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.”

a poignant display of sorrow. As I pull her into a

through this, Alina. Together.”

you, and I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

whispers, her words barely audible, revealing the fragile admission of the turmoil within.

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

always like this?” She looks up, her gaze meeting mine with a mix of gratitude and longing. “I

from her cheek. “You’re worth

reached out to touch my neck. The moment her fingers make contact with my skin, a grimace forms on my face. I can then

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

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

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

get you calmed

murmur. With a bandage in hand, I carefully unravel it, feeling the

clearly still affected by what happened. Her eyes remain fixed on me, flickering between the bandage and my face, as if searching for answers. “I’m sorry, Zeke. I don’t know why I did

place on my neck, I am relieved to feel the coolness

okay, Alina. Don’t worry

of gratitude and guilt reflecting in her eyes. As she tries to

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

brushing her hair away from her face. “Besides, it’s

her focus never wavers from the bandage, her fingertips gently caressing the fabric as if trying to unravel the secrets hidden within

a moment to listen to the birds chirping in the distance. “We’ll find a way to manage it,

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

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

not allowing her

alone.

Alina. If anything, I should be the one staying outside.”

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

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

distance between us. Instead, I pull her close, my arms enveloping her in a protective

gently running through her hair. “We’ll

out a shaky breath, the weight of the night’s events still

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

of fear persist in her eyes, and I feel the need to lighten the atmosphere. “You know

a small scoff, a hesitant smile forming.

be funny, even if you

know, when I was younger, I tried to cook dinner for the pack. Let’s just say, it ended up being more of a bonfire than a meal.

genuine, erasing the lines of worry etched on her face.

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