Page 6 of Nick (The Moonstone Pack #4)

“WILL YOU STILL HELP us?” Sarah asked after Javier finished showing Nick— Javier’s father , she acknowledged—all his toys.

She stood motionless, her heart hammering in her chest as she watched Nick’s internal struggle play out in the set of his shoulders, the way his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. The air was thick with tension, an electric charge that seemed to buzz against her skin.

She held her breath, waiting.

Finally, he exhaled a slow, deliberate breath, his gaze fixed on the dusty ground before lifting to meet hers. “I’ll stay,” Nick finally said. “I’ll help you. For Javier.”

Relief flooded Sarah, the anxious knot in her stomach loosening slightly to give way to a flicker of hope.

“Thank you, Nick,” she managed to say.

Nick’s jaw tightened, a small tell of his own inner conflict. “We’ll be back first thing in the morning,” he promised. “We’re going to check into the motel out on the interstate—the one about thirty miles from here.”

“Okay,” Sarah said, nodding, wishing she could think of something else to say, a way to make things right with him.

But he refused to listen to her.

Moments later, Sarah watched the taillights of Bronx’s vehicle disappear before she let out a breath. Javier, clutching her hand with his small, warm fingers, tugged gently.

“Tia Una said it was almost time for bed,” he announced.

Sarah smiled. “Tia Una is right, as usual.”

“But it’s not even dark yet!”

“It stays light out later in the summer. But it will be night soon. We should go inside.”

Una waited for them just beyond the threshold.

“Did he take it well?” Una asked as she closed the door against the coming desert night. She reached out, her touch light on Javier’s head, ruffling his tousled hair affectionately.

Sarah hesitated, her gaze lingering on the curiosity dancing in Javier’s eyes. “As well as can be expected,” she said truthfully. “He’s here. He agreed to help us.”

Una nodded and followed Sarah to Javier’s room. Sarah tucked the edge of the worn blanket around Javier’s small form, her fingers lingering on the soft fabric.

But Sarah didn’t speak until they were back in the dimly lit kitchen. “I never actually told Nick. I couldn’t find the right moment, and then…it was too late.”

Una leaned against the chipped countertop, concern etched into her gentle features. “I hope his shock doesn’t keep him from standing with us,” she murmured. “We need all the strength we can muster against Vincent.”

A shudder ran through Sarah as she considered the implications. The pack was vulnerable, and Nick—strong, wary Nick—was their unexpected ally. His presence could tip the scales, but only if he chose to forgive her silence.

And the rest of it.

That moment almost four years ago when she’d told him Vincent and his gang were coming for Nick—because she had told them where to find him—flashed into her mind.

Restlessness gnawed at Sarah, a familiar anxiety that clawed its way up her throat. She paced the length of the trailer. What if Nick turned away? What if he decided her betrayal outweighed the bond they shared?

“You’ve always done what you thought best for Javier,” Una said. “For all of us. You’re brave and protective—qualities that make you a remarkable mother and an invaluable pack member. Trust that.”

The words wrapped around Sarah like a talisman. She stopped pacing and faced Una. “I have to believe he’ll understand. That he’ll see why I did what I did. But I’m afraid I made a mistake by not telling him sooner…” She trailed off, biting her lip.

“Nick may be many things, but at his core, he is kind. And he cares about you, about all of us. That has to count for something when the dawn comes.”

Sarah nodded, though the sick feeling in her stomach didn’t subside.

The next morning, Sarah stood in her small living room, her phone pressed to her ear.

“Malcolm,” she said when the line finally clicked. “I need you and the others at my place. It’s important.”

One by one, she repeated the call to Anders, Conall, and Quinton. The Sunburst members she knew resented Vincent’s grip on the pack. The ones most likely to help, least likely to report her to the alpha.

As the early light turned golden, Sarah paced the length of her living room. She had set the stage, and now all that remained was to wait for the players to assemble.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Malcolm entered first. Anders followed, his gaze scanning the room, while Conall’s towering figure ducked beneath the doorway. Lastly, Conall’s identical twin, Quinton, slipped in.

“What’s going on?” Malcolm asked.

“Nick’s back,” she said, her breath catching on the name that still sent shivers through her body.

“Nick?” Anders arched a brow.

“Long story,” she managed, her gaze flitting toward the window where dust devils danced across the earth. “He’s brought help. They’ll be here any minute.”

The moment stretched thin until the sound of approaching vehicles broke it. Dust billowed outside as a trio of figures emerged from the black SUV.

Nick strode forward, scanning the perimeter with cautious intensity. Beside him, Ryker and Bronx surveyed the scene with eyes that missed nothing.

“Morning.” Nick’s greeting was clipped, betraying none of the emotion Sarah knew must be roiling beneath his calm exterior.

Sarah watched the expressions on the faces of her packmates as Nick stepped into the room.

Malcolm’s eyes held a flash of joy he couldn’t quite mask.

Anders’s mouth quirked up in an amused smile, while Conall’s broad shoulders relaxed from their tense set.

Quinton, always the stoic one, merely lifted his chin in quiet acknowledgment.

“Didn’t think we’d see you ’round these parts again,” Malcolm said, his voice teasing, but his gaze held relief as clear as the desert sky outside.

Nick gave a one-shouldered shrug and a small, tight smile. “Neither did I.”

Sarah felt the knot in her stomach loosen slightly. This was good. They needed this unity if they were to stand a chance against Vincent.

“Everyone, this is Ryker and Bronx,” she introduced, motioning toward the two men who had escorted Nick back into their world. “From the Moonstone Pack up near Yellowstone. They’re here to help us.” One by one, she introduced the Sunburst men as well.

Ryker gave a half salute, a lopsided grin playing on his lips, while Bronx simply nodded, his gaze sweeping the room once more, assessing. The Sunburst Pack members looked the newcomers over, evaluating the allies standing before them.

“Vincent’s rule has gone on long enough,” Sarah said, bringing everyone’s attention back to her. “Nick, Bronx, and Ryker are here to help us end it.”

“Overthrow Vincent?” Anders raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with interest sparking in his eyes. “That’s a tall order. But with Nick and his friends here…” He glanced at Nick. “…we might just have the edge we need.”

“Exactly,” Sarah said. “We’ve been under Vincent’s thumb for far too long. It’s time we reclaim our freedom.”

“Here’s to freedom, then,” Conall said, tipping an imaginary glass in a toast.

“Let’s make sure we do this right,” Quinton added, his words deliberate and serious. “We can’t afford any missteps.”

“Agreed,” Nick said. “We’ll need to be smart, strategic, and most importantly, united.”

“Let’s get to work, then. First things first,” Sarah started, the words catching slightly in her throat. “We need to establish—”

A sharp knock at the door cut through her words like a claw through silk. Sarah’s head snapped toward the sound, her body going taut. The others fell silent, their postures instantly alert, muscles coiled and ready for any threat.

“Stay there,” Sarah said as she edged toward the door. She peered through the peephole, her breath a trembling whisper. “What the hell? It’s Larissa,” she said, glancing at the other Sunburst wolves. “Did one of you call her?”

All four men shook their heads, and with a frown, Sarah opened the door.

“Malcolm was heading this way, and I had to know what was going on,” Larissa said without preamble. There was no accusation in her tone, only an undercurrent of urgent curiosity—a strategist seeking information, Sarah realized.

Larissa would be a good addition to the group—assuming she wanted to overthrow Vincent.

Then again, Larissa had always wanted anything Malcolm had—and vice versa. Their competition had been legendary when they’d all been in grade school together.

“Come in,” Sarah said, stepping aside. As Larissa crossed the threshold, the air seemed to shift, charged with new potential.

“Is everything all right?” Larissa asked, her gaze sweeping the group, landing on Nick last. An eyebrow arched ever so slightly at the sight of him. “Hello, Nick.”

“Everything’s…complicated,” Sarah admitted, feeling secrets heavy on her tongue. “We’re planning to move against Vincent.”

Larissa’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing in not anger but contemplation. “I figured as much,” she said, making her way over to sit on the sofa between the twins.

Sarah watched as Larissa settled into the circle. “As I was saying,” she continued. “Vincent has gone too far. It ends now.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group.

“Malcolm, your strength in battle is unmatched,” Sarah said, addressing him directly. “And Larissa, your strategic mind will give us the edge we need.”

“Quinton, Anders, Conall,” Sarah continued, turning to include the others, “you’ve always explored everywhere you could get to—your knowledge of the terrain is invaluable.”

“Hidden paths, secret tunnels, the cave system—we could use any of it to blindside him,” Anders agreed.

“We know this land better than he ever will,” Conall said.

Quinton, usually quiet, spoke up. “I’ll gather intel on his guard rotations. We’ll need to strike when they least expect it.”

“Timing is everything,” Nick said, leaning forward. His muscular frame seemed coiled, ready for action.

“There’s a pack meeting tonight at Sunburst Mesa—when the sun sets,” Una said. “I think that’s our first move.”

“Nick needs to be there,” Sarah added, her gaze darting across the faces of her allies.

“Reintegration into the pack will give him reason to talk to us without worrying about being seen,” Quinton chimed in, his voice as calm and quiet as ever.

“Agreed,” Anders said, always pragmatic, already calculating the risks and rewards. “We need every advantage.”

Sarah’s breath caught in her throat at the thought of Nick stepping back into the world he’d been forced to leave.

“Will Vincent go for it?” Conall asked, clearly worried about the dangers.

“He has to,” Larissa said. “It’s time for Nick to reclaim his place. And we’ll be with him.”

“Then it’s settled,” Malcolm concluded as he stood. “Sunburst Mesa at sunset.”