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.”

tears, remains a poignant display of sorrow. As I pull her into a comforting embrace, I can feel her body relax against mine,

this,

hurt you, and I don’t want

words barely audible, revealing the fragile admission of

me,” I say, my voice a gentle murmur. “We can’t predict what’ll happen,

with a mix of gratitude and longing. “I don’t think I

reply, my thumb brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re worth every bit of patience

moment her fingers make contact with my skin, a grimace forms on my face.

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

the nightmare. Alina’s eyes

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

get you calmed

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

between the bandage and my face, as if searching for

neck, I am relieved to feel

okay, Alina. Don’t worry

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

voice barely audible over the quiet hum of the night. “I could

I reach out, gently brushing her hair away from her face.

trying to unravel the secrets hidden within the plain

the distance. “We’ll find a way to manage it,

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

of hesitation. “Maybe it’s better if I

adamant about not allowing her to

alone.

anything, I should be the one staying

mine, a mixture of surprise and

be angry at you. We’re navigating uncharted territory, and I won’t abandon you when you need support the most.”

to lie back. This time, there’s no distance between us. Instead, I pull her close, my arms enveloping her in a protective embrace. The warmth of the moment is both

my fingers gently running through her hair. “We’ll figure this

the weight of the night’s events still pressing on her. “I

of the room. “You won’t,

I feel the need to lighten the atmosphere. “You know what we need? A distraction. How

small scoff, a hesitant smile forming.

can be funny, even if

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 pack’s

each passing moment in the story, Alina’s laughter grows more genuine, erasing the lines of worry etched on her face. Her beautiful laugh

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