Page 23 of Seduced By Moonlight

“What are you guys, twelve?” Kayden complained.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Lance said primly. “But no. I ended up going for a run instead.”

Kayden half listened, his mind consumed with thoughts of the upcoming preliminary assessments and the chance of seeing Ward again. A knot of anticipation, mixed with a tinge of nervousness, unfurled in his stomach.

He quickly pushed it aside. No, he wouldn’t allow himself to entertain those thoughts. Nope. No way. He wasn’t doing that. Off. Limits.

The lively banter in the truck gradually faded into a peaceful silence, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the occasional sound of coffee being sipped.

Outside, the landscape rolled by in a blur of fall colors. The warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, enveloping Kayden as he prepared himself to meet Ward again.

CHAPTER SEVEN –WARD

WARD KNEW as soon as the construction crew, and Kayden, crossed his wards. A tingle shot through his body, alerting him. Which was not unusual in and of itself—he always knew when someone entered his land.

Emotions simmered within him—excitement, anticipation, and a hint of anxiety. It’d been some time since anyone had triggered such a response in him, and he wasn’t sure what to make of that.

Someone coming onto his land usually resulted in a prickling sensation at the back of his mind, like an itch that quickly disappeared. It caught his attention, but it wasn’t something he dwelled on.

However, this time was different. The presence of Kayden and his crew ignited a stronger reaction. It was as if his land welcomed them, which was weird. The land always let him know who was there, but this was….

Suddenly Ward slammed his fist down on his desk as he thought about that for a second. Healwaysknew when someone entered his land.

Always.

His heightened senses allowed him to feel the slightest changes in energy and vibrations of the wards. He’d known immediately when Kayden and his crew passed through. He’d felt them both times.

So why hadn’t he felt those witches trespass? He should have. And why had he not thought about that sooner? Was it a spell? Or was it something else that had stopped him from thinking of that?

Concerned, he texted Tank and increased the guards near the borders. Tank had questions, of course, and Ward promised to answer them. But first he wanted to speak to Rihanna and Celine to see if they could shine some light onhowsuch a thing could happen and how to stop it.

Only then could he and his council take steps to prevent it from happening again.

Getting to his feet, he went in search of Rihanna. He found Celine and Rihanna in the infirmary.

Celine looked up from typing on her laptop and greeted Ward with a smile. “Hey there, Ward. What brings you by this morning?”

“Good morning,” Ward replied. “And a good morning to you also, Rihanna. How are you feeling?”

Rihanna sat on the other side of the desk, sipping from a mug. She shrugged. “Pretty much the same, although I’m not quite as tired. Plus, I’m trying to adjust to your hours. Celine is relentless about me eating, though.”

Celine snickered.

Ward nodded. “Yes, she can be quite bossy toward clan mates who end up being her patients.”

“Areyoufeeling okay?” Celine asked.

“Oh. Apologies. I feel fine. I felt Kayden and his construction crew cross the boundaries just now,” Ward said. “Which made me realize I didnotfeel those witches trespass.”

“Shit, they had to have used a spell. A damn powerful one, too, to hide them from your wards. Shit. That’s not good.” Celine bit her lip. “Seriously not good.”

“A spell. I had wondered if that was it. Rihanna? Is there any chance you remember what spell they used to shield themselves from my wards?”

“I’m sorry, no,” Rihanna said after a couple of seconds.

Ward noticed she had been staring at Celine as Celine bit her lip. Huh.

“I was pretty much in and out of it on the way here and during the ritual,” Rihanna said, finally turning her gaze toward Ward. “But I can tell you they were strong. Especially their high priestess.”

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