Chapter 10
LOGAN
The acrid scent of diesel and desperation hit my nostrils before I even reached the mining camp.Workers scattered as I strode through the dusty compound.My boots kicked up clouds that matched the storm brewing inside me.My wolf paced beneath my skin, ready to break free.
Everything my senses took in put me on edge, the caustic chemical odor that shouldn’t exist here, the nervous heartbeats of workers who avoided my gaze.My beast recognized the scent of corruption before my human mind processed it.
I spotted Vance near the main office with a clipboard in hand, his self-satisfied smirk vanishing when he saw me approach.Despite the dusty surroundings, he wore an immaculate suit and Italian leather shoes.The contrast between his polished appearance and the poisoned land made my wolf roar.His scent changed instantly as I walked toward him, sharp with fear cutting through his designer cologne.
“Song.”He straightened, attempting nonchalance while his pulse raced visibly at his throat.“Here to throw your weight around again?”
I didn’t slow.Three strides closed the distance, then I grabbed him by his pristine collar and slammed him against the corrugated metal wall.His clipboard clattered to the ground, papers scattering in the dirt.
“Victoria’s game is over,” I snarled.The wolf in me wanted to roar, to let the entire camp hear this man’s confession, but strategy demanded discretion.For now.“You’re going to tell me everything.”
Vance’s bravado wavered, but he managed a sneer.“Or what?You’ll kill me?She’ll just send another puppet.”
My grip tightened around his collar.I leaned closer, letting him feel my breath, smell the predator barely contained within my human form.
“Try me.”
The air between us crackled with alpha energy.Vance’s pupils dilated—naked fear finally breaking through his façade.He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing against my knuckles.
“Fine.”His voice cracked.“You want the truth?She planted me here.Just like she planted others.To control the narrative, to make sure the contamination stayed hidden until it was too late.”
My wolf howled inside, demanding retribution.My own blood was capable of this calculated cruelty.The primal part wanted to shift right there, to tear out Vance’s throat for being Victoria’s puppet while innocent shifters suffered.
I fought the change, feeling my canines lengthen against my will, my vision sharpening as my eyes threatened to shift.
“And Roberts?”
Vance’s laugh cracked like brittle glass.“You think that was natural causes?Please.She needed him out of the way so she could swoop in and save the mine.At a steep discount, of course.”
The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity.The contamination, the timing of Roberts’s death, and Victoria’s lawyers circling like vultures.All of it orchestrated with ruthless precision.
As I released Vance, something flashed in his eyes beyond fear or anger.He straightened his jacket with trembling hands, but beneath the scent of fear, I caught something else, the acrid odor of a cornered predator.
This man wasn’t just scared.He was unstable.The combination of fear and opportunism made him unpredictable.Like a wounded animal that might flee or might turn and attack with unexpected ferocity.
I filed the observation away, keeping my expression neutral.“You’re pathetic.Selling out your own kind for her scraps.”
Vance adjusted his collar.“She pays better than loyalty.”
I turned to leave.
“You can’t stop her, Song,” he called after me.“She’s already won.”
I didn’t look back.“We’ll see.”
Back in my truck, I slammed the door and gripped the wheel until the leather creaked beneath my hands.My claws were still partially emerged, leaving rips in the expensive upholstery.I couldn’t remember when I’d last lost control like this.
I closed my eyes, forcing myself to breathe through the fury.Each inhale carried the lingering scent of the mine’s poison, each exhale a reminder of Victoria’s betrayal.My family had deliberately contaminated the water, knowing it would sicken shifters.Knowing it would hurt my people.
Because they were my people now, weren’t they?Not the Songs with their power plays and backstabbing, but Angel Spring.Marshall.Juniper.
Sabrina.
Her face appeared in my mind, and immediately, the rage faded.My claws retracted, and my breathing evened to a slow and steady pace.The clarity my mate brought me, even when she wasn’t next to me, was becoming something I couldn’t live without.
