The Mating Run

Chapter 9

Smoke

Everywhere | look, thick clouds of smoke billow and swirl.

The mist forms a thick, hazy curtain that envelops the trees and creates a heavy, dense atmosphere. | have no choice but to race through it, trying to ignore the overpowering smell that fills the air. Tears well up in my eyes, and a burning. sensation fills my throat as | desperately try to hold my breath, but the forest stretches on endlessly, and my lungs beg for air.

l instinctively cover my nose and sprint through the dense thicket of trees.

The forest is alive with howls and the rhythmic thud of the Hunters’ footsteps as they search for their prey. The bag resting against my back adds an extra burden, making me run slower than usual, despite my inherent swiftness.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

What could Ettie be up to, and where might she be? If the results from her lab work at the clinic are accurate, even if she’s running while carrying something heavy, she won’t easily become fatigued.

Though | can’t boast about being the swiftest person in Springcrest, | can definitely sprint faster than a few of the Hiders. If Victor hadn’t just ruined my hiding spot, | would be enjoying the peaceful sounds of a waterfall right now. | know | can find a secluded spot to conceal myself, | know | can sprint undetected, but the real question is how swiftly can | escape this place?

| know the Hunters must be detecting my presence through their keen sense of smell already. Knowing that | must choose a strategy, | instinctively adjust my feet, preparing to sprint with newfound speed and determination.

I gasp, the need to breathe overwhelming me, my chest heaving.

As | take a deep breath, the smoke fills my lungs, and in an instant, the world around me takes on a different hue. | feel my heart pounding, and a tingling sensation washes over me, starting at my chest and extending deep within. The desire surges through me, overwhelming my body like an uncontrollable wildfire.

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Smoke

Wed, 6 Mar

| am experiencing something, but | can’t quite grasp what it is.

Gradually, | come to understand that the forest is teeming with aphrodisiacs, and their undeniable effects wash over me. My senses are heightened, and | can hear the faint rustle of leaves as they dance in the breeze. The trees whisper secrets that dance on the wind, while the air itself hums with longing.

And then, | hear something. | hear them.

Around me, | hear a mixture of screams, some filled with pleasure and others. with pain, creating a symphony of moans and cries that reverberate through the hazy air. Stumbling through the smoky woods, | feel a strange mix of emotions an intensewined with a foreboding sense of danger.

The lingering scent of the aphrodisiac smoke wraps around me, intensifying my longing. With my senses heightened, every rustling leaf and whispering breeze feels electrifying, sending shivers down my spine.

| can feel the suffocating embrace of the fog in the forest, and | know | have to find a way out. In order to regain control over my desires, | know | need to clear my mind. But the smoke makes it nearly impossible to think straight.

Exhausted, | seek refuge and slump against the trunk of a tree, nestling into the small nook created by its roots. As | press against the rough bark, it scratches my skin, heightening the fiery sensation/coursing through my veins. | can’t resist the urge to caress my sensitive nipples and thighs, desperate to find relief from the intense heat coursing through my body.

My forehead glistens with sweat, and | instinctively brush it away, the salty taste lingering on my lips. With just a simple touch, my body reacts instantly, shivers running down my spine, and a soft moan escaping me, unable to contain the overwhelming desire. | squeeze my eyes shut, attempting to clear my mind, but the images and sensations intensify, overwhelming my senses. My back presses against the rough tree, my thighs feel slick with sweat, and a powerful ache of desire throbs between my legs. | can’t control my urge, so | close my eyes, lean against the tree, and let my hand sink into the soft fabric of my track pants. My fingers instinctively find their

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15-25 Wed, Mar

Smoke

way into my soaked slit, without any hesitation. | let out a soft moan as | discreetly pleasure myself, my hand pressed against my lips to stifle any sound that might give away my location to the Hunters.

With each gentle movement, my fingers effortlessly slip in and out, pushing me to new heights of pleasure. In that moment, tears well up and trickle down my cheeks, a clear indication of the disappointment | feel. | need something more, something bigger. The overwhelming ache of desire consumes me, intensified by the symphony of ecstatic screams from the other Hiders.

| want what they have, but why can’t | have it too?

With each breath, my quickening breaths match the pounding of my heart, as a burning thirst consumes me.

The sensation of tingling lips overwhelms me, a parched feeling that mirrors the delight of savoring the finest wine. | can’t resist licking them, savoring the moist experience different tastes intensifies, while | am left with the lingering taste of my own body. sensation on my tongue, and it’s absolutely maddening. The need to

Sweat pours down my body, desire dripping along my neck and chest. | can’t stand the way my clothes stick to me, causing discomfort. With each glistening droplet of sweat on my skin, my mind wanders to the intoxicating thought of someone’s lips tasting and savoring me.

| can almost physically perceive the haunting touch of those imaginary lips, pushing me closer to the edge of insanity.

I can’t stop my fingers, previously trembling and unsteady inside of me, from moving towards my mouth. As | lick and suck on them, a delightful sensation electrifies my body, filling me with pleasure. It’s not right, so incredibly not right, but unfortunately, it’s all | have right now.

The sounds of others’ moans and cries, lost like me, only fuel my longing, a twisted joke. As frustration takes over, | feel the sting of tears mixing with the sweat on my face. | so b, desperate for a taste of that indescribable ecstasy that seemed so close yet so far. With each movement, my hand glides lower, brushing against the damp fabric between my legs, and | slip my fingers inside once more.

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16-26 Wed, 6 Mar

Smoke

“Not enough.” Under my breath, | mutter softly, exploring my own body by slipping another finger inside. My eyes struggle to open, but the thick smoke distorts my view, making it difficult to see clearly. | gasp again, my cries growing louder and more desperate. “Need more. Want more.”

And then, it was like the universe heard me.

Only, | didn’t want it to hear me:

From the haze, a silhouette materializes before my very eyes.

their

It's a Hunter, gaze locked with mine, eyes burning with intensity.

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