Page 12 of Ellie 3

“This is who Ellie always was,” Aurora said quietly when Ellie brought us up to her condo to get Mum’s opinion on the master bathroom renovations she was planning. “It was why…”

“What?” I asked just as quietly, pulling her off to the side.

She let out a slow breath. “I know now what I did was horrible. I do.” She gestured towards the other room. “But she was born to be a leader. I always saw that as confirmation I’d made the right call and fate smiled on my choices. Yes, I was young and misguided. I see that, but—she would never have been a docile coven leader’s wife. She would have been the leader they needed.”

“I hear you, but it also sounds like you justifying what you did,” I muttered, not trying to be harsh but unable to let her think I agreed with her. “There’s also the argument that your daughter could have been the same if given the same chance.”

She shook her head. “I’m sure Theresa has thrived in a different way, but… A leader can be allowed to bloom with the right support but cannot be forced. Something is born in a person to be a leader. I believe that after having seen good and bad leaders of so many different covens. It’s like introverts and extroverts. Intelligence versus book smarts.”

“Fair enough.”

“I tend to agree with you,” Mum said as walked into the hallway, letting us know they’d heard us. “And I even understand how growing up in such a repressive and abusive family can twist so much in your mind.” She gave me a look. “Which is why I want you to know that you accused Ha-yun of something that was unfair. I was the problem.”

I swallowed loudly. “I’ll apologize. I pushed on that harder than needed when I felt her guilt and shame, taking it as...

“So did I,” Ellie muttered, figuring out what Mum meant since we’d already discussed this. “All I got from her was shame and regret like she never tried. If she did then she still feels it for not doing better or whatever is in her head on the topic.”

Mum nodded but then decided to be fair and explain. “My mate named our firstborn. My father named our second born, our first daughter. Ha-joon saw how sexist it was that I carried both children and never got to name them. I even understood to name the future Alpha as the Alpha and my British mate gave him a Korean name to honor me.”

“But you never questioned your father naming your child instead of you,” Aurora said sadly. “I never blinked at being collected back from my mate when he lost the coven. I was sold for a deal that fell through and was property to be taken back. Still now, I’m in shock that—I’ve never been my own. Hundreds of years alive and I’m to just now be my own?”

Her confusion and fear were heartbreaking.

Mum nodded. “My eldest daughter wanted to change her name when she came of age, decades and decades ago. She asked me what nameIwould have wanted to name her. Asked me to rename her something that wasn’t a slight.”

Ellie frowned then and I decided not to make Mum explain. “One of the meanings of Ha-yun is ‘great grace.’ It was Grandfather’s way of reminding her to always step aside for her brother. She was to be graceful and remember her damn place. Mum too probably.”

Mum looked away from everyone and cleared her throat. “He said she would learn the meaning of her name, but for me it was a reminder that females were always to be beautiful like summer, so to raise her beautiful so she never shamed my mate or family and would bring a good alliance when the time was right.”

“Disgusting,” Ellie hissed. “I’m glad you told that bastard off.”

“Me too,” I bit out, adjusting my neck. “I really am going to have trouble not challenging him. Da was proud of me last time, but I haven’t been invited back to anything on that side of the family because of the ‘fit’ I threw last time.”

“Assholes don’t like to be called on their shit. It’s how tyrants stay in power,” Ellie said with a sigh. She reached over and rubbed Mum’s shoulder. “You told Ha-yun not to embarrass you by changing her name?”

“I regret it now, but it seemed my shame that…” She shook her head.

“Change starts with you, Soo-ah,” Ellie muttered. “At least tell Ha-yun that you regret it. She deserves that no matter your pride.”

“My pride never means more than my children.” She patted Ellie’s hand. “I will. Thank you.” She cleared her throat and pulled away before looking at Aurora. “When you do get a phone, it would be nice to have someone to talk with about moving on from old ways that should never have been. Maybe you can tell me what they’re so scared to and embarrasses you.”

“Mum,” I groaned.

Aurora took it in stride. “I’m fine with whatever they tell you, and I certainly didn’t mean for your son to be in the middle of anything. My family kept me captive on the idea of reselling me after they forced Kenneth to dissolve our marriage. They wanted my birth daughter, Theresa, to sell too.”

Mum studied Aurora. “And that took hundreds of years to not make happen?”

“Oh, it was also to punish me for embarrassing them,” Aurora chuckled darkly. “You know evil minds. I wasn’t fed or given blood as I should be. I was trapped in my room without much. I shamed my family and should live like I was dead forcenturies in regret and pray to the gods and such. I doubt they ever planned to resell me. That was simply the lie to save face.”

“Wow, that was ‘saving face’ and horrible,” I whispered, shaking my head. “The world truly is horrible.”

We left Aurora to get settled… After helping her with setting her up on how to wash her new clothes and whatnot. I let her onto my computer in my office against Ellie’s objections. That was mostly personal stuff and I still had anything important password protected.

All my patient files and ASH everything was in my laptop.

“If you betray him when he’s helping me cope, I will never forgive you and will prosecute you as I did Kenneth,” Ellie threatened before storming out of my condo.

“She’s scared,” I muttered and simply suggested she look on YouTube for what to do next. She could call up to Ellie’s condo from the intercom system… Aurora was smart enough not to do that.

---