The Mating Run

Chapter 48

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

Darkness surrounds me, a heavy shroud that muffles the world. | try to open my eyes, but they feel glued shut. Slowly, | manage to pry them open, squinting against the harsh light. | 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.

| 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 | 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. | 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 | close my eyes against the disorienting sensation. When | open them again, we're ina

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

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

1/7 Thoughts “Where are we?” | 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. | thought it wouldn’t get worse, but it did.”

“Oh...” Zeke sighs, his jaw clenching. “We can’t stay in one place for long. We need to keep moving.”

The room blurs as Zeke lifts me again, and we’re outside, the night air cool against my skin. | 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 by the fog in my

mind.

We stop again, this time in a cramped space that smells of musty wood. Zeke lays me down on a narrow cot, and | watch as he rummages through a bag. He pulls out a small vial and a syringe, and my heart quickens with unease.

“What's that?” | ask, my voice shaky. “It's medicine,” Zeke replies, his gaze steady. “It'll help with the infection from Victor's bite.”

Infection? The word sends a chill down my spine. | hold my arm out hesitantly, watching as Zeke fills the syringe with a clear liquid. He finds a vein and injects the medicine. | flinch, a sharp sting coursing through my arm, but it fades quickly. Zeke watches me carefully, his eyes searching for any signs of distress.

“Better?” he asks.

“Where did the medicine come from?” | ask, my voice a whisper.

Zeke’s gaze falters, a flicker of unease crossing his face. Zeke changes the subject, his eyes searching for a distraction. 20

“Are you hungry?” he asks, a forced cheerfulness in his tone. “I know you are, | heard your stomach rumbling a few seconds ago.”

| blush, but I’don’t deny it. “| could eat.” | admit, my stomach rumbling in agreement.

Zeke reaches for a small pot beside him, and the aroma of porridge fills the air. | glance at him in surprise. “Where did you get that in the middle of the forest?”

He grins, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “I have my ways.”

| raise an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. “Your ways?”

He chuckles, a sound that carries a trace of playfulness.

“Let's just say | have a knack for finding things.”

As he ladles the porridge into a bowl, | can’t help but wonder about the

mysterious sources of our supplies. However, the warmth of the food in front of me is too inviting to resist. Zeke hands me the bowl, and | take a hesitant spoonful. The taste is surprisingly comforting, the simple flavors a welcome reprieve from the complexities of our circumstances.

“You're a decent cook,” | tease, trying to lighten the mood. Zeke smirks. “I have my talents.”

We continue our makeshift meal, the silence between us filled with the clinking of spoons against the bowl. The porridge is a balm to the gnawing hunger within me, a reminder that even in the midst of uncertainty, there are moments of simple joy.

As | eat, | can’t shake the feeling that there’s more Zeke isn’t telling me. The air is charged with unspoken secrets, and | wonder if the darkness that haunts us goes beyond the immediate threats of the outside world.

“Zeke,” | begin, setting the empty bowl aside, “There’s more to this, isn’t there?” Instead of answering me, Zeke eats more of his porridge.

| never thought it would be like this. At the beginning of the Mating Run, | 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 road have taken me places i never imagined, places filled with fear and betrayal.

Ettie, my once-close friend, now scares me. Her eyes, once filled with warmth, now hold a glint of something darker. | never expected that. We were supposed 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 it was always there, hidden beneath the surface.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. Ettie, who was supposed to be my ally, has become a threat. | 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 | thought I knew so well has become a stranger, and the fear of what she might do

gnaws at me.

And then there’s Victor. Oh, Victor. At the start of this twisted journey, | 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. | trusted him, foolishly believed that he might be an unexpected ally in this chaotic game.

The memories replay in my mind like a broken record. Victor’s smile, his whispered promises, the moments when | let my guard down. It all seems like a cruel joke now. How could | have been so blind? How did | not see the danger lurking beneath the surface?

It's not just betrayal; it’s a betrayal that cuts deep, that leaves scars on my soul. | 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 least likely can be the ones to cause the most damage.

If | had known how things would turn out, would | have taken a different path? Would | have avoided the Mating Run altogether, chosen a simpler life with Ettie and

Thoughts

the warmth of familiarity? It's a question that lingers.

A few days ago, if someone had told me that i would be sitting here, having a meal with Zeke taking care of me, | wouldn’t have believed it. The twists and turns of the Mating Run have led me to places | never imagined, places where trust is a rare gem, and allies are forged in the crucible of survival.

Zeke, the unexpected guardian. It’s a role | never assigned to him, never thought he would play in this chaotic game. But here he is, watching over me like a silent protector. The realization makes my heart swell with a mix of gratitude and

disbelief. As | take a bite of the makeshift meal Zeke prepared, | can’t help but reflect on the journey that brought us here.

| remember what my parents used to tell me when | was just a child, wide-eyed and innocent, dreaming of a future where everything would be perfect. They spoke about what makes a perfect mate, a life partner who would be more than just a companion but a cornerstone in the edifice of life.

The first thing they mentioned was the spark. The magical feeling you get when you touch your partner, the electric jolt that courses through your veins. As a child, | envisioned it as literal sparks, like tiny bolts of lightning connecting two

people.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Then came the qualities — kindness, wonderfulness, attractiveness. Traits that would make your heart skip a beat and your soul sing. | imagined someone with a heart full of warmth, someone who would make every moment wonderful, and a face so attractive it could light up the darkest corners of the world.

But my parents added another layer to their definition of a perfect mate. They spoke about giving, about nurturing. A perfect mate, they said, is a perfect provider. It was a concept that took a while for my young mind to grasp. What did it mean to be a perfect provider? Was it just about having enough money, a big house, and fancy things?

5/7 Thoughts Now, as | sit here, those childhood lessons echo in my mind.

Zeke, with his steady presence and his ability to provide in the harshest of circumstances, embodies those lessons in ways | never fully understood until now.

The spark, the enchanting feeling that was supposed to accompany the touch of a perfect mate- | felt it with Zeke. Not in the flashy, dramatic way | had imagined as a child, but in the quiet moments, the shared glances, the unspoken understanding that passes between us. It’s a spark that’s not just about physical touch but about a connection that goes beyond words.

Zeke, with his scavenging skills, his ability to find supplies in the most unlikely places, has become a provider in a world where survival hinges on resourcefulness. He doesn't just offer protection; he ensures there’s food on the table, medicine when needed, and a sense of stability in the chaos.

My parents’ words take on a new meaning in this harsh reality. A perfect mate is not just about the idealized spark or the superficial traits. It's about finding someone who can weather the storms of life alongside you, someone who can give and nurture in a world that demands resilience.

It's not a fairy tale, not the romanticized version | had envisioned as a child. It’s a gritty, real-world connection forged in the crucible of survival. Zeke, with his practical gestures and unspoken support, has become a beacon of stability in the tumultuous journey of the Mating Run.

And as | reflect on these thoughts, | realize that perfection, in the context of a mate, is not about flawlessness. It’s about finding someone whose strengths complement your weaknesses, someone who stands by you when the world turns against you. In Zeke, I’ve found a partner who doesn’t just meet the childhood ideals; he surpasses them in ways that | couldn’t have imagined.

Victor pointed out to Zeke that he was lacking the innate qualities that define an Alpha. He didn’t get the role because he was deemed weak, incompetent, and not up to par. However, that statement is far from the truth.

And | know, because | see it in the attentive way that Zeke takes care of me.