The Mating Run by Leeka

In His Eyes: Karma

Zeke’s POV

My heart raced as I followed the sound, the pounding echoing in my ears.

As the trees part, a small clearing is revealed, and in its center stands a figure, concealed in darkness.

“Alina!”

I gasp, feeling a rush of relief wash over me like a tidal wave. I rush towards her, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins with each clumsy step. There is a distant look in her eyes as she stands there, lost in her own thoughts. My hands shook uncontrollably as they made contact with her face, desperately searching for any evidence of bruising. Luckily, there’s none.

“Alina, are you okay? What happened?”

She keeps quiet, her focus unwavering as she looks past me. I can’t help but notice the feverish heat that engulfs her skin as I run my fingers over it, sending shivers down my spine.

“Alina, talk to me.” I pleaded, my voice trembling with desperation. Her lips part, but no sound emerges from her mouth. A heavy silence fills the space between us, making it unbearable. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

I wrap my arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body against mine.

“It’s okay, Alina. I’m here. You’re safe.”

The memory of losing her resurfaces in my mind, the raw fear flooding back. I press my lips to her forehead, feeling the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair against my face.

“I thought I lost you again,” I admit, my voice breaking. “I can’t bear it, Alina. I

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can’t lose you. Why don’t we go back to the cabin? You have to rest to let the fever subside.”

Her eyes flicker with a glimmer of recognition, giving me a surge of hope. Without saying a word, her body eases into mine, offering a sense of solace that I desperately grasp onto. I feel her head resting gently on my shoulder, and with that simple touch, my panic begins to dissipate. Her scent reminds me of home, and it’s where I long to be.

“…-Ke-”

Just as quickly as the calmness spreads through me, I hear her voice, soft and melodic.

I stiffen, feeling a wave of relief wash over me as my lips twitch into a smile.

“Alina?”

“…get…away from…me-”

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through my stomach, blinding me momentarily.

I stumble back, the pain causing a sharp groan to escape my lips.

mind, causing my eyes

through me, overpowering my senses and threatening to drown out reason. Glancing at Alina, I could feel the warmth

what did you-

fixed upon me, her claws stained crimson with my blood. A vacant look settled in her eyes, as

Eyes: Karma

my vision. I take a step back from her, my hand instinctively clutching the wound, my face betraying the desperation I can’t hide. She lifts her hands, and her sharp claws are aimed directly at me. She stares at them as if they belong to someone else. Apart from the

the gentleness they once held. I raise one of my hands, palms out, feeling the sweat trickle down my trembling fingers, in a feeble attempt to stop her.

in her vacant eyes as she unexpectedly swipes at me with a fierce intensity. Her claws graze my cheeks, causing a

call out, the desperation in my voice escalating.

feral glint in her eyes undiminished. Her claws flash, and in a split second, I duck, narrowly escaping the attack, the rush of

can’t bring myself

voice hoarse. “What did they

as if lost in thought. In a fleeting moment, a spark of recognition dances in their eyes, before disappearing without a trace. With a predatory gleam in

backward, my heart

this!

vacant and distant, a mere shell of the

once

heck am I supposed to do? It breaks my heart to see her

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claws slashing through the air like a deadly weapon. With each step I take back, the forest transforms into a battlefield, where reason has no role to play. There’s no more room to evade her,

x

and helplessness collide, causing me to stagger backwards as my vision blurs. I fall. The sensation of the cold ground meeting my

myself up, my muscles straining as I strive to

darkness.

“Alina!”

a spark of familiarity before it disappears. It’s a cruel sight, a fleeting glimmer of

With a swift motion, I grab her wrist, my fingers

of it,

war being waged. I cling to the hope that she’ll break free, that the woman I adore will emerge from the shadows with a

weight of the

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you

claws in my direction. I stumbled backward, taken aback by

“Fuck!”

forest around us, a cry of anguish and desperation. My breathing becomes erratic as I clutch both the gaping wound in my stomach and my shoulder. As blood continues to pour from my wounds, my vision becomes increasingly blurred. I am left with no other option but to

way I can save

her claws cutting through the air sends chills down my back. The sound of her footsteps reverberates in my ears, a clear indication of her determined pursuit. My chest tightens as panic takes hold. I can’t keep

branches scrape against my face, leaving behind stinging pain. I steal a glance over my shoulder, my eyes barely catching a glimpse of her fleeting figure. With an ethereal grace, she glides through the night, her claws shimmering

kill me, she’s never looked more