Page 50 of Sun's Roar

He stood and addressed his followers. “Pack up. We leave in thirty minutes.”

As the men scrambled to follow his orders, Victor turned back to Helena. “I suppose I should tell you your role in all this.”

Helena raised an eyebrow, trying to appear uninterested while her mind raced for solutions. “Let me guess. I’m the bait.”

“So much more than bait.” Victor laughed, the sound hollow and cold. “I’m going to offer Sol a trade—you for his position as alpha.”

Helena couldn’t contain her scoff. “And you think he’ll just agree to that?”

“Of course not,” Victor replied, his tone suggesting she was simple-minded for even asking. “That’s when you come in. When he refuses—and he will refuse—I’ll have you employ your newfound powers.” He made a dramatic gesture with his hands, mimicking an explosion. “One fiery embrace from his Luna, and the mighty Sol Cadoret becomes nothing but ash.”

Helena had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Victor had no idea that her fire couldn’t hurt Sol. He didn’t understand the true nature of their connection. And most importantly, he had no idea that the very bond he was trying to exploit made it impossible. The irony was almost delicious.

“You seem awfully confident,” she said carefully, not wanting to reveal her advantage.

“I’ve waited centuries for this opportunity.” Victor’s eyes gleamed with malice and anticipation. “Sol took everything from me. My rightful place. My dignity. Now I’ll take everything from him, including his precious Luna.”

Something fierce and protective rose in Helena at his words. She might have only known Sol for days, but the bond betweenthem was undeniable and growing stronger by the minute. Even now, miles apart, she could feel him—a steady, warm presence in the back of her mind.

“You’ll never be half the alpha Sol is,” she said quietly.

Victor’s face contorted with rage. “We’ll see about that when he’s burning at your feet.”

The sound of a vehicle arriving came from the front of the room.

“Ah,” Victor smiled, “my insurance policy is here.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I want to make sure you do what I tell you,” Victor sneered.

The front door opened and Tyanna stumbled in with her hands bound.

Everything just changed.

NINETEEN

SOL

After what seemed like hours, Sol’s convertible finally roared up the castle’s long driveway. He barely remembered to put the car in park before leaping out and striding toward the front entrance, his shoulders squared with determination that belied the chaos churning inside him.

Joshua waited in the royal study, but one look at his face and Sol knew the news wasn’t good. The normally confident beta looked uncharacteristically defeated, papers scattered across the antique oak desk.

“Tell me you found something,” Sol growled.

Joshua shook his head. “Nothing solid. It’s like the bastard vanished. I’ve called every contact we have, checked all known properties?—“

Sol slammed his fist on the desk, sending a decorative letter opener clattering to the floor. “He’s a fucking millionaire! People with money leave trails!”

“Not this one. At least not obvious ones.” Joshua rubbed his temples. “The homes we know about are empty. His business headquarters showed no unusual activity. His known associates claim they haven’t seen him in weeks.”

Sol paced the length of the study, the wolf inside him demanding to get out. “He can’t just disappear with my Luna.”

Something shifted inside him then—a warm pulse through the mate bond that made him stop mid-stride. Fear, yes, but underneath it... something else. A sense of determination and... what was that? A warmth directed toward him? His heart skipped a beat.

“She’s alive,” Sol said, his eyes widening. “And she’s fighting.”

“You can feel her differently now?” Joshua straightened.

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