Page 11 of Ellie 1

Now that Dr. Clark was filling the spot, others could get deserved promotions and we could even switch up staffing. It was needed now and again; otherwise, cliques formed and mini-packs grew in the hospital, and that could become a problem. Toxic for sure since the doctor they worked for wasn’t their Alpha or big boss.

I was.

It wasn’t a power trip or that I micromanaged. On the contrary, I loved when people stepped up and did their jobs, handled as much as possible so I didn’t have to.

As long as they did it well. As long as they did itright.

Otherwise, it was more of a problem to undo it all.

But there were times I had to step in and handle something above the doctors or mediate situations, and if their office and staff were a closed operation, I was seen as an outsider and problem. That couldn’t happen in a massive hospital like ASH. That was for private practices, and they were free to leave and start those on their own.

They’dfail, but they were welcome to do that.

They always failed. They were like that actor who did well on one TV show and thought themselves all above it now and ready to become a movie star… And go nowhere. They only shined because of the supporting cast and crew who made it all run smoothly. Even the writers of the show who gave them such an awesome part.

I was the writer giving them that part. The staff was the supporting cast and crew, and most of our doctors needed that to thrive. We weren’t humans who could go to one specialty and just get our teeth done or whatever. Our medicine was morecomplicated because it was all interconnected and normally some level of magic was involved.

So medicine for supes was always,alwaysa team sport.

The next morning, I was early to arrive to work as usual… And someone was waiting for me. That was never a good sign.

I went to brush by like normal and let security do their jobs to handle the situation, brush them off and get on my schedule like everyone else, but the woman stood when she saw me.

“I apologize for my rudeness, but all I ask is for a bit of your time to ease your mind and I promise it will be worth it, Ms. Reed,” she said, her tone sure.

Sure that I would see her, but also that what she said was the truth, so that was interesting.

Given she was a wolf who spoke English like she lived in the UK but with a Korean accent, I didn’t need three guesses to figure out who the woman was.

I swallowed a sigh and walked right over to her, glancing at my watch. “I can give you ten minutes only, Mrs. Clark. So rude or not—”

“I won’t take even five,” she promised as she picked up several bags. “Your time is too valuable, and we’re women who get too much done to play games.”

“If you truly mean that, you’re a woman after my own heart,” I chuckled darkly, thinking most people didn’t really mean that. Theythoughtthey did, but honestly people lied to themselves more than they ever realized. I thanked security who had stopped her from entering and escorted her up to my office.

“Impressive. This place is as impressive as I’ve heard,” she praised.

“We do the best we can,” I said modestly. “I can offer you coffee only since my staff—”

“I am fine, and your people downstairs already tended to me,” she replied easily. “Do you like kimchi? I brought some I made myself and some sides that our chefs prepared.”

She was extending an olive branch to me. I wasn’t as well-traveled and worldly as I’d like, but I knew in Asian culture—especially Korean—this was done among neighbors and friends. Enemies, rivals, or people you worried about got luxury items and fake feelings in gifts.

“I love white kimchi with Korean radish,” I told her honestly. “I don’t have any sort of spice tolerance, but dumplings are my favorite food group.”

“You have good taste,” she chuckled. “Please, whatever is to your taste, and you won’t offend me. We’re not that kind of family.”

And there we had it. The reason she was here. I met her gaze and let her see I wasn’t someone to be pushed around. “Your last name didn’t get you through the door, Mrs. Clark.”

“I know, and it’s probably been held against my son, but I hold you no ill will for that,” she said with a sigh. “You have a lot to protect and you do it well. I did not come to flex our name or power. I am here as a motherworriedfor her son.” She seemed not to know what to say for a moment and then sighed again.

“Go ahead. I don’t offend easily,” I chuckled.

“No, and I have nothing offensive to say to you, but Ha-joon might rightfully beat me for telling you this,” she worried but then seemed to make a decision. “Most little boys want to become heroes. My other sons wanted to become Alpha like their father. They wanted to become the boss and soar high, be in the spotlight.”

I tried to smother a snort but failed. “Are you going to try and tell me that your ultra-famous son wasn’t like that?”

She sighed again, understanding this was a harder sell than she’d probably understood. “When Ha-joon was little, he did notwant to be a cowboy or astronaut. He didn’t want to be Alpha or a movie star. When he was about seven, he gave us an answer that shocked us. Do know what he said?”

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