Waking up without Zekaj was something Hunter never wanted to get used to. His bed felt empty without his soulmate there.
He had slept in this bed for years without Zekaj, so shouldn't it feel normal? For the first couple of months, Zekaj didn't even sleep in bed with him, so honestly, it hadn't even been a full two years.
But his bed felt so empty.
His room felt empty.
Hunter was empty.
It had been about a week of him being waking up without Zekaj. It was terrible. Hunter laid alone in his room all day except for the few moments his dad came to talk to him but Hunter didn't talk to him much. It was mostly his father talking to him or trying to pry information out of him.
Jaxon had finally decided that Hunter was able to go to school. Hunter said he was ready days ago but his father didn't agree.
Bandages were still wrapped around his body and one on his hand where the binding contract mark was burned off of him. Both were slowly healing. A lot of the medicine his father was using was showing little progress.
Truth be told, Hunter didn't feel like he could make it through the school day. His body felt incredibly weak and was only getting worse. The bond was slowly tearing him apart from the inside.
Getting dressed this morning had taken a toll on Hunter already. The broken mage sat in his car in the middle of the school's parking lot. Hunter needed to head back in soon, but he was just waiting to regain energy, which took a long time now.
Being alone with no one in his head meant he had to listen to his thoughts. Not the normal ones, but the small whispers in the back of his head telling him terrible things.
You're not good enough.
You failed Zekaj.
Your family hates you.
Everyone is embarrassed by you.
Hunter tried his best not to listen to those mean thoughts in the back of his head, but it was hard not to listen to them when Zekaj was gone. There was no one there to drown them out.
From his car, Hunter stared at the brick school building wishing he could just drive home, but he couldn't do that. At least not this minute.
Hunter's plan was simple and believable. Call his father and say that he's too tired to make it through the rest of the school day. Then drive home and summon Zekaj and run for the hills hand and hand, never looking back.
It was an alright plan. He felt like his father would believe it. The only problem was if his father didn't actually go back to the institute and decided to stay home instead. It was an over-an-hour drive from the institute home so he had a solid amount of time to begin working if he couldn't convince his dad to stay at work.
All Hunter had to do now was make it partly through the school day. No one knew that he summoned Zekaj besides some mages and the alpha of their local pack.
So Hunter was safe to assume that Aj knew, which meant that his loving mate also knew.
Hunter wasn't sure about Max. He had thought they had an unsaid agreement but now he wasn't sure. Max could've been the one to tell his father that Zekaj was in his head. But he also saw the mate mark, so what was the truth?
The car door opened with a thud as Hunter pushed with all of his strength to get it open.
The sickly mage threw his hood up and put his book bag on carefully as he slowly made his way towards the school.
Entering the school, no one looked at him. No one cared enough to. Except for the wolf who was watching him from a distance.
***
Hunter had decided to leave at the end of Block two, which meant he had another 15 minutes till he got to leave. Even less if he went to his teacher early, which he was thinking of doing.
Sitting at a back table alone, Hunter wasn't paying attention to anyone else in the room. It was currently free to work time so many were doing homework or just spacing out like himself.
He didn't expect a werewolf to suddenly sit at the same table as him. Hunter knew Max was in this class with him, he was just hoping he would mind his business.
Max sat awkwardly close to him and looked over at him sincerely.
"I didn't say anything," Max whispered.
Hunter glared at the wolf. "Really?" Hunter sneered. He didn't know why he was getting so mad at Max.
"I didn't," Max stated, gritting his teeth.
"So I'm just supposed to believe that after you messed with me about knowing what my soulmate was, and a demonologist shows up in towns days later that you didn't say anything?" Hunter asked angrily.
"Well when you put it like that," Max sighed. "I wouldn't say anything because you know who my mate is."
"I know," Hunter whispered. "I don't mean to take it out on you,"
"I know," Max repeated.
The two sat in the awkward silence that always seemed to find them when they were near. Max spoke up again soon after.
"You look terrible,"
"Thanks," Hunter said sarcastically.
"I'm not good at small talk," Max scratched his head.
"I can tell," Hunter said.
"Seriously though, what happened that day? Aj told me a little bit, mostly him freaking out that we weren't insane about what happened at the school," Max awkwardly chuckled. "How did you get separated,"
"Some of its fuzzy," Hunter said. "I remember trying to leave with Zekaj and suddenly this collar is around my neck and it completely wiped me out of all energy and they forced Zekaj out of my body."
Hunter started shaking as he recalled everything that happened. As he said it he saw it.
"Zekaj was wiped out completely, and the collar was still hurting him." Hunter felt a tear fall down his cheek. "They destroyed our contract together and I fought my dad and Ben to get him back. And I almost did!"
Hunter wiped his tears. Max looked at him worried and shocked at what had happened.
"I was so close to touching him and suddenly my dad hits me with lightning and the bond snapped as Zekaj was forced to go back to hell,"
"The bond snapped?" Max asked.
"Yeah it looks like it's dead," Hunter whispered. Hunter now saw he remembered a lot more than he thought he did. Those repressed memories had brought themselves back to the forefront.
"I didn't even know a bond could snap when both mates are in love," Max said. "I always heard about wolves and their mate bonds snapping when both parties don't want to be with each other, but not this."
"So you don't know if it can be repaired?" Hunter questioned him.
"I- I'm not sure. Maybe?"
Hunter sighed and stood up.
"I'm going home early,"
"Do you need a ride?" Max asked.
"I drove, and I'm good. Thanks though," Hunter sighed. "I'm summoning him back,"
Max's eyes went wide, "Don't you need like 20 people for that?"
"Not for me," Hunter said.
Hunter turned to leave but his wrist was grabbed by the wolf.
"Keep in touch, alright? If you need anything just ask." Max handed Hunter a small piece of paper with his number on it.
Hunter nodded and headed for the teacher. He quickly explained the situation and called his dad in the school's head office.
"Hello?" Hunter heard his dad on the other side of the phone.
"Hey, Um," Hunter felt the tears pour down his face after the trip down memory lane. "I'm not feeling the best, can I go home?"
"Yeah yeah, of course, bud!" Jaxon said. "Let me finish some stuff up here and I'll head back down from the Institute-"
Hunter flinched at the mention of the Institute.
"No, it's fine dad," Hunter interrupted. "I'll be fine,"
Hunter didn't hear anything from the other side of the phone. He almost thought his dad hung up before he heard him speak up.
"Ok then, uhm," Jaxon said. "Just call me if you need me alright?"
"Ok," Hunter whispered.
The office ladies finished everything up and Hunter quickly signed out. Hunter left the school in a hurry.
The whole car ride home he was angry. Why did his father care about him now? Why does he suddenly want to choose him after everything he's put him through?
Hunter sped home and quickly headed for the basement once he was there.
He hadn't been down there since his birthday when he and Zekaj connected the bond. It had felt like years since that happened, but it had barely been two months. Hunter had so little time with Zekaj and the bond. He felt cheated.
That basement had so many good memories to it.
Them connecting the bond.
Their first kiss.
The first time Zekaj squeezed his as-
Hunter sped home and quickly began work on the ritual. He swiped his hand and all the candles lit up instantly.
The ritual circle was something he had memorized. He didn't need their ritual book which was nowhere to be found. It had sat in the basement for so long since he turned 17 and now it was gone.
Hunter put the finishing touches on the ritual. Those being Zekaj's personal mark in the middle. One that sat on Zekaj's upper bicep, so of course, he had that thing memorized, he was always looking at Zekaj's biceps. It was hard not to.
The mage's eyes glowed pale gold as he chanted for Zekaj. Hunter felt the power flow through him as the ritual markings glowed on the outer ring before it came time for the middle one itself to glow.
And nothing happened.
The runes dimmed and Hunter just stared in shock. Did Zekaj decline him?
Suddenly Hunter remembered, Zekaj's mark had changed when the two activated the bond. Hunter dropped back to his knees and quickly added the changes to the bond.
Instead of a fancy Z with strange markings, it now looked like a Z and an H, depending on how you looked at it.
Hunter chanted and called out for Zekaj again. The runes glowed and as it got to the middle.
Nothing happened.
"Zekaj," Hunter said.
The runes started to dim again and Hunter wouldn't allow it.
"Zekaj!" Hunter yelled, tears beginning to flow.
He tricked you.
"Zekaj Voidborne!" Hunter screamed at the top of his lungs.
The bond was fake.
Hunter didn't understand what was happening. The ritual was going through, just it wasn't being accepted by Zekaj! Why wasn't Zekaj answering!
"ZEKAJ VOIDBORNE!" Hunter screamed, his voice straining.
Zekaj never loved you.
"ZEKAJ FUCKING VOIDBORNE!" Hunter screamed from the deep within his chest as he slammed his fist at the center of the ritual.
His tears dropped into the cracks as his fist slammed continuously at the concrete floor, cracking it in half.
"Zekaj!" Hunter choked.
Everything you two had was a lie.
Hunter slammed his fist into the ground as he screamed and cried. The crying mage failed to notice the pale gold magic flowing off his hands through the tears and the black runes floating above him, flickering in and out of existence.
Why would Zekaj want you?
Your family doesn't even want you.
Zekaj never loved you, he just wanted to use you.
Hunter sobbed as he ran out of energy and the magic in the room faded. The mage succumbed to the sleepiness as he passed out on the floor of the basement.
A/N:
Sorry for taking forever to update. I've been working a lot recently and am also getting sick. Hopefully, I'll get back on schedule soon since everything in the world seems to want to push me off of it lmao.
I would've updated Sunday but the Grammys were on and I had to watch lmao. They were ok and actually made some great decisions this year compared to the shit show they were last year, lmao. They still made some choices but overall it was good. I'm happy for ROM and folklore but the weekend truly should've won/been nominated for like pop solo and roty/soty for blinding lights.
Thanks for reading,
-MEK