The forest was alive with the gentle rustle of leaves, the soft whisper of the wind weaving through the towering trees. Sunlight filtered down, dappling the forest floor with patterns of light and shadow. The air was crisp, cool, filled with the scent of pine and earth. But the beauty of the morning was lost on Opal. Her chest felt heavy, her heart pounding as she glanced at her brothers. Their faces were pale, eyes wide with fear and uncertainty.
Tonight was the night. Their first shift. The day they had been waiting for, dreading, and dreaming of their whole lives. A rite of passage. The moment they would finally become wolves.
They walked in silence, their footsteps light against the forest floor. Ash led the way, his silver eyes sharp, his body tense. Ridge walked close behind, his shoulders rigid, his amber eyes flicking nervously between the trees. Brooks and Forrest walked side by side, their faces pale, their jaws clenched. Opal trailed behind, her fingers absently playing with the crescent moon charm on her bracelet, her heart aching with worry.
The silence was unbearable. The fear was suffocating. She could feel it, like a storm swirling around them. Her brothers' emotions were sharp, raw, each wave crashing into her, stealing her breath away.
Ash's fear was cold, jagged, laced with anger. Anger at Azeala for taking away their home. Anger at himself for not being strong enough to protect them.
Ridge's fear was heavy, crushing. The fear of losing control, of hurting his siblings. The fear of failing as the oldest, of letting them down.
Brooks's fear was quiet, trembling, filled with doubt. Doubt about his strength, about his courage. The fear of not being good enough.
Forrest's fear was raw, painful, laced with guilt. Guilt for wanting to go home, for wanting to be with their parents. The fear of losing them, of never seeing them again.
It was overwhelming, suffocating. Opal stumbled, her chest tightening, her eyes stinging with tears. She could feel it all—every thought, every fear, every hope. Their emotions were tangled with hers, a web of love and pain, of fear and hope.
Brooks noticed her stumble, his eyes widening with concern. "Opal? Are you okay?"
Opal forced herself to smile, her voice trembling. "Yeah… just… tripped."
But Ridge's eyes were sharp, his voice low. "You're feeling it too, aren't you?"
Opal's heart skipped a beat. "Feeling what?"
Ridge's face softened, his eyes glistening. "All of it. All of us. Our emotions… our fears." His voice was soft, trembling. "I can feel it too."
Ash's shoulders tensed, his voice low and guarded. "We're connected. More than just by blood. Our emotions… they're tied together. It's part of the prophecy. Part of our power."
Opal's chest tightened, her voice breaking. "I… I can feel everything. Your anger… your pain… your fear." Her voice trembled, her tears falling freely. "I can't… I can't breathe."
Forrest moved to her side, his arms wrapping around her. "I feel it too. All of it." His voice was soft, scared. "It's like… we're one heart. One mind."
Brooks's face crumpled, his tears falling. "I didn't want you to feel it. I didn't want you to feel… how scared I am." His voice broke, his pain raw. "I didn't want you to know."
Opal's heart shattered, her voice breaking. "I'm scared too. I don't want to do this alone. I don't… I don't want to be alone."
Ridge's face softened, his arms wrapping around her. "You're not alone. We're in this together. All of us." His voice was firm, filled with love. "No matter what happens tonight… we face it together."
Ash's shoulders sagged, his face softening. "I don't… I don't want to lose you. Any of you." His voice was raw, vulnerable. "I can't… I can't lose you."
Opal looked at her brothers, their faces drawn with fear and pain, their hearts beating as one. She could feel it—their love, their hope, their strength. It flowed through her, wrapping around her like a warm embrace.
She took a deep breath, her voice steadying. "We're not alone. We'll never be alone. Not as long as we have each other."
Forrest wiped his eyes, his voice trembling. "I just… I wish… I wish Mom and Dad were here. I wish they knew."
Opal's heart clenched, her eyes stinging with tears. "They deserve to know. They deserve to know we're alive… that we're okay."
Ridge's eyes widened, his voice low. "You… you want to tell them? Now? Before the shift?"
Ash's face hardened, his jaw clenching. "It's too dangerous. If Azeala intercepts the message… if she finds out where we are…" His voice broke, his fear raw. "I can't risk their lives. Not for this."
Opal's voice was soft, trembling. "But… what if something goes wrong tonight? What if… what if we don't make it?" Her voice broke, her pain raw. "They deserve to know. They deserve to know we're alive. That we love them."
Brooks's face crumpled, his tears falling. "Just one message. Just… to tell them we're okay. That… that we'll contact them again. After the shift."
Ash's face softened, his eyes glistening. "Just one message. No location. No details. Just… that we're alive."
Opal's hands trembled as she pulled out her phone, her heart pounding. She typed quickly, her fingers shaking.
We're alive. We're safe. We'll contact you again after the shift. We love you. All of you.
She hesitated, her heart breaking as she thought of their parents, waiting and worrying, not knowing if their children were dead or alive.
She took a deep breath, her tears falling. "I'm sending it." Her voice was soft, trembling. "I'm sending it now."
Ridge's hand found hers, his fingers squeezing tight. "Do it. They deserve to know."
With a shaking finger, Opal hit 'send,' her heart shattering as the message disappeared. For a long moment, they stood there, frozen, their breaths held as they waited.
Then, Ash's voice broke the silence, his words sharp. "We can't take any chances. We have to get rid of it. Now."
Opal nodded, her body trembling as she walked to the edge of the stream, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. She looked down at the rushing water, her heart breaking. "Goodbye," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I love you."
With a final breath, she threw the phone into the stream, her tears falling as she watched it disappear beneath the water.
For a moment, there was only silence. Then, Ridge moved to her side, his arms wrapping around her. "You did the right thing. They know now. They know we're alive."
Opal's chest tightened, her voice breaking. "But we can't go home. Not yet."
Ash's voice was soft, filled with pain. "Not until this is over. Not until Azeala is gone."
Opal looked at her brothers, their faces pale but resolute. They were together. They were alive.
And tonight, they would face the shift.
Together.