Page 35 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Pilot
“Mr.Roberts,” she said, her tone carefully neutral.“I assume you’ve come to see the effects of your mine firsthand.”
Before I could respond, Logan appeared behind her, his presence commanding the room instantly.The tension between us, heirs to rival packs with decades of bad blood, momentarily overshadowed everything else.Though we’d spoken briefly during my rescue, this formal meeting carried the weight of generations of mistrust.
“Tanner,” he acknowledged, using my first name deliberately.It was an olive branch extended between two wolves, however small and fragile.“I wondered when you’d make your way here.”
“Logan.”I returned the gesture with equal intention.“I understand you’ve been helping manage the fallout while I was absent.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw, but he nodded.“Someone had to.”
Dr.Wu led us to her office, shutting the door against curious eyes and ears.The small space was dominated by files and medical charts.My eyes landed on a map of the area pinned to the wall, the documented evidence of systematic poisoning.
“The contamination targets shifters,” Logan explained.His voice remained clinically detached though his eyes betrayed his anger.“Our accelerated metabolisms absorbed the toxins faster.Children and elders suffered most.Some may never fully recover.”
I remained silent as Dr.Wu pulled file after file from her cabinet, spreading them across her desk like a grotesque mosaic of my family’s legacy.Medical charts documented liver damage, respiratory issues, and neurological symptoms.All of it traced to specific compounds leaching from the Roberts Mine.
“The child in the waiting room may need supplemental oxygen for years.Her lung capacity has been permanently reduced by twenty percent.”
Each case felt like another indictment of my family name.
“Marshall Boone nearly died,” she continued, opening another file.“The concentration in his system was five times the lethal dose.Our treatment protocol was the only thing that saved him, but he’ll never regain full strength.”
Logan leaned against the wall, arms crossed.“My aunt and your father knew exactly what they were doing,” he revealed, his voice hardening.“They developed a cheaper extraction process that increased profit margins by thirty-eight percent.The environmental impact was a sacrifice they were willing to make.”
The mention of Victoria made my jaw clench.I’d heard rumors of her involvement with my father, both professionally and personally, but I had dismissed them as pack gossip.
“Victoria and your father were partners in more ways than one,” Logan continued, his disgust evident.“She may be banished from my pack, but her people still infest your company.They were working together to control both our territories through their shared business interests.”
The room seemed to close in around me, the gravity of these revelations sinking against my chest until breathing became difficult.The bitter scent of medicine in the clinic burned my nostrils as I struggled to process this betrayal.I had always suspected my father’s ethical shortcuts, but this deliberate poisoning of our own territory, our own people, and the alliance with Victoria Song was beyond the pale even for him.
“Enough,” I finally growled, slamming my palm on her desk with enough force to rattle the medical instruments.The wolf inside me howled with rage and shame.“The mine stays closed.Whatever it costs to clean up this mess, to help these people, I’ll pay it.All of it.”
The vehemence in my voice surprised even me.Through our bond, I felt Felicity’s fierce approval, her pride in my decision flowing like warm honey through my veins.
Dr.Wu’s expression remained carefully neutral.“And the people who are already sick?”
“Full medical coverage,” I said immediately.“The best specialists, whatever treatments are needed.Do whatever it takes.Bill it all to me personally if the company tries to block it.”
Logan straightened, his assessment of me shifting visibly.“I can provide names,” he said.“Victoria’s lackeys remain embedded throughout Roberts Mining’s hierarchy.They will continue to be loyal to her vision rather than the company’s future.”
The implication was clear.I would need to clean house completely.
“I’ll need that information,” I said, meeting Logan’s gaze directly.“Any evidence you have would be appreciated.”
The offer cost me something in pride, asking for help from a Song after generations of rivalry, but the town’s needs outweighed pack politics.
Logan nodded slowly.“I have evidence we gathered while investigating the contamination.It’s yours.”He paused, studying me with renewed interest.“Your mate has changed you, Roberts.”
I glanced at Felicity, who stood quietly to the side absorbing everything.
“She helped me see clearly,” I admitted.“The Roberts legacy doesn’t have to be destruction and greed.”
Dr.Wu closed the files.Her face revealed a flash of hope.“The treatments we’ve developed are helping, but research funding would accelerate our progress.Some of these children could make full recoveries with the right resources.”
“Draft a proposal,” I told her.“Whatever you need.”
As we prepared to leave, Logan stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.The weight of his palm carried decades of rivalry and mistrust, yet offered something new.My wolf bristled initially at the contact, then settled, recognizing the truce being extended.
“Clean house carefully, Roberts,” he warned, his voice low enough that only shifter hearing could detect it.“Victoria’s people are deeply embedded, and they won’t surrender control easily.”
