Page 8 of Ellie 3

“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 myBritishfamily 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 herdaughter 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 femalevampires 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—standtogetherand stop allowing people to say it was an overreaction or “woke” anything.

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