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 nod, her face, streaked with tears, remains a poignant display of sorrow. As I pull her into a comforting embrace, I can feel

this, Alina.

you, and I don’t want to

words barely audible, revealing the fragile admission of the turmoil

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

of gratitude and longing. “I don’t think I deserve someone as patient and

that,” I reply, my thumb brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re worth every

make contact with my skin, a grimace forms on my face. I can then feel

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

grip during the nightmare. Alina’s eyes welled up with tears at the

Alina 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

calmed down,

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

eyes remain fixed on me, flickering between the bandage and my

bandage securely in place on my neck, I am relieved to feel the coolness providing

Don’t worry about

a complex blend of gratitude and guilt reflecting in her eyes. As she tries to maintain

her voice barely audible over the quiet hum of

gently brushing her hair

her focus 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 if I

distance. “We’ll find a way to manage it, Alina. And I won’t let you push yourself away because of this. We face

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

“Maybe it’s better if I sleep

vigorously shake my head, adamant about not allowing her to bear the guilt

alone.

Alina. If anything, I should

right now?” Her eyes meet mine, a mixture of surprise and frustration flickering within. “Why aren’t you upset?!”

for her hands, feeling their soft warmth in my grasp. “Alina, I can’t be angry at you. We’re navigating uncharted territory, and I won’t

I pull her close, my

fingers gently running through her hair.

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

quiet of the room. “You won’t, Alina.

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

gives a small scoff, a

don’t think you can be funny, even if

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 a bonfire than a meal. The Alpha was so mad at me, he told me to run

moment in the story, Alina’s laughter grows more genuine, erasing the lines of worry etched on her face. Her beautiful laugh fills the room, momentarily drowning out all

her eyes reflecting gratitude. “Thank you,