Page 42 of Sun's Roar

He sank back onto the bed, the sheets still warm from their bodies. The wolf inside him wanted to howl its agony to the sky.

Instead, he sat motionless, staring at the door through which his heart had just walked out.

SIXTEEN

HELENA

Helena’s heart contracted as she turned the door handle of the guest suite. She quickly walked out before she could change her mind or before she could see his face. A tear slipped down her cheek as she closed the door behind her.

The grand staircase stretched before her, polished marble steps winding down to the grand foyer. Helena descended quickly, her knees weak. Each step took her farther from Sol, and each breath became harder to draw.

What am I doing?The thought pounded in her head with every step.He’s unlike any man I’ve ever known. The way he looks at me and the way he treats me like I’m something precious...

By the time she reached the massive foyer, tears were flowing freely down her face. She wiped them away, but they kept coming, hot as the flames that had started all this.

The massive oak doors loomed ahead. Beyond them waited the car Victor had sent—a return to her old life, to the comfortable routine of chopping vegetables and crafting recipes. To normalcy.

But is that what I want anymore?

She paused for a brief moment, her hand on the ornate handle. Through the tall windows flanking the entrance, she could see the black sedan waiting in the circular drive, engine running, headlights cutting through the evening darkness.

“You’re actually leaving.”

Helena turned to find Deina standing behind her, her face etched with concern.

“I have to,” Helena whispered. “This isn’t my world.”

“It could be,” Deina said softly. “I’ve seen how you look at him.”

Helena closed her eyes, remembering the feel of Sol’s hands on her body, the way he’d coaxed pleasure from her she’d never known was possible. The way his eyes darkened when she challenged him, and the protective fierceness that radiated from him like heat.

“I don’t belong here. I’m a chef, not a—a supernatural queen.”

“You’re both,” Deina insisted. “I’ve never seen the Prince like this. In his hundreds of years of existence, he’s never looked at anyone the way he looks at you.”

Helena’s hand fell from the door. “I don’t even really know him.”

“But you feel it, don’t you? The connection?”

Helena nodded, another tear slipping down her cheek. “That’s what scares me.”

The car horn sounded outside. Reality calling.

Helena drew a deep breath and pulled the door open. “I need to go now.”

The early evening air hit her tear-stained face as she stepped outside. Helena walked down the circular driveway toward the sleek black sedan waiting for her, each step widening the distance between herself and the castle. Between herself and Sol.Her throat tightened as she forced herself not to look back. If she did, she might never leave.

The sunset cast elongated shadows across the manicured grounds, painting everything in warm oranges and deep purples. The sight was breathtaking, but all Helena could think about was the warmth of Sol’s skin against hers not too long ago.

A tall and willowy blonde woman dressed in a crisp black pantsuit stepped out from the driver’s side of the car. She smiled professionally and opened the rear door for Helena.

“Miss Divata? I’m Kinna. Mr. Sulick sent me to bring you back to the restaurant.”

Helena gave her a slight nod as she slid into the back seat. “Thank you.”

As the car pulled away, Helena finally allowed herself one backward glance. The castle stood proudly against the darkening sky, its stone walls catching the last rays of sunlight. Something inside her chest pulled, an invisible thread stretching painfully as they drove away.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Kinna’s eyes met Helena’s in the rearview mirror. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Like something out of a fantasy novel.”

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