Page 4 of Nick
“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.
Chapter 3
NICK MOVED THROUGH HISshift with mechanical precision, pouring coffee and delivering plates laden with food, scanning the room yet seeing nothing but Sarah.
“Everything all right, Nick?”asked his coworker Cora as she moved out of the kitchen, a hint of concern lacing her words as she caught the edge in his usually smooth demeanor.
“Fine,” he replied curtly, the word more of a growl than he intended.The lie tasted bitter on his tongue.
As soon as his shift ended, Nick shed his apron with a sense of urgency and headed down the main street toward his alpha’s newly remodeled Victorian house.
The door opened before he could knock, as if Steele sensed his arrival—an alpha’s intuition, Nick assumed.
“You look like you’re wrestling with the devil himself.”Steele nodded a greeting and opened the door wide, gesturing for Nick to enter.
“Feels like it.”Nick stepped into the foyer, the rich scent of polished wood greeting him.It was a stark contrast to the sterile bitterness that lingered in his memories of the Sunburst Pack.He clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides.
“Let’s talk.”Steele led the way into the living room, where his human mate, Mila, waited.
“Nick!Come in, come in,” she urged with a welcoming gesture, her eyes reflecting genuine affection that Nick found both comforting and unsettling.Comforting because here, in the Moonstone Pack, he was among friends; unsettling because it reminded him of how much he’d lost.
