The room was heavy with silence, the air thick with tension. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by the flickering flames of the fireplace. The familiar warmth of home did little to ease the cold, hollow ache in Opal's chest. Her body trembled, her heart pounding as she sat curled up on the worn couch, her violet eyes wide and haunted.
Her brothers were scattered around the room, each bearing the weight of their experiences in their own way. Ash stood by the window, his shoulders rigid, his fists clenched, his silver eyes fixed on the darkness outside. Ridge leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tightly, his jaw clenched, his amber eyes dark and cold. Forrest paced back and forth, his movements restless, his emerald eyes wide and wary. Brooks sat beside Opal, his shoulders hunched, his silver-gray eyes distant and hollow.
Their parents sat across from them, faces pale, eyes wide with fear. Griffin's silver eyes were sharp and piercing, his body rigid, his fists clenched. Lila's face was pale, her hands trembling as she reached out to touch Opal's arm, her voice breaking as she whispered, "You're home... you're safe... oh, thank the Moon, you're safe."
Opal's chest tightened, her throat burning. "We... we almost weren't." Her voice wavered, her shoulders trembling. "We almost... we almost didn't make it out."
Lila's face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Oh, my babies..." Her voice broke, her hands shaking. "What... what happened to you? Where were you?"
Griffin's jaw tightened, his silver eyes cold and hard. "Start from the beginning. Who took you?"
Ash's shoulders stiffened, his silver eyes blazing. "Hunters. They were waiting for us... they knew we were coming. They ambushed us... we were outnumbered." His fists shook, his voice breaking. "We fought... but we lost."
Griffin's eyes narrowed, his voice cold. "How did they know you were coming?"
Ridge's amber eyes were cold, his voice bitter. "We were betrayed." His jaw clenched, his fists shaking. "By the packs that were supposed to be our allies. They set us up... they handed us over to the hunters."
Lila's face went white, her hands flying to her mouth. "No... no, that can't be... those packs are our friends... they're family..."
Forrest's face twisted with anger, his emerald eyes burning. "Family? Friends?" His voice was hard, cold. "They sold us out. They turned on us... every single one of them."
Griffin's body went rigid, his silver eyes wide with shock. "Which packs?"
Ash's jaw tightened, his voice low, dangerous. "All of them. Every pack we went to... they turned on us. They... they called us cursed. Said we were monsters... because of you." His fists clenched, his shoulders trembling. "They hate you, Dad. They said you made a deal... a long time ago. That you cursed us."
Griffin's face went pale, his eyes wide with shock. "A deal? A curse?" His voice was low, broken. "What... what are you talking about?"
Ash's silver eyes were cold, his voice hard. "They said you made a deal with a witch... and cursed our bloodline. That's why we're quintuplets... that's why we're different." His fists shook, his voice breaking. "They said we're cursed."
Opal's chest tightened, her heart pounding. "They... they called me cursed too. They... they wouldn't let me leave. I... I was a prisoner." Her voice wavered, her shoulders trembling. "I couldn't go anywhere... I couldn't do anything. They watched me... every second. I was trapped." Her violet eyes glistened with tears, her voice breaking. "They said I was dangerous... that I couldn't be trusted."
Lila's face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Oh, Opal... my poor, sweet Opal..." She pulled Opal into her arms, holding her close, her shoulders shaking. "I'm so sorry... I didn't know... I didn't know..."
Ridge's jaw tightened, his amber eyes cold and dark. "They... they locked me up. Chained me in a cell... underground. It was cold... dark... I couldn't see anything." His fists clenched, his body trembling. "They said I was a monster... that I was dangerous. That I... that I needed to be controlled." His voice broke, his shoulders shaking. "I... I couldn't move... I couldn't breathe... I thought I was going to die down there."
Lila's face went white, her hands shaking. "No... no, no, no... Ridge... my baby..." She reached out to him, her fingers trembling. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Forrest's emerald eyes were cold, his voice hard. "They drugged me. The first night... they drugged my food." His jaw tightened, his fists shaking. "I pretended to sleep... until I heard them talking. They were going to kill me... I heard them say it." His shoulders tensed, his eyes flashing with anger. "I ran. I ran all night... I ran until I couldn't breathe." His voice broke, his body trembling. "I thought... I thought they were going to catch me. I thought I was going to die."
Brooks's silver-gray eyes were haunted, his voice hollow. "They... they tried to 'cleanse' me. Said they were saving me... that they were purging the curse." His hands shook, his voice trembling. "They hurt me... over and over... said they were burning the evil out of me." His voice broke, his shoulders shaking. "I... I begged them to stop... but they wouldn't. They... they said I was cursed... that I was a monster."
Griffin's face went white, his body rigid. "They... they did that to you? Our allies? Our friends?" His voice was raw, broken. "They... they tried to kill you... because of me?" His silver eyes were wide, hollow. "No... no, I... I didn't know..."
Opal's voice trembled, her shoulders shaking. "Elena saved me... she helped me escape. She's... she's waiting for us. She... she said she'd protect me." Her violet eyes were wide, pleading. "She... she saved my life. She's one of us... she's good. I know she is."
Griffin's eyes went cold, his face hardening. "Elena... I knew an Elena once." His voice was low, dangerous. "A witch. Powerful... evil." His jaw clenched, his fists shaking. "If she's the same one... then she's the most dangerous enemy we've ever faced."
Opal's heart stopped, her body going cold. "No... no, that can't be... she saved me... she protected me... she can't be..." Her voice broke, her shoulders shaking. "She can't be evil..."
Griffin's eyes were cold, his voice hard. "If she's the same Elena... then she's been lying to you from the start. She's using you... for something worse." His silver eyes were sharp, piercing. "She's not a werewolf, Opal. She's a witch... and she's the one who cursed us."
Opal's blood ran cold, her heart pounding. She looked at her brothers, their faces pale, their eyes wide with fear. She looked at her parents, their faces grim, their bodies tense.
And she realized, with a sinking feeling, that their nightmare was far from over.