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.”

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

this,

I don’t want

barely audible, revealing the fragile

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

a mix of gratitude and longing. “I don’t think I deserve someone as patient and understanding as you,

from her cheek. “You’re worth every bit of

reflecting pure horror, as her hands instinctively reached out to touch my neck. The moment her fingers make contact with my skin, a grimace forms on

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

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

me on the bed, feeling the warmth of her presence next to mine. As I reach for the first aid kit, I

calmed

carefully unravel it, feeling the soft fabric and seeing the adhesive side that will soon

nods, her hands trembling slightly, clearly still affected by what happened. Her eyes remain fixed on me, flickering between the bandage and my face, as if searching

my neck, I am relieved to feel the coolness

Alina. Don’t worry about

eyes. As she tries to maintain her composure, there’s a lingering

she whispers, her voice barely audible over the quiet hum of the

kill me.” I reach out, gently brushing her hair away from her

the fabric as if trying to unravel the secrets hidden within the plain

setting the 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

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

of hesitation. “Maybe it’s better if

my head, adamant about not allowing

alone.

anything, I should be the one staying outside.”

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

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

distance between us. Instead, I pull her close, my arms enveloping her in a protective embrace. The warmth of the

my fingers gently running through her hair.

night’s events still pressing on her. “I don’t want to hurt you, Zeke.”

her tighter, the words spoken in the quiet of the room. “You won’t, Alina. We’ll find a way through this, and I’m not going anywhere.”

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

scoff, a hesitant smile

be funny, even if you

cook dinner for the pack. Let’s just say, it ended up being more of a bonfire than a meal. The Alpha

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

eyes reflecting gratitude. “Thank you, Zeke. I