Ruby POV:

I open my eyes and they flick towards my annoying alarm clock that won't shut up. I groan and smack my hand on the snooze button. Then I realize, it's my birthday and not just any birthday, my sixteenth birthday, the day I get to meet my mate. I jumped out of bed and quickly got ready. It's a Saturday, so I know I won't bump into them at school or anything, which also widens my range of who it could be. But that doesn't stop me from trying to figure out who my mate is, no, if anything it encouraged me to figure out my mate's identity. As I think of who it could be, I pull on a plain blue shirt, black skinny jeans, and my black leather jacket. I know I probably sound like a biker or something, but I'm not, I'm actually a sweet girl. My parents always say, specifically my dad, that showing mercy is showing weakness and if I look weak, I'll become weak. Still thinking about possibilities for who my mate is, I walk over to my messy pile of shoes and pull out my favorite pair of red converse and pull them on. I quickly tie my shoes, grab my phone off my nightstand, and walk downstairs.

I see my mom and dad sitting next to each other at the table and I sit down for breakfast. So how will I know if someone is my mate, exactly?" I ask, looking at my mom, who looked up and smiled at me. "Oh, sweetie, once you see them, you'll just know. Even if you've already met them, you'll only know they're your mate on your sixteenth birthday." I smiled at her, "Thanks, mom." I quickly ate breakfast and called to my parents, "I'm heading out. I'll be back for dinner at the latest." "Alright, see you later then, Ruby." I nodded to them both and slipped outside, heading towards my best friend, Emma's house.

As I was walking, I bumped into Ruby. "Oh, sorry, uh-oh hi, Emma." I looked up at her, realized the person was Ruby and said, "Oh, uh, hey, Ruby." Then we both just stood there, looking at each other and it was almost awkward. Then I noticed a feeling towards my gut and I knew there was something-something that can't be seen, something that wasn't there before. I start to think about what the feeling is, what is it? What does it mean? I'm not imagining it, am I? No, I don't think I'm imagining it. Then it hit me and ever made sense, this tugging feeling, it wolf side telling me I've met my mate.

Emma POV:

I wake up happy because I realize today is my sixteenth birthday. Today's the day I get to meet my mate. I jump out of bed and notice, immediately, that I woke up fifteen minutes before my alarm was set to go off at. I just shrug my shoulders and continue getting ready, though. I decide to wear an emerald shirt with a ruby skirt and sapphire leggings. I tie my long, blonde hair back in a simple braid, running parallel to my spine. I look in the mirror and smile at what I see. Whoever my mate is, I think, they'll definitely think I'm beautiful. Especially with this outfit on. Then I grab my phone, pull on some simple white flats and walk downstairs.

"Hey, mom." I say, knowing my dad's probably at work or busy doing something else, like always. "I'm going out to hang with Ruby for the day, see you when I get back." I have and she turns just in time to see it. " Alright, Em, " she says. "Just be home by dinner." I roll my eyes, she really can be such a mom sometimes. "I will, I will, okay? Bye now."

And with that, I'm out the door, heading towards my best friend's house and run into Ruby who was heading towards me. I literally walked into her. "Oh, sorry, uh-oh hi, Emma." She looked up at me. "Oh, uh, hey, Ruby." I smile at the sight of my best friend's face. She's wearing a plain blue t-shirt that matches her eyes perfectly and her black leather jacket with matching black skinny jeans and her red converse. Her black hair hangs loose on her shoulders. As I continue to look at her, lost in her eyes, I start to notice a slight tugging feeling right by my gut. Am I imagining this? I think, no, it's definitely real. But if it's real then what does it mean? It means you love her, you idiot. No, no, no I am not in love with her, she's my best friend. I can't be in love with her. Whatever I don't get to decide who my mate is, that's my wolf's job and I think my wolf side has made up it's mind.

I realize I've been staring right into Ruby's eyes for longer than I'm comfortable with and I quickly look away. "You wanna go to the treehouse?" I ask her and she nods. We both start walking towards the park, which is just across the street from where we are now. As we walk, we fall into step. We walk right over to the forest and look up at the tallest tree, where there sits a treehouse that's been there as long as anyone can remember. There used to be a rope ladder, but it molded and was thrown out. Now we mostly just climb the tree to get up because nobody really uses the treehouse, but Ruby and I and both of us are good at climbing.

Ruby lets me start climbing first and I grab hold of the lowest branch and pull myself up. I continue pulling myself onto branches until I can easily climb over onto the small structure of the treehouse. I walk inside, through the door and sit down on the ground. A minute later, Ruby walks in and sits down next to me. "So, what do we wanna talk about?" She asks and I just shrug my shoulders, happy that I can still act like myself around her even with the knowledge that she's to be mine. "Fine then we'll play twenty questions."

"Don't we already know everything about each other?" She makes a show out of thinking and rubs her imaginary beard, "Hmmm, do we know everything about each other? No, I don't think we do."

"Fine," I grumble, "but we can only ask questions we don't know the answer to and you have to ask first." She nodded and asked me her question, "What's your best memory?" I think through all my good memories and realize that I've always loved this girl, I just didn't know it. I smile as I continue to think through my memories and I decide on an answer, "Being with you." She blushes and I smile even more. Then we both start laughing together.

Once we calm down, I ask her the same question. She thinks for a moment before saying, "The day I met you." We both smile as I remember the day.

----Flashback----

It was the first day of kindergarten and I was super excited. I knew almost no kids my age and was eager to make friends. I walked into the kindergarten classroom and was about to sit down at a table, when I saw another girl my age, sitting alone. I walked over and sat down next to the girl. I stuck out my hand for her to shake, "Hi, I'm Emma. Do you wanna be my friend?" Her face lit up and she nodded her head vigorously, "Yes, please, I've never had a friend before. Oh my name's Ruby by the way." I smiled and she shook my hand, "Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Ruby." I said, mimicking the voice I heard my parents use when we met my kindergarten teacher, a week prior. "I'm pleased to meet you too, Emma." She said, as we both let our hands fall to our sides.

----End--Flashback----

After a while she asks me a question that takes me by surprise, "Do you believe in werewolves?" I don't even have to think before saying, "Yes, do you?" She looks at me and hesitates for a second before saying, "Yes." How does she know? I start having a conversation with myself, she can't possibly have proof. But do you really need proof to believe in something? Does that matter? She could be one of us. But it's still quite likely that she isn't. You don't need proof to believe in something. That seems to be your only defense of your point. So what if it is? Your only defense is Ruby believes we exist. Finally, I remembered something, Ruby is my best friend. This isn't just my birthday, it's hers too, which means I shouldn't be fighting with myself, I should be celebrating with her. 

A/N Okay, so hi people. Yeah normally my chapters aren't this long, but I couldn't find a good place to end this one. Who knows, maybe all the chapters in this book will end up like this.

Lots of love from me to you.

Word count: 1558