After a while I can tell that he stopped. He isn’t following me anymore. He tries to link me but I block him. I am not even really sure what to do. I don’t have any money, no clothes except the ones on my back. I have my phone and wallet but that is it. I start towards the border of the pack lands. There are plenty of humans here. I am sure I can get a ride with one of them out of the lands and into the next district.
Walking on the highway for about ten minutes when a person pulls to the side of the road and offers me a ride. “Thank you so much. I am just going to the next town.” I give him a friendly smile. He doesn’t look all that great. Probably had too much to drink to be honest. I can smell it from the passenger seat. His dark eyes scan my body. Yeah, this is probably not a good idea.
“First let’s talk about payment options.” He reaches over and puts his hand on my thigh. I have had about enough of people putting their hands on me. I grab his hand and break it at the wrist.
“I think you should go sober up somewhere. I will find another ride.” I climb out of the car to the sounds of him screaming in pain. Just in case he decides to run me over with his car I decide to take the woods.
I don’t want to shift that will make me more open to the link. I just trudge through the woods for a couple of miles. After that I am sure that doofus is off the road. He is going to need to have his hand looked at. I head back to the highway and start trying to find a ride again. My stomach isn’t feeling all that great. I am trying to push it off as the fact that I hardly ate, but I know it is more than that. I am running away from my mate. I may not have wanted him but that is what he is.
After a few minutes a sheriff pulls to the side of the road. He climbs out of his car and stops me. “Ma’am, don’t you know it’s illegal to hitchhike here?” He is actually a rather attractive human. He has dark blond hair with blue eyes like mine. He is tall too. Not that anyone can hold a candle to Markus, but he is nice to look at.
I shake my head. “I’m sorry I didn’t.” I start to get an idea, I don’t like to lie but it’s like a half lie. “I was just trying to get away. My husband, he hurts me. I just needed to get away.”
The look of concern spreads on his face. “Can you give me your husband’s name?”
I shake my head. “No, I just want to go. I’ll walk through the woods. I’ll stay off the road from now on.”
“What’s your name ma’am?”
“Sophia.”
He sighs. “Alright Sophia. I am going to take you to some people that can help. I am going to need you to climb in the backseat for me. It’s just proticall. By no means am I arresting you.”
“There are people who can help?”
He gives me a small smile. “Yes. My name is Deputy Morison. I am going to take you to a women’s shelter in the next town over. The other women there are in the same boat as you.”
“Thank you so much.” Then as if my life can’t get any worse, I feel it. The fucker is sleeping with someone else again. I crumple down holding my belly. I can’t claw myself this time. That wouldn’t look good to this officer. It’s bad enough he is already panicking seeing me collapse like this. I have no composure. I just healed from the other night, now he is doing it again.
“Sophia, look at me. Where does it hurt?”
“My stomach.” I whine out. I don’t really know what he can do to help, but what the hell. He pushes me back so that I am now laying on the ground. He lifts up my shirt and sees the bruises and inflamed skin. It’s not getting any better either. The longer he takes the more bruises appear.
I can’t hear anything, I am losing consciousness. The Deputy is shaking me trying to keep me awake. But it is a lost cause. I am gone.