The pain in my heart was so much that my usually calm face became twisted and cold sweat began forming on my face.
"Val, what's wrong?" Karl's voice beside my ear brought me back from the purgatory I had just entered.
It somehow distracted me from the pain I was experiencing and gave me enough sanity to regulate my breathing and bring my emotions under control.
I could not let Mike discover that I could feel the mate bond. Seeing how he took pleasure in hurting me, he would probably do worse things.
So, after my breathing was under control, I looked at Karl and said, "The wound on my face is too painful. I don't know why." It was a lame excuse, but I was counting on the people around me who had overactive imagination to come through for me.
Luckily, they didn't let me down. Someone from the crowd spoke just as the room grew quiet.
