The Mating Run

Chapter 63

In His Eyes: Karma

Zeke’s POV

My heart raced as | followed the sound, the pounding echoing in my ears.

As the trees part, a small clearing is revealed, and in its center stands a figure, concealed in darkness. “Alina!”

| gasp, feeling a rush of relief wash over me like a tidal wave. | rush towards her, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins with each clumsy step. There is a distant look in her eyes as she stands there, lost in her own thoughts. My hands shook uncontrollably as they made contact with her face, desperately searching for any evidence of bruising. Luckily, there’s none.

“Alina, are you okay? What happened?”

She keeps quiet, her focus unwavering as she looks past me. | can’t help but notice the feverish heat that engulfs her skin as | run my fingers over it, sending shivers down my spine.

“Alina, talk to me.” | pleaded, my voice trembling with desperation. Her lips part, but no sound emerges from her mouth. A heavy silence fills the space between us, making it unbearable. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

| wrap my arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. “It's okay, Alina. I’m here. You're safe.”

The memory of losing her resurfaces in my mind, the raw fear flooding back. | press my lips to her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair against my face.

“| thought | lost you again,” | admit, my voice breaking. “I can’t bear it, Alina. | 1/7 can’t lose you. Why don’t we go back to the cabin? You have to rest to let the fever subside.”

Her eyes flicker with a glimmer of recognition, giving me a surge of hope. Without saying a word, her body eases into mine, offering a sense of solace that | desperately grasp onto. | feel her head resting gently on my shoulder, and with that simple touch, my panic begins to dissipate. Her scent reminds me of home, and it’s where | long to be.

“-Ke-”

Just as quickly as the calmness spreads through me, | hear her voice, soft and melodic. | stiffen, feeling a wave of relief wash over me as my lips twitch into a smile.

“Alina?”

“...get...away from...me-”

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through my stomach, blinding me momentarily. | stumble back, the pain causing a sharp groan to escape my lips.

| feel a cloud of confusion descend upon my mind, causing my eyes to widen in shock as | glance downward.

The sight of blood spilling from my gut from four holes sent a wave of nausea through me, as it pooled and spread across my skin. Waves of panic surge through me, overpowering my senses and threatening to drown out reason. Glancing at Alina, | could feel the warmth of my own blood seeping through my hands pressed against my stomach.

“Alina, what did you-

But my words falter as | see her, her piercing gaze fixed upon me, her claws stained crimson with my blood. A vacant look settled in her eyes, as if she were watching the scene unfold from afar, detached from her own actions.

In His Eyes: Karma

The forest spins, shadows dancing on the periphery of my vision. | take a step back from her, my hand instinctively clutching the wound, my face betraying the desperation | can’t hide. She lifts her hands, and her sharp claws are aimed directly at me. She stares at them as if they belong to someone else. Apart from the flicker of profound sadness in her eyes, there was an overwhelming sense of emptiness.

| watch as she takes unsteady steps towards me, her body moving in an uncoordinated manner. The claws on her hands glint ominously, a stark contrast to the gentleness they once held. | raise one of my hands, palms out, feeling the sweat trickle down my trembling fingers, in a feeble attempt to stop her.

There is no recognition in her vacant eyes as she unexpectedly swipes at me with a fierce intensity. Her claws graze my cheeks, causing a sharp sting as | stagger back. Ignoring the blossoming pain, my focus remains fixed on the turmoil consuming her.

“Alina!” | call out, the desperation in my voice escalating. “Snap out of it!”

But she remains lost in the shadows of her own mind, the feral glint in her eyes undiminished. Her claws flash, and in a split second, | duck, narrowly escaping the attack, the rush of air grazing my face. | can’t bring myself to retaliate.

Even if it’s in self-defense, | can’t bring myself to hurt her. “Fuck!” | scream, my voice hoarse. “What did they do to you?!”

Pausing briefly, she looks at me with a vacant stare, as if lost in thought. In a fleeting moment, a spark of recognition dances in their eyes, before disappearing without a trace. With a predatory gleam in her eyes, she lunges forward once more.

My body jerks backward, my heart thumping loudly in my ears.

“You're stronger than this! Fucking fight it!”

But she remains unresponsive, her eyes vacant and distant, a mere shell of the woman | once knew.

What the heck am | supposed to do? It breaks my heart to see her like this.

With a swift motion, she lunges again, her claws slashing through the air like a deadly weapon. With each step | take back, the forest transforms into a battlefield, where reason has no role to play. There’s no more room to evade her, and | can’t keep finding ways to avoid her. The inevitable clash draws near, and | can feel the tension in the air, thickening with each passing moment.

OSxx

Awave of frustration crashes over me as she charges forward. Anguish and helplessness collide, causing me to stagger backwards as my vision blurs. | fall. The sensation of the cold ground meeting my back amplifies the overwhelming feelings of pain and despair.

But | can’t afford to stay down. Fueled by determination, | push myself up, my muscles straining as | strive to reach her and break through the suffocating

darkness. “Alina!”

With a powerful roar, my voice pierces through the stillness of the air. Our eyes meet, and in that fleeting moment, | see a spark of familiarity before it disappears. It’s a cruel sight, a fleeting glimmer of hope quickly overtaken by the haunting emptiness in her eyes.

With a surge of desperation, | deftly dodged her next swipe, narrowly escaping her grasp. With a swift motion, | grab her wrist, my fingers closing around it tightly, refusing to let go.

“Snap out of it, Alina!”

| screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice strained and filled with raw emotion. Her vacant eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, a glimmer of recognition flickers within them, reminding me of the Alina | love. In her eyes, the turmoil within is evident, a silent war being waged. | cling to the hope that she’ll break free, that the woman | adore will emerge from the shadows with a newfound strength and resilience. But the vacant look returns, and the weight of disappointment settles in my chest. Holding onto her wrist, frustration coils in my gut, tightening with every passing moment.

“Alina, please,” | bég, the weight of the situation bearing down on me. “You can’t 4/7 let it control you. Remember who you are. Remember us. Remember me.”

Instead of getting a response from her, she twists forcefully in my hold and slashes her sharp claws in my direction. | stumbled backward, taken aback by the unexpectedness of her attack and | let her go. Waves of intense pain shoot through my shoulder, leaving me gasping for breath.

“Fuck!”

The word echoes in the empty forest around us, a cry of anguish and desperation. My breathing becomes erratic as | clutch both the gaping wound in my stomach and my shoulder. As blood continues to pour from my wounds, my vision becomes increasingly blurred. | am left with no other option but to evade, to distance myself from the woman | love, as her claws lunge through the air with a deadly intent.

When I'm dead, there’s no way | can save her.

As | turn and run, the haunting sound of her claws cutting through the air sends chills down my back. The sound of her footsteps reverberates in my ears, a clear indication of her determined pursuit. My chest tightens as panic takes hold. | can’t keep running from her indefinitely, and the mere idea of her injuring herself in pursuit pains me deeply.

As | navigate through the dense foliage, the branches scrape against my face, leaving behind stinging pain. | steal a glance over my shoulder, my eyes barely catching a glimpse of her fleeting figure. With an ethereal grace, she glides through the night, her claws shimmering in the moonlight.

Even though she wants to kill me, she’s never looked more beautiful. Tears stream down my face as | run, my vision becoming a blurry mess. Desperation fuels my escape as | push my legs harder,

the pounding of my footsteps echoing in my ears. With each step | took, the forest seemed to expand infinitely, and the weight of my fear grew stronger in the air.

“Alina, please!” | cry out again, my voice strained and raw. “I can’t bear to see you like this!” 5/7 In His Eyes: Karma

But my pleas fall on deaf ears. With each stride, the sound of her claws piercing the air becomes louder, drawing nearer. The pain in my wounds intensifies, throbbing in sync with the rapid beats of my pounding heart.

Asmall clearing emerges before me, bathed in an eerie glow from the moon above, revealing the unevenness of the ground. | can’t keep running, my lungs are burning with each breath. Exhaustion sets in, and my legs tremble, threatening to collapse. With a sudden halt, | skid to a stop, my body twisting around to face her.

Emerging from the shadows, her eyes are empty, devoid of any recognition. “Alina, please,” | whisper, my voice cracking. “Don’t make me do this.”

As she moves forward, her claws gleam in the moonlight, leaving no doubt about her menacing intentions. Helplessness washes over me, causing my body to protest as | take a reluctant step back.

“| love you,” | declare, the words catching in my throat. “But | can’t let you hurt yourself.”

Alina’s gaze fixes on me, but her eyes seem hollow, as if all the life has been drained from them. And then she raises her hands again, her claws poised to slash at my throat, undoubtedly with the intention of ending my life. | frantically search the area, desperately seeking an item that can be used to bind her.

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Oh, | get it now. This is my karma.

I'll get killed by the woman | love for killing people. “Shit.”

| hiss under my breath, feeling the surge of adrenaline as | prepare to charge at her and render her unconscious. | barely took a step towards her, but when | look at her face again, | notice the silent tears streaming down her cheeks. My body freezes in an instant, as if time itself has stopped, and | can only stare at her in disbelief.

217 Tears welled up in her vacant eyes and slowly made their way down her cheeks, even as her body remained stiff.

“Zeke... | have no control over my... body,” Alina’s muttered whispers barely escape her tightly sealed lips as she menacingly positions her claws towards me once more. More tears trickle down her cheeks as she gazes at me with vacant eyes. “...I’m scared....please... leave me-...d—don’t wanna hurt you... any more-”

“Shut up!”

Without thinking, | find myself moving closer to her, and her sharp claws hover dangerously close to my neck. With a penetrating gaze, she locks eyes with me, her hands trembling, barely suppressing the urge to strike.

“I'm not leaving you.”

Gripping her wrist tightly, | tell her, feeling the tremor in her hand. This time, her lips tremble with an unspoken sorrow, as if she’s holding back a wail. And as her hands shake again, | gently take hold of them, intertwining our fingers.

“Not again. Never again.”