Apologies for the very long wait for this next chapter! Lockdown is now over and back to work I am... Which means chapters will take a little longer to write due to my long hours working, but I will write as much and as often as I can for you guys!
Please try to ignore any spelling mistakes that may have been missed! It's currently 12:30am and I just HAD to finish this chapter for you!
As always, I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think!
Twenty.
Emma was planning on waking up early the next morning to prep for her first day at work. She'd set a 6am alarm to make sure of that. But instead, she gradually was awoken by the noises coming from her bathroom. Emma opened her eyes, making sure she was not dreaming. There was definitely the sound of her shower running. She checked her phone, which Blue had gave back to her yesterday after she'd left it lying around somewhere, and the time ready 5:24am. Who was using her bathroom at this hour? Blue always used her own? Was is Killian? No, it couldn't be. They'd arranged to meet later that night, and Emma was positive he'd said he was busy all morning.
It's okay, it's our friend.
Their friend? Emma's wolf didn't seem worried one bit. Could it be the white she wolf? How could she of gotten all the way through the apartment to Emma without being noticed by either of the sisters? And, where is Ruby, anyway? She had fell asleep on the couch that night, but she usually still ends up in Emma's room by the morning.
Emma grabbed her sapphire blue kimono that lay at the end of her bed and slipped it on, unsure of what to do. Should she get Blue? Why if it was Killian and she was alarmed over nothing? She doubted a stranger would be brazen enough to come all the way to her room and take a shower.
While she was hesitating, the water suddenly cut off, and was replaced with the sound of someone drying off. Emma took a step back from the door, on guard. Why was her wolf not worried? Who did she recognise?
The door opened, and to her surprise, a stranger came walking out. The first thing Emma noticed was the girls hight. She was really, really tall compared to Emma's petite frame. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a cropped tightly fitted top, showing of all her curves and beauty. Emma also couldn't miss the black crescent moon tattoo on the top of the girls left hand and wrist. A clan member?
She looks at Emma's empty bed and looks around seeming worried, until the stranger sees her. She smiled softly as her gaze met Emma's. She looked young, but Emma couldn't actually tell how old. With her mature and slender body, long red hair, and fine features, it was hard to say. However, Emma still felt something strangely familiar about the girl.
"Hi, Emma. Happy birthday."
She had a really light and soft tone voice, with a warm smile. But it was only as Emma looked up and really recognised those familiar golden brown eyes. She could barely believe it.
"...Ruby?"
She gave Emma a big smile and opened her arms.
"Took you a while."
"Oh my goodness, Ruby!"
Emma ran into her arms without thinking. She couldn't believe it was her Ruby standing right there in front of her. Ruby hugged her back and laughed lightly. Emma never imagined she'd get a chance to see Ruby in her human form, especially today! It was weird, but it felt as though she were meeting an old friend she hadn't seen in a long while, although they had been together every single day for weeks. Emma didn't care though, she was just so happy to finally see the human Ruby. And she was just as tall as her big sister, too! While Ruby hugged her, Emma felt like such a tiny child in her arms.
"Sorry I didn't shape shift earlier. Being a wolf is just so nice, you know? But I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, so..."
Emma couldn't believe she'd shape shifted just for her! She smiled back at Ruby, truly overjoyed.
"Thank you so much, Ruby! I like your wolf self, but it's just nice that I can finally talk to you."
Ruby laughed softly.
"Sorry about that. And you can talk to me anytime, you know. Even if I can't answer, I can hear from you whenever you want. I know my big sister can be a big naggy, so just know you can confide in me, too, okay?"
Emma nodded, and Ruby patted her shoulder in a comforting manner.
"Good girl. Now listen. There's another reason I wanted to talk to you."
She grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her to sit on her bed. Ruby looked a bit serious all of a sudden, making Emma wonder what it could be about. She grabbed one of Emma's hair ties from her nightstand and pulled her red locks into a messy bun on top of her head, keeping it out of her face, then turned to Emma, speaking ever so softly.
"When we were chasing after your ex, Neal. You ran ahead, and I thought you'd caught up to him. But when I arrived, he was alone. What happened?"
Emma bit her lip, hesitant to say. Was it okay to tell Ruby about her? She had asked Blue the day before, after all. But the she-wolf acted like she didn't want anyone knowing she was there that night. Before Emma could make up her mind, Ruby spoke again.
"Emma, I know someone else was with us. I felt a third presence, a stranger but not hostile. You didn't mention it to the Boss?"
She'd realised Ruby knew that something was off about that chase all along, but she'd never mentioned it to anyone until speaking to Emma today. If not, Blue and Killian would definitely have asked. Emma decided to tell her the truth. After all, Ruby had been siding with her every time.
"It was a white female wolf..."
"I knew it. What happened?" She asked, frowning,
"Neal caught me by surprise and threw me into the sea. I thought I was going to drown, but she came and pulled me out of the water just in time. It was the white wolf I asked Blue about yesterday."
"So I was right. I thought I'd caught her smell, but I assumed it just came from Graham."
Did that mean Ruby knew her? Blue seemed to barely know of her existence. How come Ruby had identified her smell so easily?
"Ruby, do you know her?" Emma whispered, and Ruby gave a quick nod.
"Her name is Elena. Elena whitewood. She's my age, and from a different pack than ours, as Blue said. The Opal Moon clan. She's one of their warriors if I'm not wrong."
Finally! She'd gotten more information about that mysterious white wolf!
"How do you know her? Blue said she didn't really know much about her?"
"That's because Graham doesn't mix his private relationships with the clans affairs, so they don't show up together in public, usually. And my sister isn't really into gossip, especially when it concerns Graham- she never really liked him."
Emma had noticed that, too, a while ago. Blue and Graham are polite to each other, but they never interact unless it's necessary. She seemed more comfortable with Peter or Killian, though Emma didn't really know why.
"The other day really was just a coincidence, I think. Even I only learned by accident that they have a relationship. But I know Elena from another place, actually. She liked to go to the clubs on weekends and I've seen her around a few times."
Oh, right! Blue had mentioned that Ruby liked to go out from time to time.
"So, you met her in a club?"
"Not directly, but yeah, we have mutual friends in common."
"Then do you know how I can meet her?"
"Why do you want to meet her?" Ruby frowned, intrigued.
She'd forgot that Ruby didn't know about their mind link. Emma decided to tell her the truth, starting from when she'd heard Elena's voice during her fight with Victor, to how she'd saved Emma from drowning and what she's told her afterwards. She explained everything to Ruby, and she listened, intrigued, but didn't speak until Emma was finished. She was glad Ruby woke her up earlier. Emma felt so comfortable sharing everything with her, but for some reason, Ruby was the only one she felt like she could tell it all too.
"Interesting. So, you and Elena are probably related somehow..."
"You think she might have some clues about my birth mother?"
Somehow, that was what Emma had been thinking about ever since she'd learned the truth surrounding her birth. The information Graham had found about her father and his wife, who turned out to not be Emma's real mother, seems to match what Neal had told her about them belonging to the Gold Moon clan. But that also raised a mystery about her birth mother. Emma was curious about her. Why didn't she grow up with her? Why had Emma's father brought her to his wife instead? If this girl, Elena, had more information?
Ruby seemed to be deeply thinking for a while, too, before letting out a low sigh.
"Maybe. She's part of an old family, too. Perhaps she already knows why there is a link between the two of you? I can't tell."
"Can you help me meet her?"
Ruby scratches her head, thinking, but shuck out her answer after a moment.
"Not for now. I don't think it's a good idea for you to meet her in private right now. Especially not behind Graham or the Boss' backs. But if she's told you she will meet you, I believe she will. Just be patient, honeybee."
Emma smiled unconsciously. So Ruby had picked up on that nickname, too? She seemed to read Emma's mind.
"Sorry, I hear it in my sisters head every day..."
"Do you guys use mind linking often? I didn't think we could use it so easily in our human forms."
"That's because we are closely related, and I'm very comfortable with my wolf form, so it makes it easier. Except for the Alpha, few people the mind link in human form. Too complicated."
"You'll have to teach me someday. I struggled to speak to Elena."
"I will be happy to chat with you once you join the pack!"
Her sentence reminded Emma that she no longer belonged to a a clan. She'd severed all ties with the Red Moon clan, if she even had any, and she didn't belong to the Black Moon clan either. She wondered what was going to happen. Would Killian make her join? When she thought about it, it was quite surprising that they'd never mentioned it. Was she considered a rogue then?
Ruby noticed her worried expression and put her arm around Emma's shoulders.
"Don't worry, Emma. I don't just guard you because of orders. I like you, honeybee! After all, I've been by your side all along, haven't I? There was suppose to be a rotation, you know? But I refused and took the job full time. I'll be by your side no matter what. I bet you are going to make a great Luna, and I'll be right by you until then."
Ruby's words brought Emma to tears. As she wiped them away, Ruby chuckled, pulling her into a hug and laying a soft kiss on her forehead. They chatted about trivial things for a while, things Ruby couldn't say before, like how much she loved Emmas cooking or her fights with her sister. Emma didn't feel uncontrollable at all being so close to Ruby, it was as if she was sat with a none related sister.
Emma's alarm clock struck six, and Blue entered the room with a huge bouquet of flowers in her hands.
"Happy birthday, baby girl! Look what came for you this morning!"
Just then, Blue noticed her sister and walked up to them sitting on Emma's gigantic bed.
"Ruby, you shape shifted! When?"
"Just this morning, for Emma." She said while sending a wink to Emma.
"And you actually have clothes on! What a day!"
What did that mean? Blue looked at her younger sister in a conspicuous way, but Ruby ignored her. She handed Emma her bouquet, and she read the card inside. They were actually from Graham, wishing her a happy 20th birthday. How nice of him, considering he would be seeing her in less than three hours. Emma got up to go find a vase in the kitchen for her present, the siblings following right behind her. To her surprise, when she reached the room, there were several gifts perched on the table. Emma turned to look at Blue, perplexed.
"What's all this?"
"Your birthday presents, silly!"
All of them? Impossible! She could see a dozen wrapped boxes and bags! Emma hadn't received a gift in probably about ten years... Blue was smiling from ear to ear, waiting for Emma's reaction, but she was speechless. She walked slowly to the table, seeing three birthday cards: one from the sisters, one from Graham and another from Peter.
"Wait... All of this is from you guys, Peter and Graham?" Emma asked, dumbfounded. Blue nodded with excitement.
"It is! So, considering you are saving you evening for you date, we thought you should open them this morning! Both Graham and Peter couldn't be here, so it will be just us three, I hope you don't mind."
Don't mind? God, Blue really didn't realise that Emma hadn't celebrated her birthday in years! She was overflown with emotions, she didn't know where to begin. Well, she was trying hard to hold in her tears, for a start.
"Thanks so much, you guys..."
Ruby laughed and gentle pushed her forward towards her presents. Emma started by opening and reading the cards, and she couldn't stop smiling through out them all. Blue and Ruby had chose a pretty winter themed one, while Graham had gone for a one with a glittery moon, and Peter had went for a very girly one with pink and purple ribbons one. All of them had wrote really simple but touching birthday wishes inside, warming Emma's heart.
After all of the cards, Ruby have her one of the wrapped presents.
"But you're guys already got my a present; my phone!"
"Oh hush, Emma, and open it! You haven't gotten birthday presents in years, you can let us spoil you a little just for today!" Said Blue while handing over a larger box.
For some reason, Ruby was smiling and waiting for Emma's reaction. What was it? The box was pale blue with some golden letters on it, like a chic brand. Not anything unusual from Blue so far. However, as soon as Emma opened the box, she blushed and closed it just as quickly.
Oh, Moon Goddess.
Blue had gotten her super sexy, embarrassing, shameless french lingerie!
