Sarah jumped off the couch with a scream and lunged at Tracy, who tossed her to the side. “I won’t!

You can’t lead, they won’t follow you! This is my Pack!”

“No. It’s my Pack now. You don’t deserve them. Don’t move, Sarah. I’m not your anchor and I don’t like you. You disgust me and I have no compunction about taking you down in a challenge. As far as I’m concerned, your children would be better off without you.”

Nick flinched and Ben gasped. Keeping Sarah in her line of vision, Tracy addressed them. “What? Do I lie? Tell me. Because someone had better well start leading this Pack because it’s not happening. Pacific is a disgrace. Why didn’t your accountant come to Nick? As Enforcer, it was something he should have been told. But this Pack has been rudderless for how long now? Even now, this bitch has betrayed you all, has attacked me and still you’re making excuses? Lead or get out of the way because I am Alpha and I am willing to do what it takes to get Warren Pellini and his family out of our business. And if you think that’s going to happen because we ask nicely, you’re out of your f**king minds. And Sarah, if you get up off that floor I will kill you without breaking a sweat, I mean it. Don’t look to Nick to save you, he couldn’t reach me in time to stop me.”

“They won’t follow you!” Sarah sniveled.

Josh stood and knelt next to Ben. “I swear my fealty to you, Alpha, and your mates.”

The Fourth and Fifth followed suit and Gabe raised a brow at Tracy and flicked a dispassionate glance in Sarah’s direction. “Looks like you were wrong.”

“Get up.” Nick motioned to the wolves who’d gone to their knees.

“What about my children? Nicky, will you just toss your niece and nephew out into the street?”

“Don’t call me that. We’d be happy to keep Chris and Haley here or up with Cascadia until this is solved. We’ll keep them safe. They are my blood and my Pack. I love them and want to keep them safe.

But they’re not going to save you.”

“Call her off!”

“No.” Nick turned to Tracy. “It’s up to her.” Turning again, he looked at Gabe. “Let’s start working on a plan to deal with Pellini.”

“Not in her presence. I don’t trust her.” Gabe nodded his head toward Sarah. “In fact, I don’t trust her not to go running to Pellini the first moment she can.”

“We’ll take her up to our vacation house in eastern Oregon. The kids are on midwinter break from school anyway, they can come too. Keep it quiet and low-key,” Nick’s mother said.

“They might know to look there. Hang on a second.” Tracy pulled out her cell phone and called Lex.

“Lex, I need some help.”

Without any other questions he agreed immediately. “What do you need, sweetie?”

Tracy smiled. “I need one of the cabins on the Peninsula and a few of your guards.” She briefed him quickly on the situation. He agreed to send three of his guards out to the cabin to wait for the arrival of Nick’s parents, Sarah and the kids and however many guards Nick wanted to have accompany them.

He told her to call if she needed anything else and reminded her to stay safe.

“I suppose Josh is Enforcer now. Send two men you trust absolutely out with my parents and Sarah and the kids. Don’t let Sarah near a phone. Do not let her go anywhere alone. Cooperate with the Cascadia guards. Our lives are on the line here. Shoot her in the head if she tries to contactanyonebut me or Ben.”

Nick looked at his friend, who took up the responsibility immediately and went into action.

Nick’s father embraced him. “You’re going to do a fine job, son. Let us know if you need anything.

We’ll get out of here as soon as we can.”

Ben went to Sarah and hugged her but she yelled at him to stop Nick. He shook his head. “No. I’m going to do what’s right by this Pack and by our children. Please don’t make trouble. We can rebuild our lives somewhere else when this is over. You know it’s what we have to do.”

“You have to do right by me, Ben! We can go and be part of the Pellini Group! He’ll take us in.”

“You’re delusional. He’ll kill you and the kids. He’s a murderer and a thug. Please go. I’m begging you to cooperate and behave.”

Once the others had left holding a defeated-looking Sarah, Nick turned back to Ben. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Nothing. Not for a bit anyway. How often does he contact Sarah?”

“Once every two weeks or so. He did his last exchange a week ago so you have a bit of time. What do you have in mind? I offered to buy him out but he just laughed. Said he was making way more through the Pack than I could pay him.”

Nick’s jaw tightened. “Why didn’t you come to me? Damn it, I’m your brother, I would have helped.”

“I was scared and ashamed. I wanted to fix it before anyone found out. I was wrong, I know that.”

“We’ll go to Boston. Introduce Tracy to National. I’ll have to get a special dispensation to keep my position there and here too.” Gabe tapped his bearded chin as he spoke. “The Enforcer will be there. I need to feel him out on this. I wanted to wait but it’s too late, it needs to happen now. If wolves can’t count on the protection of the National Pack, what good are we? He’s really not a bad man, just arrogant.”