Page 23 of Ellie 1

The way she said that irked me. “What do you know, Mum?”

“More than I will tell you as I promisedMs.Reed that I would not.”

She was clearly giving me a hint, but I was too tired to put it together or do much of anything. “I’ll be careful, Mum, but we’re all a bit broken. I’m not downplaying whatever she’s been through but—”

“Do not be dismissive, Ha-joon Clark. You are not a woman in this world and certainly not hundreds of years ago when she got free of her family and made her own way. You have no idea the way vampires used to be back then and their…” She let out a long breath. “You have no idea what that woman has suffered. I can only guess a few things and my heart breaks for her.”

Clearly, I needed a history lesson to get a clue. “I hear you, Mum. I won’t be dismissive and I’m never dismissive with you. I’m exhausted. Down to my toes exhausted and I have toget back to it. We still have new patients coming in as they’re clearing rubble.”

“Then I will let you go. Update us you are safe and haven’t become a patient next.”

“I will,” I promised and hung up.

It was a couple more hours before I could catch a nap, and I wasn’t sure how everything was handled, but those few hours of sleep were not enough even if appreciated. I jumped back in because a flood of new patients came in. It was the ones they’d been able to find and get out of the rubble once searches were safe to resume in the morning their time.

By the time people were being dug out, it was morning our time.

We weren’t short-staffed, but doctors were dropping so often from exhaustion that I even had to jump in on a few trauma surgeries. I only assisted, but at least I was of help to Dr. James and Dr. Carpenter when both looked like they were on their last legs.

I wasnotsurprised to find out that my mum had shown up with warlock healers who revived most of the trauma docs and checked them out. It honestly had nothing to do with me being a doctor there. She would have wanted to do the same in any situation. Her heart was that generous.

She simply could push her way in because I did work at ASH now.

“If you tell us how, our pack and others in London will have a blood drive,” Mum promised Ms. Reed as I came out of surgery. “Your president already spoke with ours and we will lend our support. It’s not just feeding our allies, but there should always be reserves for emergencies.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Clark. That would be a huge help,” Ms. Reed accepted.

I mentally winced, but Mum handled it smoothly like always.

“I do not mean to be picky, but when I came as Ha-joon’s mother, I was Mrs. Clark. I’m here as the London Alpha’s Mate, Ms. Reed.”

Ms. Reed blinked at her a moment. “I’m sorry, Alpha Mate. I haven’t slept yet, and we wouldn’t have let you in besides you’re Dr. Clark’s family.”

“Of course, of course,” Mum accepted. “And I was in no way chastising you, especially not at such a difficult moment. I was explaining so when you tell others, you know which hat I’m wearing.”

It was hard not to snicker as I saw it click with Ms. Reed. Mum was giving her a huge win. If London’s pack was doing this to help, others should as well.

And they would. Our pack was one of the oldest of record and top ten prestigious. Others would follow our lead. They always followed Father’s lead.

So it was a huge win for ASH and Ms. Reed.

I only caught a few minutes to talk to Mum and thank her before I showered to wake up. I crashed after a few more hours and then woke up to see something unseemly.

Namely, Dr. Fitz flirting with that same nurse again.

And the asshole just smirked at me when he caught me watching.

I snapped.

The exhaustion, stress—everything got to me and I fucking snapped. He was a senior attending and I was the new kid on the block who barely had the ink dry on his contract. I knew my place at ASH.

But I snapped, and while I didn’t have much of an ego, I was a powerful Alpha wolf, and I didn’t allow people to fucking mock me.

Or enjoy disrespecting women.

I caught him when he went into the attending’s lounge. I was faster than a warlock, so when he came around the corner, I was standing there and made him jump.

Throwing him a smile I knew was wolfish, I stared at him like he was trash. “Now that I know she’s open to arrangements and you have side pieces, I guess there’s no reason she can’t have one with me, right? I mean, you said yourself that you guys have an understanding.” I stood up straight and stretched. “Clearly, that wouldn’t worry you with your history.”

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