving to get ready.
As I pulled myself together for the day, it gave me a sense of normalcy and kept me from letting the panic close in. It could also be that the bathroom I was using belonged in some million-dollar home, and that never failed to perk a girl up.
Once I was dressed, I pulled my hoodie over my tank top and smiled at the words written on it—Feed me and tell me I’m pretty. The need to feel warm and safe was at the top of my list, but as I walked out of the bedroom, I was unsure of what would happen outside of these walls.
I opened my bedroom door and discovered there was a large open sitting room with a giant TV and an assortment of armchairs and couches.
This looked like a place the guys would hang out in a lot.
There were large bookcases on either side of the TV that were filled with movies and video games.
As I walked closer, I scanned over the movies and was surprised by how many I hadn’t seen.
“I’m thinking you have the right idea, Trouble. We should totally have a movie marathon and do nothing all day,” Parker said from across the room.
I turned and saw him leaning against a doorframe to a bedroom that I could only assume was his own.
He had his signature goofy grin aimed right at me, and I couldn’t help but return the smile.
I also couldn’t help but notice that his t-shirt was tight across his chest and showed off his linebacker physique.
His vibrant red hair was, of course, spiked and wild just like him.
A day lounging with him sounded amazing.
“Sounds good to me, but I’m going to need food first,” I said.
“Follow me. I was just about to head down.”
“Is it just you and Brayden that have rooms up here?” I asked.
“Nope. The rest of the guys are here too. Micah is on the other side next to Brayden, then Jay and Hudson.”
“Oh, you're all right here,” I said, surprised. I figured in a house this big they would be spread out.
“Yeah, it’s easier for Miss B to keep track of us if we’re all in the same area,” Parker said with a wink as he led me down the short hall to the main staircase.
“Miss B?”
“It’s the horrible nickname that Parker has given me,” a woman answered as we reached the bottom of the stairs. “Hello, you must be Lailah. I’m Beth.”
Beth was not at all what I pictured when I heard the guys talk about her.
Her warm brown eyes welcomed me and were framed by a sleek shoulder-length bob of dark brown hair.
She was smartly dressed in a soft lavender button-down, paired with a pencil skirt and heels.
Beth gave off a very capable air that gave me no doubt she ran this house well and always kept the boys in line.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” I said, grasping her hand. She gave me a firm handshake and smiled.
“Don’t trust a thing these boys say. It’s all lies,” Beth said, giving Parker a knowing look.
“What? I didn’t say anything,” Parker said, raising his hands in defense. “Not this time anyway.”
I laughed, enjoying the way Parker was squirming under Beth’s gaze. My stomach growled loudly to let everyone know that I was hungry. I blushed and clutched my stomach as if I could tell it to shut up.
“Come on, let's feed the poor girl,” Beth said, turning and heading further into the house.
She led us to a large dining room that had a massive table with twelve chairs. Jay, Hudson, and Cami were already at the table with food in front of them.
“Take a seat wherever you’d like, Lailah,” Beth instructed.
I slipped into a seat next to Cami, thankful that she was here for all this.
As close as I had gotten to the guys, I still needed my best friend.
Once I was seated, a lady came out of a side door with two place settings that she set in front of Parker and me.
Breakfast was laid out on the table, and without even asking, Jay and Hudson began to pass trays of food in my direction, ignoring Parker.
“Hey!” Parker said as Jay pulled a plate of sausage away from him. “I wasn’t done with that.”
“There would be nothing left after you,” Jay said, sliding it my way.
I couldn’t help but smile at the banter between the guys.
It was different to see them in their own environment where they were more relaxed.
Even though I really hated breakfast meats, I took one sausage so as not to be rude.
Cami, knowing better, slid over the large bowl of fruit, and I took a big scoop.
Then I plucked one of the large cinnamon rolls and took a bite.
“You really shouldn’t eat that much sugar in the morning,” Hudson pointed out.
Cami snorted. “I wouldn’t get in the way of Lala and her sugar, especially her sugar cookies. If you ever see any lying around and you value your life, I wouldn’t eat it.”
“I’m not that bad!” I said, gaping at her.
“Supposedly, I’m your best friend, and I’ve only been allowed to eat one of your cookies,” Cami challenged.