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.”

poignant display of sorrow. As I pull her into a comforting embrace, I can feel her body relax against mine, seeking solace in the

get through this,

I don’t want to hurt you

the fragile admission of the turmoil within.

listen to me,” I 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 us.”

gratitude and longing. “I don’t think I deserve someone as patient and understanding as you, Zeke.”

I reply, my thumb brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re worth every bit of patience and understanding. We’ll find a

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

“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 hands shaking as she comprehended the unintended consequence of her

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 turmoil. With a gentle smile, I

get you calmed

it, feeling the soft fabric

me, flickering between the bandage and my face, as if searching for answers. “I’m sorry, Zeke. I don’t know why I did that.”

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

Don’t worry about

in her eyes. As

me,” she whispers, her voice barely audible over the quiet

gently brushing her hair away from her face. “Besides,

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 can’t control it?”

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 push yourself away because of

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

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

head, adamant about not allowing her to bear

alone.

If anything, I should be the

mine, a mixture of surprise and frustration flickering within. “Why

their soft warmth in my grasp. “Alina, I can’t be angry at you.

I pull her close, my arms enveloping her in

gently running through her hair. “We’ll figure this out, step by step.”

of the night’s events still pressing on her. “I don’t

words spoken in the quiet of the room. “You won’t, Alina. We’ll find a

the traces of fear persist in her eyes, and I feel the need to lighten the atmosphere. “You know what we need? A distraction. How

gives a small scoff, a hesitant smile

you can be funny, even if

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 perimeter

passing moment in the story, Alina’s laughter grows more genuine, erasing the lines of worry etched on her

reflecting gratitude. “Thank