The Mating Run by Leeka

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“Ettie,” With a measured but firm voice, I start to say, capturing her attention. “We both signed up for the Mating Run to find ourselves a mate. You can’t just–Jay claim to me like that.”

Frustration and urgency etch across her face, her brows furrow deeply.

“Alina, you just don’t get it. This isn’t about the Run anymore. It’s all about staying alive. Getting back to how things used to be.”

I shake my head, my hands instinctively curl into tight fists, ready to defend myself.

“We don’t have to forget everything we’ve been through to survive, Ettie. All I want is to find someone to be with; I don’t ask to be treated like your possession.”

Ettie’s narrowed gaze transforms from desperation to a determined resolve.

“This isn’t about… ownership, Alina! We’re talking about keeping you safe. If I mark you, we can leave this madness behind. We don’t have to keep running anymore.”

“But at what cost?” I retort, my words laced with anger as I jab her on the chest. A hint of hurt flashes across Ettie’s face, but I choose to ignore it. “If you do that to me, Ettie, there’s no turning back. You’re not even bothering to ask if I want that; it’s all about you.”

The silence that follows is punctuated by the lingering echoes of our contrasting perspectives. Ettie’s eyes, once pleading, now glisten with a determined fierceness.

“Alina, you’re missing the point. This is how we’ll get out. An opportunity to take back control of our lives.”

I breathe out a sigh, feeling stuck between two things. Disappointment washes

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“I won’t let fear make me do something that I’ll regret in the end.”

Ettie’s piercing gaze tells me everything I need to know – her frustration is reaching its boiling point. In frustration, she throws her hand up in the air and lets out a low growl.

“What do you even want, Alina? Wanna keep running, keep fighting until one of us goes down to this crazy shit?”

“I want to find a mate, Ettie,” I assert, my voice unwavering. “And I won’t compromise on that goal. We can navigate the challenges without you claiming me.”

Ettie’s fists clench at her sides, a visible struggle within her as the clash of desires wages war on her resolve. “You’re being stubborn, Alina. This is a chance for us to be free.”

“I won’t exchange one form of captivity for another.”

Right now, as I stand, my mind goes crazy, picking apart every little thing about her expression and where she’s looking.

I know Ettie really well, maybe even better than I know myself. We go through so much together, face our demons, and come out stronger, connected by the language of shared struggles.

Ettie’s eyes tell a different story than her words. She’s always an open book to me; you can see how she feels just by looking at her. But today, today is different. Her gaze has this sneaky little dance, like she’s hiding something.

just doesn’t sound right. She says it’s for my own safety.

I know better. I think I know what Ettie really means,

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she’s actually up to something? We go through some rough times together the Hunters, the unforgiving Mating Run – and now Ettie wants to

–

first meet to all the challenges we face as a team. In the struggle

on what’s going on inside. My stomach all twisted up, it’s a clear sign that I’m really anxious. Ettie’s proposal is like a puzzle, each piece

of unexpressed thoughts. Her unspoken motivations hang heavy around us, creating a

intentions.

“Why are you so fixated on claiming me? There has to be more to it than just keeping me

a soft, deliberate whisper.

and disbelief etch my features as my brows

“What?”

Ettie’s eyes meet mine, I can see a torrent of emotions churning in

someone, it might as well

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hangs in the air, heavy and laden with significance, causing an eerie chill to run down my back. As I take a step back, my mind races

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my head, trying to get rid of the uneasy feeling Ettie’s words give me. The air feels heavy, suffocating, as the weight of unsaid things hangs over us. Ettie’s proposal, hidden behind the idea of safety, keeps playing in

Don’t say that.”

making a sound in the awkward silence.

not saying anything, which shows how much she’s going through. She’s falling apart right in front of me, losing her cool, and I’m just watching my old

up, I could

you’re like this,” I declare, my words escaping my lips with a hint of irritation rather than a well–thought–out expression. “This isn’t you, Ettie.

my arm startles me, causing me to momentarily lose my train of thought. The air crackles with her desperation, creating an

her eyes transform, shifting from a tranquil blue to an ominous black. “Don’t walk away from me, Alina. It’s the wrong decision. I can’t control myself right now, and I need

the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. But the fear of watching someone

I receive In return is a fierce growl from Ettie. “You’re freaking me out. I have no idea what’s going on. This claim and talk about safety, it’s just not adding up. And holding onto me like this, begging me not to go because you can’t handle yourself? That’s

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with desperation, now shimmer with a glimmer of understanding. It’s as though she’s trapped in a battle

thunderstorm on the horizon, pondering if I have the strength to guide us through this tempest or if we will be

fierce and unyielding Ettie I’ve known. “I

words suspend in the air, a turbulent confession that sends

Mine.

possessiveness in that utterance sends shivers down my spine, and I

say, shaking my head in disbelief. “I can’t stay if you’re not yourself. If you’re gonna keep acting like this desperate, possessive – I can’t stay. I won’t. I need the Ettie I know, the one who