UNTAMED: THE ALPHA

It could be counted on two hands the number of times Gael drove and picked her back from school, thus what he said was nonsense.

"Don't kid me, you didn't drive me to school, you gave me money to take public transportation." Zuri swatted his hand away.

"Oh, did I?" Gael looked surprised when he heard that. "I don't remember that, you know when you grow old, you become senile," he chuckled at his own joke, but quickly stopped when he saw the way Zuri threw him a dagger look. "Okay, I will stop here."

The first thing they saw after opening the gates and entering the house was a front yard that was not too big, but they could hear a giggling sound from a little girl, followed by July's voice saying something to her.

Zuri froze for a moment in her place, July's voice sounded exactly the way she remembered it and then there was another voice, which was clearly a man's. It must be Sebastian.

"I think they are in the backyard." Gael tilted his head and then looked around this area, but he halted his steps when he realized that Zuri didn't move from her spot. "Zuri?"

The look on her face alone told him his deepest fear, the worst thing possible that could happen, had come true.

"So, that's it," Gael said under his breath, his eyes hardened and he kept his eyes on the girl beside him. "Do you want to confirm this again?"

Zuri didn't need to confirm anything, even though she wanted to see July and Sebastian again after six years, she didn't want to confirm this. If she could, she would choose to stay away from them and know nothing.

She didn't want to put herself in the crossroads again and chose who she would save. It was enough for her to ask Chaos to spare Eros and Nikolai's lives, but if she asked for more, she was afraid that Chaos would put her at arm's length again like before.

She didn't want Chaos to think that she was conflicted with the situation they were in right now, even though that was the truth.

Zuri didn't want to admit this, but she started despising their situation right now. It was a mild feeling at the beginning, something that she could brush off easily, but it was like a seed that would be taken care of before it grew stronger. She wanted to cut that kind of feeling.

"We… we need to leave," Zuri stammered, because she could hear the sound of the footsteps coming closer to them, but it was too late.

Zuri took a step back, but before she could leave, they heard a shrill scream from the little girl, who was rushing toward them and Zuri was mortified when she found the blue eyes staring back at her.

"Guess who!" the little girl squealed and then her beautiful eyes darted toward Gael. "Uncle Gael!"

The little girl ran toward Gael with her short arms raised high, asking for him to lift her up, she looked so happy to see Gael. From the looks of it, he must have visited a few times for the little girl to remember him.

"Rhea! Where are you going?" July's voice could be heard before they could see her. Sebastian was just a step behind her.

The two of them had twin pleasant, surprised expressions when they saw Gael, but their expressions immediately changed when they saw Zuri was there as well, after all, it was hard to not recognize her with her peculiar white hair, even though she had turned around and was about to leave this scene.

"Zuri?" July called her, as she hastened her steps and then grabbed her by her wrist to make her turn around. "It's really you…" she sighed.

How July was right now? She must not be that old, right?

The woman before her eyes, was beautiful, she must have broken the hearts of a few men in her golden years, but even so, time didn't favor humans like her, she grew old. The young woman that Zuri remembered was well hidden behind her hardened expression. She looked fragile, but not to the point of concerning others.

However, Zuri recognized it, she was growing old, just like what July was scared of the most when she left the McKeltar manor six years ago. She grew old and in a blink of an eye, she would be like Ann.

A human's lifespan was so short compared to that of a supernatural creature and what Zuri could understand from what she was seeing right now was; they would be gone in a few years.

Ten to twenty years meant nothing to her, but for them, it was different. It would only make them grow closer to their own demise. In the end, she would need to say goodbye to the people that she knew.

"Zuri? What are you thinking?" July shook her arm to get her attention because she had been staring at her intensely. "I missed you."

And without waiting for her reaction, July pulled her into a tight hug. She always said that she thought of her as her little sister, she was her family, no matter what happened in the future.

But right now, Zuri wondered if she would still think of her as her family when everything had been done and she must do what was necessary…

Zuri didn't think she would be forgiven. She was at a loss…

It would be easier for her to kill hundreds of people that she didn't know rather than have to face the reality before her eyes.

"Oh, I have not yet introduced you to my daughter," July said, as she freed herself from this hug and then scooped the little girl into her arms. "This is Rhea, my and Sebastian's daughter."

Everyone there knew that was a lie, except this little girl named Rhea.

"Hello, Rhea," Zuri greeted her dizzily and the little girl's smile bloomed warmly.

"I love your hair!"

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

Alpha Micah Donovan's second chance mate.