There was something special about the Crest pack, and that was seen in the way its special workers were organized.
It had a special place or maybe an estate where its special workers had to stay. Emily was part of these workers.
"My hostel is quite easy to find," she said.
Euphoria was walking along with her. They had hardly conversed all through their ride from Alpha's place. The highest they could do was for Emily to give instructions she couldn't do without.
Euphoria found it hard that she'd left her former place, her stay in Darling's residence, and her service to Raguel to serve a worker.
"Okay." She wouldn't look at Emily.
It wasn't out of arrogance, but out of uncertainty. As a matter of fact, she held the same respect she had for Raguel to Emily. It was just hard to blend into a new reality.
"My neighbors have a habit of always checking up on me, but I detest that," Emily said, but this time, slowing her pace to make it a conversation. "You would help in telling them I'm not in."
Euphoria just nodded.
They got closer to the hostels, and just as Emily had said, some of the occupants were already walking out to meet them.
"All you have to do is force a smile," she said. "It makes them see you as someone they can trust."
"I will make it look real."
So she could speak out? Emily must have thought.
The hostels were three tall buildings, of which two of them were facing each other, while the other was facing the road, making the arrangement look just like a square with one of its sides gone. Each of the buildings was large enough to make many hostels.
"Emily, you are back?" One of the occupants had come out to greet them.
The place was crowded, and more and more of the occupants kept pouring out to meet her.
"I heard Allerio talk about a cave, why don't you stay there if you don't want to keep meeting up with people?" A sudden interest prompted Euphoria to ask.
Emily shook her head. "Staying alone is too high profile. Sometimes, I feel it's better to stay with others, even if I have to always hide indoors."
"And these people might actually be showing care to you."
"I don't know if that's the case."
A girl came out from one of the hostels to hold Emily's hand. "Aunty Emily..."
Her cheeks formed dimples, and her white teeth were almost shining like a bulb of light. Her height made her head to be on the same level with Emily's waist.
"Mummy told me you aren't coming back..."
She was dragging Emily's hand, but her bright smile did the work of making Emily stop, and bent down to touch her nose.
"But now I'm back.... And it's quite obvious that you're going to see more of me."
That added more zeal on this girl's face.
When Emily was done with her, other children still came around, and almost the same thing happened with them. Finally, she opened the door to her hostel.
"How long were you out?" Euphoria tried to blow off the dust from entering her nostrils.
"About a week."
Euphoria offered to do a clean up, and her gown was used to cover her nose in order to protect herself.
"How old are you?" Emily asked.
"I'm eighteen."
And she hadn't attended the mate test ceremony? She wondered.
"I just turned Eighteen," Euphoria said.
It became reasonable for the moment to say she was just eighteen. Emily started a comparison between them, starting from the way she looked to her height, and then the issue of finding a mate.
"I can cook for you." Euphoria offered.
Emily simply nodded, still doing the comparison in her head. At that same moment, Katie came into the physical view, but Euphoria had her back against her.
"Isn't she the girl I found naked in a room?" Katie asked.
Her question inscribed curiosity on Emily's face. "What are you talking about?"
Katie left the spot she was standing to check out on Euphoria. She was supposed to try not to get seen, but the guts she used to go too close to Euphoria sent shivers to Emily.
"What are you doing?" Emily said in a strained voice that sounded like a whisper.
Katie went out of sight when Euphoria turned back to look.
"I'm trying to prepare something for us," Euphoria said.
"Yes.... Yes, just go on with what you are doing."
Katie went to sit beside Emily. "Has she told you she has a lover?"
"How? She told me she didn't attend the mate test ceremony, how would she have a lover?"
"At Darling's house, I found her beneath one of the guards, probably one of the chief guards."
This time, Emily got up from the bed, and was going closer to Euphoria. "You met her beneath a man? What do you mean by that?"
Katie rolled her eyes. "What else would I mean by 'beneath a man', if not what you're thinking?"
Emily was standing beside Euphoria, watching how she wanted to cook.
"You have a guest?" She had heard another voice, and she turned back to look.
"No visitors..." Emily patted her back. "Just go on with what you're doing."
Emily left her side to meet up with Katie at the end of the room. "You mean she has also broken one of the pack rules?"
"Of course she has. I can ask her if you don't mind."
"That's something you cannot do."
It was hard to believe, but the way Katie said it, made it look too believable to be false. How come she had guts to break the rules of the pack in Darling's house?
"Euphoria.... Do you have a lover?"
She stiffened for some seconds, and the plate she was holding fell from her hand. She didn't answer, just turned to look at Emily.
"Do you have any?"
Emily had not gone straight to the point, asking her if she had a lover did not really mean she was having sex, but could lovers not become sex partners?
"Actually.... He has interest in me, and nothing.... More has happened between us. We might end up becoming mates."
Emily shook and tilted her head slowly, squinting her eyes at Euphoria. "Is that so?"
She didn't answer, but was looking at the floor.
That same instant, light builded up in different colors to slowly formed Katie.
Euphoria took several steps backward, and almost fell down.
"Your face.... I think… I think I know you." She stuttered.
Katie moved forward to her. "I'm that lady who met you in a serious bang with that chief guard. Do you remember?"