Page 53 of Sun's Roar

Helena stepped forward, each movement deliberate as she crossed the invisible line separating Victor’s makeshift army from Sol’s pack. Behind him, Sol sensed Joshua and the others tensing, ready to attack at his signal. He raised a hand slightly—hold.

Every step she took toward him made Sol’s heart pound harder. Her red hair caught the moonlight, creating a halo of fire around her face. In that moment, despite the danger surrounding them, he found himself struck by how perfectly she embodied everything a Luna should be—fierce, determined, and courageous.

When Helena reached him, she leaned in close, her lips nearly brushing his ear. The scent of her—vanilla and cinnamon with a hint of smoke—wrapped around him like a warm blanket.

“Victor wants me to burn you to ash in exchange for Tyanna living,” she whispered hurriedly, her breath warm against his skin. “He doesn’t know your connection to my fire—that my flames can’t hurt you. When I hug you, act like you’re fighting it, at first, then take control and throw a ring of fire around Tyanna to protect her.”

Sol gave an almost imperceptible nod, pride surging through him at her cleverness. “My brilliant Luna,” he murmured back.

She stepped back just enough to meet his eyes again, a hint of mischief dancing behind the determination in them. “Ready to play with fire, Alpha?”

The corner of Sol’s mouth twitched ever so slightly. “With you? Always.”

Helena wrapped her arms around him then, pressing her body against his. The feel of her curves against him made his blood heat instantly despite the danger surrounding them. Sol enfolded her in his embrace, savoring the contact while watching Victor over her shoulder. The exiled wolf’s face twisted with triumph, thinking his plan was working.

Fool, Sol thought.You never understood our pack’s true connection to fire.

He felt the change in Helena’s body as she summoned her power—a subtle warming of her skin and her heartbeat accelerating against his chest. Then came the flames, erupting from her fingertips and racing across his back, engulfing them both in a spectacular inferno that cast dancing shadows across the clearing.

Sol let her fire wash over him, feeling its caress like the touch of a lover rather than the deadly force Victor expected. Through their embrace, he could feel Helena’s momentary fear—this wasnew territory for her—but he sent reassurance through their bond as he began to exert his control.

The flames responded to his will, dancing and swirling around them both without burning either of them. Sol directed the fire to spiral dramatically around their bodies while maintaining the illusion that he was struggling.

With a subtle shift of his muscles, Sol guided the fire upward, creating a massive column of flame that illuminated the night sky. He threw a ring of fire around Tyanna, making the wolf guard yelp and jump away. The power flowing between him and Helena was intoxicating, their bond strengthening with every heartbeat as they shared control of the elemental force.

Victor’s shocked gasp was audible even through the roar of the flames. “Impossible!” he shouted.

Suddenly, a strangled howl tore through the night as Victor shifted, his human form giving way to his gray wolf. Sol watched as raw fury burned in the exiled wolf’s eyes, driving him forward in a headlong charge directly at them.

Perfect, Sol thought, reveling in the predictability of Victor’s reaction. The wolf had always been ruled by his emotions—a weakness that Sol had anticipated from the start.

Sol relinquished his hold on the flames with a confident smile, feeling the swirling inferno respond to Helena’s command as if it had always belonged to her. Pride surged through him as he watched his mate control the elemental force with newfound precision. She was magnificent—her red hair whipping around her face, and her eyes ablaze with purpose as the fire danced at her fingertips.

“You’re mine now, Victor,” Sol growled, his voice deepening as the shift began.

His body contorted, his bones cracking and reshaping as he surrendered to his wolf’s demand for release. The transformation took mere seconds—his human form giving wayto the massive black wolf that was his true nature. Sol’s wolf stood taller than any normal wolf, muscles rippling beneath midnight fur, his green eyes now glowing with golden fury.

Victor’s charge faltered momentarily at the sight of Sol’s imposing wolf form, but rage drove him forward again. Sol met his attacker head-on, their bodies colliding in a tangle of snapping jaws and raking claws. The sound of snarling wolves filled the night air as Victor’s pack rushed to join the fray, only to be met by Sol’s warriors surging forward to protect their alpha and Luna.

Through the chaos of battle, Sol remained focused on Victor, his powerful jaws snapping dangerously close to the gray wolf’s throat. Victor was quick, but Sol was stronger, his movements enhanced by the power flowing through his bond with Helena. He could feel her—fear, determination, and something else... a fierce protectiveness that matched his own.

A ball of fire streaked through the air, striking one of Victor’s wolves as it lunged for Sol’s flank. The wolf yelped and retreated, fur singed. Sol’s wolf lips pulled back in what could only be described as a savage grin.

Helena stood her ground at the center of the battlefield, directing plumes of flame with surgical precision—never harming Sol’s pack members but creating barriers of fire to separate and disorient Victor’s forces. Each time she unleashed her power, Sol felt a corresponding surge of strength, the mate bond channeling her energy into his muscles, his reflexes, his very being.

My Luna is a warrior, he thought with fierce admiration, dodging Victor’s attempt to tear into his shoulder.

Victor fought desperately, but Sol could sense his growing panic. The exiled wolf had gambled everything on Helena’s fire destroying Sol—not empowering him. Around them, Victor’smakeshift army was being systematically dismantled by the combined might of Sol’s pack and Helena’s flames.

With a powerful lunge, Sol finally gained the upper hand, his massive weight slamming Victor to the ground. The gray wolf thrashed beneath him, but Sol’s paws pressed down with unrelenting force, pinning his enemy to the earth. Their eyes locked—Sol’s burning with centuries of righteous fury, and Victor’s wide with the sudden realization of his failure.

You threatened what’s mine, Sol’s wolf snarled internally, his jaws opening wide.

In one swift, decisive movement, Sol closed his teeth around Victor’s throat. A quick, powerful clench of his jaws ended the exile’s life and with it, the threat to his pack and mate. Sol released his enemy and raised his blood-flecked muzzle to the night sky, letting loose a triumphant howl that echoed through the forest.

As Victor’s leaderless wolves scattered, Sol turned to find Helena standing amid the chaos, her fire now extinguished. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she watched him pad toward her, his black fur gleaming in the moonlight. The bond between them pulsed stronger than ever, carrying his pride, his relief, and his boundless love for her.

TWENTY

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