Zane POV
I’m no coal mining expert, but it was clear even as we set down that something was very wrong. A thick, dark plume of smoke was coming from one of the many holes in the ground, and I couldn’t help but notice the dozens of dead or dying trees all around us.
When the door swung open, I smelled death and fear—not the thrilling smells of the hunt, but the sour, heavy odors of long-term sorrow and festering loss. By the time my work boots hit the greasy soil, I knew this was going to be very bad.
I got my phone out. “Travis, send a dozen betas. Now. Crowd control.”
I hung up before he could answer.
“Alpha Zane, right?” asked a man to my right. Danielle moved between us, but I could still see the human male clearly. He was skinny to the point of emaciation, and I could hear the whe
