Page 24 of Ellie 1

He sneered at me. “Good luck with that. You aren’t the first hotshot to walk in here and try to make a move on her when they realize she’s the real power of this place. She smells bullshit from a mile away and—”

I froze in my stretching and smirked at him. “Who says it’s bullshit?” I tilted my head and studied him when anger filled his eyes. “What are you worried about, ya twat?” I chuckled when he opened his mouth. “I think we both know the truth and she’s too good for you, too tired of you cocking up, and ready for someone to give her better.”

He snorted at me even as I scented his anger. “You’re playing with fire and risking wrath that—”

“Naw, I don’t think so when you’re arse about face with her,” I said firmly. “And you’ve cocked up enough around here that—”

“Speak English that I actually understand,” he snapped.

I threw back my head and laughed. “Aw, mate, I’m glad I talked to you. I’m chuffed to bits you’re so pissed.” I kept laughing as I leaned over and slapped his shoulder too hard. “May the best man win, and when she starts having nookie with me, she’ll know immediately who that is.”

I ignored when he cursed at me and told me to come back and walked out of there. I had no fucking clue how to actually pull off my threat and I was internally groaning that I had actedlike such a wanker, but… Yeah, I just snapped. I hated that git and wanted him to take a long walk off a short pier for sure.

Right as I reached back to the portal and more patients were arriving, I caught the scent of something off. I realized it was someone distressed enough to faint and raced towards where I smelled it.

And caught Ms. Reed right as she went down.

“Clark, get her to a private room and hook her up to some fluids and nutrients,” Dr. Carpenter called over. “I should have knocked her out. Damn stubborn woman.”

“I’ve got her,” I promised.

“Do not leave her side in all of this mess,” he ordered. “I’ve got things here until she wakes up.” He glanced around. “Where’s Tai? She’ll know what Ellie was handling now.”

I left him to manage it and brought Ms. Reed to one of the outpatient surgical recovery rooms where patients woke up. I figured they would have everything I needed.

Almost, but I made it work after catching a nurse in passing and asking for the rest. I had Ms. Reed hooked up to an IV and the blood she was down before most could think to get started.

I was famous in medical circles for a reason. I was a damn good doctor after all.

“You’ve got her?” Dr. Tai checked as she swung by. She nodded when I did. “Good, then I’ve got her phone and will handle the calls and crazy as best as I can. Try to keep her down at least a couple hours to rest.” She thanked me when I nodded and looked relieved that I had her hooked to blood as well.

Duh. Ms. Reed was a vampire. I might not be one or a doctor of them, but I knew enough how to treat them when it came to the basics.

It was just over two hours after she’d gone down that I scented worry in the room. “You fainted,” I told her with my eyesstill closed. “Carpenter took over by the portal and Tai took your phone and said she’d handle whatever calls came in.”

The sigh she let out could practically be heard around all of Atlanta. “Thanks.”

“You’re smart enough to know to take better care of yourself, but you’re under too much stress for a lecture,” I muttered as I opened my eyes and met her gaze. “Tai wanted you down longer to rest.”

“I can’t,” she mumbled. “The president wants to tap into our reserves of blood because everywhere affected by the earthquake lost power and their blood is bad now.”

I frowned. “Well, they can fucking bite people or hook them up just like before ASH came up with supercharged additives. Are they offering toreplacethis blood when the crisis is over? Or are they just demanding gits and your president trying to have a win for vamps at your cost?”

She chuckled quietly as she pushed to sit up. “And that’s why I fainted when already exhausted. I didn’t realize I was down on blood as well and the headache hit fast—I was just out.” She moved her hands over her head. “Did someone heal me? The marble out there is no joke.”

“I caught you in time,” I explained, nodding when she did a double take. “I smelled someone’s body in distress and at a level they were going down.”

She studied me carefully. “You’re a very powerful Alpha. I wouldn’t tell people you can scent that level.”

I appreciated the heads-up, but I already knew that and was trusting her. “You might want to wear contacts around strangers. I heard your eyes are caramel brown. Funny, I see them as golden.” I nodded when shock and a bit of fear filled her eyes.

“How?” she whispered when she could, her voice shaky.

I gave a half shrug. “How are you able to sense lies as a vampire?” I nodded when she flinched. “My parents suspect it’s a fluke of two different wolf breeds that are Alphas mating. My mum is an Alpha dire wolf and my father is an Alpha English gray wolf.”

“I see,” she mumbled.

I snorted. “Oh no, you don’t know the best part yet.” I smirked at her. “I was an oops baby, much younger than my siblings,andI’m the only one with this fluke that makes me so powerful. But I’m not the one who will take over the pack from Father.” I nodded when she winced. “Yeah, family is fun.”

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