The Mating Run by Leeka

Chapter 48

Thoughts

My head hurts, throbbing like a drum beaten by invisible hands.

Darkness surrounds me, a heavy shroud that muffles the world. I try to open my eyes, but they feel glued shut. Slowly, I manage to pry them open, squinting against the harsh light. I see Zeke’s worried face hovering above me, lines of concern

etched on his forehead.

“Alina, can you hear me?” he asks, his voice a distant echo in my foggy mind.

I nod weakly, unable to find my voice. Everything feels fuzzy, like I’m floating in a dream. My body aches, and my limbs feel heavy, as if they’re made of lead. Zeke’s hand presses against my forehead, and I flinch at the cool touch.

“You’re burning up,” he mutters, more to himself than to me. “We need to keep moving.”

Moving? Where are we?

My memories are a jumble of disjointed images, like a broken movie reel playing in my mind. I remember Victor, his teeth sinking into my flesh. The pain was searing, intense, but now it’s just a dull ache, a distant memory.

Zeke helped me escape, but from what?

Where are we running to?

Zeke lifts me effortlessly, cradling me in his arms. The world tilts, and I close my eyes against the disorienting sensation. When I open them again, we’re in a

―

different place a dimly lit room with a flickering lantern. Zeke eases me onto a makeshift bed, and I can feel the scratchy fabric beneath me.

“Drink this,” he says, holding a cup to my lips. I glance inside and see clear liquid. Water, maybe? I take a sip, the coolness soothing my parched throat. It’s a small victory, a step toward clarity.

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Thoughts

“Where are we?” I manage to mumble, my voice hoarse.

“Somewhere safe, for now,” Zeke replies, his eyes scanning the room as if expecting danger to burst through the walls. “You have a fever. I thought it wouldn’t get worse, but it did.”

“Oh…”

Zeke sighs, his jaw clenching.

for long. We need to keep moving.”

cool against my skin. I cling to him, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and vulnerability. We walk, or rather, Zeke walks while I’m carried like a fragile doll. The world becomes a blur of shadows and muted sounds, my senses dulled

mind.

this time in a cramped space that smells of musty wood. Zeke lays me down on a narrow cot, and I watch as he rummages through a bag.

I ask, my

his gaze steady. “It’ll help with the infection from

Victor’s bite.”

hesitantly, watching as Zeke fills the syringe with a clear liquid. He finds a vein and

“Better?” he asks.

the medicine come from?” I ask, my voice a

of unease crossing his face. Zeke changes the subject, his eyes searching for a

20

a forced cheerfulness in his tone. “I know you are, I heard your stomach rumbling a few seconds ago.”

but I’don’t deny

I admit, my stomach rumbling in

beside him, and the aroma of porridge fills the air. I glance at him in surprise. “Where did you get

hint of mischief in his eyes. “I have my

raise an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued.

sound that carries

have a knack for

the porridge into a bowl, I

the warmth of the food in front of me is too inviting to resist. Zeke hands me the bowl, and I take a hesitant spoonful. The taste is surprisingly comforting, the simple flavors a welcome reprieve

a decent cook,” I tease,

“I have my

spoons against the bowl. The porridge is a balm to the

unspoken

aside, “There’s

of answering me, Zeke eats more of

like this. At the beginning of the Mating Run, I had simple dreams. Dreams of days spent with Ettie, the sun warming our faces as we laughed. Maybe even with Victor, his cocky grin and charming words

to navigate the challenges of the Mating Run together, support each other. But as the days passed, something changed in her. Maybe it was the pressure, the competition for survival. Or maybe

me like a punch to the gut. Ettie, who was supposed to be my ally, has become a threat. I don’t know when it happened, the shift from trust to trepidation, but it’s there, a lingering shadow in the corners of my mind. The person I thought I knew so well has become

gnaws at me.

journey, I never would have believed that he would betray me. His charm, his smooth words – they were a mask hiding the true nature of the predator within. I trusted him, foolishly

his whispered promises, the moments when I let my guard down. It all seems like

that leaves scars on my soul. I never expected Victor to be the one to turn against me. In the beginning, he was a presence, a force that seemed untouchable. Now, he’s a threat, a reminder that even the ones who seem the

have taken a different path?

Thoughts

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