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.”

of sorrow. As I pull her into a comforting embrace, I can feel her body

this, Alina.

and I don’t want to hurt

barely audible, revealing the fragile admission of

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

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

say that,” 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 way

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

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

see 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

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,

calmed

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

on me, flickering between the bandage and my face, as if searching for answers. “I’m sorry, Zeke. I don’t

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

okay, Alina. Don’t worry about it.”

reflecting in her eyes. As she tries to

over the quiet hum of the night. “I could have killed you.”

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

her focus never wavers from the bandage, her fingertips gently caressing the 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?”

kit aside, taking a moment to listen to the birds chirping in the distance. “We’ll find a way to manage it, Alina.

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 of the

a touch of hesitation. “Maybe

my head, adamant about not allowing her to bear the

alone.

anything, I should be

meet mine, a mixture of surprise

at you. We’re navigating uncharted territory, and I won’t abandon you when you

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 soothing and reassuring.

feel overwhelmed, Alina,” I say, my fingers gently running through her hair. “We’ll figure this out, step by step.”

night’s events still pressing on

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

the 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

you can be funny, even if you try.”

pack. Let’s just say, it ended up being more of a bonfire than

genuine, erasing the lines of worry

reflecting gratitude. “Thank you,