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.”

pull her into a comforting embrace, I

through this, Alina. Together.”

don’t want to

whispers, her words barely audible, revealing the fragile

voice a gentle murmur. “We can’t predict what’ll happen, but we

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

away a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re worth every bit of patience and understanding. We’ll find a way through

her fingers make 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

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

and I see a mark on my neck, a tiny wound left behind by the strength of her grip during the nightmare. Alina’s eyes welled up with tears at the sight of blood, her hands shaking

to sit beside me on the bed, feeling the warmth of her presence next to mine. As I reach for the first aid kit, I notice the glistening tears streaking down her face, revealing the depth of her inner turmoil. With a gentle smile, I offer her reassurance.

get you calmed

With a bandage in hand, I carefully unravel it, feeling the soft fabric and seeing the

clearly still affected by what happened. Her eyes remain fixed on me, flickering between the bandage and my

securely in place on my neck, I am

Alina. Don’t worry about

at her, I could see a complex blend of gratitude and guilt reflecting in her eyes. As she tries to maintain her

barely audible over the quiet hum of the night. “I could have killed you.”

me.” I reach out, gently brushing her hair away from her face. “Besides, it’s

never wavers from the bandage, her fingertips gently caressing the fabric as 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

first aid kit aside, taking a moment to listen to the birds chirping in the distance. “We’ll find a way to manage it, Alina. And I won’t let you push yourself away because of this. We face it

the weight of uncertainty, enveloping us in a shared vulnerability. My words, spoken with a quiet determination, act as an anchor, keeping

a touch of hesitation. “Maybe it’s better if I sleep outside. That way,

about not allowing her to bear the

alone.

Alina. If anything, I should be the

serious right now?” Her eyes meet mine, a mixture of surprise and

at

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

Alina,” I say, my fingers gently running through her hair. “We’ll figure this out, step by

events still

in the quiet of the room. “You won’t, Alina.

fear persist in her eyes, and I feel the need to lighten the atmosphere. “You know what we need? A distraction. How about a funny story?”

small scoff, a

think you can be funny, even if you

me?” I begin, “You know, when I was younger, I tried to cook dinner for the pack. Let’s just say, it ended up being more of

the story, Alina’s laughter grows more genuine, erasing the lines of worry etched on

gratitude. “Thank you, Zeke. I