Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Harland straightened his shirt. “You have a plan?”
“I always have a plan,” Jackson returned, his voice low and rough. While he had no intention of ever falling for a female, and he sure as shit didn’t believe in love, Emily Nightsom set his blood on fire. Plus, she needed serious protection for some reason, and he didn’t trust anybody else to cover her. The female wasn’t mean enough to step up as an Alpha, and her father should get going on creating another heir. Philip wasn’t that old. Maybe. At least Emily would stay safe while she visited Jackson’s territory. “The three of you might want to remember that.”
The threat hung in the air.
Raya’s phone buzzed, and she lifted it to her ear, carefully balancing the coffee in her other hand. “Yes.” As she listened, the color slowly leaked from her face, and her gaze slashed to Jackson’s. “We’ll be right there.”
Awareness crackled down his back. “What happened?”
She clicked off the call. “That was Pency at the Hollow Mine. It looks like a tunnel collapse in the eastern extraction chamber near Shaft B. The rock face around the main drilling site caved in and took out the conveyor system, burying two loaders under several tons of granite and rubble.”
Nausea rolled in Jackson’s gut. “Injuries?”
“No. The crew went on an early break to celebrate a birthday—a total fluke. The structural braces along the ceiling were weakened like someone tampered with the bolts holding the steel beams in place. The inspection crew swears the supports passed the safety check last week. It doesn’t add up.”
Jackson’s jaw clenched as he processed the implications. The crew taking an early break was just pure, dumb luck. Mining granite was already dangerous since the rock’s density and unpredictable fault lines meant any weakness in the support system could turn lethal. The steel mesh and wooden beams lining the tunnels had been designed to prevent rockfalls, but if someone deliberately loosened the anchors, even a minor vibration from the drilling equipment could trigger a collapse.
“Drill lines were also compromised,” Raya added. “Two of the pneumatic drills short-circuited because someone slashed their coolant hoses. That wasn’t wear and tear. Pency said the cuts were clean, like they’d been made with a blade. And someone tampered with the ventilation system. The airflow was partially blocked, so carbon dioxide levels were rising by the time he pulled the crew out.”
Jackson swore under his breath. A blocked ventilation system wasn’t just sabotage. It was a death sentence. The mine relied on high-powered fans to pump fresh air into the tunnels and vent out the toxic gases. Without proper airflow, miners could suffocate before anyone realized what was happening.
“This wasn’t random vandalism,” Raya said, her voice tight. “Someone knew exactly what they were doing. They wanted to shut us down. Or worse, get someone killed.”
Jackson’s blood heated. “They nearly succeeded. But I’m going to find out who’s responsible, and when I do, they’ll wish they’d been buried under that rockfall. Let’s go, and I want to see the camera feed on my phone. Now.”
Chapter 5
Fresh from her shower, Emily walked carefully down the stairs to the expansive kitchen where a lovely breakfast had already been laid out.
Nadia stood up awkwardly, chewing on a piece of toast. “Sorry. I didn’t know how long you were going to sleep since you were injured, and I got hungry.”
“That’s fine, of course.” Emily poured herself a cup of coffee and sat, inhaling the rich aroma.
“Are you hungry?”
Emily shook her head. “Not really.”
Nadia dug into an omelet like she hadn’t eaten in years. “This is great food.”
Smiling, Emily took a sip of coffee. Its warmth spilled down her throat and settled in her belly. “Yes. Our cook is one of the best.” Setting her mug down, she leaned forward slightly. “So, I don’t know much about you. Where did you live before joining Erik’s pack?”
“We worked as a farming co-op,” Nadia said cheerfully, reaching for her orange juice. “But rogue packs attacked, and we didn’t have much choice but to join the Copper Pack. They gave us farming land, though.”
Emily wanted to know more about this new sister. “So, you like to farm?”
Nadia paused, her fork hovering above her plate. “Not really.” Her gaze—eyes as familiar as her own—met Emily’s.
Emily chuckled. “You don’t like to farm, but you’re a farmer?”
Shrugging, Nadia stabbed a piece of her omelet. “Yeah. I like to organize. Anything, really. Drawers, houses, communities, farming equipment. You name it. If there’s a spreadsheet around, I’m happy. Especially if it’s color-coded.”
Finding her new sister quite delightful, Emily leaned back in her chair. “We could use some help here. I finally talked my father into updating the computers for the mines a couple of years ago, but they still do most things old school and could certainly benefit from the organization.”