TALIA I was numb. My visible injuries were fully healed by now, but the invisible wounds within me still had blood pouring from them. After I scrubbed my skin of all the dried blood and filth from that jail cell, I wrapped myself in the very soft T-shirt and cotton gym shorts Alex left me, relieved that they were freshly washed so his scent was not so strong on them. I didn’t want to smell his scent. I wanted to forget I’d ever met him and that I had a mate. His family had caused nothing but pain and suffering for me, and I wanted out. Too weak to leave, I crawled into the bed in the room where he left me, snuggling under the comforter and drifting into sleep. I was exhausted. I’d barely slept while running here, and I definitely didn’t sleep in that horrible place where Alex’s pack had

