THE UNTAMED

RICHARD DE GUZMAN

"My name is Richard de Guzman, and you..."

"Just call me Tagi for short. And she's my best friend, Abby Jezz."

"Ok. I change my mind now. So, since you are here.. Be my guest!" he announced.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Abby Jezz relax! remember you have one personal thing to settle with me, so this opportunity will be the first steps ahead" Richard said .

"I want to know what you are thinking. And most of all, I want to end whatever my father did to your brother. Just make sure no harm will happen" I said.

"You put me down last night? I can testify that you can do it again. I only have one deal with you."

"You tell me earlier, the better" I said and crossed my arms.

"There is a female wolf in our pack. Basically, she is known to be a fighter, learning taekwondo" he announced. " I want you to beat her in a fair fight." He says.

I got a little surprise and took a deep breath saying, "I don't have those skills. Why do you want me to fight with her?"

"Because I want to challenge her, our elders have made an agreement that she will be my wife, my Luna. But I don't have any feelings for her. She is not my mate. That's why I am looking for some tricks that would make her give up on me, and look for another man she deserves. Since I met you, I think you are fit to fight with her. No worries! it's just a bit of a challenge, no one would be killed." Richard's face seems to be playing dumb at his words.

"You really like the idea, that I'm the one who can help you out"

"Look! I will make sure your safety is my priority okay?" Richard added.

"Is this girl, is the same age as you?" Tagi inserted.

"Yes, what keeps me bothering is, I already told her that she is not my mate but still, she insisted. I don't want to make things that are rude for her, to hurt her, but I wanted to make her realize that her destiny can move without me" Richard said.

"So, what should be the agreement between the two of us, if I'll fight for you ?" I asked him.

"Our agreement? Just beat her until she gives up inside the ring. When you win over her, I will forget the arrears between your father and my brother. But when you lose, I will tell everyone that you will join our pack with your best friend Tagi." Richard explained, trying to push me to the limit. He is not only stupid, but arrogant.

Now I know, he has the guts to tell me that. "Is there any other way?"

"I don't have any idea for now. But at least... I'm honest with you guys, your abilities help me to be free on this s**t!" Richard smile.

"How about your father, the Alpha, did he know about your plan?" Tagi asks him.

"I'll take care of the Alpha, as long as you follow what we agreed" Richard says.

My parents taught me to be obedient to elders, but why? Why did I come to this point? Mom will get home from work at night, and dad will go to a side job as an air conditioning technician. I think they will both go home late at night.

It felt difficult for me to accept this test. I have never fought anyone before, except for the night that I fight with this guy in wolf form, even if he intends to attack us. This is bad, and I know this might be a trap, but I have to find out. If I decline this... he can be dangerous in our life.

While I was thinking, Tagi placed her right palm on my back and caressed it. She did that when she noticed that I was deep in thought. "Besh, it looks like we have no way out, but don't worry, I won't leave you no matter what happens."

I nod at her.

But I remember what Marvin said, biking is being a good thing for me to prepare my bones. So maybe I should try it and accept the test that Richard imposed on me.

"Fine! I will do it. But make sure you won't fool me this time." I told Richard.

"Yes, I will make sure that everything will be going smoothly and clearly."

"Deal" I announced.

"Deal" Richard responded with his husky and strong voice.

Then he finally, turned away and talked to someone on the phone. I could hear him pleading to prepare the place for a battle called the "ring". He added that he would come with his best fighter. The person on the other line seemed to agree, so he dropped the phone and came to us.

"So, the place is going to be ready later. I will give you a ride to the next street. We will be having lunch as a celebration of your acceptance of the test. Thank me later, OK?" Richard says.

"Good for yourself, your parents are unlucky to have a child who likes to fool others!" Tagi said.

But Richard smile."This thing is so exciting! This experience will not be forgotten, considering that you help me out of this s**t"

"I hope you learned something about this, rejecting a woman who paid respect and love you is like a curse, take those words as my reminders" Tagi said. While Richard frowned.

We walked with Richard and got into his car. I can sense that Tagi is in a bad mood today, because she was very annoyed to him.

After lunch, we set off again. Concrete buildings gave way to narrow roads, then to long stretches of land where trees leaned close. The sky became pale this afternoon.

No one spoke much during the drive. Richard’s hands were steady on the steering wheel, his jaw tight, eyes fixed on the road ahead. Whatever this place was, he knew it well. I could tell by the way he took each turn without hesitation, even when the road narrowed into something barely wide enough for one vehicle.

The air changed too cooler, carrying the scent of damp earth and old wood. Two hours passed like a slow breath. Then finally, the car began to slow.

We entered a village that felt… forgotten. The houses were spaced far apart, most of them built from wood and stone, their paint faded long by time and rain. There were no children playing, no voices drifting from open windows. Only silence, and the soft crunch of gravel beneath the tires.

Richard stopped the car in front of a white house.

At least, it must have once been white. Now the paint was cracked and peeling, stained yellow and gray in places. Vines crept along the walls like living scars, and the roof sagged slightly in the middle, as though the house itself was tired. The windows were narrow and dark, reflecting nothing but the sky behind us.

“This is it,” Richard said quietly.

The moment we stepped out of the car, the silence pressed in harder. No birds. No wind. Just the faint creak of the old house settling, as if it were aware of our presence.

Richard led the way inside.

The door opened with a low groan, and the smell hit me immediately, dust, old wood, something herbal and bitter underneath. The interior was dim, lit only by thin beams of sunlight sneaking through the curtains, and a shadows clung to every corners.

That’s when I saw them. Two men stood at the entrance hall, as if they were waiting. They were tall, broad-shouldered, dressed simply in dark clothes. Their faces were calm, unreadable, but their eyes were sharp. The kind of eyes that miss nothing. When they looked at me, I felt like they were seeing far more than I wanted them to.

One of them nodded slightly. "You’re expected,” he said.

The other stepped aside, clearing the path into the house. The sound of the door closing behind us echoed louder than it should have. And in that moment, as the light faded, I realized that this place wasn’t just old it was guarded.

"This is Tagi, my girlfriend. She had brought her friend's name, Abby Jezz. She's the one who will fight with Stella." Richard said. Then I saw Tagi's reactions and annoyance and she bit her lips.

"Good! Both of you should get ready. Stella is waiting inside the ring" The other man says, pointed at me. Then Richard took us into the basement. It seemed that it was in a deep area of the Wwhisperedhite House.

As we walked into the lobby, Tagi says "Besh, trust yourself! You can do it!"

I know she was concerned about us. She held my cold hand. I feel the energy that my body absorbs from her. The mixture of heat and cold is now congealing inside my me. But I never minded it. I think it was just part of my nervousness. I feel fear... fear for my dear family and fear for Marvin when he finds out where I am now.

When we stepped into the room, we were greeted by a spacious area, featuring a large ring right in the center. The ring was enclosed by sturdy iron bars, and beams of sunlight streamed down from above, illuminating the ring perfectly. Behind it, a variety of high-tech equipment was set up, clearly meant for gymnasts. Inside the room, we spotted four women and eight men seated near the ring, looking like judges ready for an upcoming competition.

Just then, a tall woman with black hair walked in and welcomed us warmly. "Hello, young ladies! Welcome to the underground of the White Stone Pack.".

Tagi looks at me, and I know what she wants to say, it's about the area that is new to our very own eyes.

"Abby Jezz, this is Marie, she will assist you in the ring. Just tell her what you need. Tagi and I will be sitting up there." Richard said. He pointed at those eight men who were sitting in the front. Their age is at 40 's I think, they both look on us as we arrive on that place.

Then I left Tagi behind. Marie took me to a corner where there was a small fitting room. She gave me a pair of acute gym clothes with higher where there was a small fitting room. She gave me a pair of acute gym clothes with high-waisted pants. Then she also fixed the black knitted stretch and elastic gloves on my hands.

"Can I ask for something?"

"Sure, what is it?" she said.

"Actually, I am not in good condition right now. Maybe you have medicine for the stomachache, because I feel nauseous." she laughed after I say this said, "Really, are you nervous or didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

"No! Maybe I just ate something last night that I didn't like." I lied to her. Even though the truth is, that was one of my illnesses when Marvin was far from me.

"OK, I understand; just tell me what you need. But during the fight, you can't back out because your stomach hurts. You have to fight to the end. That's the rule."

Marie explained. She handed me one tablet of medicine and one bottle of water. Later on, I heard a burst of applause.