Ruby's Heart, A Blue Moon Coven Chronicle

10. Paulo Ante Mutare ~ {A Little Before The Change}

*Almost twelve years later

"Ruby if you don't get in the car right now I am leaving you here and telling mom. MOOOOOMM" Luke shouted from the bottom of the stairwell. He was getting tired of being late to homeroom. Ruby just couldn't seem to get it together to be on time.

"I'm coming I swear it! Goddess knows you are so annoying!" Ruby finished up with her mascara and made a kissy face in the mirror. She stepped back to admire her handiwork.

Ruby had delicately lined the mark on her face with pink lip liner to define the heart more perfectly. She drenched her already heavy eyelashes in the newest and best product to extend and thicken the fringe about her blue eyes. Her brown hair was well combed and lay in wavy curls past her shoulders. For her final touch, she ran lip gloss over her cupid's bow-shaped lips. She pressed them together roughly to plump them up just a bit before she left the bathroom. Enough admiring done for the morning.

"I'm almost there!" Ruby shrieked as she slid across the top hallway in her socks. It was the only way to travel in the Blackwell home. All of the floors were hardwood that was waxed to such perfection it made the floors very slippery. Ruby and Luke slid everywhere in the house on their socks. Ruining them on most days.

At last, Ruby left her bedroom and began to descend the stairs. She had her sparkling pink knapsack slung over her shoulder and her binder in her hands. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she passed by Luke to walk to the kitchen. She took an apple and put it in her knapsack.

"Are you ready now?" Luke asked with an annoying smirk. He walked to the front door and opened it, letting her go through first.

"Aw, thank you, Lukey. You are the perfect gentleman to wait on me so." Ruby purred at her sibling as she then practically skipped out to the car.

Before they could leave the driveway, Marny ran out with two bags, one in each hand.

"PUPS! HOW many TIMES have I told you not to forget your lunch? It's better for you than the junk at that human school." Marny was breathless as she scolded them, handing the paper sacks over to Ruby from the open window of the passenger seat. "And put your seatbelt on, what's wrong with you Ruby? You know how important seatbelts are!"

Ruby felt as scolded as she was. She quickly put on her seat belt and nodded at her mother. She didn't want her to get upset. "I'm sorry Mama, I wasn't thinking. We will remember to pick up our lunches tomorrow."

Luke pulled out of the driveway and then turned onto the main pack road. It was a few minutes before the road reached the highway. Luke turned on the stereo while speaking to Ruby.

"Can you load my playlist, please? The one called morning drama."

"Sure, sure Lukey." Ruby put her book down. She'd get her chapters finished in the half-hour drive to school. She put the code into Luke's phone and loaded the morning drama playlist. She grinned when the first song shuffled was Smashing Pumpkins, Today. She started singing as she put her book into her bag. She'd wing it in class. She usually did.

"So, Luke, how excited are you about our birthdays coming up?" Ruby asked while she poked her brother in the ribs. She gave him a grin while she watched to see his reaction.

"I'm excited, sixteen is a big deal, but I'm nervous too. Aren't you nervous? I've waited my whole life to shift, it's such a huge thing. Plus they say, everyone says it hurts. The first time is always rough. I bet my wolf is huge."

Ruby thought about shifting and felt this sense of loss. She wasn't sure she'd be able to shift on her birthday like the other wolves. She already knew the plan, they'd just tell everyone she was a late bloomer. No one had to know the real reason. There was always hope though, maybe Avia would find a way to let her shift. To let her meet her wolf. Instead of brother. Brother was always there.