Page 6

Joyce was adorable and too pretty for her own damn good. Seriously, she had so many fans that it was one of my reoccurring headaches.

I waited until the guy was gone before giving her the look she deserved. “A better friend would stop trying to see if I can become the first vampire with high blood pressure. Seriously.”

“You’re right,” she sighed, bobbing her head when I made it clear that I didn’t buy it. “And to prove I am a good friend, I will personally take on getting Dr. Clark acclimated and let him shadow me through our everything.”

I blinked at her for a full minute. “Okay, you’re forgiven.”

She stood and came over to me, rubbing my arm. “I am sorry, Ellie. I get lost in my head and—it’s comforting to me as much as them. It’s like I ache to comfort them and want the snuggles when they need it. I don’t—I zone out. I’m sorry it’s made problems.”

I hugged the smaller woman. “I get it, and I wish I could get comfort like that too. Just come hug me. Stop risking yourself with another stalker. Or stick to the head. No more damn butt scratches.”

“But the animals are so damn cute,” she playfully whined.

“Idiot.” I rubbed her back, feeling how tired she was. “And you’re just going to help because he’s hot.”

“No, that’s why I normally would run the other direction,” she drawled.

“The hot ones are always more trouble than they’re worth.

Plus, a connected loaded family? No, thank you.

That means required polite events and expectations to be a pretty wife on his arm.

I like being the star and men on my arm. ”

Truer words had probably never been spoken.

We talked for a while and she promised to handle everything with Dr. James, so I was completely off the hook for all of it. Even getting the offices that had just been vacated cleaned and restaffed after the shakeup.

Which was to say we wanted to get a few more out the door.

The doctor who left—meaning I practically booted his stupid ass out of here—took a couple of his toxic people with him.

But it left a few toxic staff that we didn’t have proof were problems. So we temporarily reassigned them to other offices and were assessing them.

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 it right .

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’d fail , 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 more complicated because it was all interconnected and normally some level of magic was involved.

So medicine for supes was always, always a 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.

They thought they 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 mother worried for 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 not want 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?”

I shook my head, clearly having no idea but guessing she thought this story worked in her favor. Or her son’s really.

“He said he wanted to be a healer.”

“Many want to become doctors and save people,” I easily responded.

“Yes, but he said he wanted to become a healer here where all people are saved, Doctor Reed.” She nodded when I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I looked into you. I even understand why you don’t announce you are a board-certified just about every type of doctor and have it buried under a hyphenated name.”

“Oh really? Do tell?” I asked, mostly because I was curious and this meeting was taking a turn that I didn’t expect.

She raised her eyebrow back, almost like she was insulted that I would doubt she was smart enough to figure it out.

“You do not want the pissing matches. The world has come a long way, but most doctors are still male.

You are the woman in charge and every time you would ask a question, if you have those letters after your name, they would think it a challenge.

“Their stupid tiny, brains of men—and even us prideful women—would think you were questioning them, not simply asking questions to understand better. So I would guess you had those letters at the beginning of your career but found them more of a hindrance and many forgot you ever had them now. I understand that being the best is sometimes instantly a challenge.”

“Yes, so I hope you don’t think that a point of leverage,” I warned her.

She shook her head. “I did not mean it as such. Your work here is important. Too important to be petty with.” She gave me a pleading look. “All Ha-joon has ever wanted was to be a part of what this place stands for and the healing you believe in here. I know his reputation. I know his image.

“ He didn’t set it, and unfortunately he fell into some traps that we do in our youth.

He didn’t want people to think him difficult or flaunting his name, so he went with the flow a bit too much.

It has now hurt him and his chances of becoming a doctor here.

He is heartbroken that he had to use the board’s offer to get in front of you, but you would not give him a chance otherwise. ”

It was about the most polite way anyone had ever told me that I’d been unfair and made a mistake. I couldn’t deny it because maybe I had.

“I hear you,” I said when she seemed like she might ramp back up.

“Your son and I came to an understanding, and I’ll give him a chance to prove what you’ve said.

I might have put the hospital before taking a chance on someone who will probably cause problems—even if not his fault—but I’m a fair woman.

“So if what you’ve both told me is true, your son has a chance at a thriving career here and I truly hope he’s a fit.

I don’t care that the board pulled crap, and I understand him taking the chance because he wanted this.

What he does next is what matters to me.

If he’s on their side or the hospitals. If he’s being honest about his name not being a hindrance or… ”

I simply gestured to her standing in front of her.

“We only use our name and power for good, I promise,” she said firmly. “We are not inflated people who think the world owes us anything.”

“Yes, but your idea of doing good put you into my day and I feel a headache forming,” I practically purred.

She took the hint and started setting containers on my desk. It was honestly adorable and I wished she was my mom. I loved the fact she came to fight for her son’s happiness and extend the olive branch.

Plus, I got what looked like amazing restaurant-quality food out of it. I helped myself to kelp noodle salad, water kimchi, and sanjeok, which was one of my favorites. They were meat and veggie skewers and delicious.

Then she added pickled radish wraps and the food was more than worth having to fit her into my day.

“If you had soy quail eggs, I would actually invite you back,” I joked.

I actually laughed when she pulled out another container and set it on my desk.

Seriously, this woman was too much. I watched her as she packed up the rest. “He’s going to shadow Dr. Joyce Tai to get the flow of how we do things.

She’s one of the best, and off the record, my best friend. He’s in good hands.”

She let out a slow, shaky breath. “You might not be a mother, but you certainly recognize a worried mum having so many to care for yourself.”

“Yes.” I wasn’t going to elaborate, and there was no need to get more personal than we already were.

“This place is all he’s ever wanted and I want him happy, but it terrifies me that he is leaving the protection we can provide in London,” she whispered.

She gave me a teary look. “No matter how this started, I ask you protect my youngest. I will handle the wolf side and our family requirements—make sure they do not upset your hospital. I—his name can hurt him.”

I nodded. “If he’s half as good as his resume and not a glory hog as his reputation seems, then we’ll be fine and I protect my people, Mrs. Clark. I give you my word on that. Even if we can’t get on the same page, he can move on peacefully. I’m not the spiteful one to set people up for failure.”

“No, the word about you is very honorable no matter…”

My family. I nodded, accepting that even if she didn’t say it.

“One woman to another, even if it’s overstepping,” she hedged, waiting until I nodded. “Your father is circling again. When I inquired about you, it reached my ears that you will be marrying and leaving your position here soon. I would wonder if the board heard the same.”

I considered that a couple of minutes as she finished packing up her bags with food.

“It’s smart to consider, but the board sees me as a paper pusher and not worth checking into enough.

I’m a cog in their machine instead of the reality.

It could be a factor, but I doubt they even realize I’m born of that family. ”

“You know your own minefields better than any of us can, I simply wanted to warn you because—”

“You’re declaring you’re on my side, not to try and dominate me.”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll get along just fine, Mrs. Clark. I love people who don’t give me problems, are on my side, and especially feed me.”

The woman laughed so hard that she had to lean on my desk. Good. I didn’t need someone as powerful as her pissed at me when there was absolutely no need to be.

Or a fight.