Page 47 of Sun's Roar

“Exactly.” Joshua’s voice hardened with authority, the voice of a beta who knew when to stand firm. “And rushing in blind is the fastest way to get her killed. Victor knows you. He’s counting on you to be impulsive.”

Sol’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached. The rational part of him—the part that had led the Sunflare pack for centuries—knew Joshua was right. Victor was dangerous precisely because he was calculating. He’d been exiled for attempted coups. If Victor had Helena, it wasn’t a simple kidnapping—it was a trap for him.

And if Sol triggered that trap... He couldn’t bear to imagine Helena being caught in the crossfire.

“I can have our pack searching every property Victor owns while you’re driving back,” Joshua continued. “We’ll be ready to move the moment you arrive.”

Sol shut his eyes tightly, his wolf howling in protest at moving away from the scent trail. But beneath his fury, the unfamiliar feeling of fear gnawed at him—fear for Helena. Her terror still pulsed through their mate bond, faint but unmistakable.

“She’s afraid about something,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “I can feel it.”

“She’s strong and smart,” Joshua reminded him. “She survived twenty-nine years without knowing her powers. And now that she does, she’s powerful.”

Sol remembered the fire in her eyes when she’d thrown her fire at him in a fitful rage, and the determination in her shoulders when she’d insisted on leaving him. She was powerful, indeed. His wildfire—His Luna.

“I’m on my way,” Sol finally conceded, every instinct screaming against it. “Have everything ready.”

He hung up and took one last look around Helena’s home, committing her scent to memory, stoking the fire of his rage. The mate bond tugged at his chest, pointing like a compass toward his Luna.

“I’m coming for you,” he promised the empty room. “And when I find you, I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”

Sol stormed out to his convertible, gunning the engine so hard the tires screamed against the pavement. The wind whipped through his hair as he accelerated well beyond the speed limit, his fingers tight on the wheel.

The highway back to the castle stretched before him, each mile away from Helena’s and Victor’s scent trail torture for hiswolf. But Sol forced himself to focus on the strategy, and on what they’d need to find her.

“Hold on, my Luna,” he murmured as the castle finally appeared on the horizon, its stone towers looming against the night sky. “Your alpha is coming.”

EIGHTEEN

HELENA

Victor steered his silver luxury SUV down a deserted gravel road surrounded by an endless canopy of trees. Helena’s heart pounded erratically as they drove farther and farther down the road away from civilization.

The trees parted suddenly, revealing a clearing dominated by an ancient barn. The structure looked like something out of a horror movie—weathered wood gone silver with age and portions of the roof sagging dangerously. Helena’s stomach dropped as she counted four vehicles parked haphazardly near the entrance.

“Your restaurant staff thinks you’ve taken a much-needed vacation,” Victor said conversationally as he parked. “Amazing what people will believe when you wave enough money at them.”

The engine died, and with it, Helena’s last hope of an easy escape. Victor circled the vehicle and opened her door with a mockery of chivalry. His fingers closed around her upper arm—not painfully tight, but firm enough to make his intentions clear.

“I suggest you behave,” he murmured, his breath uncomfortably hot against her ear. “My associates aren’t as patient as I am.”

The barn’s massive doors groaned as Victor pushed them open. Helena blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim interior. What she’d expected to be an empty, decrepit space had been transformed into some kind of makeshift headquarters. Generator-powered lights hung from the rafters, illuminating a space filled with high-end camping furniture, equipment, and about a dozen people who fell silent as they entered.

“The Luna has arrived,” Victor announced, his voice echoing in the cavernous space.

A cheer went up from the assembled group—all men, Helena noted with growing unease. They varied in age and appearance but shared the same hungry look in their eyes that Victor had. None appeared armed, but their muscular builds and confident stances suggested they didn’t need weapons to be dangerous.

“Sit,” Victor commanded, guiding Helena to a folding chair in the center of the room. “Make yourself comfortable. We have much to discuss.”

Helena complied, her mind racing as she assessed her situation. She wasn’t restrained, which meant she could still use her powers if necessary. The heat simmered within her, ready to be called forth. But to what end? She had no idea where they were, how many more of Victor’s people might be lurking nearby, or what would happen if she failed in an escape attempt.

If she set this place on fire, could she control the flames or would they spread into a forest inferno that would torch thousands of acres and destroy communities in the process? How many lives would be lost because of her?

Sol,she thought desperately, closing her eyes for a moment.If you can hear me, if this mate bond is real... I need you.

She felt foolish immediately. Was she really trying to send telepathic messages to a man she’d walked away from an hour ago? A man whose existence had upended her entire life in the span of days?

And yet, she couldn’t deny the connection she had felt with Sol. That pull, that inexplicable rightness when they were together. Something stirred in response to her silent plea—not an answer, exactly, but a warmth that couldn’t be attributed to her fire powers.

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