Ruby's POV:

"I am from Plainsville," the cute blonde who now had the ears of a wolf muttered before blacking out in my arms. 

"Nova, wake up!" I screamed as I shook her softly. Unfortunately, she lay limp as a warm red liquid oozed over my clothing. She was bleeding badly as a shorter old woman with orangey grey hair stood over us with a dagger. 

"Figures she is a dirty rat who only wanted power! If she would just submit to the laws of our pack this wouldn't have happened. Sorry, but I can't leave the alpha's mate alive, or else our clan would be put in the hands of a heretic. You understand right?" she asked in a sick sympathetic way that made the hairs on my arms rise.

"Get away from us!" I screamed as I shot up from my bed in a cold sweat as I tried to understand the dream I had just had. If I was normal I would play off the dream I had to the thousands of books I had read about supernatural beings and true crime in my childhood, but it had just felt too real. Werewolves don't exist, do they? Who was that evil bitch who killed Nova? I had so many questions and too little time to ponder all the details. I looked at my phone to realize it was only one minute before I had to hall my ass to school again.

"Ruby, it is time to wake up! I made pancakes," my mom shouted as I started to leave the warmth of my bed. The cold tiles of the floor made it even more difficult to want to go on with my day; however, I headed downstairs anyways.

"Morning mom!" I greeted with a slight yawn. My mom turned around to place 3 pancakes on the plate in front of me. A little tidbit about my mom, she is a very caring person, but she has a very ideal future in mind for me. She wants me to go to college, find a nice boy to make a future with, have plenty of children, and overall be satisfied with my life. The pressure can be overwhelming, and the school can be a major stressor because I am expected to be in all AP classes as well as be involved in extracurriculars. I have managed, but my mother's expectations can be crushing on one's soul. Slowly, she sat down primly in front of me with a concerned scowl on her face.

"Dear, what is that on your arm? I thought I told you that tattoos will ruin your job potential in the future," she frowned. I looked to my arm in shock to see a paw print containing the cursive letters NH in a gold hue. I instinctively hid my arm away from my mother.

"Mom, this isn't what it looks like! One of my classmates put this on me with a sharpie when I was taking a quick nap during lunch," I lied with tears hoping to convince and calm my mother. In all honesty, I had no idea about the mark on my arm, but I know one thing: my dream wasn't fake.

"Honey, you have to report when you are bullied. You can't allow people to walk all over you, or you will have no future," my mom called out in frustration. 

"I am sorry mom. It will not happen again," I replied in an apologetic tone. My mom had sadness glazed over her eyes. 

"Dear, you don't need to apologize. I am sorry I was being rough on you, I just am so frustrated that other students can treat you so horribly. Please forgive me for making it sound like it is your fault," my mother exclaimed wrapping her arms around me. Just like that, my alarm went off, and I had to leave for high school to bear another day as the 'totaly' straight perfect girl my mother had always wanted. God forgive me for ever uttering those words. That is another thing I will have to hide from my mother. I managed to get to my first-period class twenty minutes early, so I did what every normal person would do when they have a strange dream, google the hell out of it. 

"Heya Ruby,  what are you doing?" Kyle greeted me as he sat on my desk. Kyle has been my best and only friend since childhood. Like me, he is very gay and has to hide the fact from his family. Funny story, but we used to date so our parents would have no suspicions of their perfect children being gay. I decided to tell him the whole story about the dream and showed him the tattoo for proof. 

"You didn't have to create a whole elaborate story to hide the tattoo Ruby. You are safe with me!" Kyle joked with a goofy grin on his face. 

"I am not joking, look," I instructed as I showed him the white pages account that showed Nova Hill's occupation as a barista at the local coffee shop in Plainsville.

"Ruby that sounds a little shady, but if you want after school we can jump in my pickup truck and head to that coffee shop to prove your theory," Kyle proclaimed putting his hand on my shoulder. I love this person like a brother because he will always be my ride or die.

"That sounds wonderful! Thank you so much!" I squealed as he gave me a cocky grin. 

"No problem Ruby! That's what friends are for," he replied.