My Alpha Told Me to Stop Needing Him. So I Disappeared novel · Chapter 1 of 24
Chapter 1: The Lobby
Corbin walks into the medical center with Tiffany on his arm and moves Anneliese's surgery aside for her in front of the whole lobby, telling Anneliese to stop needing him. Anneliese says okay, and before dawn she crosses the territory line as a howl cracks behind her.
Corbin MacCulloch came through the medical center doors at six in the evening with his hand on Tiffany Cobb's back.
His carry-on rolled behind him, because he had come straight from the airport.
Half of Redwood's wolves were in the lobby, waiting on test results, and every one of them turned to look.
I was standing at the front desk holding my surgery folder.
Two years ago a rogue's blade had left silver slivers under my right shoulder blade.
At eight the next morning, the surgeon was going to take them out.
I had booked it myself and told no one but the doctor.
Nine days ago I had also found out I was carrying Corbin's pup, and I had told no one that either.
I was going to tell him after the surgery, once I could lift my arm over my head.
Her late mate had been Corbin's Beta, and Corbin had promised the whole pack he would look after her.
She leaned on him with her full weight, one hand pressed to her stomach.
Corbin looked gray around the mouth, the way he did after every trip.
Ten hours of sleep with my hand on his chest always fixed it.
Then he saw me.
"Anneliese?" He stopped. His eyes dropped to the folder. "What are you doing here? Is the shoulder acting up?"
"Just a check," I said.
"You should have called me," Tiffany said. Her voice was warm and a little breathless. "I would have driven you. Did you eat today?"
She had brought me soup three times that month.
She was also the one who had told me not to bother Corbin about the surgery.
"He carries enough already," she had said, and squeezed my hand.
I had thought that was kind.
The surgeon came out of the back hallway with a chart and stopped when he saw the Alpha.
"Alpha MacCulloch, welcome back." He nodded at me. "Luna Anneliese, we're all set for eight tomorrow."
Corbin's head turned slowly. "Eight for what?"
"The silver," I said. "In the morning."
His jaw went tight. "You booked a surgery and didn't tell me?"
"You were at the council."
"Corbin." Tiffany folded forward and grabbed his sleeve. "It's the cramps again. It's worse today."
He caught her before her knees went.
He looked at the surgeon. "How soon can you see her?"
"Alpha, I'm the only wolf surgeon on staff. I have Luna Anneliese at eight."
"Then move Anneliese."
The lobby went quiet.
By the door, a woman had her phone raised.
"It's silver in my back, Corbin," I said. "It has been there two years."
"It's splinters." He said it in his reasonable voice, the one he used on the council. "It has waited two years, and Tiffany is hurting right now."
He stepped closer and lowered his voice, though everyone could still hear him.
"Give me one week. You've always been the strong one. Stop needing me for this, just this once."
I stood there and waited for him to take it back.
He didn't.
Over his shoulder, Tiffany dabbed at her eyes. "Don't be upset, Anneliese. I'll make him bring you dinner tomorrow, I promise."
The surgeon stared at his chart.
I thought about three years of sending that man photos of dresses and asking which one he liked.
I thought about every dinner I had kept warm.
I put my other hand over my stomach, where he hadn't looked once.
"Okay," I said.
Corbin kissed my forehead.
Then he walked Tiffany to the elevator with his hand on her back, and he did not turn around.
So I stepped out.
I closed the folder, walked through the front doors, and drove home.
At nine, my phone lit up with his text. Staying at the clinic with Tiffany tonight. Don't wait up. Love you.
I didn't wait up.
I didn't answer, either.
At four in the morning I took the duffel down from the closet.
I packed my leather tools, my grandmother's knife, and the savings account book with my name alone on it.
I left my wedding ring on his pillow, on the side where he slept.
I texted the surgeon: Cancel the eight o'clock. I'll have it done elsewhere.
Then I drove to the stone marker on Miller Road, where Redwood's land ended.
The mate bond was a thin hot line behind my ribs, and in four years it had never once gone slack.
I stepped over the line.
The bond pulled tight, and I kept walking.
A mile behind me, at the pack house, a howl went up.
It was high and it cracked in the middle.
It was Corbin's, and I had never heard him sound afraid.
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