Page 15

Ha-joon

Saturday morning there was a planning meeting for the first outreach date set in a few weeks.

We were doing it in London where we would have the support we needed from my family.

They were doing press conferences and more saying that the blood drive they’d done to help in an emergency wasn’t enough for what our vampire brothers and sisters deserved.

It was a good PR campaign for not just my family or London, but shifters. And it was needed.

It was a few of the shifter department heads that were running it along with five of us who were shifter attendings. We would need more to add to the program, but it was a good start. We had nurses and staff signing up to help, understanding there was more going on than they had realized.

Also on the London side. The hospitals there didn’t want to be left behind after some poking from Dr. James and an American hospital coming to do something good in their backyard could make them look bad. Especially with the time difference.

It worked like a charm and we were going to have a lot of support staff taking blood and more. Fabulous.

I was supposed to have a meeting with Ellie and Alan about the blood, something she was a bit squirrelly about, so I was confused but ready for whatever she needed. I pulled out my phone to ask what they wanted for lunch, but it silently rang in my hand.

“This is Dr. Clark,” I answered the local number I recognized but couldn’t place. I was annoyed with myself for not saving it so I didn’t have to guess.

“Dr. Clark, this is the front desk at your condo,” a man said, sounding distracted. “There is a guest waiting here for you.”

“I’m not expecting…” I frowned when I realized the call was over, glancing at my phone. That was it? He just said that and hung up?

Something was off with that and it made my wolf on edge. I texted Ellie and Alan that I had to check on something at home. I had thirty minutes until we were supposed to have the meeting and it wasn’t a formal one on Saturday after all.

But I was definitely going to talk to the front desk about just calling like that and hanging up. It was really unprofessional and… Maybe there was a reason? They seemed to have their shit together better than that. The call could have dropped or a hundred other reasons.

Right?

Nothing surprised me more than walking into the lobby to find a woman who looked like Aurora’s twin standing there but way more put together.

Theresa . This is Ellie’s half-sister.

Immediately , I texted Ellie what was going on. Just a quick one saying her sister was at our condo to see me.

There was no way I was going to keep this a secret from her. None.

“I can’t think of anything we have to say to each other, but if you want to speak with your mother—” I started to say, but her snort cut me off.

“I haven’t seen that woman in hundreds of years and I have no desire to,” she said, anger in her eyes like she thought I was being cruel.

“Clearly, you’re not very read in on our lives or past, Dr. Clark.

” She continued on like she didn’t see me open my mouth to respond, probably counting that as a dig for her win. “I’m here to see you.”

“Then I stand by what I said,” I told her firmly.

“Well, then you’re short-sighted,” she sighed.

“I can only imagine the villain Ellie has made me out to be, and in some ways she’s not wrong.

But I am not her enemy. More than that, I went through a lot of trouble to see you.

” Her gaze was hard. “Since I came from London where I’m currently living. ”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up and my wolf’s fur even if he wasn’t in charge right then. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it is. I believe you can give me five minutes, yes?” She glanced at the front desk who was too interested in our interaction.

They should have been because of security reasons but now they cared?

And they didn’t seem too busy. I started to bring up the call and how I wasn’t happy about how it had played out…

But that had been Theresa. She’d reached over and ended the call, not wanting me to snitch to Ellie before she’d had a few minutes to talk to me.

Smart. Really smart, but probably still not how the front desk should have handled it. That was aggressive, and they just let me walk into a situation like this blind?

Theresa sighed, probably knowing I was valid and handed me a business card.

“I assured them that I’m not here to do you harm, Dr. Clark, and I’m not.

I’m here to talk about something sensitive and private.

The security here were astute enough to sense the truth and left it.

Now, I am busy and don’t want too many knowing I’m here. ”

Oh, this should be good then. She wasn’t here to try and steal me away from Ellie or anything trivial like that if she was rushing this along.

I led her to one of the private lounges residents could use. She thanked me when I opened the door for her and offered to get her something to drink. She said she was fine, but the hesitation and caution coming from her were very telling.

“Look, I’m not here to try to change your mind on me or argue with whatever Ellie has told you,” she said once we were seated. “I will say there are always two sides to any story and—”

“There isn’t another side to trying to kill her,” I bit out.

She blinked at me for a full minute before snorting and not in an amused way.

“Is that truly what she is still telling people after all of these years? Well, good to know the perfect daughter can be perfectly foolish.” She held up a hand to me when I opened my mouth.

“You’re an Alpha wolf, yes? Super strong one and that’s the problem in your family? ”

I simply raised an eyebrow, not taking the bait.

She sighed. “Fair, I would have thought that suspicious as well. I’m asking because you can sense when people lie.” She waited until I gave a slight nod. “I don’t resent Ellie.”

Oh, the fuck she didn’t. Everything in me screamed it was a lie. Her heart, her scent—lie, lie, lie .

She gave me a moment, probably thinking my senses needed to reset after a lie.

“I did not go to kill her that night.” She nodded when I couldn’t hide my shock.

“I was sent that night to kill her. There is a difference .

Yes, I absolutely probably botched explaining it as a child , a terrified child given a fucking dagger to go—I botched it.

“She…” Theresa let out a shaky breath and turned away, wiping under her eyes.

“That night ruined my life and any chance I had at a relationship with my own mother. She only believed her precious Ellie, her beloved, perfect girl and…” She sniffed quietly and then met my gaze, her eyes hard. “Your brother sought me out.

“He wants me to be his so we can have some petty, old-world family drama of which Clark has the better Reed girl and all of the bullshit I would never, not ever want. Ever. I have not stepped into Ellie’s world, and I doubt she cares enough about me to worry about stepping into mine, but if she found it, I doubt she would linger. ”

I figured that was fairly accurate and gave a slight nod. “Myung?”

“Yes, and he was rather aggressive about it, like I was blessed he would consider me and expected me to be obedient while trying to destroy Ellie. So the fool barked up the wrong fucking tree with me because I will never be subservient to a man, especially one so much stupider than me.”

I snorted, glad to hear it and not just because of what that meant for Ellie and me.

“If it was simple, I would have blown it off and sent word through… I’m not sure what party would have been trusted,” she admitted with a sigh.

“Or maybe I would have just asked you catch me when you were in London. I’m here dropping everything my first chance to sneak away because he started to throw a fit when I didn’t jump at the chance. ”

“And you want to save my family embarrassment,” I surmised.

“I have clients who are in your pack—my firm does. I don’t know that we care that much, but I like my reputation, Dr. Clark,” she said firmly. “I don’t want any liaisons with power struggles and petty bull like…” She trailed off when she clearly sensed Ellie.

My lover burst through the door seconds later, clearly having dropped everything to come and raced from the parking garage. Her fangs came out when she saw Theresa. “If you dare to try and hurt him, there—”

“Stop,” I interjected, saying it firmly. I stood when she did, but the hurt look she gave me cut through my heart. “Ellie, she—please, hear her out and I think you—”

“Don’t defend her to me,” she bit out, stepping away from me, actually recoiling as if I’d taken a swing at her.

It didn’t help when Theresa snorted.

I shot her an unamused look, but she sighed and stood as well. She opened her mouth but then closed it before gesturing towards Ellie. “This was what I wanted to avoid. I did what I should and warned you. You have my card if you have questions, but I ask you not make a mess of my life.”

“Wait, please, you were telling the truth and Ellie needs to know,” I argued, moving to block her from the door… Something neither of them liked.

Theresa licked her teeth and shot Ellie a furious look before meeting my gaze. “I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time controlling myself and as I said, I like my reputation.”

“Because I busted in here worried for him?” Ellie asked, clearly judging her.

Theresa turned her gaze on Ellie, full of hate. “No, learning that you’re the head of Amanda’s Hope and that’s why my employment there was blocked again and again. All I’ve ever wanted was to be part of that cause and do what no one would do for either of our mothers. And you’re so petty to—”

“Wait, she is way too confused to know what you’re talking about,” I told Theresa as I pointed at Ellie. “It’s pouring off of her.”

“He’s right,” Ellie sighed. “I don’t handle the hiring and—I had no idea you applied. Why would I block you from volunteering or—”