Page 11 of Sun's Roar

Sol’s wolf settled slightly at the protective thought. Yes, Helena would need safeguarding until she understood her powers and her place. Her place at his side.

“I have waited so long for her,” Sol rumbled. “I guess I can wait one more night.”

Sol tapped his fingers on the leather armrest as they drove to the hotel. His heartbeat was still erratic from his encounter with Helena. Through the tinted window, he watched the upscale buildings of the coastal town pass by, but his mind remained fixed on Helena—her flashing hazel eyes, the way her red hairseemed alive with her inner fire, and most distractingly, those curves that had made his wolf practically howl inside him.

“I just can’t believe your Luna is human.” Joshua shook his head, navigating the SUV through traffic.

Sol’s jaw tightened. “Does it matter? She’s mine. I felt it the moment I saw her.”

“It matters for her,” Mitesh replied, his weathered face thoughtful. “She knows nothing of our world, Your Highness. The transition will be... challenging.”

Sol pulled out his phone, checking for any missed calls. Nothing. His wolf paced restlessly, urging him to tell Joshua to turn the car around so Sol could go claim her right now. Each passing minute without her phone call stoked his impatience.

“She’ll need proper training,” Sol muttered. “I’ll have to teach her everything—our ways, our history, and her responsibilities as Luna.”

Joshua looked at Sol in the rearview mirror. “And if she refuses to come back with you?”

Sol’s green eyes flashed gold. “She won’t.”

“With respect,” Mitesh interjected, “humans value choice above all else. Your usual... approach might not serve you well here.”

Sol’s nostrils flared. “What are you suggesting? That I leave my Luna behind when I’ve finally found her after two hundred years?”

“I’m suggesting patience,” Mitesh replied calmly. “A quality not commonly associated with alphas—or fire elementals.”

Sol checked his phone again, growling under his breath. His wolf was growing more agitated with each second that passed without Helena’s call.

“Has there ever been a human Luna before, Mitesh?” He leaned forward, his large frame filling the space between thefront seats. “How can a human lead wolves? My pack will certainly question it.”

Mitesh turned to face him, his expression serene despite Sol’s intensity. “It’s uncommon, but not unheard of. The chronicles speak of three human Lunas in our pack’s history.”

Sol’s eyebrows shot up. “Three? In two thousand years?”

“Rare treasures are the most valuable, Your Highness.”

“But my wolves will want a Luna who understands?—“

“When you claim her properly,” Mitesh interrupted, his voice lowering, “when your teeth mark her as yours, it will awaken what has always been dormant within her.”

Sol froze, his wolf suddenly alert and listening. “Are you saying?—“

“Every Luna has a wolf inside, even those born human. The mating bite awakens it in humans.” Mitesh’s eyes twinkled. “Why do you think the Moon Goddess paired you with a fire elemental? Your wolves will be as perfectly matched as your human forms.”

Heat surged through Sol’s body at the thought of sinking his teeth into Helena’s soft skin. Of marking her as his mate for all to see. Of meeting the wolf that slept inside her.

“What will she be like?” Sol asked, his voice rough. “Her wolf?”

Mitesh smiled. “If her human form is any indication—fierce and beautiful. And quite possibly as stubborn as yours.”

Joshua laughed. “The Moon Goddess has a sense of humor, giving you a mate who’ll challenge you at every turn.”

The image of Helena’s wolf formed in Sol’s mind—sleek and powerful with beautiful fur, and eyes that burned with the same defiance he’d seen today. His own wolf rumbled with approval and desire.

Joshua finally turned the black SUV into the hotel’s circular driveway, pulling up under the grand stone portico where threevalets stood at attention. Sol didn’t wait for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before pushing his door open, his body thrumming with impatience.

“I’ll handle the arrangements,” Sol announced, not asking but telling. He strode through the hotel’s gleaming glass doors without looking back, knowing his men would follow.

The lobby stretched before him in polished marble and crystal chandeliers, a fitting place for an alpha and his closest pack members. The scent of wealth hung in the air—fresh flowers, expensive perfumes, and the underlying musk of power that money inevitably brought. Sol inhaled deeply, letting his senses map the building.

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