The Mating Run by Leeka

Bond

I 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 I wonder if the stars know why they shine together, or if it’s just some cosmic accident.

That’s how I 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.

I stabbed him, and he stabbed me, and in the midst of that chaos, I 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. I 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.

I could have left him there, bleeding and broken, but I didn’t.

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Bond

Instead, I found myself nursing him back to health. It was surreal, like tending to a wounded enemy, yet something deeper than instinct propelled me forward. I watched over him as he slept, his breaths shallow and fragile. It was in those quiet moments that I 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 I do it? Why did I 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, I 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.

I remember the first time I 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 I realized he had become something more to me than just a

Hunter.

I 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. I 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

III

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confrontation.

resolve, betray a flicker of worry. The snarl, a potent display of his frustration, ripples through the air, but Victor remains

mean that this brute would

1 amusing.”

his claws digging into my skin just enough to elicit another whimper.

tension radiating from him as he struggles with the urge to

the unexpected vulnerability he’s uncovered. “Zeke, my formidable rival, brought to his knees by

a storm brewing in the depths of his eyes. He’s a

amusement seems to chip away at his stoic facade.

low and threatening.

“Let her go.”

is fueled by the chaos he’s sown. He tightens his grip on my neck, a cruel smile playing

think I

fiery determination, torn

is really enjoying how vulnerable I

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Bond

-J

his patience wearing thin, takes a

Victor. This won’t end well for

You’ll unleash your fury on

palpable, torn between the loyalty that binds him to me and the rage that Victor’s taunts ignite. I want to scream at him, to beg him not to give in to Victor’s provocations.

Weak and stupid. All this might, and yet you can’t protect what matters to

a

raging within him. His gaze meets mine, silent promise that he won’t let Victor’s mockery go unanswered.

boundaries further. “Come on, Zeke. Show us all how powerful you are. Or are you afraid your little weakness will cost you

as Victor’s sharp claws puncture my skin. A gasp escapes my lips, but I’m paralyzed, unable to move away

Victor. The air thickens with tension as the

the charged atmosphere. “Why did you even try to be the pack’s Alpha, Zeke?” he taunts, the malice in his voice

try, my father won’t give you the position meant for me. An Alpha shouldn’t be so weak!” Victor jeers,

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reveling in the chaos he’s sown, grips my neck again. The world starts to spin, and darkness edges into

evident, just like hers,” Victor sneers, his grip on my neck tightening. The pain

“Let her go, Victor. This is between you and me,” he

tension in

however, remains unyielding. “You think challenging me will change anything? My father chose me, Zeke. He

Alpha should be ruthless,

digging

on the verge of losing consciousness,

fills the air. “You can’t protect her, Zeke. Your futile attempts only make you weaker in my father’s

roar, a last attempt to

Victor’s taunts.

Victor! This