The last of the Lycans

Eliza  Eliza sat in her bedroom, reading a new book in the reading nook that her father had built for her. This was her favorite place to be. Eliza’s father lined the reading nook with shelves to hold all of her favorite books. The shelves ran alongside and over the top of the reading nook, and in the center of the nook was a beautiful bay window that she could look out to see the forest and the nearby pond. The seat in the nook was filled with overstuffed pillows and a small table that was just big enough for her cup of coffee and to set her current book when she was done. She had fairy lights, bookish décor, and all of her favorite colors throughout the nook. Eliza was so excited when her father brought her to see the reading nook. She was just 8 when he built this for her; now she was about to be 19. Eliza’s room is also filled with built-in shelves that span not only the nook area but every wall in her room. Her book collection has grown significantly over the years. Eliza’s home wasn’t overly large but was of decent size. The home had 3 bedrooms, an office, a living area, a large kitchen with a dining area, a large patio out back, 2 bathrooms, and a garage. The home felt more like an oversized cottage and sat in between large oak trees that provided plenty of shade. This was the only home Eliza had ever known, and she adored it. The neighborhood was modest and had decent spacing between homes. Eliza often found herself sitting in her nook or with her best friend, Crystal. Crystal is not into books like Eliza is, but they had many things in common and had grown up together in the Blue Moon pack. She was more like a sister than anything, often spending the night at Eliza’s house, or vice versa. Eliza was born here, but Crystal came to live here after her father was killed in battle when she was just 3. Her mother was related to Crystal’s father, who was a part of this pack. Her father was kind enough to offer Crystal a home after the loss of her mate and was welcomed to join our pack by Alpha Kyle. Eliza’s father, Derek, is a well-respected businessman. He sells properties and does construction on homes for others in the pack, as well as neighboring packs. Eliza’s mother, Derek’s fated mate, died during childbirth. Her name was Elizabeth. This was something Crystal and Eliza had in common: they both lost a parent. This commonality brought them together, and we have been close ever since. This year, the girls graduated from high school and decided to take the summer off from school before starting at the academy. The academy is where shifters go to learn their chosen trade and skills needed to either protect or defend. Some shifters are warriors and will learn both sets of skills to serve the pack or the Lycan King. There was a program in the academy dedicated to warriors. It was incredibly hard to get into. Each pack has its own force, led by the higher-ups, of course. The Lycan King will recruit warriors from time to time from various packs. Typically, those who stand out as strong warriors in the academy. They also learn how to master their abilities, such as speed and strength, and some of them are blessed with gifts that awaken around puberty. Alpha refers to these individuals as “Gifts from the Goddess” and says that they are “Touched by the Goddess”. Some have healing powers, mind-reading powers, and really, it is unclear what else. Most have only ever met one of these people. Eliza knows one, and she is the pack doctor. She has the gift of healing. When shifters turn 18, many hope to find their fated mate. They attend the mating ball where they meet with the Lycan king, who starts off the ball, followed by dinner, dancing, and then they shift under the full moon to find their fated mates. On rare occasions, people find their mate before the ball. Neither Eliza nor Crystal had found their mates yet. They both turn 19 in September. This will be our first ball. Some will skip the mating balls until after they have finished academy. Some desire independence, some are fearful of love, and some just want to be free to do whatever. Not Eliza and Crystal. Crystal is tall, 5’10, and has long blonde hair. Her eyes are forest green, and she has curves in all the right places. Eliza has long black hair, is 5’4, with icy blue eyes, and is also very curvy. Eliza wears glasses when she reads, but otherwise, she wears contacts most days. They both got a job at the local coffee shop, another thing they have in common, and they work most shifts together, so they carpool. Luckily, Crystal lives just down the road from her. Eliza’s father got her a new Jeep on my 18th birthday last year, and Crystal is working on saving to buy a car. Her mother just got her own house a few years ago after she spent a few years working at the hospital. Crystal wants to follow in her mom’s footsteps and work at the hospital. She aspires to be a doctor. Eliza has no idea what she wants to do, but she knows that she wants to major in English. She thinks that teaching, being a librarian, or owning a small bookshop would fit her well. Today they are going to a party. Jason Mayfair, a frat boy that Crystal is friends with, invited them to come. He also happens to be Beta Josh’s son. Eliza is not a fan of parties. This is something they don’t usually do, but Crystal insists that they go so that they can start to experience “College life”. For Eliza, she doesn’t plan on partying all the time, but Crystal loves good parties. She was always more social than Eliza was. Every so often, she would agree to go to a party with her, and it was never very fun. She was always left standing awkwardly while she danced her heart away. The girl loves to dance.