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.

1/7

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.

one place for long. We need

of gratitude and vulnerability. We walk, or rather, Zeke walks while I’m carried like a fragile doll. The

mind.

Zeke lays me down on a narrow cot, and I watch as he rummages

that?” I ask, my voice

gaze steady. “It’ll help with

Victor’s bite.”

chill down my spine. I hold my arm out hesitantly, watching as Zeke fills the syringe with a clear liquid. He finds a vein and injects the medicine. I flinch, a sharp sting coursing through my arm, but it fades quickly. Zeke watches me carefully, his eyes

“Better?” he asks.

medicine come from?” I ask, my

unease crossing his face. Zeke changes the subject,

20

in his tone. “I know you

I’don’t deny it.

eat.” I admit, my stomach

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

in his eyes.

an eyebrow, my

chuckles, a sound that carries

just say I have a knack for finding

a bowl, I can’t help but wonder about the

the warmth of the food in front of me is too inviting to resist. Zeke hands me the bowl, and I take

cook,” I tease, trying to lighten the

smirks. “I have

a balm to the gnawing hunger within me, a reminder that even in the midst of uncertainty, there are

The air is charged with unspoken secrets, and I wonder if the darkness that haunts us goes beyond the immediate threats of

aside, “There’s more to

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 filling the air. But now, everything is different. The twists in the

expected that. We were supposed to navigate the challenges of the Mating Run together, support each other. But as the days passed, something changed

from trust to trepidation, but it’s there, a lingering shadow in the corners of my mind.

gnaws at me.

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

let my guard down. It all seems like a cruel joke now.

that cuts deep, 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,

taken a different path? Would I have avoided

Thoughts

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255