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“I swear I thought all of us knew and it was the cutest secret we were keeping for your feelings.”

“Oh yeah, great job, asshat,” Alan drawled, cuffing him upside the head as he walked by.

“And no, I would never use my relationship with Ms. Reed for something like this,” Ha-joon said firmly before anyone else interjected. “Some of these are ideas I’ve presented before to the hospital I worked at. They were shot down and a couple I even understand why. With work, some could be implemented here at ASH, and I’m open to them being a launching pad.”

“He hasideas,” Carla muttered under her breath and shot me an impressive look. “He’s the first to have multiple.”

“And they’re good,” Sean bragged. “But yes, I do agree they will need adjusting to fit with ASH. One I think will do well with Renee’s department.”

“I can’t see how,” she muttered, sounding annoyed. She sighed when the tension shot up in the room. “I apologize, Dr. Clark. I’m still shaking off the lastproposal.”

“I said I was sorry,” one of the department heads bit out.

“She wasn’t picking on you, just the doctor being so detached from reality,” I hurried to interject. I realized I needed to explain a bit when Ha-joon looked worried. “Obviously, this goes no further and we’re not going to say who—”

“Of course not,” he accepted.

“The doctor walked in here and basically gave us a list of things we already do,” I told him dryly, nodding when he blinked at me.

“It was rather difficult to be professional and not tell him ‘no shit’ repeatedly,” Carla drawled. “Like thegitprobably looked up ‘best hospital policies’ on Google and presented them as his ideas. ASH is probably who Google is referencing.”

“Well, glad I’m not that stupid,” Ha-joon muttered. “My ideas might not work, but I know it’s nothing you already do.”

Fair enough, and I was glad for the lead-in to get back on track.

Ha-joon started off with a bang. “I was bouncing an idea with my father when I was home recently, and not to influence ASH implementing it, but so you know it would work, he committed to being part of it. Not because I’m his son or involved, but he agrees that vampires are overlooked too often and pushed to… Middle-class jobs.”

“Yes, we know how often our kind are edged into becoming soldiers, police, and jobs that are too volatile for shifters,” Alan said evenly, but I could see the anger in his aura. “The argument always being that we have more strength than witches and warlocks but without the risks of shifters turning into animals and making situations worse.”

Ha-joon nodded. “It’s an argument that’s not wrong, but—we know there’s more to it. I think it’s time we—in the medical community at least—show that we value them. I know London’s pack is in, and if they are—people follow leaders.”

“You want to broaden the blood drive,” I muttered. “Your mother hinted at that and she was available to help more.”

“Yes, but—” He let out a long breath. “I’ve heard it time and time again in the pack even getting them to get physicals is impossible. Supes are stubborn. They think they’re above medicine too often. Only the younger generation is reallyembracing the change, and too many are stuck in the way of hiding in the shadows still.”

He seemed relieved when we all snorted or made noises of agreement. He was definitely speaking to the right audience.

“Many times they just need to know where the line is to see someone. Once they get thecarethey should have—people like being taken care of.”

“Yes, the studies about how once people get into the health care system after needing it, they don’t take the risk again,” Renee muttered. “You’re right that it’s breaking the old mindsets and ways even if it’s been over a hundred years. Fear isn’t always rational, and a lot of us even remember that fear of being outed.”

“So you propose some sort of outreach program to get around that?” Alan pushed.

“He does,” Sean cut in. “Saturdays for…” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, Clark. Go ahead.”

Ha-joon nodded to him and then brought up his presentation and the information to show us. The idea was basically to have pre-screening events, quick questionnaires and short sit-downs with baby doctors for training. And the price?

Donate blood that we would either put our additives into and sell or contribute directly to police and military around the world.

I shared a look with Alan. This was the missing piece we’d been looking for. We’d long since wanted to give a discount to vampires who were in such blue-collar service jobs.

There just hadn’t been a good way to do it. Not without too much blowback and accusations of favoritism since some people knew the owner of ASH was a vampire.

Sean knew the issue as well and waited until Ha-joon was done. “Now, to add to his idea, I think it would be best if we worked in conjunction with local hospitals. This shouldn’t be something for the glory of ASH or of course only ASH could pullthis off with our funding. Frame it all as teaching moments so we always have the best doctors available to ourworld.”

“And shifters finally getting off their asses to really show they value our fanged friends who save our asses all of the damn time,” Carla added. She shared a look with Alan and then Ha-joon, doing a double take at whatever she got from him. “Off the record, your dad’s of the same opinion as more wolf Alphas right?”

“You would need to be more specific,” he hedged. “ButIam of the opinion—off the record—that if we don’t start taking better care of vampires, shifters could have a serious problem since vampires control the military and police on every continent. My father understands every serious issue and is a wise man.”