Page 5

Ellie

As much as I wanted to take a few days and do nothing but lie in bed with Ha-joon and let him comfort me, I had a big interview with the most popular Saturday morning show to announce another change at ASH.

I was rolling out the idea that Ha-joon and I both came up with—the one I’d fought the board on several times—about having scheduled portals opened in certain areas.

It wasn’t all finalized, but over June we were doing locations in conjunction with hospitals that I’d spoken with that were overloaded or had patients they couldn’t handle.

Ones they wanted to refer to ASH, but they couldn’t afford the travel or manage how to get there.

The only flaw I’d missed in the plan was translators.

And it was something in Ha-joon’s presentation… Which really was a glaring sign once again that we were better together. We always seemed to make the other better from work to life—all of it.

There was one thing I needed to attend to first.

“Where are you going?” he asked as I got out of bed. “Your interview isn’t for a few hours.”

“There’s something important to handle first,” I said firmly.

Then something hit me. I actually changed the plan and went down to his condo to wake Aurora. I brought clothes for her to change into even if our sizes were different. She could make the dress work with a belt—it wouldn’t be too bad.

“I’m going to help you learn the world safely, but you also need to do some penance for your sins,” I told her. “I want you to see the power of women who fight together for each other instead of against each other like you did. I want you to see the reality versus what you attempted.”

“As you wish,” she accepted, swallowing loudly.

We were ready thirty minutes later, Ha-joon driving us since my vehicle was at the hospital. He promised he’d take Aurora back home. I asked if he could take her shopping for basics and gave him my black card.

“I must really care about you deeply if I’m willing to brave the mall in Atlanta on a Saturday morning and I don’t even get to see you in lingerie,” he grumbled as he took it.

“I must really care about you deeply that I find what you said so amusing and immediately want to do some lingerie shopping with you,” I threw right back.

“My day is looking up,” he chuckled but then winced, glancing in the rearview mirror. “I have no idea what you went through, Aurora, but do you—I’m clueless about clothes and fashion. My mum sorts me out.”

“Okay, you’re too old for that,” I drawled. “I adore your mum, but it might be time to cut that off a bit.”

“It’s not the toxic kind of attachment,” he said gently. “It’s the guilt-filled kind.”

Right, that was fair.

“Besides, most of my life is in scrubs,” he added.

“She sees things while she’s out and adds to my closet.

It’s not—it’s really not toxic. Mum was raised as an oppressed Korean and has problems showing affection.

Then decades with my British family who look at you funny if you want to hug sometimes when shifters are touchy and it didn’t get better. ”

I sighed. “You and your family are so much work.”

I deserved the look he gave me like I was one to talk before he glanced behind us.

“I do know about fashion and how to dress appropriately so I do not embarrass Ellie,” Aurora cut in. “Though I would like to branch out.”

“Aurora, get what you want,” I said gently. “You’re not going to go crazy and switch to halter tops and booty shorts to wear to my job.”

The look of horror she gave me when I glanced over my shoulder was exactly my point. She’d be fine. I pushed a bit and told her to try jeans and even shorts. I didn’t think a woman raised as a noble had probably ever worn yoga pants and some comfy fucking shorts.

“A bit. Maybe one pair,” she accepted.

That was a start. Ha-joon gave me a wink that he had things in hand.

We arrived at the hospital and parked, Aurora taking it all in. I led them to where we were supposed to go, asking Ha-joon to hang back when we got there.

Then I turned to Aurora. “Do you know what Amanda’s Hope is?” I was glad when she nodded. “I’m the head of it—”

“I know what you’ve built, Ellie. All of it,” she told me quietly.

Oh boy. That was interesting when she’d been locked up. I had a lot of questions wondering how that was truly possible, but that was a conversation for another time.

I gestured to all the female vampires around us.

“This is part of the hope.” I told her about the woman who had been abused by her mother-in-law, perpetuating the cycle of abuse for female vampires.

How the brave woman had broken it for her and her daughter and asked for help—been brave enough to accept the help.

“I read online that the head of the family tried to hurt you and force you to turn her over and drop the charges,” Aurora muttered as she glanced around.

So she was clearly caught up on technology and more. Good, that would be helpful getting her acclimated.

“Yes, and he’s taken a plea agreement. So has the son and mother-in-law,” I told her. “The divorce and custody battles are still ongoing, but they’re safe to leave the hospital now with the protective orders in place. They’re healed enough and arrangements were made.”

Aurora did a double take before blinking back tears. “This is why the world needs you, Ellie Reed. This is why you are such a miracle.”

“I didn’t do this,” I argued, gesturing to all the women gathered. “They all have.”

“But you gave them all the path,” she countered. “You started all of this.”

“No, Amanda did,” I said firmly. “She started all of this. I simply continued her work and on a larger scale after she died saving me. I made her sacrifice worth it.” I might have said more, but people started getting into place. I moved Aurora to stand next to me as we lined up.

Who was “we?”

All of the female vampires who worked for the hospital that supported Amanda’s Hope and were available to be there.

Every female supe in the community who helped the program or was party to rescuing females from bad spots. The whole network of sisters saving each other and giving each other better lives.

I knew some of the female witches and shifters mocked it, but it was the one thing that even the most petty female vampires would shut down. We’d all known someone who had been abused by a husband or partner. Someone who had been treated as disposable or not worth what they truly were.

And it was beyond time to stand up and say we wouldn’t stand for it anymore—stand together and stop allowing people to say it was an overreaction or “woke” anything.

More like it was time people woke up to the truth and women were still mistreated all over the world.

The woman stepped off the elevator with her daughter and the nurse who was in charge of discharging her. She did a double take at everyone gathered and understanding slowly filled her eyes.

The female doctor nearest her extended her hand. “Good luck. Know we’re with you, hon.”

The abused vampire who had escaped blinked back tears as she accepted the encouragement. She moved on to the next person in the receiving line, taking in the advice, accepting hugs or handshakes—all of it. The daughter as well, some giving her stuffed animals or cute clothes for her new life.

It took a while because that many people were gathered, but no one seemed bored or annoyed at the time. This was the best part of the program. We’d saved one. Now we got to witness her fly from her cage into where she would be safe.

I could watch that all day, every fucking day.

Aurora shocked me by joining in, patting the woman’s shoulder and glancing at her daughter. “You will be stronger than you ever thought possible to give your daughter the future she deserves. The gods will bless your path and appreciate your gratitude.”

“Yes, I will always be grateful,” she agreed, her voice full of tears. “Thank you.”

I wished her luck and asked her again to always stay true to the program so she and her daughter kept safe. We’d never lost anyone who kept to the rules and worked with the plan. If there was a problem with the people hosting her, she could contact Alexis and she would handle it.

“Thank you, Ms. Reed, but my host already visited me and we will be fast friends,” the woman assured me, hugging her daughter to her.

“I don’t judge the ones who waver because they once loved their husbands, but that was not my case.

I look forward to my life being free and the day I can be a host to save someone else. Truly.”

“It will be here sooner than you think just as your host will tell you,” I promised. I smiled down at the little girl. “And you will thrive in your new settings and school. Study hard and appreciate that your mom risked everything to give you a better life, yeah?”

She nodded. “I’m going to be an attorney like Alexis and make bad people pay for hurting others. She’s a rockstar.”

I smiled when Alexis chuckled from a few feet away where she was talking with a woman that I assumed was the one hosting these two. I wished them luck and let them head off to their new home.

“So it’s like a fostering system but not just for a child or children,” Aurora surmised when I turned to her.

She was staring at Alexis, the two women, and child who were talking.

“The host has been through the program herself and understands the risks, knows who to contact—it’s not just a place to stay. ”

“No, it’s not, and most of the hosts have had some sort of training,” I told her.

“Several are former military or current police. We have dozens all over the country that host someone when they’re on leave from the military, and those are normally the trickier situations where we have to hide someone.

They understand the risks and it’s more protective custody than couch crashing. ”