Page 70 of Ellie 1

He nodded, accepting the chastising even if he was grinding his jaw and I scented anger. “I know you’re young, Dr. Clark, but you are used to a pack structure and Alpha always involved. Vampires as well. It helped keep them in line when they didn’t blend well.However, magics mostly lived on their own and blended easily.

“So the coven structure for us is new, only since the end of the wars, and nothing happens fast in the supe world. Most of my coven have lived much longer without a coven leader than with one, and it’s a balance to not parent most adults and then having to try and parent a few adults who don’t want me around. I appreciate what you said, but I’m not Alpha of a pack.”

Ellie was a bit too amused as she focused anywhere but on me and didn’t say anything.

“You’re right, it’s not something I’m familiar with, and I’m not able to understand that change not having lived it,” I accepted. “However, my family is good friends with the coven leader in London and that’s the balance I’m used to with magics.”

Meaning he didn’t stack up, so while he wasn’t wrong… Get your shit together and control your problems so others didn’t have to.

Ellie probably realized this could go south fast and interjected. “Given several departments are interlaced and rely on the trauma teams, a memo was already sent out. So it’s not just gossip, and Dr. Clark is a certified surgeon as well and hasjumped in. But you’re also not wrong, and I can only guess where people are saying Dr. Fitz is going.”

“I haven’t heard much,” I offered with a shrug.

“Yes, well, I’ll let you get back to your days,” the coven leader said focused on Ellie. “Thank you for seeing me and letting me update you. I hope it wasn’t uncomfortable for you.”

“Not at all. I appreciate you passing things along and mediating. Nothing can be—it’s not beneficial for us to meet. I hope that changes and we can go back to just colleagues.”

“Yes, me too. Have a good day.”

But neither seemed too hopeful nor convinced. That was interesting.

“What can I do for you, Dr. Clark?” Ellie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry, do you have a minute to talk about the expansion?” I asked, not sure what else to reach for. “Or renovation really.”

“Yes, I can give you two minutes.” She let me in and closed the door behind me. “I’m fine.”

“The fuck you are,” I whispered as I hugged her to me, her back comforting against my chest. “I couldn’t wait until tonight to check on you.”

“I can’t tonight,” she mumbled. She sighed when I flinched. “I’m not running. I just—please? This is—I need to just settle tonight.”

I didn’t want to leave her alone. “How about you come check out my tub and see about what to upgrade yours to? We don’t have to have sex. You can just take a soak and not be alone, okay? Ipromisethat I won’t push you to talk.”

“Maybe,” she accepted after a moment. “Let this sink in. I’m in shock.”

“Okay, love, whatever you need,” I whispered, kissing her temple.

“I need more time with the contract too, and there’s something we have to change.” She spun around to face me when I let her go. “Please, have faith in me. It’s about feeding.”

“You don’t want to feed from me?” I asked, trying not to sound hurt and just understand.

“Oh, I want to feed from you,” she chuckled. “But you put in there that I would only get blood from you.” She sighed when I frowned. “You know I’m not normal. You won’t be enough. I’m going to have to have bags.”

I studied her and nodded. “That’s fine. I just don’t want your fangs in another person unless it’s an emergency.”

“Thank you for understanding. I need more blood than other vampires, and I could never hurt you. And I won’t hurt myself when—I’m being smart.”

Fair enough, but she was also hiding something. I let it go and simply focused on her. “Is there something I can do to enrich my blood for you or something?”

Shock filled her eyes but then something soft like she was touched that I cared. “I don’t know. I’ve never had that offer.” She shook her head. “No, nothing, and I don’t want you to try. You work out, and—an Alpha wolf that’s anemic is an abused one.”

Okay, I could let it go if she was focused on not hurting me.

Which was why I gave her a soft kiss.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.

She sighed. “The same I asked of Joyce. Fight the rumors. Fitz came to this decision by himself. He wasn’t forced. He’s not being forced out.”

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