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.”

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

through this,

I don’t want to hurt you

barely audible, revealing the

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

looks up, her gaze meeting mine with a mix of gratitude and longing. “I don’t think I deserve

away a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re worth every bit of patience and understanding.

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

“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 shaking as she comprehended the unintended

gentle touch, I guide 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 notice the glistening tears streaking down her face, revealing the depth

you calmed down,

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

eyes remain fixed on me, flickering between the bandage and my face, as if searching for answers. “I’m sorry,

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

Alina. Don’t

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

voice barely audible over

gently brushing her hair away from

wavers from the bandage, her fingertips gently caressing the fabric as if trying to unravel the secrets hidden within the plain

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

stillness in the 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 in the midst

she begins speaking, her voice trembling with a touch of hesitation. “Maybe it’s better if I sleep outside. That way, I won’t

head, adamant about not allowing her to bear the

alone.

anything, I should

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

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

us. Instead, I pull her close, my arms

feel overwhelmed, Alina,” I say, my fingers gently running through her

lets out a shaky breath, the weight of the night’s events still pressing on her. “I don’t want to hurt you,

“You won’t, Alina. We’ll find

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

small scoff, a hesitant smile forming.

think you can be funny, even if you

was younger, I tried to cook dinner for the pack. Let’s just say, it ended up being more

erasing the lines of worry etched on

“Thank you, Zeke. I needed that.”