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.”

display of sorrow. As I pull her into a comforting embrace, I can feel her body relax against mine,

this, Alina.

don’t want to hurt you

whispers, her words barely audible, revealing the fragile

predict what’ll happen, but we can face it together. And I’m not

like this?” She looks up, her gaze meeting mine with a mix of gratitude and longing. “I don’t think I deserve someone as patient

“You’re worth every bit of patience and understanding. We’ll find a way through this,

contact with my skin, a grimace forms on my face. I can then feel a wetness against my neck,

“Zeke, you’re bleeding!”

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

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

you calmed down, okay?”

carefully unravel it, feeling the soft fabric and seeing the

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 for answers. “I’m sorry, Zeke.

the bandage securely in place on my neck, I am relieved to feel

Alina. Don’t worry about it.”

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

barely audible over the quiet hum of the night. “I could have

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

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

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 this. We face it together.”

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

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

about not allowing her to bear

alone.

anything, I should be

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

“Alina, I can’t be angry at you. We’re navigating uncharted territory, and I won’t abandon you when you

distance between us. Instead, I pull her close, my arms

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

of the night’s events still pressing on

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

persist in her eyes, and I feel the need to lighten the atmosphere. “You know what we need? A distraction. How about a funny story?”

small scoff, a hesitant smile forming.

don’t think you can be

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 meal. The Alpha was so mad at

of worry etched on her face. Her beautiful laugh fills the room, momentarily drowning out

gratitude. “Thank you, Zeke. I needed that.”