The Mating Run

Chapter 43

Bond | never thought it would come to this, you know?

Zeke and me, sharing this strange bond that’s closer than anything I’ve ever known. It’s like trying to understand the language of the stars, the way they twinkle in the vast night sky. Sometimes | wonder if the stars know why they shine together, or if it’s just some cosmic accident.

That’s how | feel about Zeke and me, like some accident that even the universe can’t explain. 1.me. Back in the beginning, during those raw days of the Mating Run, he tried to kill

I can still feel the fear clawing at my throat, the desperation to survive. It was like a dance of death, with each step bringing us closer to the edge. Zeke and I, circling each other in a deadly tango.

| stabbed him, and he stabbed me, and in the midst of that chaos, | saw something in his eyes. It wasn’t just the hunger for survival; there was something deeper, a flicker of vulnerability that mirrored my own.

It's crazy, isn’t it? How life weaves these intricate threads that connect us in ways we can’t fathom.

After the blood and the chaos, when the Mating Run had taken its toll on us, Zeke got sick. Sick to the point where his strength faltered, and he stumbled, hitting his head on a jagged rock. | remember the moment vividly, the dull thud of his skull against the unforgiving stone. It was like the world paused for a breath, and in that breath, everything changed.

| could have left him there, bleeding and broken, but I didn’t. 1/7 Bond

Instead, | found myself nursing him back to health. It was surreal, like tending to a wounded enemy, yet something deeper than instinct propelled me forward. | watched over him as he slept, his breaths shallow and fragile. It was in those quiet moments that | began to see Zeke not just as a threat, but as a person with vulnerabilities, with scars that ran deeper than the physical ones.

Why did | do it? Why did | become his caretaker when every fiber of my being screamed to run, to leave him behind? Maybe it was the realization that in this harsh world, we are bound by something more profound than the scars on our bodies.

Maybe, deep down, | saw a reflection of my own fragility in him. We were two messed up souls trying to survive, and somehow, we found comfort in each other's

presence.

| remember the first time | looked at him with something akin to understanding in my eyes, a silent acknowledgment of the debt he could never repay me. It was in that moment that | realized he had become something more to me than just a

Hunter. | became the unexpected lifeline in his chaotic existence, and he became mine. It's strange, how the person you least expect becomes your anchor in a storm.

Pain sears through my neck as Victor's sharp claws press closer, a cold reminder of his merciless grip. | whimper involuntarily, my hands instinctively reaching up to try and loosen his hold. The air feels dense, suffocating, and I’m acutely aware of Zeke’s glare, a fierce snarl building in his throat.

Zeke, usually a force to be reckoned with, looks on with a mixture of anger and concern. His powerful frame tenses, muscles coiling beneath his skin as he assesses the situation.

Victor finds amusement in the dire straits I’m caught in.

“Well, well, Alina. Looks like your mighty protector isn’t as invincible as you thought.”

Victor taunts, the malice in his voice cutting through the silence of the

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confrontation.

| shoot a desperate look at Zeke, my silent plea urging him to intervene. His eyes, usually filled with steely resolve, betray a flicker of worry. The snarl, a potent display of his frustration, ripples through the air, but Victor remains unfazed.

“Awww! Does this mean that this brute would keep you safe, Alina? How 1 amusing.”

Victor continues, his claws digging into my skin just enough to elicit another whimper. The pain is a constant reminder that I’m at his mercy.

Zeke’s jaw clenches, the tension radiating from him as he struggles with the urge to attack.

Victor revels in the power dynamic shifting, relishing the unexpected vulnerability he’s uncovered. “Zeke, my formidable rival, brought to his knees by a mere girl.”

Zeke’s gaze narrows, a storm brewing in the depths of his eyes. He’s a

formidable figure, used to instilling fear, but Victor’s twisted amusement seems to chip away at his stoic facade.

He growls, low and threatening.

“Let her go.”

Victor, however, is fueled by the chaos he’s sown. He tightens his grip on my neck, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “No, | don’t think | will.”

I gasp, the lack of air becoming a painful reality. Zeke’s eyes blaze with a fiery determination, torn between the primal instinct to protect and the awareness that any hasty move could worsen the situation.

| just figured out that Victor is really enjoying how vulnerable | am and Zeke’s crack in his tough exterior. 27

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Zeke, his patience wearing thin, takes a step forward.

“Let her go, Victor. This won't end well for you.”

“Or what, Bastard? You'll unleash your fury on me? It seems you're already losing control.”

I catch a glimpse of Zeke’s internal struggle. The conflict within him is palpable, torn between the loyalty that binds him to me and the rage that Victor’s taunts ignite. | want to scream at him, to beg him not to give in to Victor’s provocations.

“You're weak, Zeke. Weak and stupid. All this might, and yet you can’t protect what matters to you.”

Zeke’s nostrils flare, a silent battle raging within him. His gaze meets mine, silent promise that he won't let Victor’s mockery go unanswered. But the situation remains on the edge, a volatile equilibrium that threatens to tip into chaos.

Victor, sensing the unrest, decides to push the boundaries further. “Come on, Zeke. Show us all how powerful you are. Or are you afraid your little weakness will cost you everything?”

Pain erupts through my neck as Victor’s sharp claws puncture my skin. A gasp escapes my lips, but I’m paralyzed, unable to move away from the agony. Blood drips down my skin, staining it.

Zeke, a snarl ripping from his throat, glares at Victor. The air thickens with tension as the two titans face off. Zeke, usually a force of strength, looks helpless against Victor’s sadistic game.

Victor laughs, the sound echoing through the charged atmosphere. “Why did you even try to be the pack’s Alpha, Zeke?” he taunts, the malice in his voice cutting through the air. Zeke’s eyes blaze with a mixture of rage and frustration.

“No matter how hard you try, my father won’t give you the position meant for me. An Alpha shouldn't be so weak!” Victor jeers, his laughter intensifying. Zeke’s fists clench, but Victor’s words linger like a poisonous sting.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

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My vision blurs as | struggle to stay conscious. Victor, reveling in the chaos he’s sown, grips my neck again. The world starts to spin, and darkness edges into my consciousness.

“Why fight, Zeke? You were never meant to lead. Your weakness is evident, just like hers,” Victor sneers, his grip on my neck tightening. The pain is unbearable, and | feel my strength waning.

Zeke’s snarl grows more ferocious, a primal declaration of defiance. “Let her go, Victor. This is between you and me,” he growls, the tension in the air thickening.

Victor, however, remains unyielding. “You think challenging me will change anything? My father chose me, Zeke. He always will. Accept your place,” he taunts, the cruelty in his words cutting through Zeke’s resolve.

“Weakness should never lead. An Alpha should be ruthless, unyielding!” Victor declares, his fingers digging into my neck. I'm on the verge of losing consciousness, the pain and darkness enveloping me.

Victor's laughter, a haunting melody, fills the air. “You can’t protect her, Zeke. Your futile attempts only make you weaker in my father’s eyes!” he goads, relishing in the power he holds over both of us.

Zeke’s frustration turns into a desperate roar, a last attempt to break free from

Victor's taunts.

“Enough, Victor! This ends now!”

Zeke’s snarl reverberates through the charged air as he readies himself to lunge at Victor. The tension is palpable, a collision of

primal forces on the brink of chaos. But just as Zeke’s muscles coil for the attack, Victor opens his mouth, baring his canines menacingly at my neck.

Time freezes.

Acollective understanding passes between Zeke and me. We know what it

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means. Victor, with this display, is claiming me as his own. The threat hangs in the air, a sinister proclamation of dominance that leaves us both at a loss.

Victor's smile, a twisted expression of triumph, stretches across his face. He revels in our helplessness, savoring the taste of control he’s wrested from us. | feel a chill run down my spine, the weight of what’s unfolding settling in my chest.

“Stop, Zeke,” | whisper, my voice barely audible. The reality of the situation. sinks in, and a sense of resignation washes over me. Zeke hesitates, the conflict in his eyes mirroring the turmoil within me.

Victor, still baring his canines, takes a step closer. His eyes gleam with at malicious glint.

Zeke’s jaw clenches, torn between the instinct to protect and the understanding that challenging Victor now might lead to dire consequences. | feel his restraint, a potent force in the charged atmosphere.

“Zeke, don't.” | plead, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and resignation.

Victor chuckles, the sound a mockery of our predicament. “You see, Alina, ant Alpha should know when to yield. Your protector is learning a valuable lesson.”

“You thought you could challenge me, Zeke?” Victor declares, the weight of his words pressing on us like a suffocating force. “But an Alpha who can’t protect what's his is no Alpha at all.”

Victor, with a final triumphant smile, closes the distance between us. His canines hover dangerously close to my neck, a chilling reminder of the power hel holds.

“Stay away from her,” Zeke growls, a low rumble that resonates through the charged silence. But his warning seems feeble in the face of Victor’s calculated display of dominance.

Victor's laughter, a haunting melody, reverberates through the tense air. “You know, Alina, your mighty protector here has always been on my ass!” Ill

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Victor sneers, his eyes glinting with malicious delight. | glance at Zeke, not at all puzzled by the accusation. In all the time I’ve known Victor, I’ve never heard Zeke utter a single word to him.

“Why so quiet, Zeke? Cat got your tongue?” Victor goads, reveling in the opportunity to taunt him. I'm left standing in the middle of their power play, a pawn caught in a game whose rules | don’t fully understand.

“You see, Alina, Zeke here has always resented my presence. As if I've done something to him,” Victor continues, his words dripping with a calculated malice. “It’s not my fault my father’s making him a placeholder for when | get the Alpha title! Bastard, | never even wanted it in the first place! But since you want it so bad, then damn, it makes me want it too.”

Victor's twisted smile sends a shiver down my spine as he grabs my chin, his touch possessive and unsettling. Zeke’s gaze, a storm of hatred, remains locked on Victor, the tension between them thickening the air.

| grit my teeth, determined not to let Victor’s taunts get under my skin. “Look. | didn’t sign up for any of this shit. If you guys want to fight, leave me out of it! | just want to survive the Mating Run and go back home!”

“You're more involved than you think, Alina. Whether you like it or not, you’re a part of our little drama,” Victor smirks, his eyes gleaming with a predatory glint. | exchange a glance with Zeke, a questionable glance in his direction. “Really. Zeke, with a crush? A big guy like him? | never thought I'd see the day!”