The Mating Run by Leeka

Zeke’s POV

“Alina!”

In His Eyes: Dreams

The words come out in a choked scream, the syllables stretched and strained.

But there’s no response. Her empty gaze seems to pierce through the darkness, detached and unfazed by the struggle beneath her hands. My chest tightens with fear, as if sharp claws are digging into my ribs, demanding to be set free from the crushing grip that looms over me. Desperation and confusion mingled in my eyes as I wrestled against her tight grip.

“Alina, please!” Struggling to speak, I managed to rasp out my words, my plea echoing in the void that separated us. “Let me go!”

And then, as if jolted awake from a dream, her eyes widen with recognition. In an instant, the vacant look on her face is replaced by a surge of realization, as she comprehends the magnitude of what she is doing. The tightness around my throat loosens, allowing me to take a gasping breath and feel the immediate relief of fresh oxygen entering my lungs.

“Zeke?”

As she speaks, her voice wavers, conveying a sense of confusion and deep remorse. Clutching my throat, I could still feel the lingering sensation of her hands, like a ghostly touch.

“What… What happened, Alina?”

Horror and guilt immediately wash over her face, causing her to recoil. Her hands tremble uncontrollably as she gazes at them, her entire body filled with a sense of unease.

“I don’t… I don’t know. I just… I thought I was dreaming.”

As I sit up, the bed feels even colder than it did moments ago.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she says, her voice a fragile apology in the quiet darkness. “I’m sorry.”

“Alina, it’s okay,” I murmur, my voice an attempt at reassurance. “It was… just a bad dream, right?”

As she looks at me, her eyes, clouded with remnants of the night’s confusion, well up with tears, revealing a blend of fear and sorrow on her face.

“I’m sorry, Zeke,” she whispers, her voice trembling, eyes never wavering from my neck. “I’m so sorry, sorry, so sorry…”

My hand reaches out, delicately cupping her cheek, feeling the softness of her skin.

fell.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry, come on.’

But her tears kept streaming down her face, leaving gentle pathways as they

I guide her to sit beside me on the bed, the cold reality of the night enveloping us in its presence. “Alina, you can’t blame yourself. We’re both trying to figure this out, and sometimes things get a little messy. It doesn’t change how I feel about

you.”

her face, streaked with tears, remains a poignant display of sorrow. As I pull her into a comforting embrace, I can feel her body relax against mine, seeking solace in the safety of my arms.

through this,

hurt you, and I don’t want to

revealing the fragile admission of the

murmur. “We can’t predict what’ll happen, but we can face it together. And I’m not

meeting mine with a mix of gratitude and longing. “I don’t think I deserve someone as patient and

a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re worth every bit of patience and

contact with my skin, a grimace forms on my face. I can then feel a wetness against my neck, and my fingers confirm it as they

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

of her grip during the nightmare. Alina’s eyes welled up with tears at the sight of blood,

I reach for the first aid kit, I notice the glistening tears streaking down

you calmed

carefully unravel it, feeling the soft fabric

remain fixed on me, flickering between the bandage and my face, as if

in place on my neck, I

okay, Alina. Don’t worry about it.”

of gratitude and guilt reflecting in her eyes. As she tries to maintain her composure, there’s a lingering

whispers, her voice barely audible over the quiet

brushing her hair away from her

if trying to unravel the secrets hidden within the plain white surface. “I could have really hurt you, Zeke. What if it happens again? What if I

first aid kit aside, taking a moment to listen to the birds chirping in the distance. “We’ll find a

in a shared vulnerability. My words, spoken with a quiet

Tentatively, she begins speaking, her voice trembling with a touch of hesitation. “Maybe it’s better if I sleep outside. That way,

head, adamant about not allowing her to bear the guilt

alone.

I should be the

a mixture of surprise and

my grasp. “Alina, I can’t be angry at you. We’re navigating uncharted territory, and I

encouraging her to lie back. This time, there’s no distance between us. Instead, I pull her close, my arms enveloping her

fingers gently running through her hair. “We’ll

shaky breath, the weight of the night’s events still pressing

quiet of the room. “You won’t, Alina. We’ll find a way

need to lighten the atmosphere. “You know

scoff, a

can be funny, even

younger, I tried to cook dinner for the pack. Let’s just say, it ended up being more of a bonfire than a meal. The Alpha was so mad at me, he told me to run around the

more genuine, erasing the lines of worry etched on her face. Her beautiful laugh

eyes reflecting gratitude. “Thank you, Zeke. I needed that.”