Page 2 of Nick (The Moonstone Pack #4)

SARAH TWISTED HER HANDS in her lap, trying to figure out where to start.

“You remember Vincent, right?” she finally asked.

Nick’s expression tightened, but he nodded. “Yes.”

“Right. Of course you do.” God. This was not going the way she had hoped it would.

Nick’s movements had been smooth and assured as he navigated between tables, his gaze missing nothing. He was the calm in the center of the storm, his aura untouched by the whirl of activity around him.

From outside the café, she’d watched him through the window, not entering until he’d disappeared in the back. And then Sarah had watched, captivated yet anxious, as he drew closer to her section—his section—and with every step, the moment of truth ticked ever nearer.

“I—” Her voice faltered, cracked under the pressure of what she had come to say. She cleared her throat, willing her hands to stillness, though they remained hidden from view.

He raised an eyebrow, a silent prompt for her to continue, but she hesitated, her mouth suddenly dry. The scent of coffee and freshly baked pastries filled her senses, a comforting aroma that belied the gravity of what she needed to convey.

“Trouble,” she finally whispered. “There’s trouble in the Sunburst Pack. They need our help. Your help.” The words dropped between them like stones into a still pond, their ripples expanding outward, disturbing the surface of their carefully maintained distance.

The café faded into the background, dulling into insignificance as Sarah held Nick’s gaze, searching for any sign of the protective nature she knew lay just beneath his wary exterior.

She needed him, his old pack needed him, but would he be willing to bridge the chasm that her betrayal had carved between them?

In that suspended moment, Sarah hung on the edge of hope, seeking in his eyes the man who had once been her confidant, her protector, her mate.

Nick remained silent for a moment, motionless in the booth opposite Sarah, tension humming beneath his calm exterior.

“And?” he asked finally, his voice steady, giving nothing away.

A bead of sweat trickled down the middle of Sarah’s back despite the coolness of the restaurant, her palms damp against the ceramic mug she cradled for comfort.

In that prolonged silence, a memory surged through her.

The hurt that flashed across Nick’s face then had carved itself into her soul, a constant reminder of the fracture she’d caused. The look of betrayal—a raw wound she had inflicted upon the man who was once her everything.

His eyes, which had always looked at her with warmth, now turned cold, the connection they shared severed by her own hands.

“Sarah?” Nick’s voice pulled her back to the present, to the quaint café that smelled of pine and earth.

“Vincent—he’s…” she started, but the words lodged in her throat, strangled by her own treachery. She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to meet Nick’s gaze. “He’s not leading the pack right. It’s falling apart,” she managed to choke out.

“Is that so?” Nick’s response was noncommittal, but Sarah could see the way his jaw tightened, the subtle shift in his posture that betrayed an undercurrent of concern.

“Please, you know I wouldn’t come unless it was serious,” she said, her voice a soft plea. “The pack is suffering, and I… I can’t fix this alone.”

She watched as Nick considered her words, his expression unreadable. A part of her wanted to reach across the table, to bridge the gap with a touch. But the gulf of their past lay between them.

The heat from her mug of coffee seeped into Sarah’s palms as she tried to suppress the tremor in her hands. A quick glance through the café’s window offered a view of Moonstone’s rugged charm, the distant outline of Yellowstone’s peaks standing stark against the sky.

She turned back to Nick, the man who held her fate in his gaze.

“Nick,” she began, steadying her voice as best she could. “There’s more you need to know.” The words hovered between them. For a second, she allowed herself to remember why she had ripped their world apart. It hadn’t been a choice—it was salvation. Saving him. Their child. The pack.

But telling Nick about the baby now would be too much. She needed him to understand the gravity of the present before confronting the past.

“Vincent Foley,” she said, the name tasting like bile in her mouth, “he’s taken things too far. He’s ruling with an iron fist, punishing those who oppose him, and rewarding cruelty over loyalty. The Sunburst Pack is crumbling, Nick. Members are leaving or…worse.”

She watched Nick’s eyes darken, a storm brewing deep inside them. His hands clenched momentarily around the rag he had been using to wipe down the tables, betraying a flash of the protective instinct she knew drove his every action.

“Vincent is destroying everything we once held dear,” she added, her voice barely above a whisper.

Now she did lean forward, closing the distance across the café table, the worn wood smooth under her palms. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t dire. The pack needs your help.”

A subtle shift in Nick’s stance was the only sign he gave as he paused, his fingers whitening against the cloth.

Moonstone Café’s rustic charm seemed to close in around them, making the space between Sarah and Nick feel like a chasm.

She could almost taste the mountain air that snuck in through the open window, mingling with the scent of pine and espresso, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in her chest.

“It’s not my pack anymore.” Nick’s voice held a note of warning, the words a barricade rising between them.

“Please,” Sarah rushed on, the words tumbling out as she reached for his hand, stopping just short of touching him. “You know what the Sunburst Pack was—what it could be again. Without you, Vincent’s reign will tear it apart.”

Nick’s expression hardened, his gaze slipping away from hers as he looked past her, toward the framed photos of Yellowstone on the café walls.

“I’m begging you.” Her words spilled out, raw, stripped of all pride. “Please help us.”

For a moment, time seemed to slow. The muscle in Nick’s jaw twitch, the battle within him visible.

“I—” Nick began, but Sarah shook her head fiercely.

“Don’t,” she cut him off, her voice a whisper that carried more strength than she felt. “Don’t decide now. Just… Think about it.”

“All right,” Nick finally said, the words slicing through the tension. “I’ll think about it.” His voice was even, betraying nothing of the internal struggle she knew he must be feeling.

That was as much concession as she could hope for from him now, a sliver of opportunity. She clasped her hands together.

“Thank you, Nick,” she said. “I know this isn’t easy for you. I’ll be at the Moonstone Lodge. Whenever you’re ready, you can find me there.”

He nodded once, a brief dip of his head that was as controlled as everything else about him.

“Okay,” he simply said, no promises made beyond considering her plea.

Sarah slid out of the booth, offering Nick one last look, trying to convey her gratitude, her hope, without words. Turning away, Sarah walked out of the Moonstone Café. There was nothing more she could do now but wait and hope Nick would decide to stand with her.

Outside, gusts of wind danced through the air, carrying with it the earthy scent of pine trees and the distant howls of wolves that resonated with the wild heartbeat pounding in her chest. It was a reminder of the wildness that lay just beyond the town’s borders.

For an instant, she wondered what it would be like to be free to run through that wildness in her wolf form, to live in the freedom she felt calling to her inner beast.

The door swung shut behind her with a soft jingle, cutting off the warm glow of the café’s interior, drawing her attention back through the window to Nick, who now stood with his back turned to her.

After a second, he shook off whatever thought he might have and strode toward another table, a cheerful smile brightening his face.

A pang of sorrow ran through Sarah as she remembered the fiery intensity of his gaze, the tender strength of his touch. Their bond had been more than just passion—she had believed then they were fated mates, destined to be together forever.

But fate could be cruel.

Sarah wrapped her arms around herself, seeking comfort in the face of the loneliness that crept up on her. She had made a decision once, a choice to betray the man who held her heart, to save him from a danger he hadn’t seen coming.

And to save their unborn child.

Javier. A secret kept hidden even now. He’d been the reason she’d ripped apart their world.

In the end, she had chosen the safety of Nick and their child over the truth, over their happiness.

“Forgive me,” she whispered into the night, her breath forming a ghostly mist before dissipating into the night. Her secret, her love for Nick—it all pressed against her as she walked away from the café.

If he said yes, if he stepped back into the fray for the sake of the Sunburst Pack, it would inevitably lead him to a truth she had guarded with every fiber of her being—their child.

“Deal with it when you have to,” she murmured to herself, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

The words were meant to be a balm, but they settled like stones in her stomach.