Page 29 of Sun's Roar

“Hundreds of years old?” A crooked smile revealed the hint of a dimple. “When you’ve been waiting for your Luna, others pale in comparison.”

Helena’s fingers found the sheets, twisting them. “I’ve never done anything like this. Slept with someone I just met.”

“I’d hope not.” His possessive tone should have irritated her, but instead it sent a thrill down her spine. “You’ve always been mine, Helena. Even before you knew it.”

The conviction in his voice made her shiver. “I’m not completely convinced about all this Luna business, but...” She bit her lower lip. “I’m willing to stay. Today, at least. Learn about these powers before I start something else on fire.”

Sol’s eyes darkened with something primal. “And learn about me? About us?”

“That too.” She couldn’t help the flush creeping up her neck. “The sex was...”

“Earth-shattering? Life-changing? Cosmically ordained?” He grinned, rolling her beneath him in one fluid movement.

Helena laughed despite herself. “Your ego is the size of your castle.”

“Not ego when it’s facts.” His lips brushed her collarbone, sending sparks through her body—literal sparks that danced across her fingertips. “Look at that. Your fire seems to respond to me.”

Helena stared at her fingers in wonder. “Teach me how to control it. Please.”

Sol’s expression shifted to something more serious and more alpha. “I will. But first, I’ll show you what it means to be part of the Sunflare pack. What it means to be mine.”

The way he said “mine” should have set off all her independence alarms, but instead, it seemed to feel right in a way nothing else had before.

“Deal,” Helena whispered, sealing her promise with a kiss that threatened to ignite more than just her newfound powers.

Helena slipped out from beneath the silk sheets, acutely aware of Sol’s eyes tracking her every movement. She reached for her green sundress, feeling strangely shy despite their intimacy the night before.

“I could get used to this view,” Sol drawled from the bed, making no move to hide his appreciation of her naked form.

Heat bloomed across Helena’s cheeks. “Stop staring and get dressed. I’m starving.”

Sol chuckled, finally rising in one fluid motion that displayed his muscular physique to perfection. Helena tried—and failed—not to stare at his intricate tattoo spanning his upper arm, the mysterious symbols seeming to shift with the play of muscles beneath his skin.

“What does your tattoo mean?” she asked, pulling her dress over her head.

“It tells the story of our pack.” He came up behind her, his breath warm against her neck as he helped zip her dress. “I’ll explain it to you someday.”

The casual mention of “someday” sent an unexpected thrill through Helena. It implied a future together—something she wasn’t entirely convinced about yet, but couldn’t deny wanting for some strange reason.

When they entered the dining room, Helena’s chef’s instincts immediately kicked in at the spread before them. Platters of fresh fruit, pastries still steaming from the oven, and something that smelled divine simmering in a copper pot.

“Is that what I think it is?” Helena moved closer to the pot, inhaling deeply.

“Fig and cardamom compote. My chef remembered you mentioning your fondness for it last night.”

Helena blinked in surprise. “I barely mentioned it in passing.”

“Nothing about you is insignificant to us now, Luna.” The gravity in his tone made her stomach flutter.

As they ate, Helena couldn’t help comparing techniques with what she would have done. “This glaze on the pastries—I’d add just a touch more orange zest.”

“Perhaps you’d like to show him some time.” Sol’s eyes never left her face. “The kitchen is yours whenever you wish.”

“I’d like that,” she admitted, surprised at how natural it felt to imagine herself in this place.

After breakfast, Sol led her to a wood-paneled library where an older man waited, surrounded by ancient-looking books.

“Helena, this is Mitesh, my royal advisor and historian.” Sol’s hand rested possessively at the small of her back. “He’s going to help you understand your powers and your role as Luna.”

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