The Mating Run by Leeka

In His Eyes: Equals
Zeke's POV
“Hey, where you off to?”
Turning towards me, Alina raised an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation.
Her hair was neatly pulled back into a half ponytail, and she had her hoodie tied
around her waist. Ettie has been unconscious for a few days now, and there are
no signs of her waking up. Despite her best efforts to appear unfazed, Alina’s
weary eyes reveal her exhaustion through the prominent bags beneath them.
To be honest, I'm kind of scared of letting her go anywhere without me. I worry
about what could happen when she’s on her own. And I'm scared that her brain
will make her go to that dark place again, where she becomes unreachable to
me. I can tell that Alina is aware of my proximity, as she subtly glances in my
direction. But every time, she instinctively reaches out to touch her mating mark,
indicating her understanding of its meaning.
“Take it easy, Mr. Stalker.” With an exasperated sigh, Alina rolls her eyes and
begins to make her way towards the door. “Look, I gotta go pee real quick. I don’t
think I'll need your help on that one, Zeke.”
“Can never be too careful.”
“Alright, Mr. Stalker. I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone.”
After she disappeared into the forest, I was left alone with only the flickering
candlelight illuminating the room and the stillness of Ettie, lying unconscious on
the makeshift bed. I busied myself with sharpening my tools, the sharp, metallic
sound breaking the eerie silence of the cabin. With each stroke, the sharpening
stone effortlessly glided across the blade, leaving a sharp, polished edge.
Throughout my work, I kept my senses heightened, ready to pick up on any
subtle shifts in the environment. The forest outside seemed to hold its breath,
and every rustle of leaves or distant snap of a twig was a potential threat.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a faint, almost imperceptible creaking sound
that barely registered in my ears. My instincts took over, causing me to spin
around in one fluid motion, knife raised and prepared for whatever danger may
come. Ettie came into view, and my eyes instantly widened. Her gaze lifted,
connecting with mine, and the intensity in her eyes sent shivers coursing through
1. me.
With her elbows as support, she lifted herself up, resembling a marionette
controlled by unseen forces. As she looked at me, her eyes no longer held any
trace of recognition or emotion, only a blank and empty stare. It was as though
Ettie had become a conduit for an unknown power, her body a mere vessel, and
the darkness that enveloped her was beyond anything she had ever
encountered. The sight. strangely reminded me of Alina when I found her
vulnerable and alone.
As I moved back cautiously, I could feel my muscles tightening with each step.
Her eyes were distant and unfocused, leaving me unsure if she could
comprehend or respond. There was no warmth in her gaze, no recognition. It
was akin to gazing into the unfamiliar gaze of a stranger.
For a brief moment, she continued to be motionless, the silence growing more
pronounced with each passing second.
Then, with an unsettling speed, she lunged forward. With adrenaline coursing
through my veins, I swung the knife in a swift and instinctive motion, warding her
off. In the dim light, the gleaming blade caught my attention as I struggled to
comprehend the unfolding situation.
“Hey, stop!” I let out a shout, my voice shaking with a mix of frustration and
desperation. The deranged look in her eyes persisted, leaving no doubt that
there was no use in trying to reason with whatever had taken control of her. “I
mean it,
psycho!”
As she continued to advance, my heart raced and I instinctively took a step
backward, desperately searching for a plan. The cramped cabin forced me to
consider my limited options, and the weight of the situation bore heavily upon
me. As I was about to knock her out with something, Alina bursts back into the
cabin, her panicked breathing filling the room.
Without uttering a single word, I stood there and witnessed Alina’s joyful sprint
towards Ettie, their embrace filled with warmth and affection. The room seemed
to hold its breath as Alina clung to Ettie, her eyes closed as if savoring the reality
of's
presence.
Thank the heavens you're finally awake,” Her voice barely above a whisper, Alina
spoke with a heaviness of emotion. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, leaving
her clothes moist and clinging to her skin. “You bitch, you had me worried!”
Frozen for a moment, Ettie hesitated before slowly reciprocating the embrace. As
she looked at Alina, her eyes transformed from a vacant stare to a glimmer of
recognition. A tear escaped her, tracing a path down her cheek as she, too,
succumbed to the overwhelming wave of emotions. The next thing I know, they
were both holding onto each other tightly, their tears flowing uncontrollably.
It was as if I had become invisible in that moment, fading into the background.
The relief that Ettie no longer bore the murderous intent she had displayed
moments ago was so overwhelming that any sense of exclusion faded away.
Alinal and Ettie had been through something I could only attempt to understand,
and their connection, forged through years of friendship, took precedence.
“I thought I lost you, Ettie,” Her voice trembled as Alina whispered, a blend of
relief and lingering fear evident in her words. Her fingers traced invisible patterns
on Ettie’s back, as if reassuring herself that the friend she had feared losing was
indeed there. “Do you know how scary that was?”
There was a noticeable change in Ettie’s eyes — they had transitioned from a
vacant stare to a glimmer of recognition. “I was lost after what happened to us...
it was like I couldn't find my way back.”
“I missed you so much,” Alina admitted, her voice barely audible, as she wore a
confused expression while Ettie spoke into her ear. “I really did!”
Ettie pulled away slightly, their eyes meeting in a silent exchange of unspoken
words.
“I missed you too, Alina.
In His Eyes Equals
Alina hesitated, but eventually broke free from the comforting embrace with Ettie.
Their reunion, once a bittersweet symphony of shared memories, now faced an
unexpected chord. Alina cleared her throat, and as she turned towards me, a
sense of belonging washed over me, making me a part of the conversation
finally.
“Zeke,” Alina began, her voice hesitant yet determined, “This is Ettie.”
Ettie’s eyes, which were previously clouded with confusion, locked onto me. The
disappointment in her eyes cast a shadow over their reunion, dimming its once
radiant glow. The cabin’s weathered walls seemed to constrict, burdened by the
weight of unspoken emotions that filled the air.
Continuing on, Alina’s reluctant truth resonated in the weight of her words.
“Zeke is my mate, Ettie.”
With a flicker in her eyes, Ettie expressed a combination of surprise and
disappointment, her gaze quickly shifting downward as if trying to make sense of
the sudden change.
“I'm happy for you, Alina,” Ettie said, her voice filled with a forced cheerfulness
that couldn't hide her true emotions. “Really, I am.”
The bittersweetness of their reunion hinted at the complicated reality they were
now facing. Although I couldn't grasp the full story of what had happened
between them, Ettie’s peculiar behavior compelled me to instinctively move
closer to Alina. I refrain from touching her, aware that Alina would disapprove of
any territorial gestures. However, I observe how Ettie subtly averts her gaze from
Alina when I am in her presence.
Alina’s eyes were drawn to the bandaged wound at Ettie’s neck as she turned
towards her with a mix of pity and concern.
“What happened to you, Ettie?”
Alina’s voice resonated with genuine concern, her unwavering gaze fixed on the
wound. Ettie’s face betrayed a flicker of vulnerability as her gaze met Alina’s.
Ettie’s hand hovers just above her bandaged wound, trembling slightly, before
she
lets out a heavy sigh and averts her gaze, overcome with shame,
or
“... 1 don’t remember much. There was someone, and they... they tried to mark
Despite my best efforts to stay out of the conversation, I found myself unable to
resist jumping in.
“You're a Hunter.” Startled, both of them turn towards me as I say the words out
loud. “You can’t be marked.”
Ettie gave me a condescending look, as if I were some dumb idiot.
“Yeah, no shit.” Ettie muttered under her breath, her eyes widening like she
couldn’t believe she had actually said something like that. Clearing her throat,
she absentmindedly scratches her cheek, trying to divert her attention. “My bad, I
have no clue why I said that. I don’t even remember them, anyways. I caught a
whiff of smoke and then, well, yeah. I think they thought I was a Hider or
something. I think, that's all I can remember anyway.”
When smoke was mentioned, both Alina and I exchanged wide-eyed glances.
No words were exchanged, but the knowing glances between us spoke volumes
about what Ettie was referring to. A strand of hair falls in front of Alina’s face, and
as she tucks it behind her ear, a delicate blush spreads across her cheeks. I
couldn't resist, and my arm instinctively wrapped around her waist, giving her a
gentle
squeeze.
Ettie’s face twisted in disgust as she couldn't help but notice the display. She
chooses to stay quiet, allowing us to be in our own thoughts. It's not until Alina
speaks up again that Ettie decides to speak.
“You fought back,” Alina concluded, her voice tinged with a hint of pride. “You
didn’t let them mark you.”
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Her nod was accompanied by a
flicker of pain in her eyes, evidence of
the silent battle she had been
CE
engaged in. “I fought back because I
" , c
didn't want some stranger marking
me. You already know this. But your
) : ) )
mate's right, Hunter's can't be
’ > 3
marked. That's why this thing on my
neck is all messed up. Whoever that
Hider was, they The content is on
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must have been super high too.”
With hesitation, Alina’s hand instinctively reached out to touch Ettie’s shoulder.
“I'm sorry, Ettie,” Alina’s whisper filled the cabin, her voice blending harmoniously
with the darkened atmosphere. “I wish I could remember everything. I wish I
could've been there for you.”
Ettie, with eyes reflecting the resilience that had defined her battle, mustered a
weak smile.
“It's not your fault, Alina. I... I should be the one apologizing too, after what
happened between us back then.”
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. . 0
Once again, Alina’s eyes betrayed her
confusion as she shook her head, a
smile tugging at the corners of her
mouth. It seemed that Ettie was
Chi 7 ’ ny
oblivious to Alina’s confusion, but
slowly, she began to understand it as
well. Ettie, for the first time ever since
Alina told her that I was her mate,
finally acknowledged my presence
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with a curious glance.
“Why... What's happening with her?”
“Oh...“Alina mustered a weak smile once more, absentmindedly scratching her
cheek. “l uh-"
I interjected, positioning myself as a barrier between Alina and Ettie, determined
to diffuse the tension. The lack of appreciation from Ettie and the snarl on my
back from Alina made it clear that they didn’t appreciate what I did.
“Can we talk?”
I asked Ettie, and she gave me a wary look, as if she wasn't sure if she could
trust me. I felt a gentle shove on my back, and I turned to see Alina trying to get
my attention. Glancing over my shoulder, I see her standing there, her eyes filled
with
anger.
“Whatever you have to say to her, you can say with me here, Zeke.”
“Alina-"
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« . ) . ” . :
No, Alina, he’s right.” With a firm
grasp on my arm, Ettie wasted no
time in yanking me out of the cabin. I
) :
couldn't help but let out a surprised
grunt when Ettie grabbed me.
. og x . ’
Despite my initial reaction, I didn't put
up a fight. I wanted to have a
conversation with the crazy woman
“ 5 a A ;
too. “I think it's time for a little chat
»
between your mate and me.” The
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