5

Missy entered the room, her demeanor immediately exuding warmth and maternal care. "Oh, honey," she said as she closely examined my eye, concern written all over her face. "Looks like that needs more time to heal. Plus, you've never shifted on pack land, I'm sure. That's why your wolf seems distant. You haven't been here for many years..."

Cassy and I echoed in unison, "Here?"

Missy smiled, glancing towards the door. "Yes, well... There's much to explain about that, but don't worry now. Just know you're safe here with us. You won't be hurt again, and I'm sorry we didn't intervene sooner."

She noticed the flowers in my hands and chuckled softly as she took them, placing them in a cup of water she retrieved from the bathroom. "Koda and Kage were adamant about finding you a gift. So, a few flowers from my garden were a small sacrifice."

Koda, full of youthful innocence, hopped onto Missy's lap. "Daddy always said never visit your girlfriend without flowers."

Kage's face scrunched up in disagreement. "No, she's my girlfriend!" he protested. The two brothers soon tumbled onto the floor, playfully wrestling over their claim.

Knox walked back in first, witnessing the commotion. Without missing a beat, he scooped one brother off the other by his belt, his voice calm but authoritative. "You two need to calm down. She has a headache, you know," he scolded them. The rest of the triplets followed behind him with strange looks on their faces.

Lying in bed, I was surrounded by the unique mix of apprehension and playful chatter that seemed to fill the room. Cassy and Missy's warm presence weaved through the space, their laughter offering a slight comfort against the throbbing in my head. I felt somewhat adrift, caught between full awareness and a hazy dream.

At the foot of my bed, the triplets stood like imposing shadows, obviously locked in a silent conversation no one else in the room was privy to. They communicated in silent glances, their eyes occasionally sweeping over me, hinting at secrets I wasn't included in.

Then there were the twins, their faces split with mischievous grins, teasing me about being their girlfriend. It was a familiar game, their light-hearted jesting contrasting sharply with the more intense, unspoken conversations around us. 

Despite myself, I smiled at their antics. Their simplicity was a refreshing escape from the complexity of my own emotions.

"You sure she's not my girlfriend?" one of the twins teased, nudging his brother with a grin that was all mischief.

"No way, she's mine!" the other shot back, sending a wink in my direction that had me rolling my eyes. 

Typical boys. Typical Monroe boys, I mused to myself. Mom did say they were known to charm. I guess it starts early. 

Cassy, the picture-perfect teenager, dramatically rolled her eyes at the twins. "Seriously, you guys are so embarrassing," she huffed, her voice dripping with the exasperation of a younger sister fed up with being left out. "And you three," she accused, pointing at the triplets, "you never tell me anything. Sitting over there talking mentally like we can't tell what you all are doing. It's like I don't even exist!"

Her complaint hung in the air, unanswered, as the triplets shared another secretive glance.

"I don't know, Sis. Maybe she's meant for something greater," Kyran mused.

Kael cleared his throat, a small but effective gesture that quieted the playful mood. "Enough," he said, his voice firm yet not unkind. "I'm the one who'll have to explain to Father if you all go too far before he says it's okay."

His words cast a shadow over the room, a reminder of the unspoken pressures we all felt, but most of us didn't fully understand.

The door opened then, and Gerald entered, instantly dominating the room. He looked around, then simply said, "Everyone, out."

As the room began to empty, the twins were still chatting, and Cassy shot me one last, longing glance. Gerald stopped Kael. "Kael, you need to stay, actually."

The room emptied until it was just Gerald, Kael, and me. Kael stood stiffly, a soldier waiting for a command, while Gerald's gaze turned to me, heavy with seriousness.

"Kael, ease up," Gerald's firm yet understanding voice echoed through the room.

Kael let out a deep breath, an unusual hint of softness crossing his stern expression as he settled beside my bed. I glanced his way, catching the slight asymmetry in his hair, a small thing, but it unleashed a flood of memories in me. 

I thought back to a recent morning, the feeling of warmth from another person, our hands entwined. The part matched. It had to be Kael.

My thoughts were yanked back to the present by Gerald's voice. "Skyla, where do I begin?" He stopped, gathering his thoughts like gathering storm clouds. "Before you came into this world, Burk was a part of our pack. He was expelled for his reckless behavior. Your mother chose to follow him out of a love that was perhaps misguided."

His gaze met mine, filled with a reflection of sorrow. "When your mom sent you here, she was doing more than you knew. She was bringing you back to where you belong, to your own blood."

Beside me, I felt Kael tense up as Gerald paused. I didn't understand why until Gerald dropped the next piece of devastating news.

"Skyla, after you left last night, Burk... he took your mother's life. He's vanished now, tried to destroy the house too."

The room seemed to spin. My heart dropped into an abyss. My mother, the kind soul who had suffered so much, was gone. The harsh reality of it was overwhelming. I felt myself plummeting into a dark void of grief and disbelief.

Kael's response was immediate and protective. He stood up swiftly, his arms encircling me, pulling me into his chest. At that moment, his arms were the only steady thing in a world that had just crumbled. He held me close, a silent protector in the storm of my grief.

Tears soaked his shirt, each one a tribute to the love and loss that cut deep within me. He didn't utter a word or attempt to comfort me with hollow phrases. He simply held me as my world spun off its axis.

Gerald offered a somber reassurance. "I'm extremely sorry, Skyla. But from now on, we're your family. You'll always have a home with us." With those words, he rose and began to leave the room.

Kael's voice, rough with emotion, halted him. "Dad, can you ask Knox and Kyran to return?"

Gerald nodded, and moments later, the other two brothers reappeared, each bringing their own form of solace. Knox stood behind me, tracing soothing circles on my back as I continued to weep into Kael's shirt. Kyran, with a quiet presence, sat beside us on the bed, gently taking my other hand in his.

They formed a silent sanctuary around me in that room, allowing my tears to flow freely. They didn't speak, not with words anyway. Their presence spoke volumes, offering a comfort that words could not. In their own ways, each brother provided a piece of strength I could lean on.