The trees were thinning out now. The towering pines of the deeper forest began to give way to the broader oaks and maples that surrounded their pack's territory. The underbrush felt more familiar here, the subtle scent of home mingling with the crisp fall air. Every step closer sent a tingle up Opal's spine—a strange mixture of anticipation and fear.
For the first time in weeks, the others seemed to feel it too. Ridge's posture had relaxed slightly, his eyes less sharp as he scanned the woods. Forrest, who usually buzzed with nervous energy, was quiet but not withdrawn, his hands in his pockets as he walked. Brooks occasionally glanced toward the treetops, his brow furrowed, but his lips twitching like he might, for once, be thinking of something good. Even Ash, the hardest to read, wasn't quite as rigid, though his silence was as heavy as ever.
Opal needed that silence to break. She needed something lighter, something to cut through the heaviness that had surrounded them for too long. She glanced at her brothers, their faces drawn with fatigue and worry, and made a decision. If they were going to face the shift tonight, they needed something to fight for. Something to look forward to.
"What are you looking forward to most?" Opal asked, her voice light, trying to lift the mood. "You know, after the shift… when we're safe. When all of this chaos is over. What do you want to do?"
Forrest's eyes lit up for a moment. "I want to finish high school. Maybe even try out for the track team. If shifting makes us faster, I'll break every record." He grinned, the first real smile Opal had seen from him in days.
Brooks laughed, nudging Forrest's shoulder. "You were always fast, but you better not cheat with wolf powers. I'm looking forward to a real football game. I miss the field."
Forrest's smile widened. "Oh, you're on. I'll race you. Anytime, anywhere."
Brooks smirked. "We'll see if you're as fast on four legs as you are on two."
Ridge chuckled, a deep, genuine sound that made Opal's heart lighten. "You two and your competitions. I just want to know who's the oldest. I want to know who the real alpha is."
Brooks leaned in, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Bet you it's me."
Forrest scoffed, folding his arms. "No way. It's obviously me. I've always been the strongest."
Brooks rolled his eyes. "Strength isn't everything. I'm the smartest."
Forrest barked out a laugh. "Oh yeah? How many times did you fail math last year?"
Brooks's cheeks turned pink. "That's… that's different. Numbers are stupid. I'm still smarter than you."
Ridge shook his head, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Honestly, if either of you is alpha, I'm moving out."
Opal rolled her eyes, her chest warming at the normalcy of their bickering. "You're all so full of yourselves. I don't care who the alpha is as long as I don't have to listen to one of you bossing me around."
Forrest grinned, his eyes gleaming. "Maybe you're the alpha, Opal. You're bossy enough for it."
Opal shoved his shoulder, laughing. "Oh, please. If I were alpha, the first thing I'd do is make you take a bath after every workout. No more stinking up the house."
Brooks groaned. "Oh, that's definitely alpha-worthy. Saving us all from Forrest's funk."
Forrest's jaw dropped, his eyes wide. "Hey! I don't stink that bad!"
Ridge pretended to gag. "Yes, you do. We just love you enough to tolerate it."
Forrest's face turned pink, but he was laughing too. The sound was infectious, and soon they were all laughing, the tension easing, the shadows lifting. For a moment, they were just siblings, just kids, teasing and playing like they always had. Like they always should.
When the laughter died down, Opal felt a lump rise in her throat. She wanted this to last forever. This lightness, this hope. But she could still feel the fear beneath it all, lurking, waiting to pounce. She looked at Ash, his face turned away, his shoulders stiff, his eyes distant.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and asked softly, "What about you, Ash? What do you look forward to?"
He didn't answer right away. The others watched him, their curiosity plain. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, carrying a weight that made the air seem colder.
"I'm not looking forward to anything," Ash said quietly, his voice heavy. He kept his gaze on the ground as he walked. "Because this? All of this? It's never going back to normal."
Opal's smile faded. "Ash…"
He looked up, his silver eyes dark and distant. "We're not just wolves. We're something different. Something more. And people like Azeala will never stop coming for us. Even if we beat her, someone else will come. Someone stronger. More ruthless."
Brooks swallowed hard. "But… we'll have the pack. They'll protect us. We'll be safe."
Ash shook his head. "It's not about being safe. It's about never being free. We'll always be hunted. Always watched. Our lives… they'll never be normal."
Forrest's face crumpled. "But… we're just kids. Why us? Why can't we just… live?"
Ash's voice was cold, resigned. "Because we're a threat. We're the prophecy. And as long as we exist, people will want us gone."
Opal's eyes burned with tears. "We didn't ask for this. We didn't ask to be special."
Ridge's jaw tightened. "Doesn't matter. It's who we are. But we're not alone. We have each other. We have our pack."
Ash's shoulders slumped. "Yeah. But it won't be enough. It won't ever be enough."
Opal reached for his hand, squeezing tight. "It'll be enough for me. And whatever comes… we'll face it together."
Ash's gaze softened, his voice breaking. "Yeah. Together."
The others moved in, surrounding him, their shoulders touching, their hearts beating as one. For a moment, they stood there, a circle of strength and love, a bond that nothing could break.
Opal looked at each of them, her heart swelling. "No matter what happens tonight… no matter what we face… we face it together. Always."
Forrest's eyes shone with tears. "Always."
Brooks smiled softly. "Together."
Ridge's voice was steady, his eyes fierce. "No one gets left behind."
Ash's shoulders relaxed, his lips curving into a faint smile. "Then let's keep moving. We've got a shift to survive."
They started walking again, their steps synchronized, their hearts beating in time. The scent of home grew stronger, the trees familiar, the air tinged with memories.
They were almost there. Almost home. And whatever came next, whatever the night brought, they would face it.
Together.
The trees grew more familiar with each step, their rough, scarred bark standing like silent witnesses to childhood games and secret hideouts. A crisp pine scent mingled with the earthy perfume of fallen leaves, and beneath it all—faint but unmistakable—was the scent of home. Their pack. Safety.
Opal felt her shoulders relax as she walked alongside her brothers, the tension of their journey slowly easing. She scanned the landscape, tracing the twist of the stream, the gentle roll of wildflower-dotted hills, and the proud silhouette of the ancient oak that marked the ridge. Just a mile more. One mile, and they'd cross into their pack's territory.
She could see the same relief in her brothers. Ridge's steps grew lighter, his chin higher. Forrest hummed a soft tune—one their mom had sung countless times when they were little. Brooks was smiling to himself, lost in thought, his normally sharp eyes soft. Even Ash, who rarely let his guard down, seemed different. His shoulders weren't so stiff, his expression a touch gentler.
Ridge suddenly stopped and lifted his head, his nostrils flaring. "Wait. Do you smell that?"
The others paused, looking at him with raised brows. "What?" Opal asked, her voice cautious.
A slow, crooked smile spread across Ridge's face. "Mom's cooking. I swear I smell it."
Opal blinked in disbelief. "What?"
He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. "Chicken pot pie. The kind she makes from scratch."
Her stomach growled at the memory. "With the buttery crust?" she said, unable to stop herself.
"And the thick gravy," Ridge added, grinning now.
Forrest's eyes went wide. "You mean the one with carrots and potatoes? No way."
Ridge nodded sagely. "The very one."
"Ugh, I'm starving," Forrest groaned, clutching his stomach. "We could be home in five minutes if we pick up the pace."
Brooks tilted his head. "Three minutes if we run."
Forrest's face lit up. "I'll make it in two."
Opal laughed, the sound bright and unexpected. "You? No way. I'll beat all of you. I'm smaller. Faster."
Brooks snorted. "Smaller is right. You're half our size. I doubt you can keep up."
Opal planted her hands on her hips. "Exactly why I'll win. Less weight to carry."
Ridge's mouth quirked in a half-smile. "What if she's right?"
Forrest snorted. "She's not."
Ridge's eyes glinted mischievously. "What if she's the fastest?"
Brooks chuckled. "Fastest, my tail. And even if she is, it doesn't matter. She'll be the fluffiest wolf out of all of us."
Opal frowned. "Fluffiest? What does that mean?"
"You know," Brooks teased. "All tiny and fluffy. Like a little puffball."
Forrest joined in with a smirk. "Yeah, like one of those toy wolves. All bark, no bite."
Opal's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."
Forrest laughed. "I can see it now. Little fluffy Opal. Everyone would call you Puff."
Opal narrowed her eyes at him. "I am not a puff."
Ash finally spoke, his tone dry but teasing. "You're right. It's too undignified. How about Cotton Ball?"
"Cotton Ball?" Opal threw up her hands. "You guys are unbelievable. I won't be the smallest."
Ridge chuckled. "What if you're the biggest, though? Just this giant, hulking wolf towering over all of us."
Brooks doubled over, laughing. "Opal? The biggest wolf? No way."
Forrest snorted. "Maybe she's so big, we'll have to call her Alpha."
Opal raised an eyebrow. "I like the sound of that. Alpha Opal. I'd make a great alpha."
"Bossing us around all day?" Brooks asked, rolling his eyes. "Please."
"Hey," Opal retorted. "You already listen to me half the time."
"Sure, sure," Ridge said with a smirk. "Whatever you say, Alpha."
Opal smirked back. "That's the spirit."
Forrest groaned dramatically. "No. This can't happen. She's already bossy enough. Don't give her more ammunition."
Opal laughed, crossing her arms. "Better watch your attitude, Forrest. Or you'll be fetching my dinner."
Forrest scooted away. "I'd rather not."
They fell into an easy banter as they walked. The tension from before seemed to dissolve in their teasing, their laughter bouncing through the woods. The trees grew denser, their trunks thicker, and the scent of home more pronounced. Even as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant hues of gold and pink, the lightheartedness in their group remained.
They paused at a clearing, settling on the soft grass near a trickling stream. Ridge leaned back against a log, his arms crossed behind his head. The others followed suit, some sitting, some lying down to gaze at the darkening sky.
Forrest broke the quiet. "What do you think our wolves will look like?" he asked, voice light with curiosity.
"Do you think we'll all look the same?" Brooks added. "I mean, we're quintuplets, but we're all different as humans. Maybe our wolves will be different, too. I can't imagine us looking the same. It would get too confusing."
Forrest's eyes gleamed. "I want to be huge. Like a giant bear-wolf."
Brooks scoffed. "You? You're the shortest. You'll probably be a scrappy little mutt."
Forrest chucked a handful of grass at him. "Shut up. I'm still growing."
Ridge smirked. "Maybe you'll be one of those ankle-biters."
Forrest pointed a finger at him. "Take that back."
The laughter continued until the stars began to peek through the dusky sky. As it faded, the silence wasn't heavy or tense. It was warm, filled with unspoken hope and anticipation. They were almost home, and whatever came next, they'd face it together.