After saying their goodbyes, Patrick returned to his castle. Just as he was parking his car and stepping out of the garage, he heard someone calling out to him from behind. The sweet voice that reached his ears, however, was not the one Patrick had hoped to hear at that moment, and it worsened his mood.
“My dear Patrick,” it was Nicola. She was still as beautiful and radiant as he remembered her when she left. She hadn’t changed a bit.
“Nicola, you’re back,” he turned around and said, “my mother has always missed you.”
“And what about you, Patrick? Don’t you miss me?” her bluntness caught Patrick off guard. “We are friends, of course I miss you,” he stammered.
Patrick could clearly see the disappointment in Nicola’s eyes. She was not satisfied with his response, but she had been ingrained with the idea of maintaining composure. Even if the boys rejected you, you shouldn’t show reproach or sadness. You should politely step back, ensuring that your distance is safe and won’t cause offense, and then say, “Okay.” Be ready to make the next meeting as appealing to the boy as possible.
So, she said, “I’d like to invite you for dinner. And of course, Harry too. Will he be willing?”
“I think he would. You are a friend to both of us,” Patrick replied.
Nicola sighed, elegantly tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, “You have become indifferent to me, Patrick. I hope Harry does not become like you.”
Harry, of course, would not be like him. Harry was always charming, much more so than he was. He was equally indifferent to both men and women, so he felt that the chances of someone being drawn to a naturally indifferent person were few.
“When would you like to have dinner?”
“Tonight, the three of us. Aunt Jennifer wanted us to dine together, but I thought it wouldn’t be appropriate. It’s better for the three of us, peers, to have a relaxed and comfortable conversation.”
“Then we’ll see you tonight,” he slightly bowed, performing the standard greeting. “Welcome back to the Silver Moon Pack, Nicola.”
In the living room, Jennifer was already sipping tea, awaiting his return. Seeing him, she frowned disapprovingly, “You came back late today. Where did you go?”
“I met Harry today. We haven’t seen each other in a long time, you know, so we talked for a while.”
Only then did Jennifer relax. “That’s good. I thought you had gone out to fool around with that cursed little girl, Emma.”
“What do you mean?” Patrick thought Emma had been in her room crying before he left. How could she not be in her room?
Jennifer always expressed great dissatisfaction whenever Emma was mentioned. “Nelson asked her to join us for dinner today, but she wasn’t in her room. We knocked for a long time, finally had someone open it, and found she wasn’t there. She left without a word. It’s a complete lack of the etiquette that should be observed in werewolf society.”
Patrick was puzzled, “Did no one see her leave?”
“Who knows, maybe she just wants people to worry about her, childish antics.”
Realizing his mother’s deep misunderstanding of Emma, Patrick decided to wait a while before discussing Emma’s matters with his mother again. “If she hasn’t returned by sunset, I will send someone to look for her. Mother, you don’t need to worry, neither does Nelson. I have a responsibility to every member of my pack.”
Not wanting to discuss Emma further, Jennifer asked him, “Nicola is back. Have you seen her?”
“I have. We greeted each other at the door and agreed to have dinner together tonight.”
Jennifer was pleased with this outcome. “That’s good. You haven’t seen each other for so long; you should have a lot to talk about. Remember to invite her to the castle regularly.”
Patrick understood his mother’s intention. “She can come by herself anytime she wants. She’s always welcome here. I don’t think I need to invite her specially.”
“You used to have a good relationship with her.”
“I used to have a good relationship with Harry too.”
Jennifer glared at him, but Patrick couldn’t be bothered to respond and went straight to his room.
Emma, he thought, where could she have gone?
He opened his phone and messaged her on FB, “Emma, where did you go? Mom says you left home, and I want to make sure you are safe.”
The message remained unread.
He collapsed onto the bed, closing his eyes and once again feeling his wolf. Nothing, absolutely nothing. The only response was an endless silence.
Unknowingly, drowsiness overtook him, and he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was Nicola’s phone call that roused him. They hadjust exchanged contact information when they met this afternoon.
“Patrick?” Patrick rubbed his eyes. “Nicola,” his voice still carried a hint of just-awakened allure. “Is something the matter?”
He had completely forgotten about their dinner plans.
Nicola’s tone carried a hint of reproach, “Don’t you remember that we agreed to have dinner together with the three of us this evening?”
He immediately sat up. Outside, it was already dark. He glanced at the message he had sent to Emma, which still remained unread. He intended to send March to look for her later; he was deeply worried about Emma’s safety.
“I’m leaving now. Send me your location.”
It had been so long since she had seen Patrick, and Nicola couldn’t help but have many thoughts about his current attitude. They had lost touch for so long, alongside Harry. She had many friends in the Silver Moon Pack, but these two held the highest positions. Yet, since leaving, she had failed to maintain contact with these two high-ranking friends.
She felt somewhat inferior. She was the daughter of an OMEGA, and her mother was the only one with a decent relationship with the former Luna of Silver Moon Pack. However, no one in her family had made any achievements or contributions to the Silver Moon Pack. When she was young, standing in front of Patrick and Harry, her legs would always tremble involuntarily.
At that time, she didn’t know if she was a toy or a gift, perhaps there would be some differences in wording for the two boys, but not for her. Her fate was not in her own hands.
Subconsciously, she felt that neither Harry nor Patrick liked her.
“Nicola!” She turned around to see Harry running towards her.
“It seems like you’ve been waiting for a long time,” he asked, slightly out of breath.
Harry had received a call quite late, and Nicola’s gentle voice from the other end of the line made him carefully recall if the previous Nicola had also spoken in such a languid and gentle tone. His conclusion was that her time studying abroad had turned Nicola into an even more charming woman.
After finishing the call, he quickly dealt with the matters he could that day, leaving the rest of the day free. He wanted to see Nicola and spend all the remaining time with her. The condition was that her attention wasn’t solely on Patrick.
“I haven’t been waiting that long,” she replied. The wind was strong, blowing her loose hair into the air. Harry helped her gather her hair, securing it with a hair tie.
Nicola looked surprised, “You don’t seem like someone who would carry around women’s accessories.”
Harry felt a little embarrassed, “I thought you had just cut your hair when you left, and it’s been so long, your hair should have grown out. I like your long hair.”
Nicola smiled, like a warm and colorful flower.
In the darkness, Harry felt his face gradually flush. “I didn’t mean anything else, I just genuinely like your hair. It’s so soft, like flowing water, and it shines. That’s what I meant.”
Nicola responded gently, “I know.”