UNTAMED: THE ALPHA

"Is he your mate?" Gael questioned Zuri.

The question from Gael came all of a sudden, but it was not unexpected, he must have had his own suspicions when he saw the interaction between them thus far, especially when he knew Zuri long enough to tell that.

Yet, Zuri still continued with her pretense and frowned. "What do you mean?" She didn't know what reaction that she should give him.

Gael was silent for a moment and then bobbed his head. "I see…" he mumbled. "I didn't believe it at first, I thought I was seeing things, but your reaction just now gave away the answer."

Zuri froze, it was this easy for Gael to read her? His instinct and intuition were something that you couldn't take lightly.

"So, I am right," he stated. "Congratulations on finally meeting with your mate." There was no joy in the way he said it, because the next thing that he was about to say was the question that she didn't want to answer. "But, the real question is; is he Chaos's shattered soul?"

Gael pushed his body against the wall and then approached her. Zuri was sitting on the sofa with her head down, she was unable to come up with any lie in front of him.

What was even the point when he already knew it?

"Did Chaos know about this?" Gael asked again. He knelt down in front of her, so they were at eye level.

Zuri nodded.

"I see." Gael sighed deeply. "I am not a shifter, but I know a mate is a great deal for creatures like you."

Zuri raised her head and then looked at him, she was not sure how she had to feel about this, because Gael was so calm. Probably, it would be easier if he had a strong reaction like she thought how Knox would react.

Gael tousled her hair. "I guess it means, Chaos will let that shifter live, right? He will not do anything, until the end and save him for the end."

Zuri nodded again. "But, if you can tell, Knox and Skylar will be able to tell that too, right?" She became anxious. She hated that she actually cared this much for Eros.

If only these uncomfortable and anguished feelings did not exist, she would have ended Eros's life by herself.

Unfortunately, the universe didn't allow her to do that, she was under the impression that her world would crumble down beneath her feet the moment her mate breathed his last.

Though, not all shifters would die because they couldn't have their mate or from their soul mate's rejection, still the pain was not something fun to take lightly.

Why was it not Chaos? Despite the fact that Eros's soul belonged to Chaos, still, it felt weird and made things become even more complicated.

"About that…" Gael narrowed his eyes, he was in a deep thought. "I think they believe what you said. After all, no one has feelings as deep as you for Chaos. I doubt they will believe otherwise, despite their dissatisfaction, they must think it is a rare coincidence." Gael shrugged his shoulders. "Without you, they brought the wrong shattered souls as many as they brought the real ones.

Good thing is; they can't kill the shattered souls and have to bring them to Chaos alive."

Yeah, that was the only fact that was reassuring, because with that, Eros wouldn't be killed by the two of them.

Zuri was grateful to Gael for saying those reassuring words. She rubbed her face roughly and eyed the man before her. He looked so much older than the first time she met him.

"So, why are you here?" She leaned her back against the sofa and Gael sat next to her. "You did not come here just to put me at ease, right? You are not that kind…"

"I am here because I want to take you somewhere." Gael's expression was a little bit conflicted when he said this, which put Zuri on alert.

"Where?" Zuri straightened her back when she heard how Gael was very reluctant to say this.

"Let's go to see July and Sebastian." Gael blurted out. "I have asked Knox whether or not he wants to see her, but he refuses even to hear her name."

Gael was not there during the time July left the manor, thus he only saw how distraught and heartbroken July was at that time after she came here, but Zuri, on the other hand, witnessed all of Knox's struggle to face the reality of the woman he loved leaving him.

Most of the time, he passed it in a robotic routine, finishing his tasks as soon as possible, challenging his own limits and then he would jump to the next assignment right away.

Or, he would stay inside his room, doing nothing for days before he went back to the same extreme routine, torturing himself.

"I don't think Knox will see her again. He sticks to his words." Zuri wondered, since Knox was part of Chaos's soul, would he act the same way if they were in the same position? Would he never see her again?

"Yeah, I guess so… but, will you see her? There is something that I want you to see." Gael hesitated and this put Zuri on edge.

"What?" She became impatient.

"I want you to see her child." Gael then added. "I think that is Knox's child, but I am not sure about that. Will you come with me, and confirm whether or not the child is Chaos's shattered soul?"

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Emily was exceptionally clingy during this time and she didn't want to be left alone, she would literally tag along with Eros everywhere, even when he just went to the next room to see how Colton was.

Eros could feel her uneasiness, but he didn't say anything about that and let her do whatever she pleased.

"She looks beautiful." Emily put down the book about detoxification that Ariana gave her a while ago. She directed her hazel eyes at Eros, who was standing near the window, after receiving a phone call from Ariana.

The healer was worried sick that she kept asking the same questions to Emily and then Eros, afraid that either of them missed something important about Colton's condition.

"Hm?" Eros lifted his head and then stared at her. "You mean Zuri?"

Emily pressed her lips into a thin line when she heard how that girl's name rolled off his tongue. "Who else? She has exceptionally beautiful white hair."

And the same color of eyes as you.

Eros thought about that, but of course he knew better than to mention anything about it.

"Do you like her? How much do you like her? Will you go to her if you have a chance?" Emily asked again, but the tone of her voice made her words sound more like an accusation, as if Eros had done something unimaginable. It left her surprised that she could be so hostile toward a girl, who she barely knew.

Truthfully, Zuri didn't even do anything and both of them didn't do anything suspicious. They didn't even stealthily stare at each other when they met this morning.

Emily felt so bad to even harbor this feeling.

"I am sorry," she mumbled, she lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers. "I don't mean to say that."

Emily's heart was shrouded with fear, she was scared that Eros would leave her. He was the only person that she had since they were only children. He was the only person that was there throughout her childhood.

Before this, not even once she thought Eros would leave her or give attention to anyone. It was always the two of them and right now, she felt her position was being threatened by the fact that Eros met his mate.

Emily was human, but she knew better what a mate bond would be like. It could be very destructive like Liam and Jasmine's, or it could be very captivating like Ariana and Colton's.

Seeing how distraught Emily was, Eros came closer and sat next to her. "You don't need to be upset," he said. "I am not going anywhere. Where else would I go when you are here?" He kissed her forehead. "This is just a phase, it will be over soon after we leave."

Though they didn't want it, they couldn't resist the mate bond completely.

On the other hand, after hearing what Eros said, Emily nodded slowly. This was not the first time Eros told her something like this, but at this moment, it meant a lot for her. Her eyes stung.

"I am sorry, I don't mean to be like that. I…" She was lost for words because all she said sounded like an excuse in her own ears.

But Eros was very patient with her like always, he listened to her. "I know."

Emily felt her throat being  constricted and she threw herself at him, almost sending both of them straight to the floor if it was not for Eros, who immediately supported himself.

Meanwhile, Emily could care less about that and started sobbing silently into his neck. "Promise me not to go anywhere. If I don't have you, I don't have anyone else."

She had never really thought about this before, but now she realized that Eros was not only the man that she loved, but also the only person that she relied on and depended on the most.

It was so scary how she could depend so much on someone, both emotionally and physically, and this realization hit Emily so hard.

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*Read my new book: KISSED BY THE DARK ALPHA*

Alpha Micah Donovan's second chance mate.