The Mating Run

Chapter 10

Hunter

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The Hunter’s breath is scorching against my face, his weight bearing down on me, his hands clenching like unyielding iron vices, leaving bruises in their wake. | feel a rush of panic, my emotions swirling with anger and revulsion, as | realize | am completely at his mercy, trapped with no escape. Dread courses through my veins, each beat of my heart a reminder of the impending doom. “Stop struggling,” he hisses, his voice echoing like a menacing growl. “Just be a good girl and present.”

With every ounce of strength, | resist, feeling the ache in my muscles as | refuse to comply and try to push him off.

“Get off me, you ba sta rd!” | spit out the words, my voice trembling with desperation. “Step the f uck away from me, or you'll be sorry!”

The sound of his laughter sends a chill down my spine, making my blood run cold. “Take it easy, sweetheart. No need for hostility. This is how it’s meant to happen in the Mating Run. Don’t you wanna get this over and done with?”

His words send a chilling sensation down my back, and I clench my jaw, summoning every ounce of strength I have. With a surge of adrenaline, | buck my hips, feeling the strain in my muscles as | try to throw him off balance. It works, but the impact is minimal.

My heart races as the Hunter tightens his grip on me, and | suddenly feel a blade’s sharp edge against my skin. | freeze, my body going numb as his presence

looms over me.

My bag didn’t have any weapons, did a Hunter’s bag have weapons? Why do they even need weapons? Why would the staff think it’s a good idea to give them weapons? What's going on?

| thought they didn’t want a repeat of what happened last year?

Hunter

G

Hunter

The Hunter’s breath is scorching against my face, his weight bearing down on me, his hands clenching like unyielding iron vices, leaving bruises in their wake. | feel a rush of panic, my emotions swirling with anger and revulsion, as | realize | am completely at his mercy, trapped with no escape. Dread courses through my veins, each beat of my heart a reminder of the impending doom. “Stop struggling,” he hisses, his voice echoing like a menacing growl. “Just be a good girl and present.”

With every ounce of strength, | resist, feeling the ache in my muscles as | refuse to comply and try to push him off.

“Get off me, you b astar d!” | spit out the words, my voice trembling with desperation. “Step the f uck away from me, or you'll be sorry!”

The sound of his laughter sends a chill down my spine, making my blood run cold. “Take it easy, sweetheart. No need for hostility. This is how it’s meant to happen in the Mating Run. Don’t you wanna get this over and done with?”

His words send a chilling sensation down my back, and I clench my jaw, summoning every ounce of strength I have. With a surge of adrenaline, | buck my hips, feeling the strain in my muscles as | try to throw him off balance. It works, but the impact is minimal.

My heart races as the Hunter tightens his grip on me, and | suddenly feel a blade’s sharp edge against my skin. | freeze, my body going numb as his presence looms over me.

My bag didn’t have any weapons, did a Hunter’s bag have weapons? Why do they even need weapons? Why would the staff think it’s a good idea to give them weapons? What's going

an?

| thought they didn’t want a repeat of what happened last year?

14

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16:26 Wed, 6 Mar

Hunter

“Naughty girls get punished, you know,” he purrs, there is a cold, calculating gleam in his eyes. Then, he forcefully grabs my chin with his hand, directing my gaze towards the towering trees. As | narrow my eyes, | immediately spot one camera pointed directly at us. “Give a big smile to the camera, 9. You’re gonna be mine real soon.”

My body tenses up, and | clench my fists in a futile attempt to evade the sharp edge of the dagger pressed firmly to my cheek. Beneath me, the ground is unyielding and unforgiving, sca ttered with jagged rocks and twisted roots. The blade grazes my cheek, leaving behind a shallow wound that slowly oozes a thin stream of blood.

“Let go of me!” Seething with anger, my voice trembles and cr acks.

Above me, his face contorts into a sinister and lecherous mask. | recoil in disgust as he brazenly licks the blood off my cheek, making me queasy with his audacious act. Frustration welled up inside me, causing tears to blur my vision, but | couldn’t make a move with a dagger aimed directly at me.

“Such fire. | do enjoy a spirited fight. Makes the victory all the sweeter.”

I refuse to give in. | can't.

| twist my head, sinking my teeth into his shoulder, hearing his sharp intake of breath as pain shoots through him. With the distraction, his hold on my wrist starts to slip. In a frenzy, | manage to free one of my arms, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Summoning all my strength, | swing it towards him, hoping for a solid hit on his face.

It hits.

He curses loudly, momentarily loosening his grip on me, and | quickly take advantage of the opportunity. Summoning all my strength, | thrust my hips once. more, successfully flipping him to the side. | scramble to my feet, my legs trembling with adrenaline, ready to bolt. But he’s quick, much too quick.

With a sudden lunge, he forcefully tackles me, slamming me to the ground once

Ill

Hunter

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ved, b Mar

“F uck!” | let out a piercing scream, twisting my body beneath him. “Stop touching me!”

His hand still tightly grips the knife, and its gleam in the dappled forest light creates an eerie atmosphere. As he sneers, his fingers clenched tightly around my throat, cutting off my breath.

“Trying to run, are we?”

| gasp for breath, feeling a tightness in my throat, as the world around me starts. to fade and blur. Gasping for air, | struggle to maintain focus as the world spins and swirls around me, the Hunter’s fingers digging deeper into my throat. | can feel my vision becoming hazy, while my thoughts race faster and faster, spiraling into a chaotic frenzy.

It's a matter of life or death, and surrendering is not an option for me.

With a surge of desperate strength, | dig my fingers into the forest floor, searching for a rock, a weapon-anything to get him off me. My hand closes around a jagged stone, and as | swing it, the sound of the wind rushing past fills my ears. As the rock connects with a sickening thud, | can almost feel the impact reverberate through my body, and the Hunter’s grip on my throat finally starts to falter.

He stumbles back, gasping for breath, his disorientation evident in his dazed expression, and | take advantage of the opportunity. Adrenaline surges through my veins as | launch myself at him, my body moving instinctively, without a second thought. With a forceful push, | bring him to the ground and straddle his chest, the rock poised above me.

“| told you no, you piece of sh it.”

| growl, my voice barely above a quivering whisper.

A flicker of fear passes through his eyes, causing them to widen, but he is unable to react in time. | swing the rock, and it comes crashing down with a bone-crushing force onto his skull. Something wet splashes against my cheek, like

ll

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10:26 Wed, 6 Mar @

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the sensation of a watermelon exploding. | don’t think | was able to stop, and with each blow, | could feel the impact reverberating through my fists.

me.

| don’t even remember screaming, but the intensity of my loud cries surprised

With a final gasp, the Hunter’s body goes limp beneath me.

| don’t recognize him, | don’t think | can. All that remains of his face is a mess of red clumps of skin and bone. A rush of emotions overwhelms me, leaving me breathless with a blend of fear and fury. On his track suit, right by his chest, there is a large number 72.

I can only identify him in that way.

My hand trembles, causing the rock to slip from my grasp as | scramble away

from him.

Then, slowly, | turn my head towards the camera, meeting its unblinking gaze.