Page 4 of Nick (The Moonstone Pack #4)

EARLY THE NEXT MORNING , a sharp knock echoed against the wooden door of Sarah’s room at the Moonstone Lodge.

Her heart leaped into her throat as she scrambled to answer, her bare feet whispering across the cold floorboards.

Pulling the door open, she found herself face-to-face with Nick, his tall, muscular frame filling the doorway, his sandy blond hair down around his face. He was like a jolt of electricity in the quiet morning stillness, and for a moment, Sarah could only stare.

“Hi, Nick,” she finally managed to say, doing her best to keep her tone even.

Not that it mattered. Her erratic pulse thrummed so loudly she was sure Nick would be able to hear it.

“Sarah.” His voice was calm, and Sarah couldn’t tell anything about his pulse.

He’s going to say no , a fearful voice in the back of her mind muttered.

“Come in,” she said, stepping aside to allow him entrance into her small room. He crossed the threshold, the tension in his shoulders and the cautious set of his jaw adding to Sarah’s certainty he was going to refuse to help the Sunburst Pack.

Not that she blamed him.

The room felt suddenly smaller with Nick inside.

“Did you think about what I asked?” Sarah asked, closing the door behind him. A raw edge of hope glinted in her words, tempered by the fear of what his answer might mean for them both. For her pack.

She wrapped her arms around herself.

Nick’s gaze met hers, unwavering, as if measuring her sincerity.

In the close quarters of the room, every breath felt amplified. Nick’s hesitation hung between them, and Sarah could almost see the war playing out in his eyes.

“Vincent Foley,” Nick finally said. “We shouldn’t underestimate him. But I understand what’s at stake.” He paused again, inhaling as if gathering strength. “I’ll help you deal with him.”

Elation surged through Sarah. Nick’s offer was a lifeline, offering a chance at redemption. But she couldn’t let the full force of her emotions show.

“Thank you.” Her words came out in a whisper of relief.

Nick shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He glanced around the furnishings of her room at Moonstone Lodge before focusing back on her with those warm hazel eyes that always seemed to see right through her.

“We’re not enough to face Foley and his enforcers,” he said. “We’ll need backup. I have to bring in some of the Moonstone Pack.”

Sarah’s stomach clenched as she processed his words. The idea of involving anyone else weighed heavily on her, but thinking of facing Vincent Foley alone was tantamount to a death wish. She pushed aside the creeping tendrils of guilt.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

“I need to meet with my alpha. Come with me.”

Sarah felt herself blanch at his words. In her world, alphas were cruel, violent, ugly—and above all, they were to be avoided at all costs.

Apparently Nick didn’t feel that way about his new alpha.

“Now?” she asked.

“Now. He’s waiting for us downstairs.”

“Here?”

Nick flashed his wicked grin—she’d almost forgotten that smile, but it made her heart flip over in her chest.

With a reassuring glance from Nick, Sarah followed him down the stairs to the meeting room situated on the lower level of the lodge.

Inside, the room was bathed in the early light streaming through large windows offering a view of the dense forest surrounding the lodge.

Sarah stepped inside, her gaze scanning the familiar arrangement of chairs and the long table at the center.

The door swung open again with a decisive push, and four figures stepped into the room, their presence immediately filling the once quiet space with the humming energy of wolf shifters.

Sarah’s heart quickened as Nick stepped aside, his gaze meeting hers for a brief moment before he gestured toward the newcomers.

“Sarah, this is Steele, our alpha,” Nick said, his voice carrying an undercurrent of respect.

Steele approached, tall and imposing, his gray eyes assessing her with an intensity that made her feel as though he could see straight through to her soul. Everything about him demanded attention without a word.

Beside him stood a woman with generous curves and kind eyes—the alpha’s mate, Sarah assumed. Behind them were two more men, each exuding their own brand of strength. Their own mates completed the group, their expressions a blend of curiosity and warmth.

“Hello,” Sarah managed, the word coming out with a nervous flutter. She extended a hand, which Steele accepted, his firm grip like a promise of solidarity—or retribution.

“I’ve spoken to Nick this morning already,” Steele began. “I need you to understand something.” He paused, ensuring he had her full attention. “Nick is one of us. He’s Moonstone. Our pack. Our family.”

Sarah nodded, the significance of his words not lost on her.

“Your past… We can’t ignore it,” Steele continued, unblinking.

“But we’re willing to move forward. I expect him”—he tilted his head slightly toward Nick—“to return to us unharmed. If you betray him again, if you betray any of us…” His voice trailed off, but the implication hung in the air, unyielding as stone.

“I won’t,” Sarah said quickly, the words tumbling out with fervent honesty. “I would never—”

“See that you don’t,” Steele cut in, his gaze softening ever so slightly. “Because, make no mistake, I will protect my pack at all costs.”

Sarah swallowed hard, her throat tight.

Sarah’s fingers clutched the hem of her shirt, a nervous gesture as she met the alpha’s gaze briefly. His words echoed in her ears, a stark reminder of what they were about to undertake. “I understand,” she said, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of anxiety inside her. “And I agree.”

“Before you head out, I need to understand something.”

“Of course.” What little she’d seen of the Moonstone alpha so far suggested he was kinder than any alpha she’d ever known—and yet Sarah still cast her eyes toward the floor when she spoke to him.

She’d learned long ago that it never hurt to show submission to an alpha.

“Why doesn’t anyone challenge Vincent? Is fear all that keeps your pack from rising against him?”

“It’s more than fear,” she began, her voice wavering slightly before she steadied it. “Vincent isn’t just cruel—he’s vicious in poisonous ways. He revels in pain, not just inflicting it, but watching others dish it out too.”

Sarah glanced up in time to see a flicker of revulsion passing over Steele’s features as he tried to grasp the depth of Vincent’s malice.

“Vincent wasn’t always the alpha, you know,” she said, realizing she whispered as if her voice might carry her words back to New Mexico. “Right after Vincent took power—after Nick…left—one of the other wolves challenged him at a pack meeting. Jay Ballentine.”

Steele’s attention sharpened, but Sarah turned her gaze back to the wood floor.

“Jay was strong, noble even. He thought he could end Vincent’s cruelty.” Sarah’s hands clenched into fists at her sides as images flashed behind her eyes—the snarls, the clash of teeth and fur, the scent of blood in the air.

“Who won?” the alpha asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

“Vincent,” she said, her throat tightening around the name. “He didn’t just defeat Jay. He destroyed him. Left him utterly broken. And then—” She paused, swallowing hard against the lump that had formed there.

“And then what?”

“By dawn the next day, Jay’s family was found dead.” Her words tumbled out. “It was brutal, calculated. Children, mate, all slaughtered.”

“Vincent did this?” Steele’s jaw clenched, his eyes darkening.

“Everyone knows it was him,” she said. “Even if no one saw, even if there’s no proof. Vincent is cunning, leaving no trail, no evidence. But we all know. He made sure of it. It was a warning to anyone else who might challenge him.”

“And it worked.” It wasn’t a question.

“It did,” Sarah agreed. His cruelty is…calculated. It’s a weapon—and he revels in striking when and where it will hurt most. He does it with such a cold heart that even those who dream of freedom are paralyzed by the certainty he will retaliate.”

Steele reached out, his hand brushing hers. “No one should live in terror like that. I know my men will find a way to stop him.”

“Everyone is afraid,” she murmured. “Afraid for themselves, their mates, their children. Every time someone so much as glances at him wrong, there’s retribution.

” The memories clawed their way to the surface, each one sharp and biting.

“Packs are families. They’re supposed to offer safety. But under Vincent, nobody is safe.”

“So it’s not just about being part of the pack anymore,” Steele said. “It’s about survival.”

“Vincent’s hold on the pack is suffocating, relentless. And just when you think you’ve found a reprieve, it’s snatched away. That’s what he does. He gives us just enough hope to keep us compliant, then he crushes it.”

Steele nodded. “I suspected as much. We’ve seen this before. If the pack won’t challenge Vincent out of fear for their families, Bronx and Ryker—and Nick—will find another way to expose him.”

“Thank you,” Sarah whispered.

Steele stepped back, and the other two shifter men stepped forward. Nick introduced them as Ryker and Bronx, the Moonstone Pack’s second- and third-in-command. They introduced their mates.

Sarah felt a gentle tug on her elbow, and she turned to find Steele’s mate, Mila, standing beside her.

The human woman wore a grave expression as she drew Sarah a few steps away from the group, into a corner of the room.

“If you want Nick’s forgiveness,” Mila began, her gaze piercing deep into Sarah as if she could see right through to the turmoil that churned inside her, “you have to come clean. He deserves to know why you did what you did.”

The force behind Mila’s words struck Sarah like a physical blow, years of guilt slamming into her like a fist.

Sarah nodded, once, unable to summon the courage for words. The acknowledgment was all Mila needed, and with a soft squeeze to Sarah’s arm, she stepped back.

Tell Nick why I did what I did.

Mila might be right. It might be better to confess everything to Nick. But what if Mila was wrong—what if Sarah told Nick everything and he didn’t forgive her?

What if her confession made him even angrier?

What if he decided he didn’t want to help at all?

Worse…what if asking for his help now led to his death—just as she’d feared it would all those years ago?

This was a mistake.

As Sarah lifted her gaze to Nick’s face, she remembered the plane ticket she had, and words spilled out in a rush. “This was a bad idea. I can go back by myself. You don’t all need to come with me.”

Nick’s gaze softened slightly, but his voice was firm, resolute. “We travel together. It’s safer that way. We’re taking Bronx’s SUV.”

Sarah did some quick calculations. The drive would take at least fourteen hours. Could she really stand being with him in a car for that long?

Could she keep her secrets that much longer?

“Okay,” she finally whispered, her voice scarcely above the hum of the air-conditioning that fought against the persistent heat of the Yellowstone summer.

Ryker, who’d been talking to Steele, turned back toward the other shifters in the room.

A smile touched his lips, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Ivy—his mate—was at his side in an instant, her hand slipping into his as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

They exchanged a look that spoke volumes—the kind of silent conversation only true mates could have.

Ryker leaned down, planting a kiss on Ivy’s forehead.

“Keep the home fires burning for me, okay?” he murmured, humor lacing through his tone, though the undercurrent of seriousness was not lost on Sarah.

“Always,” Ivy said.

Bronx was less demonstrative, his goodbye quieter.

Cora reached out, tracing one of the many scars that lined his arms—a map of his battles and his unwavering dedication to his pack.

Their hands clasped briefly, a wordless exchange that conveyed more than any speech could.

Bronx nodded to her, then turned away, his movements deliberate as he followed Ryker toward the door.

These men were leaving their hearts behind to face an uncertain future, and she was the reason. The realization sat heavy in her chest.

“Let’s go,” Nick said, his voice pulling Sarah back from her thoughts.

Together, they strode out to the parking lot, where the black SUV sat waiting, its glossy paint mirroring the clear blue sky overhead.

Steele held the driver’s door open. Ryker took the front passenger seat, Bronx the driver’s seat. Sarah hesitated for a fraction of a second before Nick’s hand at the small of her back nudged her forward.

“Come on,” he said, a subtle command woven into his tone, and Sarah moved to sit in the back.

As they settled into the seats, the scent of leather mingled with the earthy aroma of the four shifters, enveloping Sarah in a cocoon of pack unity. Nick’s presence beside her was both comforting and unsettling, stirring up a storm of emotions she had yet to confront.

The engine roared to life, and they pulled away from the Moonstone Lodge.

Sarah stared out the window, watching the scenery blur by. Her chest tightened with anxiety. These men, honorable and brave, were risking their lives because of her—because of the tangled web of politics that choked her home pack.

Yet, as Nick’s steady breathing filled the space between them, Sarah felt a spark of hope flicker inside this.

“Everything will be okay,” Nick murmured, almost as if he sensed the turmoil inside her.

She wanted to believe him.

No, she needed to believe him.

With a deep breath, Sarah turned her attention to the horizon, the vast expanse of wilderness stretching out before them.

“I hope you’re right.” She spoke so quietly she didn’t think anyone could hear her.

But then Ryker turned around from the front seat and said, “We’ll make sure of it.”

In her heart, though, she feared he was wrong.

Even though she’d come here hoping to find help, she didn’t truly believe there was any to be found.

There was no way Vincent would ever let go of the Sunburst Pack.

No matter how many enforcers and guardians Steele sent to overthrow the Sunburst alpha.

The words echoed through her mind.

It’s hopeless.

The thought brought tears to her eyes—even though she knew how dangerous hope could be.