434 DIFFERENT VALUE

Zuri was very familiar with this scent and feeling. She knew that Chaos’s shattered soul was nearby. It was not Knox, Norbeat, or Skylar, it was someone else.

But, why was it inside the manor? Would it be someone she knew? Or was it someone that July or Knox knew?

Zuri was still wearing the necklace that the old lady from the Hakan village gave her. She felt it was not right to keep this with her, especially when she was the one who had dragged her down to her demise.

Yet, she couldn’t just throw it away like it was nothing...

The scent brought her to July’s bedroom, which made Zuri become even more distraught. Someone inside this room was Chaos’ shattered soul, but whoever it was inside this room, it would be someone that was close to July, for her to allow this person to be inside.

Zuri raised her hand, but she only knocked after a few seconds had passed, as she tried to rearrange her messy emotions.

“Who is there?” July asked, her voice was cheerful. She was happy with whoever inside was.

“It’s me.” Zuri needed to clear her throat, so she could talk a little bit clearer.

“Come in,” July said and Zuri entered the room only to see a little girl, around the age of four, sitting on the bed with July. “Come here, I want to introduce you to Flo.” She waved her hand to signal Zuri, so she could walk faster.

.....

What Zuri wanted to do right now was; turn around and walk back to her own bedroom and try to fall asleep, especially after she saw the little girl’s blue eyes.

Yet, she couldn’t do that when her feet brought her even closer to the bed, instead of toward the door. In the end, Zuri found herself standing next to the bed, staring at the little girl, who was smiling and showing her white teeth to her, while saying; hello... in a childish voice.

“Flo, this is Zuri,” July introduced them and she was smiling even wider when she saw how excited the little girl was to see Zuri’s white hair. She knew that she would love it. “Zuri, this is Flo. She and her parents came here around a year ago when they were running away from rogues.”

“Did they have some ability that you need or you just took them in because you like the child?” Zuri asked July, her voice was a little bit harsh, which was not necessary.

However, Zuri knew exactly the rules to be accepted into this McKeltar manor. You needed to be useful. A family of three... she didn’t think they would be useful for them.

In a split second, the smile on July’s face faded away, as she looked at Zuri intensely. She seemed to know where her aggravation came from.

But, before she decided what she needed to do next, Flo had broken the silence between them with her curious voice.

“Can I touch your hair?” Flo asked, she stretched out her hand, trying to reach for Zuri’s white hair. “Your hair is so pretty.”

Zuri glanced at July, whose face was now ashen, but in the end, she bent down her body and let the little girl grab her hair, run her fingers through it and then heard her giggle happily.

“Didn’t Knox tell you about her?” Zuri asked. She still let Flo touch her hair, as she sat down on the edge of the bed and the little girl circled her to play with her long hair.

Zuri was sure Knox must know that this little girl named Flo was Chaos’s shattered soul and from the reaction she got from July, yes, she also knew about it. Knox must have told her, but she forgot that Zuri was able to tell that she was Chaos’s shattered soul.

“July, you know what will happen,” Zuri said finally. She didn’t want to scare her. This was already a common knowledge between them; Chaos needed his shattered souls and the fate of every single creature that carried his souls was not really good. “You know what will happen, but you got attached to her emotionally.”

July lowered her head, her lips were trembling when she was about to speak, but there were no words that could be heard, she felt defeated.

She simply forgot about Zuri’s ability and naively asked her to come in.

“Zuri, please...” July grabbed her hands immediately, pleading with her. She was so happy to see her again after all the years they were separated, but now, she really wanted her to get away from this place along with Chaos. “Zuri, don’t do this to me...”

“I don’t have the final say in this, July,” Zuri said, as she grabbed her hands too.

From the looks of it, this little girl was someone important to July, but she was nothing for Zuri. She didn’t hold any value for Zuri.

Yes, it was sad that she needed to die at such a young age, but she was not the first child that carried Chaos’ soul and Zuri had learned how to detach herself from this kind of feeling. She no longer saw them as a woman, a man, a child or whatever... they were just Chaos’ souls, that was it.

One time she slipped out was when she met the old lady and that kind of feeling was something that she didn’t need. It would distract her from her goal, from their goal.

They needed to gather all Chaos’ souls, in order for him to be able to control himself, to control the demon inside of him.

“You know this,” Zuri reminded her again about their purpose.

July looked defeated, she lowered her head as silent tears fell from her eyes, wetting her pants, as her shoulders started trembling.

“Aunty, why are you crying?” Flo stopped playing with Zuri’s hair, as she came over to console July. “Don’t cry, I am here. Are you hurt?” She hugged her and patted her back. “There, there...”

Zuri didn’t want to be tangled in this emotional mess, thus she spoke very softly to her, though she knew nothing would help to calm her down.

“I will give you an hour and after that, I will tell Chaos about this,” Zuri said and then left the room, leaving Flo to be with July for their last moment together.

“Aunty, why are you crying?” Flo asked her in her small voice, as she hugged her tightly and started to sob as well. “Did she say something bad to you? Did the sister with white hair make you sad?”

July raised her head and then hugged her back, as she smelled her scent and this only made her heart hurt even more.

She needed to do something, or else, they would take her away from her and she didn’t want that to happen.

She would never allow that to happen.

“Flo, do you want to go with me to see the witch?” July asked her, as she wiped her tears away, but it was not actually a question, because she had stood up and carried her in one arm, while she rummaged through her bag to find her car keys.

“The witch? Yes, I want to.” Flo nodded and then hugged her neck, as they walked out of the room.

At this moment, July was too busy to get out of this manor as soon as possible to reach the witch’s place, so she didn’t pay close attention to the little girl’s expression when she wasn’t looking at her.

Her expression didn’t suit a four year old child at all.

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Zuri met a young man when she was walking back to her bedroom after she gave July an ultimatum. She knew it would break her heart, but sometimes what was right did not always bring you joy.

“Zuri!” The young man’s eyes widened when he saw her. He then jumped to hug her, yet before he could do that, Zuri had kicked him away.

“Who are you?” Zuri was sure she knew some of the people in this manor, but she had never seen this young man before and then what? He wanted to hug her?

On the other hand, the young man fell on his butt to the floor, as he grimaced in pain and glared at Zuri for treating him that way.

“Zuri, you didn’t change at all...” he said begrudgingly, as he tried to stand up, yet the way Zuri looked at him was an indirect order for him to stay where he was. “I am Norbeat! Don’t you remember your friend anymore?!” he snapped, he was really pissed by Zuri’s reaction after he let her know who he was.

“Oh, it’s you...” Zuri nodded. “I don’t remember that we are friends,” she said lightly, as she continued to walk to her bedroom.

“Damn you, Zuri!” Norbeat cursed under his breath and only then Zuri was convinced a hundred percent right now that it was indeed the soul possessor. “Where are you going?!”

historical

Norbeat immediately stood up and then followed her.

“You don’t need to know,” Zuri replied, without slowing down her pace at all, but she stole a glance at Norbeat for a second. Apparently, Norbeat was in a shifter’s body.

“Chaos is looking for you!” Norbeat finally managed to catch up with her, she walked so fast!

“I will meet him at dinner, there is something I want to talk about with him too,” Hazel said. She needed to talk about Flo.

“No, Chaos wants you to see him now and a little girl.”

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

Alpha Micah Donovan’s second chance mate.