UNTAMED: THE ALPHA

"Is Knox here?" Zuri looked around her, she tried to figure out whether Knox and Chaos were already here or not, but she couldn't say for sure. Their scents were all over the place, only so faint.

On the other hand, Gael raised his brows, surprised. The last time he remembered, Zuri and Knox were not on good terms. If there was someone she wanted to ask for the moment she arrived here, it must be Chaos.

"Why are you asking about Knox?" He asked suspiciously. Were both of them in the middle of a fight or something? Chaos didn't seem to let out anything when he was here though.

Yet, Zuri just waved her hand, she didn't want to answer that. Only then, did Gael realize another thing.

"Moreover, why did you only bring a backpack? Are the rest of your things still in the car?" He asked in bewilderment, seeing how carefree she was. "You will live here for a long time, why did you only bring a backpack with you?"

Zuri turned around and then looked at him with a puzzled look before speaking in a matter of fact tone. "Why should I bring something when you are rich enough to buy everything for me?" she questioned him. "I will just buy whatever I need here, why should I bother myself?"

"Ah, you are right…" Gael mumbled, he nodded his head, but then he caught sight of Skylar and sighed. "But apparently, your friend doesn't think in the same way as you."

Zuri strode away, following Knox's strong scent, while Chaos's scent from this corridor seemed to have long disappeared. He must not be in this place too often.

"She is not my friend," she retorted.

On the other hand, Gael could only chuckle. He remembered how stubborn this girl could be and salty whenever she didn't like someone. You would know it immediately from the look on her expression.

"I guess so." Gael then asked someone to help Skylar with her things, as he followed Zuri. "Don't wander around, I will give you a tour."

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Zuri still couldn't find Chaos anywhere, but she found Knox, who holed himself up in his room, refusing to go out. She could understand his actions, but seeing him like that only gave her a headache.

They came here to find Chaos's shattered souls, but if he refused to go out, it meant, it would be only the three of them and God forbid her going out with Skylar, because the two of them would end up killing each other.

The woman was more brazen right now and she was already fed up with her antics during their journey here.

Skylar kept provoking her and tried to make snide remarks, pointing out the fact that Chaos didn't want to see her. He didn't want her to come in the first place.

Zuri laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She felt tired and wanted to close her eyes, but a second later, she heard someone knock on her door.

She didn't recognize this scent, probably one of Gael's employees. "Yes? Come in." Zuri didn't lock the door.

The door creaked and a young woman walked into the room. She had long black hair and beautiful brown eyes, she smiled at her softly and spoke gently.

"Are you Zuri?" the girl asked her.

Zuri propped her body on her elbows and looked at her closely. She didn't wear a uniform, which meant she didn't work in this hotel and certainly was not one of Gael's employees.

"Yes, I am." The girl before her eyes looked so timid to meet her, but when she learned she was the person that she was looking for, there was a relieved expression on her face.

"I am River, Gael's daughter," she introduced herself, which baffled Zuri. She knew that Gael had a daughter and he had managed to take her back from the government, but she didn't expect her to live in this city.

What was Gael thinking letting his daughter live right under the government's nose? He was mocking them too much…

"I heard about you." Zuri got up from the bed. "I never thought that we would meet this soon."

River smiled brightly when she received such a warm response from Zuri. "Yeah, I heard a lot about you from my father," she said. "That's why I came here to see you myself."

The corners of Zuri's lips twitched when she heard that, she wondered what kind of story Gael told River about her.

"I hope he didn't say something bad about me," Zuri replied, as she walked toward her. "Do you need something from me?"

River chuckled. "Father asked me to get you, dinner is almost ready and he wants all of us to attend. I think he wants to turn it into a welcome feast, I guess."

"That's so him." Zuri commented, but then she asked. "Do you know Chaos?"

"Yes, I saw him and Knox a few times." River halted and then understood her intention. "Chaos is not here and Knox refused to come out of his room. He said he is tired."

What a lame excuse… How could he be tired when it was Zuri, Skylar and Norbeat, who had to go through all those troubles?

"Okay, let's go," Zuri said and River looped her arm around hers, which surprised her. This was the first time they met with each other, but she acted as if they had known each other for a long time.

Moreover, Zuri was not comfortable to have skin to skin contact with other people and that must be shown, because River realized it and quickly withdrew herself from her.

"Oh, I am sorry," she said timidly, rubbing her own head when Zuri flinched at her touch. "I used to have someone that I think of as a sister, but she left years ago. I think I miss her because you and her look about the same age." She gave her an awkward laugh and then apologized again.

River was happy to hear that the person her father talked about would come, she felt like she had known Zuri enough through Gael's stories, because that was the only thing that could console her when Vanesha left.

"Her name is Vanesha," River said, as they walked down the corridor. "She is like a sister to me."

"Vanesha?" Zuri tilted her head.

"Do you know her?" River looked surprised, it would be a great coincidence if she did.

However, Zuri shook her head. "I don't think so. Vanesha is a common name. I know someone named Vanesha as well." But, she didn't think they were the same person.

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"Yes, it is the same Vanesha that you know. Nikolai's sister," Gael said languidly when Zuri asked him about this casually.

"You never said anything about that." Zuri frowned. She didn't know that Gael had been in contact with Vanesha for years.

"Did we ever really meet to discuss things?" Gael walked toward his wine cellar and popped open a bottle for both of them. "You are old enough for us to enjoy this, right?"

Gael was right. They had never had a proper conversation before this.

"Where is she now?" Zuri received the glass that Gael handed to her and smelled its bitter scent. The scent was too strong for her, but Gael seemed to enjoy this.

"I can't tell for sure," he said in a somber tone. He looked at the night sky.

They had just finished dinner and Gael invited Zuri here to talk alone since they had so much to talk about, while Knox locked himself in his room.

"What is it? I can see how close Vanesha was to River."

Gael sighed deeply. He looked so much older than the last time she remembered him. How old was he? In his late forties? Early fifties?

Gael was not a shifter, neither was he from the same kind as Norbeat or Skylar or Knox, thus he aged like a human, though humans thought of him as a supernatural creature. It was a little ironic…

"It's complicated," Gael said briefly. But Zuri laughed at that, which startled him.

"If it's not complicated, I wonder if I will even be alive." They had dealt with countless complicated things, and adding a few more wouldn't make it any different. "Now, keep talking."

Gael laughed along with her. "Now you are giving me orders, huh, little girl," he scoffed playfully. He remembered the first time he met her. "Are you still biting and clawing now?"

He was not sure what this little girl had gone through, but she preferred the name Zuri to Blue…

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"I have a mission for you, but I need you to bring Emily with you," Liam said when Eros came to his office.

Hearing that, Eros immediately rejected the order, though it was not his place to do so, since Liam was the alpha.

"I can do it by myself, no need to get her involved." Eros had been trying to put Emily away from Liam, especially when this man started to notice her talent and had his eyes on her.

"She will go with you," Liam repeated his order again and then walked toward him. "Both of you are so close. Moreover, she is a human, so it will be easier for you two to enter Lucinda city." Liam squeezed Eros's shoulder, putting pressure on him.

"Lucinda city?" Eros frowned. "What do you want me to do there?"

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Alpha Micah Donovan's second chance mate.