Chapter 1
The night before our mating ceremony, my Alpha mate Dorian was kidnapped by rogues on his way to pick up my wedding gown.
He didn’t die–but he forgot me.
Every time someone brought up the mating ceremony, he’d collapse, unconscious.
The healer said it was a psychological defense mechanism, a trauma–induced dissociation that had birthed a second personality.
It just so happened that I found out I was pregnant.
The healer suggested the baby might trigger the return of the Dorian who once loved me–fiercely, wholly, without question.
Clutching the ultrasound report, I went to find him, full of hope.
What I found instead… was him laughing with his friends.
“Dorian, you’re a damn genius,” one of them said between bursts of laughter. “You faked a whole second personality just to ditch the ceremony? What’s next? A third one? A fourth?”
“No need,” Dorian replied, smirking. “I love Corinna. I swear I’ll only lie to her this one time. Let me screw ten more she–wolves, and
I’ll settle down.”
“Only ten?” someone snorted. “That’s not even enough to try all the positions. If it was me, just keep faking it for another year or two. It’s not like Corinna’s going anywhere.”
Dorian’s expression turned cold. “I can’t stand seeing her sad for that long. You guys better find me some good she–wolves–sexy but
innocent. One every three days. I’ve got to make sure my fun doesn’t interfere with the ceremony.”
I stood frozen, the paper trembling in my hand before I finally tore it to shreds. My vision blurred with tears as I turned and walked straight to the hospital.
To schedule an abortion.
When the healer saw me return, he thought I was in pain. When he realized I wanted to terminate the pregnancy, his face twisted in
disbelief.
“This baby… you two went through so much to conceive it. If you go through with this, it might trigger another psychotic break in your fiancé.”
I gave him a bitter smile and shook my head.
“If I really tell him I’m pregnant, he’d probably be the one who never recover.‘
After all, he’s still enjoying the game fooling around with she–wolves after another, without ever getting tied down.
I couldn’t understand how someone who once wept for the chance to mark me could fake a mental illness to escape our bond.
The healer couldn’t go against me, but still insisted on calling Dorian before signing the surgery consent form.
“Miss Blackwell, this child is half his. Even if he’s sick, he should be here to sign, to support you. What if there’s a misunderstanding that can still be cleared up?”
I gently rested a hand on my belly, then nodded.
I had polycystic ovary syndrome. Getting pregnant wasn’t easy for me. But Dorian didn’t seem to care. He’d even fought with his parent’s just to mark me.
Now, when I was about to let go of this child, he deserved to be there to say goodbye.
But as soon as the healer introduced himself, Dorian scoffed.
“How much did Corinna pay you to pull this stunt? I already told you–I don’t even know her, let alone mark her.”
Chapter 1
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“Tell her to cut the crap. I’m not marrying her, and that baby probably isn’t even mine.
His mocking laugh and the beep of the ended call echoed in the quiet of the operating room.
I signed for myself. And closed my eyes.
When I woke up after surgery, my phone was full of messages. All from Dorian.
Dorian: [I don’t care what we were before. Right now, we’re just strangers. Instead of paying actors to packing and move out.]
He’d even kindly rented me a furnished apartment in the same neighborhood and paid
for
month’s
He made sure I wouldn’t doubt his generosity–the lease was signed for a full year.
Dorian: [Consider it a favor between acquaintances
you don’t need to pay me back.]
I stared at the bloodied remains of what could’ve been our child and replied simply: [Thanks.]
Let’s just consider the rent his final act of responsibility for this child.
guilt–trip
“”
maybe start
I stayed three more days in the hospital. He never came. Never called,
But his social media told me all I needed to know–club lights, she–wolves, luxury, freedom, like he’s desperately making up for the youth he couldn’t enjoy while he was with me.
He was showing off on purpose. I knew it.
From my alt account–the one he forgot I had–I couldn’t see any of his posts. So I liked every single one of them.
Let him know I saw it all.
When I went to check out of the hospital, I saw him.
He and a healer were rushing a stretcher down the hallway.
He turned his head the moment he saw me—but pretended not to.
Still, I heard the healer clearly:
“OR One needs to prep RH–negative blood! Patient has a ruptured corpus luteum and is hemorrhaging–she needs emergency surgery!”
“What? We’re out of RH–negative stock?!”
The healer hung up and urgently explained the situation to Dorian.
The same man who had just ignored me suddenly froze… then turned and sprinted toward me.
“Corinna! If you’re willing to donate blood for Selina, I’ll pretend you weren’t stalking me!”
