The Mating Run by Leeka

In His Eyes: Answer
Zeke's POV
As the morning light streams through the windows, it bathes the cabin in a gentle,
golden hue while Alina stirs in my arms.
Shifting slightly to the side, I make sure to give her some room and respond with
a smile as I look at her. When I see the look on her face, the smile immediately
vanishes. Her gaze is unfocused, her expression confused, as if the events of
yesterday are still lingering in the depths of her memory.
“Why are we... naked?”
Her voice is barely audible, a combination of uncertainty and a hint of
nervousness.
“You... you don’t remember? What about me? Do you... remember me?”
With a deep breath, I steady myself, mentally and physically, readying myself for
the upcoming conversation that lies ahead. Her attention turns towards me, her
eyes locked onto my face, searching for something. For a moment, a wave of
fear washes over me, doubting if she will even recognize me. However, a flicker
of recognition passes through her eyes, causing her to quickly look away and
blink.
“I... know you. Y=You're...” Alina’s face contorted into a frown, a mix of
frustration and bewilderment evident in her expression. “Ze...ke.”
With a smile on my face, I reach out and wrap an arm around her waist, giving it
a gentle squeeze. “You're right.”
Once again, a frown appears on her face as she instinctively reaches for her
neck.
“Why does my neck hurt?”
78%
In His Eyes: Answer
A pang of guilt tightens my chest as I delicately run my fingers over the faint
marks on her neck. Her body trembles at my touch, and I catch her covertly
peering at me through her lowered lashes. With a sigh escaping my lips, I lean in
and place a tender kiss on the side of her head, causing her eyes to flutter.
“I marked you,” I confessed, my voice so faint that it almost disappeared into the
silence. Alina’s eyes widen in surprise at the admission, and she instinctively
slaps a hand to her neck, wincing in pain. “I'm sorry, Alina. It wasn't supposed to
happen like this.”
“Marked?”
“Yeah,” I reply, my gaze fixed on her. “It’s a... mating mark. It means you're
mine.”
Pulling away, frustration and confusion are evident on her face.
“Oh, I know exactly what a mating mark is, no need to explain! Just... just, I don’t
understand. You were- Were we even anything? Seriously, how did this happen?
I just... don’t get it, my thoughts are all tangled and I can’t make sense of
anything.”
With a heavy sigh escaping my lips, I found solace in the rhythmic motion of
combing my fingers through her hair. Alina remains close to me, but her body
language reveals tension, as if she is uneasy in my presence. Although her
actions hurt my heart, I know that they may be an unfortunate side effect of the
Hupnos injected into her.
“I know,” I say, remorse tainting my words. “And if it makes you feel any better I
wanted it to mean something more, something special. But in the heat of the
moment, I... I lost control, and now you're marked.”
I had the urge to smack my forehead, but I couldn't come up with a different.
expression to convey my exasperation. Having a mate is completely new to me
as well, and it's an entirely different experience. I never once imagined that I
would have someone like her in my life, let alone someone as incredible as her.
“It doesn’t make me feel better.” Alina’s expression shifts, a subtle mix of
emotions playing on hér features. “I can’t believe this happened. I feel like I'm in
217
u
In the Egos Answer
some kind of dream”
I reach for her hand, feeling the warmth and softness as I give it a gentle
squeeze.
“I'm sorry, Alina. I never wanted to make you uncomfortable or do something you
weren't ready for. I just=".
=!
I wanted to tell her that before, there were moments when it seemed like she was
inviting me to leave my mark on her. But just as I start my other sentence, Alina
abruptly pulls her hand away from mine, leaving my words unfinished.
“So, what now? What does this mean for us?”
I shift uncomfortably, feeling the urge to wrap my arms around her and pull her
onto my lap. However, she avoids eye contact, making it clear that she doesn’t
share the same desire as I do.
“Well,” As I begin, my fingers instinctively find their way into my hair, the familiar
texture providing a sense of grounding. “We can leave-"
“No.”
The sudden answer catches me off guard, causing me to flinch. When I look at
her again, I notice that she’s frowning, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips
downturned.
“Alina?”
The air in the cabin feels heavy with tension, as if every word spoken by Alina
has settled and hangs in the atmosphere. I had thought, hoped, that after the
intensity of our connection, she might be willing to leave the Mating Run with me.
But her face is an enigma, and I can’t discern the thoughts behind those
unreadable eyes.
Wanting to bridge the gap that had formed between us, I mustered the courage.
to reach out to her, hoping for reconciliation. With a subtle retreat, she moves
away,
10 Ma
In His Eyes: Answer
and I can’t help but feel a pang of hurt in my chest.
78%
“I'm not sure about leaving with you, Zeke,” Her steady voice betrays no hint of
emotion as she confesses, but her face remains unreadable. Standing up, she
hastily grabs the nearest hoodie — my hoodie — from the makeshift bed and
wraps it around herself. She even shields her body away from me, as though I
haven't spent countless nights tracing its contours with my fingertips. “I need time
to think.”
My heart sinks, and I fight to keep my expression neutral.
“Huh?”
I notice a hint of vulnerability in her eyes as our gazes intertwine, something I've
never witnessed until now. Frustrated, she lets out a sigh and absentmindedly
tucks loose strands of her hair behind her ear, her pacing on the floor becoming
more restless.
“I don’t know if you're a good guy or the bad guy, Zeke. And it scares me. I can’t
just leave with you without knowing.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Filled with offense and hurt, I forcefully
rise from the bed, immediately making my way towards her. As she looks in my
direction, her gaze falls upon my naked body, causing her to gasp and quickly
look away. That hurts me too, much more than I would like, causing a deep ache
in my heart. As I reach out and grab her forearm gently, she immediately recoils
and forcefully shoves my touch away.
“After everything... you question whether I'm good to you?”
I watch as Alina ran her hand over her face, her expression filled with
annoyance.
“Listen, I have no idea what went down. In my mind, it feels like the Mating Run
just started a few days ago. I have no idea, my brain’s a total mess. I thought you
were trying to kill me. My bad if everything's too fucking strange for me.”
“It's what-" With a click of my tongue, I walk towards her and position myself in
demanding front of her. Placing my hands on her cheeks, I tilt her head towards
me,
10
78%
In His Eyes Answer
her attention. “Alina, that happened ages ago. We patched things up, remember?
I made sure everything was okay between us. Looking back, I wish I hadn't done
what I did. I saved you and you saved me and-"
I can’t even complete my sentence before Alina bursts into tears, ending our
conversation abruptly. Her tears glisten on her cheeks as I gently brush them
away, but when I lean in for a kiss, she flinches, her closed eyes betraying her
wounded heart. When she pushes against my chest, I release my grip on her.
“I... I don’t know anything you're saying,” Crying into her hands, she whispered
her words to me, making sure not to let out a single sound. “In my brain, it's only
been a couple of days. A long time ago? Seriously, how did that happen? That
doesn’t make any sense! I remember... hiding in a cave, and then you trying to
kill me and then... Anything beyond that... Nothing!”
I struggle to contain the hurt, feeling as if 'm being devoured by the
overwhelming sense of rejection.
“You think I'm still the bad guy here, don’t you?”
“It's not that simple,” Her voice filled the air as she replied, and her eyes locked
with mine once more. With her eyes bloodshot from crying, she glares at me and
throws her hands up in the air in frustration. “I just need time to understand
everything. This is all so overwhelming, and I can’t make a decision in haste.”
As the silence settles, it feels suffocating, and I can’t help but run a hand through
my hair in frustration.
“Alina, I care about you. Why can't you trust that?”
“You tried to kill me!” She lets out a piercing scream, her hand shooting up in my
direction. “Seriously, after you tried to kill me, why would I even consider mating
with you?! Have I lost my mind?!”
Her words cut through me like a knife, leaving a bitter taste of disappointment in
my mouth.
“You loved me.”
In His Eyes Answer
“I might have Stockholm Syndrome.”
“Alina-"
“What if this is a mistake-"
“You're treating me like the bad guy, like I'm some threat to you. After everything I
did for you, you can’t see that I'm not here to hurt you?”
Her expression softens, but the lingering uncertainty is still evident in her eyes.
She lets out a sigh, the sound echoing with a profound sense of longing and
sorrow. “I'm sorry, Zeke. I'm drawing a complete blank. I don't think I'm the
person you wanted as a mate. I don’t think I could bring that woman back, even if
I wanted
to.”
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
The impact of the words was like a
tidal wave, relentlessly crashing
against the walls of hope I had
fortified. I am caught off guard by the
tears that form in my eyes, only
Tie > ) 5

noticing them when Alina’s voice
o . 3 ’ .
interrupts the quiet. Alina’s voice, soft
and gentle, acts as a calming melody
that pierces through the storm raging
within me. The content is on
Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
“H-hey... Look, there’s no need to cry-"
As the tears flow down my face, the weight of the ache in my chest becomes
undeniable. How could she forget something so important? How could those
moments be reduced to mere fragments, fleeting and forgotten in the recesses of
her mind?
Alina takes a step closer, her eyes brimming with compassion, as she gently
reaches out to wipe away my tears. “Look... I think we'll figure this out. I just...”
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
Just before she could touch my skin,
my knees buckle beneath me and I
collapse to the ground, shattered and
rejected. I had no idea the pain would
be so intense, but I had heard stories
of mates being rejected before. They

“ ” : :
use the term “drop” to describe this.
Never in my wildest dreams did I
imagine I could have such an
experience. The content is on
Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
I sit there on the cold floor, a broken man in the wake of Alina’s confession. The
12:01 Sun, 10 Mar 0
In His Eyes: Answer
378%
rejection hangs heavy in the air, a bitter taste on my tongue. My tears, once
silent, now echo in the empty spaces between us.
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
Alina sighs, a sound that seems to
carry the weight of our shared pain.
She crouches down in front of me,
her eyes filled with a mix of sympathy
and regret. With a gentle touch, she
wipes away my tears, her fingers
tracing the lines of heartache etched
on my face: The content is on
Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
“Zeke,” she whispers, her voice a soft murmur in the cavern of our shared
vulnerability, “I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I look into her eyes, searching for something, anything, that might look like the
Alina that loves me.
I don't find anything.