The Mating Run by Leeka

In His Eyes: Fear

Zeke’s POV

I… I couldn’t stop myself. –

The rage pulsed through me, roaring like a hurricane in my thoughts. She threatened Alina, tried to hurt her. My hands tightly clung to her head, relentlessly pounding it against the unforgiving floor. With each strike, I could feel her bones yielding beneath my fists, the sickening thud resounding in my mind. I felt a wet and metallic substance splatter on my face, chest, and arms, covering me completely.

Alina… she was there, right beside us.

I couldn’t stand by and watch harm come to her, so I took it upon myself to be her protector. The world faded into a blur, leaving me with one goal: keeping her out of harm’s way. I spat on the broken mess I’d made of that woman’s face, feeling a mix of satisfaction and disgust.

I turned back to Alina, her head resting against my chest as I cradled her.

Her open eyes stared into nothingness, devoid of any expression. I shook her softly, desperately trying to get her attention.

No response. Nothing.

Panic took hold of me, paralyzing my thoughts and sending shivers down my spine. I held her tighter, my words of reassurance mingling with the scent of her

hair.

Was she hurt?

Was it something the woman did to her?

I don’t know. I’m scared shitless.

1/7

His Eyes Feat

1. me.

I had no idea I could even feel this much, the rush of emotions overvintring

I hold Alina close, her fragile form trembling within my arms.

The cold reality of the situation bites at my soul, and I feel the weight of guilt pressing down on me like a thousand–ton boulder. Her body feels so small against mine, and the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest is the only sign that she’s still breathing.

I press my forehead against hers, the warmth of her skin sending a shiver down my spine. It’s as if I can feel the fever radiating from her, a scorching heat that matches the flames of regret burning within me. The air is thick and suffocating, a constant reminder of the weight of my guilt.

She looks ahead, her eyes vacant and distant, as if lost in her own thoughts. It’s a sight that pierces through me, and I feel a lump forming in my throat. I want to reach into the depths of her soul and pull her back from wherever she’s gone, but I

know it’s a place only she can navigate.

“Alina,” I whisper, my voice barely audible as it cracks. “I messed up, Alina. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault, all of it. I should’ve been there for you, protected you.”

She doesn’t react. She’s not looking at me.

It’s like she’s lost in some place I can’t reach.

“Please, please come back to me.”

that I can’t escape. If only I had been there for her, things might have been different. That was the responsibility I took on for myself. I had the freedom to do one thing, and I couldn’t seize the opportunity to do it as best

only to realize that tears are streaming down my face. Words escape my lips in a hushed whisper as I press gentle kisses on the side

2/7

Eyes:

this. I should have been more careful, more

my eyes searching

I find is emptiness, a void

this,” I mutter, my voice

lips. It feels like I’m drowning in my own inadequacies, the weight of my failures pulling me under. But I can’t let her see my

link in

more time, the words carrying the weight of a thousand regrets.

The lifeless bodies of those who brought about this

the scent of blood and the bitter taste of my own guilt. I glance at her, hoping for a sign that she’s

of unseen eyes upon us. Hidden cameras peer from behind the trees, capturing our every move. The

warning that they won’t break

voice low and fierce. “Even just

unblinking gaze follows us, a reminder

to be in.

step over the small robots, their screens

His Eyes

anything. Not from sponsors. Not from the

need is Alina, and

is treacherous, and I navigate it with a determination ton from

cast long shadows, and the distant sounds of nature are drowned out by the echoes of our footsteps. The weight of Alina in

all I can feel is the

I not realize this

of our laughter and shared moments. I tenderly settle Alina onto the makeshift bed we constructed, the warmth of the blankets embracing her. The worn blankets and pillows

I hold her delicate body in my arms, nuzzling my face into the softness of her hair. Her scent lingers

whisper, my voice choked with regret. “I should have

and impossible to control. They fall onto her

me so long

4/7

Eyes Feat

murmur. “I can’t live without you, Alina. I should have known it from

start.”

hold her tighter, as if my embrace

admit, my voice barely audible. “Every moment without you was torture. I should have come for

weight of my guilt hangs heavy in the air. I replay the moments leading to her abduction, each second a

confession. “But every breath

eyes. As I gaze upon

should have seen it in your eyes. I

forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine, a gentle kiss that

a solemn vow. “I won’t let you go

can’t.”

my hands, my fingertips tracing the contours of her cheeks. Her eyes, once full of life, now

her.

you again,” I whisper, my voice raw with emotion. “I can’t bear it,

5/7