The Mating Run

Chapter 74

In His Eyes: Choice Zeke’s POV

“She's lost her memories.” “Oh.”

The cabin loomed just a meter away from us. Alina is far enough away that she can’t hear us, but I can still keep a watchful eye on her to ensure her safety. Shock and understanding were both evident in Ettie’s eyes. She seemed to already be aware of the information | shared with her; she simply needed some reassurance.

What surprised me was the audible exhale of relief that escaped her lips as she ran her hand down her face, a content smile spreading across her lips.

“You can’t be serious.” My actions spoke volumes as | spat and crossed my arms, staring her down with intensity. She barely spared me a glance, her eyes filled with a chilling indifference. She went from being frustrated and confused to brimming with delight. “Are you seriously happy about her memory loss?”

“Of course I’m not!” Even as Ettie defended herself, a wide smile remained on her lips. With another chuckle, she nodded to herself, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she absentmindedly curled a strand of her blonde hair around her index finger. “How much memory did she lose?”

| lack any substantial information about Ettie, and | don’t feel any inclination to uncover more about her. Despite my initial instincts, | haven’t left her to perish or taken her far away from our cabin because of Alina’s compassion towards her. Leaving her best friend out here to fend for herself would undoubtedly upset my mate, and | couldn’t bear to do that. The thought of her eternal resentment haunted me, and | questioned whether | could go through that pain again.

Even |, who grew up mainly alone, understand that a genuine friend wouldn’t wear a smile upon hearing such heartbreaking news. Ettie showed no curiosity about the origin of Alina’s memory loss, her recovery, or the impact it had on her.

With a smile on her face, Ettie’s main curiosity was the amount of memory she had lost. It was easy for me to realize that there was an ulterior motive behind the bitch’s smile — it carried a hidden agenda, as if Ettie wanted Alina to forget a certain memory desperately.

“| don’t think that’s important to know.”

“Come on, don’t be such an asshole,” Ettie let out a frustrated groan before giving me a hard shove. It wasn’t hard enough for me to take a step back and stumble, but the force would have sent any other Hunter crashing into the nearest tree. One thing’s for certain: Ettie is not to be taken lightly. “I just want to know so that | know where we stand.”

“You're her best friend,” | remind her, as she seems to have overlooked that particular detail. It was almost instantaneous — Ettie’s eye started to twitch with irritation, indicating that my tone or the specific word | used had clearly bothered her. | couldn't give a shit what she thinks, anyway. “Shouldn't you already have a sense of where you stand without needing to ask her?”

“What memories did she lose, Zeke?” Ettie’s voice sliced through the thick silence, like a sharp knife, demanding answers that lurked in the shadows, skillfully shifting the focus of the conversation. Glaring at me with sharp intensity, her lips twisted into a snarl. “It’s not like it’s such a difficult question!”

Hesitation seized me, and my words became entangled in my throat like thorny vines.

“What does it matter?” | retorted, a flicker of frustration coloring my words. “She lost her memories. Isn’t that enough? You should just be there for her!”

Ettie’s eyes narrowed, a spark of defiance igniting within her. “It’s not like I’m asking for something huge, you're so f**king frustrating. I'm just curious about how much she remembers, that’s it. It’s not rocket science!”

| felt my jaw tighten as | fought against the overwhelming anger threatening to consume me. “Because you crazy bitch, it’s not about the memories she lost,” As | replied, my

voice remained steady, but there was an underlying raw intensity to it. “Right now, we have to focus on who she is now. I’m here for her, no matter what she remembers or forgets. | hope the same goes for you.”

“Oh, | see.” Ettie’s chuckle is laced with mockery as she nonchalantly flips her blonde hair over her shoulder. If she had done the action after fully bathing and applying makeup, her appearance would have been stunning. But right now, she just looks unhinged, especially with the massive bandage wrapped around her neck. “You think you're the only one who cares about her, Zeke? You think you're the only one who's been there for her?”

Moving one foot in front of the other, the mounting tension became almost unbearable.

“I'm not claiming to be the only one. But what's important now is helping her remember-”

“And | don’t want her to remember anything!” With a sudden burst of terror, Ettie’s screams shattered the stillness, leaving me frozen in place. She seemed taken aback by her own words, as if even she couldn’t believe what she had just said. Frustration fills her as she mutters curses under her breath, pinches the bridge of her nose, and paces back and forth. “That’s not what I- UGH! Look, there must be a reason why she forgot such things, right? So like... All I’m saying is, | don’t think it would be too bad if she doesn’t remember it anymore... Right? You get me, don’t you? Surely there’s some memories inside of her that you don’t want her to remember anymore-”

“Do you even hear yourself right now?” | ask, my voice unexpectedly amplifying to a level that surprised even myself. Despite her usual stubbornness, Ettie’s abrupt silence is a much-needed break from her ceaseless yapping, for which | am grateful. “I want her to remember me, not act like we’ve never met. Like I’m some f**king stranger she picked up from some dirty street. Yeah, I've made my fair share of mistakes, but | never want her to forget that. She needs to know how much | messed up, and how hard I'll try to make it right. How much | would crawl on the floor, lapping at the path she walked, begging for her forgiveness, because she f**king deserves that and more. | want her to go back to her old self, ‘cause she wants that too. She’s working on getting them back. Why the hell do you want her to stop trying and be someone else? You're a real piece of shit friend, huh?”

With a fierce intensity in her eyes, Ettie raised her arm, threatening to unleash a stinging slap on my cheek. | stood my ground, feeling the tension in my jaw as | clenched it with unwavering determination, unwilling to back down from the impending confrontation. And then, like a sudden storm breaking through the stifling air, Alina emerged from the cabin, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and frustration. Sprinting towards us, her face etched with desperation, she pleaded forContent (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

help. “Stop! Both of you, just stop!”

Despite the urgency in her raised voice, Alina’s fragile tone resonated and intensified the growing tension. Just in time, she reached Ettie and caught her raised arm before it could come crashing down. Alina’s sudden intervention caught Ettie off guard, and she responded with a glare that held both defiance and

frustration.

Ettie.

“Alina, this isn’t what it looks like ”

With a stern expression, Alina cut her off, her eyes shifting towards me and

“You're both acting like children fighting over a toy, and | won't have it. | lost my memories, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like some prize to be won

or lost.”

With a flicker of remorse, Ettie let her arm fall, the anger that had consumed her fading away. Caught between the gaze of the two women, | could sense the weight of their unspoken grievances, pressing down on me like an invisible burden. Her eyes, filled with disappointment; met mine as Alina turned towards me.

“Fighting with her, really?” “She started it.”

As Ettie tried to speak, she was met with a stern gaze from Alina that shut her down before she could say anything. “Ettie, | know you've been my best friend for as long as | can remember, but this is not how you usually handle things. Starting a fight with someone? Seriously?”

Ettie, shifted uncomfortably under Alina’s scrutiny. Her eyes darted back and forth between Alina and me, desperately searching for a response that remained just out of reach.

“And you,” Alina turned her attention to me, her expression a mixture of disappointment and frustration. “I thought we could build something here, but if you’re going to let this tension fester and affect us, then maybe | was wrong.”

“You see?! Alina, don’t you see he’s not good for you? He’s making us fight!” Ettie finally spoke, her voice softer than before. “I’ve known you for so long, and | can’t stand seeing you with someone like him-”

Alina’s gaze transformed from one of hurt to one of resolute determination, her eyes narrowing as she prepared to face the challenge of her best friend. With my arms crossed tightly, | sense my heart thumping in my chest, filled with admiration for the woman who seems poised to defend me.

“Ettie, you don’t get to decide who is right for me. Zeke is my mate, and whether you like him or not, he’s staying.” Alina stated, her voice devoid of emotion, eyebrows raised in a challenge, daring Ettie to oppose her. Ettie hesitated before speaking, but the firmness in Alina’s voice left no room for debate. “No, Ettie. This is not up for discussion. I’ve lost my memories, and I’m trying to navigate this mess, but I won't let the two people | care about the most tear each other apart.”

Ettie and | exchanged a glance, our eyes conveying the unspoken

understanding that we were about to face an inevitable confrontation. Alina’s voice had a captivating power, and whenever she spoke, we couldn’t help but listen.

“Apologize.”

Alina’s unwavering gaze locked onto Ettie as she confidently placed her order. Avoiding my gaze, Ettie shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting around the forest.

“I, uh, sorry.”

Alina’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s not an apology, Ettie. Look at Zeke and say it like you mean it.”

Her hesitation was palpable, but in that moment, her eyes fleetingly connected with mine as she mumbled, a hint of vulnerability in her voice.

“Sorry.”

He expression stern, Alina turned to me and crossed her arms.

“Your turn, Zeke.”

| let out a weary sigh, resigning myself to the fact that there was no point in resisting.

“Sorry.”

Alina’s eyes darted back and forth between us, her hand waving in the empty space between. “That was pathetic. You're both acting like stubborn children. | want a proper apology, and | want you both to mean it.”

Another uneasy look passed between us, a silent acknowledgment that Alina was not going to back down without a fight. “Sorry, Zeke.”

Ettie muttered again, her voice carrying a stronger sense of determination.

With a deep inhale, | exhaled slowly, the words reluctantly escaping my lips.

“I'm sorry too.”

Alina nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips, seemingly

satisfied.

“Now, was that so hard? You two are idiots, honestly.”

Amoment of silence followed, the heavy apology lingering in the air. With a hint of skepticism, Alina’s gaze swept between us, as if trying to assess the honesty in our words. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Finally, she sighed, the sound echoing in the stillness.

Good Now, we can move forward without this constant tension. Zeke, Ettie is aw best band, and | won't let anything jeopardize that. Ettie, Zeke is my mate, and 1 won’t set anything jeopardize that either. You two need to figure out how to coexist, and | won't accept anything less.”

And then, Alina clapped her hands.

“But before that, while you guys were arguing, | came up with a plan in the cabin that’s gonna get all three of us the help we need. Medicine, freedom, my memories. All Pm saying is, choose wisely.”

| raised my brow in surprise, my curiosity piqued. “Choose?”

“Yeah. Choose. It’s simple,” Alina smirked at both of us, her mischievous grin instantly reminding me of the Alina from before, the one who hadn’t lost her memories. “Trust me or don’t. How about that for an easy choice?”