I nodded, resolve hardening.“Okay.Let’s do this.”
Logan pulled out his phone.His tone was brisk as he typed on the screen.“I’ll fund a private lab to test the samples.We’ll bypass the red tape and get results faster.”
I blinked, surprised.“A private lab?That’s expensive.”
He shrugged, his expression unreadable.“Money’s not an issue.Time is.”
I felt a flicker of unease at how easily he could throw money at the problem, but pushed it aside.“Thank you,” I said sincerely.
Logan’s gaze softened.“Just get me the proof.”
Later that day, I visited Marshall at the clinic’s impromptu inpatient ward.He had refused a transfer to a bigger hospital, stating he was going to die in Angel Spring with or without medicine.Stubborn wolves.Marshall’s usually robust frame looked shrunken against the white sheets, his skin ashen except for the fever flush across his cheekbones.My chest tightened.This was a man who could wrestle a bull moose last month, but now he was barely able to lift his head.
“How are you holding up?”I asked.
His lips cracked as he attempted a smile.“Been better, Doc.Been worse too, I suppose.”
I checked his vitals with practiced movements, but my mind raced beyond the numbers.His pulse was stronger than yesterday, and his temperature was down a full degree.Small victories that felt monumental after my discovery.
“You’re improving,” I said, unable to hide my small smile.“But you’re not out of the woods yet.”
Marshall’s gaze sharpened as he studied me, reminding me that even weakened, he was still a predator who saw through pretense.“You look like hell, Doc.When’s the last time you slept?Or ate something that wasn’t from a plastic bag?”
I forced a laugh, tucking my stethoscope into my pocket.“Sleep’s overrated.And I’ll have you know I had an entire apple at some point yesterday.Or maybe the day before.”
“You’re as stubborn as Logan,” he said, voice softening.“God help us all when you two finally figure yourselves out.”
My smile faltered, a flush creeping up my neck.“Someone has to be stubborn around here.Otherwise, you’d all just growl your problems away.”
As I left the clinic, I found Logan waiting outside.“We need to talk,” he said.
“What’s wrong?”
He hesitated, then gestured toward his truck.“Not here.Too many ears.”
We drove in silence, the moment percolating between us.When we were safely away from town, Logan stopped at a trailhead parking lot.“Victoria’s making her move.Reeve called.His sources say she’s pressuring the Roberts pack to sell the mine.”
“We’re running out of time,” I concluded.
Logan nodded grimly.“We need to act fast.But it’s going to be dangerous.”
I placed a hand on his arm.“We don’t have a choice.People are dying, Logan.We can’t let them get away with this.”
He studied me, amber eyes searching mine.“You’re not scared?”
I met his gaze steadily.“Terrified.But that doesn’t mean I’ll back down.”
Logan’s lips twitched in a faint smile.“Good.Because neither will I.We need to get these samples somewhere safe.”
Back at the clinic, I organized my evidence, packing away the test results and water samples into a carrier.My hands shook slightly, but my determination never wavered.I labeled each sample carefully, building our case piece by piece.
A knock startled me.It was Juniper.Her white hair was woven into a thick braid, and the scent of herbal medicine clung to her faded shawl.
“I heard about the water samples,” she said, her voice crackling like dried leaves.“The trees whisper your secrets, child.You’ve found something, haven’t you?”
I hesitated, then nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of my discovery anew.“Heavy metals.Silver compounds.Arsenic.As well as something that’s not all natural.”My voice dropped lower.“Someone’s been poisoning the water deliberately.Targeting shifters specifically.”
Juniper’s weathered face seemed to age another decade before my eyes.She crossed to where I stood and took my hands in hers.Her cool and paper-thin skin revealed a map of blue veins beneath.
