RAY HOOK
Year 2014
(Summer, The U.R.T, Aresmore Estate)
It felt like millions of needles through him. Ray collapsed to the ground as something sharp and strong gripped his windpipe. Breathe! He needs to breathe! He opened his mouth for air, and the abandoned mansion entered his view.
Burning. His skin felt as though it was on fire.
It was then, he knew. The rush, the scurry. Why Kate didn't come out.
Up. Get up. Get to her. Get to her fast! Screamed Ray's mind, sending his body into crisis mode. He grabbed and gripped, clenching his teeth to borrow the strength he never thought he had, then kicked the ground and scrambled forward.
But the second he stepped before the doorless entrance, a fierce blaze shot out from the darkness, aiming straight for him, and Ray recoiled. Fear tripped him, and he went like a felled tree. The concrete path punched the wimp of his back, and he winced in pain, his usual cry at his lips, ready to whimper when the horror before his eyes sliced his heart, silencing all his cries.
That evil woman! First her husband, now her daughter!
"KATE!" He screamed at the entrance, but the fierce flames engulfed it, killing his chance of getting to her. "No!" His panicked eyes searched, desperate for another entry point.
The windows?
Orange flames were licking greedily, and shivers ran down. He swallowed to warm the chill inside him and turned to his left—another set of windows. And the same red blaze poured out, threatening to eat him alive.
He turned his face to let the threat pass and found himself panting, staring at the concrete, the shadows of his cowardice. And then he heard her.
A blood-curdling scream.
One of anguish and terror felt only by the screamer herself—and tears swarmed in once more.
If Ray wasn't here, her cries of excruciating pain would be to no one.
"Kate…." Her name left his lips like a reminder of his promise, and he chastised himself. Didn't you say that you'd keep it this time? But his shrivelling courage sobbed in defeat. Get your sorry ass in there! His mind screamed and kicked, but Ray remained rooted.
Kate is burning inside there—he knew it; he felt it, as though he was the one on flames. Yet, he couldn't move. His body didn't want to move. It sensed danger and rejected his wish. He would've fought bravely. But then he would also die quickly.
Her screams grew sharper, louder, and his heart raced with hers. He remembered his dreams; that merciless heat digging through her flesh. And in another outburst of courage, got to his feet.
I have to save her, Ray commanded his resistant body. Pushing against that invisible force, he lifted his right sole, leaning his body towards the burning house—and, something pulled him back.
Ray checked behind his shoulder, and relief washed over him.
"Rex!" He grabbed his brother's tunic and his panicked fists trembled. "She's in there! You've got to save her!"
Rex wasn't looking at him; his eyes were wide and shocked, staring at the blazing house, now an enormous campfire. It wasn't like anything he had seen before. The brutality. The violence. "Deity's arse…," he muttered in incredulity.
"It's too late," breathed Reynold, his eyes roaming around assessing the fire. "We can't go in."
Ray went berserk. He released the eldest and seized the second eldest's shirt to shake some sense into him. "YOU HAVE TO GO IN AND GET HER! PLEASE, I BEGGED YOU!"
A quizzical brow faced him when an exact copy appeared next to it, and his brother's twin said in a matter-of-factly tone, "All humans die, little brother. There's no need to get so worked up over the death of one."
Blood drained from Ray's face. Did his brothers just deny his angel a rescue? "She's not just some human!" He screamed the scream of Kate he'd heard earlier, and his brothers looked as though Ray was their father.
"Then, who is she?" One of them asked.
The pain pierced his bones—and Ray jerked back to the blaze, his brother's question quickly thrust out. Kate's dying!
"NO!" Ray dashed towards the burning entrance, ready to throw himself into the fire, but he was tugged back like a crazy mutt on a leash.
"You can't go in there!" Scolded Rex, clutching Ray's collar, "Have you ever thought of Mother?!"
"Let go of me—KATE! KATE!" Ray cried his lungs out, pleading like he's never pleaded before, his hands outstretched at the flaming door, clawing and grabbing for the slightest chance to get to her. " SHE'S DYING! PLEASE!"
Raymond rolled his eyes. "Did we say we're not saving her? (Whoever she is.)"
And then Ray halted. His wet, puffy eyes blinked profusely. "But—but you said you're not going in!"
"Going in isn't the only way, little brother," said Reynold in his teaching tone, "that's what we meant." He gave a knowing glance to Rex, who then shifted and howled a signal.
Instantly, a series of 'SHWOOP!' ensued, and Ray knew that his siblings had shifted into their wolf forms. But he still couldn't tell what they were up to, until he felt it.
A tornado. Spiralling the burning mansion, sucking everything in. Ray felt its pull too and hastily ran to the tree. He hugged it tightly as he kept a close watch.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his brothers; they have more experience than him in saving someone from the clutches of death. But the internet once told him, wind whirls do not put out fire. Instead, fire feeds on them and gets stronger.
He couldn't be happier to be proven wrong.
The flames were quickly engulfed; the evil hunger curbed. Squinting to capture all of the moonlight for a clearer view, Ray caught speckles whirling fiercely: sand. The shadows of nine wolves circled the garden at lightning speed to create a tornado from the soil. A simple trick, but one of great brilliance.
A tinge of jealousy hit Ray. At the same time, great relief settled in.
You'll be alright, Kate. You'll be saved in no time. The Alpha let tears of relief wash his face.
*****
"She was bound." Reynold pinched his chin at the white residue on the wrists.
"Tied to a chair," said his twin, examining the back.
"That's why she didn't run."
"She couldn't," Rex murmured, still reeling from shock.
"Who in Goddess' name would do this to another fellow human?" asked a voice.
"An evil one," replied another with a shrug.
And Raymond listed the seven sins he'd read from a book. Instantly, an intense game of 'Guess Who Did It' commenced—and all Ray wanted was to shred them all into confetti.
But he wasn't strong enough.
Ray could only hold back on his anger. That rage he was venting on his brothers was actually—truly—meant for him, and him alone.
If only he was stronger.
He'd be less afraid. More daring to go after Kate. To save her. He would get to her in time, so she wouldn't have to suffer.
Ray ran his eyes over the creature that was barely breathing—its skin completely melted into a mess of raw pink and red and roasted black; its body contorted and stuck in the shape of excruciating pain. The steam from its body reminded Ray of the roasted beef he had last night, and his stomach did a violent churn.
Anguish shoved up his throat, crumbling his knees. Ray dropped to the grass beside the creature and broke into a violent coughing fit that silenced the ongoing debate about 'which is the most evil'. For a moment, no one said anything as Ray tried to purge it all out. Guilt. Remorse. Abhorrence towards himself.
The greatest wimp of all.
A comforting hand rested on his shoulder, snapping him back, and the new reality injected more profound sadness. Ray bowed over and threw up some more, and that hand continued patting in a soothing manner.
But Ray brushed it away, which earned a click of irritation.
"We're not the ones who started the fire, little brother," Raymond said, "A little appreciation, will you?"
Appreciate your display of talent and knowledge?! Ray was certain that if they had been a second earlier, Kate wouldn't have to suffer this much! He wiped his mouth with the back of his hands and forced himself to look at Kate—or what was left of her.
Someone scoffed, "this is why I said 'no'—count me out next time."
Rex immediately hushed it when another knowing throat cleared to inject some sympathy for the youngest Alpha. Then, Reynold spoke, clearly trying to steer everyone to a lighter mood, "Not the slightest chance of escape. And such extreme means to obliterate her existence. You saw who it was, didn't you? The murderer."
Clearly, the question was meant for Ray. But the youngest was not in the mood to play student. I'm not telling you, he answered in his mind. He could almost imagine the cable tie binding those wrists, and his angel fighting to peel herself off the flaming chair as its flames consumed her.
He sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hands to force himself to look at his angel, to search for the slightest hint of life. She cannot be dead.
"Hey, you mutt. Reynold's talking to you!" One of the remaining six Hooks lunged forward, wanting to knock some manners back into the youngest, but was quickly restrained by three others.
"Answer the blasted question!" cried another one, and he too was quickly held back by Rex.
"What in deity's name is wrong with him?"
"What are you finding?" Someone poked his left shoulder but received the same response.
"Are you deaf?" Another brother shouted in Ray's left ear.
Another one cried out in exasperation, "Raymond had already checked—she's dead!"
"NO!" Ray thundered. He stood and faced these cold-blooded assholes, his aqua eyes glowering intensely for the very first time. "SHE'S NOT DEAD!" Their father's roar poured from his lips, and bewilderment seized all the nine faces—also for the first time.
And for the first time in fourteen years, Ray saw those handsome faces crushed with fear. For the first time, he felt powerful. Like he was above them, no longer beneath.
Usually, at this point, criticisms would've poured in like an avalanche.Instead, there was stillness. Even the air was too afraid to move, so sounds couldn't travel. Eyes blinked furiously to catch up as they watched the flamingo return his focus to the burnt corpse.
It was then they realised that he was checking for signs of life.
"Ray," the eldest finally said, his tone more sympathetic than a second ago, "you have to let her go."
"SHUT UP," snarled the youngest.
And Rex, suddenly recalling his brother's cries earlier, saw the entire situation from his perspective. She wasn't some stranger Ray met on the street. His hand shot up to stop those who were ready to pounce, then, using the Queen's patient and gentle tone, he asked quietly, "She's Kate, isn't she?"
As soon as the name was out, realisation struck each face simultaneously. The silence amongst them grew louder. Who hadn't heard of Ray's 'Kate'? They were all there when Ray had nightmares about Kate being burnt alive.
Glances of regret and guilt were exchanged.
"It wasn't our fault," murmured Raymond. "Who'd think that the Goddess would send messages to him?"
The eldest's frown forbade him from saying more.
Humiliation stained the older brother's cheeks. Distaste filled his gaze. He was never the one to be judged and scolded—that was Ray's role. In a moment of spite, he opened his mouth, wanting to scold that little brat for guilt-tripping his brothers.
But his twin shook his head, as though saying, don't make things worse, and the third Hook took his angry veins to the back of the group.
"Ray," the eldest tried again. "What's done is done."
"We can't just stay here and watch the corpse get cold," advised another sympathetic voice.
"I'll call them in," said the sixth Hook, a police officer in training.
"NO!" Ray jolted around, his hands outstretched like a mother hen in front of the steaming body, as the first thought that popped in spilled from his mouth, "She needs to go home!"
Raymond snorted. "And where's that, huh? Do you even know? She isn't your mate, remember?"
It was then Ray remembered his uncle's words. "Father knows," he said.
"Pfft! Father hasn't been roaming the human world for a very long time now."
Rex knelt down beside Ray, careful not to touch him, and asked, silencing the third Hook with his authority, "So you know where she lives?"
Ray shook his head, and more dry chuckles erupted from behind him. But before Rex offered another suggestion, he added, "I do. I just don't know where it is."
For the first time, Rex smiled back. "I'll get Father. We'll get Kate home."