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.”

into a comforting embrace, I can feel her body relax against mine, seeking

this,

I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

the fragile

a gentle murmur. “We can’t predict what’ll happen, but we can face it together. And

her gaze meeting mine with a mix of gratitude and longing.

tear from her cheek. “You’re worth

the air, her widened eyes 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 my face. I can then feel a wetness against my neck, and my fingers confirm it as they come away stained with blood.

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

left behind by the strength of her grip during the nightmare. Alina’s eyes welled up with tears at the sight of blood, her

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

calmed down, okay?”

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

Her eyes remain fixed on me, flickering between the bandage

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

Alina. Don’t worry about it.”

a complex blend of gratitude and guilt reflecting in her eyes. As she tries to maintain her composure, there’s a lingering sense of

she whispers, her voice barely audible over the quiet hum

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

hidden within the plain white surface. “I could have really hurt you, Zeke. What if

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

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

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

not allowing her to bear the

alone.

anything, I should be the one staying

a mixture of surprise and

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

I pull her

say, my fingers gently running through her

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

the quiet of the room. “You

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

gives a small scoff, a

you can be funny, even

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 a bonfire than a

genuine, erasing the lines of worry etched

reflecting gratitude. “Thank you,