Chapter 43
Bond
| never thought it woulde 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 thenguage 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 ident.
That’s how | feel about Zeke and me, like some ident that even the universe can’t exin.
1.me.
Back in the beginning, during those raw days of the Mating Run, he tried to kill
I can still feel the fear wing 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.
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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 | be 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 foundfort 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 be 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 bes your anchor in a storm.
Pain sears through my neck as Victor''s sharp ws 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
re, 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 disy of his frustration, ripples through the air, but Victor remains unfazed.
“A! Does this mean that this brute would keep you safe, Alina? How
1 amusing.”
Victor continues, his ws 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 ying on his lips.
“No, | don’t think | will.”
I gasp, theck of air bing a painful reality. Zeke’s eyes ze 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.
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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 re, 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 vtile 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 ws 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, res 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.
Victorughs, 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 ze 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,
hisughter intensifying. Zeke’s fists clench, but Victor’s words linger like a poisonous sting.
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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 deration 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.
ept your ce,” he taunts, the cruelty in his words cutting through Zeke’s resolve.
“Weakness should never lead. An Alpha should be ruthless, unyielding!”
Victor deres, his fingers digging into my neck.
I''m on the verge of losing consciousness, the pain and darkness enveloping me.
Victor''sughter, 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, ast 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 disy, is iming me as his own. The threat hangs in the air, a sinister promation 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.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.
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 deres, 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 calcted disy of dominance.
Victor''sughter, a haunting melody, reverberates through the tense air.
“You know, Alina, your mighty protector here has always been on my ass!”
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Victor sneers, his eyes glinting with malicious delight. | nce at Zeke, not at all puzzled by the usation. 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 y, 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 calcted malice. “It’s not my fault my father’s making him a ceholder for when | get the Alpha title! Bastard, |
never even wanted it in the first ce! 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 nce with Zeke, a questionable nce in his direction. “Really. Zeke, with a
crush? A big guy like him? | never thought I''d see the day!”
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