Page 26 of Nick
“The rest of the pack… They just descended on him.Like a frenzy.”Conall’s voice was a ragged whisper.His eyes, wide and haunted, flicked over to the others as he spoke.A collective shudder rippled through them.
Sarah could almost hear the snap of bones, the wet tear of flesh in Conall’s words.
“Conall,” Nick’s steady voice broke through the silence, “what were you doing?What were any of you doing while this happened?”His eyes were sharp, searching each face for an answer.There was no accusation in his tone, only the need to understand.
“We hung back,” Quinton said.“Just far enough to seem…out of reach.As if we couldn’t get there in time to join the frenzy.”
She dared a glance at Nick, whose stoic gaze met hers for a fraction of a second before she looked away, haunted by memories that mirrored the violence Quinton described.She remembered the cold determination in Vincent’s eyes the night he’d seized the pack, the way the ground seemed to open beneath her when he plotted to have Nick killed.
Nick’s eyes held questions that made her insides twist.She could see the turmoil there, the wariness.
The distrust.
The motel room felt suddenly claustrophobic, the walls pressing in with the intensity of their shared history.Sarah swallowed hard, her throat dry despite the coolness provided by the struggling air conditioner.
“Let’s focus on what we do next,” Ryker said.
“What do you suggest?”Sarah asked.
“We reached out to a few nearby allies,” Ryker said.“Bronx and I have meetings scheduled over the next few days.We’re heading over the state line into Texas.”
“You’re leaving?”Nick asked.
“Just for a couple of days,” Bronx said, dropping his hand on the younger shifter’s shoulder.
“Everyone here needs to keep on as you’ve been.You especially, Nick.You and Sarah need to pretend to be deliriously happy now that he’s back.”Ryker raised an eyebrow as he glanced between them.“Think you can do that?”
“In public, at least,” Sarah added, hoping her words would inject a little humor into the situation.But Nick just stared at her.
“There’s an art festival down at the city park tomorrow,” Larissa suggested.“I heard someone say Vincent planned to be there.We should all make an appearance.”
“That’s a good plan,” Ryker said.“Be seen, act normal.Once Bronx and I return, hopefully with allies, we can all figure out how to do what’s necessary to remove Vincent as alpha.”
“Be seen.Act normal.”Sarah murmured the words.
It seemed simple enough.
But she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to manage it.
There was nothing normal about her life right now.
“You probably do need to be seen together more,” Malcolm said, his gaze darting between Sarah and Nick.
“Moving back into the trailer with Sarah would also solidify the story that you’ve reconciled,” Ryker added, staring at Nick as if challenging him to disagree.
Sarah watched Nick closely, saw the slight clench of his jaw, the way his hands fisted at his sides.
He finally nodded.“Fine.I’ll do it.For the pack.”His gaze flickered to Sarah’s for just a fraction of a second before he looked away.
Sarah’s throat tightened, and she fought to keep her face composed.She knew what this cost him—the proximity to her, the constant reminder of betrayal.But beneath the anxiety roiling in her stomach, hope fluttered.
Maybe this forced closeness would mend some of the fractures between them.
“Good,” Ryker said, breaking the momentary lull.“That settles it.We’ll head out tonight and be back as soon as possible.”
The meeting dispersed quickly after that, the rebels slipping out of the room one by one.Sarah lingered, unable to shake the image of Nick’s pained acceptance from her mind.A part of her ached to reach out, but she remained still, her fingers curling into the fabric of her shirt.
As Nick left the room, she followed.“Nick,” she called out softly, but it was enough.He paused midstride, not turning yet.
