Darken Moon University

I’ve been waiting for this day—the day my letter would arrive and I could begin a new life, erasing my old one. I went to the mailbox and waited a couple of seconds. Finally, I opened it. There was a very large letter from Darken Moon University. Which could only mean one thing. I ran inside the house and shut my door. I looked at the letter, with my name—Aelira Penrose—written in the corner. I opened it, and in grand letters, it read: “Congratulations!” I leaned against the door and slid down until I was sitting with my knees up. I can finally erase my past. I kept looking at my last name—Penrose—in the corner. It felt right. My adoptive parents have been a big help over the last couple of years. They tried their best to include me in family outings, but I knew they were just doing it out of sympathy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, but.. I want to go where I don’t see that look in people’s eyes anymore. I want to be desired and wanted for just being myself—not pity or a sense of weakness when I’m walking around. Well, I’ve been in this pack in Tennessee. Don’t think I haven’t enjoyed my time—it’s been wonderful. Southern charm is definitely a thing. The Smoky Mountains are beautiful, and the sunsets are absolutely breathtaking. I’m glad I could call it home, even if it was just a short while. The university I will be attending is all the way in the Ancient Forest in British Columbia, Canada. Away from prying eyes—aka non-shifters and other packs. I’m glad humans can still coexist in this society without being looked down upon, because they’re needed in other roles in many packs and in life: doctors, counselors, scientists, teachers, etc. I’m still intrigued to see how my healer courses will go. And my testing to enter said I had a high potential. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I need to tell my adoptive parents, Cheryl and Mike. I opened my door, walked down the hall, and started looking for them. I wanted to get this conversation over with so I could move forward. I found Cheryl sitting in the dining room with her laptop out, typing a report. My guess was that housekeeping at the pack house has been awful recently. I sat down across from her, my hands folded in my lap as I watched my feet. She looked over at me, and I could feel her eyes on me. I looked up, and she smiled. Cheryl spoke. “What can I help you with?” I looked her in the eyes. “I did something that I don’t know if you’ll be excited about. I’m not completely sure.” I bit my lip—a habit of mine when I’m stressed. Cheryl looked at me and softly said, “I’ve told you a million times to stop doing that. And what did you do? It can’t be that bad—I have to deal with Isaac all the time. I think whatever you did is nothing.” She laughed, then looked at me again with a reassuring smile, which made me feel better. Isaac is my adoptive brother, if you can call him that. He’s a warrior in the pack and is always getting in fights to prove himself. We don’t really speak—he does his thing, and I do mine. I put my attention back on her, not letting my mind wander. “I applied to a university for Certified Healing Specialist (CHS)… and I got in,” I said. “Why would I be disappointed in that?” Cheryl looked puzzled. “Well, I just thought you would want something different for me,” I said shyly. She walked in front of me, knelt down, took my hands, and looked me dead in the eyes. “I have always wanted what was best for you, and for you to do what makes you happy. I want you to be completely and utterly yourself,” she told me. I began to cry, and she held me in her arms while I cried. Mike walked in through the back door. I could hear his footsteps, then they got closer, and soon he was in the dining room with us. I looked at him, and he smiled before sitting in the chair across from us. “I leave for thirty minutes and now everyone is crying—what did I miss?” Mike said. We both looked at him and laughed, which broke my sadness and made everything feel lighter. Mike was always good at that. Probably why he’s the lead warrior under the Beta’s command. “She got into a university to become a healer!” Cheryl exclaimed. Mike smiled, stood up, and hugged us both, telling me how proud he was. They both asked me questions about the university—scholarships, supplies, everything I would need. I had gotten a provisional scholarship, meaning I had to keep my grades up to stay in the school, and I would need to get books and other supplies. We spoke for what felt like hours, and by the end, I felt a huge weight had been lifted. I had never really had conversations like this before—being able to choose my own fate instead of being told. We set a game plan for the next two weeks. Cheryl would take me to get some things. I tried to refuse, but she insisted. They went over the books I would need and how we could get them. By the time I finally made it back to my room, my mind felt at peace with my decision. Now comes the part I hate—the waiting.