Emma stared ahead, but if you looked closely at her, you would notice that her eyes were vacant, lost in thought. “A man doesn’t need to put in any effort and yet women will be heartbroken for him. They suffer day and night from losing his mark, even forgetting their own names. Meanwhile, there will be another woman indulging in his tenderness, enjoying his care and his scent. But who would have known, that unfaithful man would actually have a daughter.”
She wasn’t wrong in what she said, Patrick thought, but it was unlikely that she and her mother could peacefully coexist in the next two years.
“This is your room.” He pushed open a door, revealing a new world that Emma had never seen before. Just ten minutes ago, Emma was resentful and discontented with everything around her. But at this moment, it seemed she had forgotten all that.
It was a very cozy room. The decor was simple and elegant, with a main color scheme of light yellow and pale blue, very soft colors. The walls were painted in a gradient, from pink to blue, resembling the sky and the sea, reminding her of summer.
Summer meant deep blue sea and endless coconut groves, making Emma feel like she was on a beach. The bed was the center of the room, covered with duvets and pillows. There was a row of dolls beside the bed, as if afraid that someone wouldn’t know that the owner of this room was a girl with a heart full of fairy tales.
The design of the headboard was modern and stylish, exuding a clean and warm look. Textured blue fabric added a touch of sophistication to the room. There was a large window opposite the bed, allowing natural light to flood the room during the day. The windows were adorned with light-colored curtains, with a small table in front of it. The bedroom was filled with natural light, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere.
The floor-to-ceiling window was what caught Emma’s eye immediately. Sunlight poured in through the large window, illuminating every corner of the space. The light was gentle, casting a warm glow on the walls and floor. The sunlight highlighted the natural colors and textures of the room, cutting it into countless pieces of light and shadow. Standing in those patches of light and shadow, she felt like she herself was being cut into countless pieces, each one a different Emma.
On the opposite wall, there was a stylish off-white dressing table and a matching bedside table, with clean and elegant lines. A lamp on the bedside table provided soft light.
Emma absolutely loved this room. This was the happiest moment for her since she arrived in this pack, and possibly the happiest moment before she would leave the Silver Moon Pack completely.
“Thank you, alpha.” She had now started to call Patrick ‘alpha’. Going along with the crowd, she used to call Nelson ‘alpha’ before, when she was still a member of the Blue Halo Pack. Now she could be considered a member of the Silver Moon Pack. Changing the way she addressed him wasn’t a big deal; she didn’t really feel like she could call the alpha of a pack her brother. “I’m very happy.”
Dimitri didn’t know when he had offended her again. “Why are you suddenly calling me alpha?”
“Because you are indeed the alpha of the Silver Moon Pack. I’m just expressing my basic respect.”
Her words didn’t seem wrong, although they sounded subtly uncomfortable. But for now, it didn’t seem appropriate for Emma to start calling him Patrick or brother.
“You’re a bit too unfamiliar.”
At first, Emma didn’t intend to be so distant. In the first few days of her contact, she didn’t have such a tangible feeling. She thought Patrick was just an ordinary, slightly handsome but approachable young man, good at listening and consoling others. But after arriving at the Silver Moon Pack, everyone treated this 20-year-old boy with extreme respect, unlike the Blue Halo Pack, where there was a clear difference in hierarchy. Here, there was a strict order of hierarchy, as if there were an insurmountable gap between classes. Walking beside Patrick, she subconsciously held her breath, as if she would be oppressed by the heavy solemnity if she didn’t.
“I didn’t mean anything by it, Patrick.” She looked at him with her beautiful big eyes. He was so handsome and yet so gentle, even reminding her of the boy who had saved her from fire and water. But the distance between them was so remote. She couldn’t catch up with Patrick’s pace through effort. Class was a pyramid built on the bones of predecessors over thousands of years. She couldn’t leap to the top of the pyramid at once. “I’m just an ordinary girl in a small pack, unknown to others, but you’re different. You’re the famous alpha. I don’t want people to gossip behind my back, saying that I’m trying to win over the alpha of theSilver Moon Pack to fulfill my own desires.”
Patrick thought that the thoughts of young girls were truly unpredictable. The girl in front of him was the child of his mother’s second partner; she should naturally become a part of their family. Why would anyone gossip about her behind her back? But he realized that maybe Emma had been troubled by similar rumors before. Respecting her thoughts was what a gentleman should do, he thought.
“I understand. You can call me Alpha Patrick in public, but during private family gatherings or meetings, you can call me Patrick or any other name, but don’t use overly formal language. This is a family rule.”
Emma was rarely amused by his dry humor. “I understand, thank you, Patrick.”
Patrick nodded slightly. “There’s a family dinner tonight. Will you come?”
Although Emma didn’t like her new father and stepmother, this was Patrick’s request. He had been very kind to her, and she wanted to respond to his reasonable request, so she said, “I will.”
Upon hearing her affirmative response, Patrick prepared to leave, but Emma stopped him. “The room is beautifully decorated, thank you.”
He turned back at her words. “As long as you like it. When Mike brought up this request, I hesitated for a while because I really didn’t understand how a girl’s room should be designed. So, I discussed it repeatedly with the designer, and in the end, I respected the designer’s concept. She is a very graceful and capable woman, and the result she produced is very good. I can tell from your reaction.”
“It’s clear that you all put a lot of effort into it, and I really like it.”