Caution to the Wind: Book One of the Elementals Series Read Free Page A

with powers. We’ve been looking for you. For years.”
    Loren took a deep breath and held it. She kept her eyes on him, searching for insincerity. She found none. Everything swam in her head and all she could do was stare at him.
    “You’re important, Loren,” he said softly. “We need you.”   
    It was a lot of information to take in and it all happened fast. Her mind sought to wrap around it all. She believed she was important, once, and it had filled her with elation and purpose. That had been short-lived, but she remembered it well.
    This feeling was the closest to that she’d had in years. Things were often too good to be true. She couldn't hold onto much hope.
    Avery's gaze remained steady on her face, but he drew back to give her some room. Loren was thankful for that. It gave her a minute to attempt to collect herself. She wiped at her eyes. Why was she crying anyway?
    “It's too much,” she managed to get out, casting her gaze to the side.
    Avery shifted to stand and Loren took the opportunity to move her chair back. “I know,” he said. “These aren't the ideal circumstances. You shouldn't have to find out this way and it's sudden, but I didn't have another choice.”
    “There were options?” She lifted her head and looked at him.
    Avery's jaw set. “It's complicated.” He lifted his arm in a helpless gesture. “And I'm sorry I keep repeating that. There's a very long-winded explanation and I'm not the guy who can give it to you. You'll have to trust me. I can take you somewhere safe, to the people who can explain it.”
    Trust was difficult. Loren found herself chewing on her lip again and she released it to speak. “Who?”
    “My brother.”
    Callum Morgan. He was a smart man, running a multi-billion dollar company. He'd been doing that for the last seven years, since the death of his father. Loren had learned about all of it from the media. The Morgan family was heavily in the spotlight, under public scrutiny on a daily basis. The idea he knew about superpowers and saving the world seemed completely ridiculous. “He knows?”
    “Of course he knows.”
    Loren's brow knitted together more.  “I'm really struggling with this.”
    “You'll have to struggle with it on the way.” He faced her and his gaze dropped, looking her over. “You should go get ready.”
    She became aware she was only half dressed. Loren grabbed at the hem of her t-shirt, tugging it down to cover up an expanse of bare thigh. Her cheeks burned.
    “I uh I'll go grab something.”
    She stood and moved quickly from the kitchen. It was ridiculous for her to agree so readily. She thought about it while she changed out of her frumpy old t-shirt into a nice bra and a faded but clean black sweater with jeans. She did want to know more about her so-called purpose. She needed an explanation.
    It was relief enough to know she wasn’t alone. There were others with abilities. Curiosity got the best of her. She marveled at how that always seemed to win out over her suspicions and anxieties every time.
    It didn't mean she trusted him. It didn't matter that he was famous, or rich, or had superpowers too. There was something dangerous about all of this. Loren wanted to be cautious.
    Damn curiosity. She was throwing caution to the wind and she knew it.
    Loren tucked the yellow stone into her shirt and adjusted the cord it hung from before she grabbed her shoes and went back to her living room. She sat on her couch as she put them on.
    Avery had left the kitchen and currently stood next to her poorly constructed bookshelf. He had a novel in his hand, flipping through the pages, occasionally pausing long enough to read. He seemed distracted and it gave Loren the perfect opportunity to get a good look at him.
    The Morgan family had been born into wealth generation after generation. Well-groomed and sophisticated, they were akin to a royal family. And Avery, if one believed the tabloids and media, was the black sheep of the family. Prone