Page 31 of Seduced By Moonlight

An hour slipped by, marked only by the rhythmic sounds of their activities and the occasional rustle of wildlife in the distance. By the time they finished up, Ward could tell a difference.

“There. Done,” Rihanna finally announced, her face flushed. “The new wards are in place.”

Celine closed her laptop with a snap. “This should hold. The ley lines will bolster the wards continuously, and I’ll keep monitoring the energy fluctuations remotely to make sure everything holds up for a little bit.”

“Thank you both.” Ward looked at the strengthened wards, feeling a renewed sense of security wash over him. “Let’s head home.”

After he escorted both ladies back, he swung by the kitchen and raided the refrigerator for a quick snack before lunch, then made his way to his office.

He had a file on his computer with castle décor he’d been reviewing. Still, he’d do some more looking around and add pictures and links of anything he found he liked.

He set an alarm on his phone so he wouldn’t miss lunch.

THE STEADY vibration of his cell startled him, pulling him out of searching the web.

“Time sure flies when you’re spending money.” After clicking the save button, Ward stood from his desk and made his way back downstairs.

The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, making his stomach grumble in anticipation. With lunch already laid out, Ward plated his food. He nodded to some of his clan members as he made his way down the buffet line.

Seeing Luna and Tank, he joined them.

As lunch progressed, the conversation naturally drifted toward the recent enhancements made on the property. His clan was curious about the changes, and this was as good of a time as any to mention the upgrades made to the wards.

“Well,” Ward began, clearing his throat slightly as all eyes turned toward him, “thanks to Rihanna’s and Celine’s hard work earlier, our boundaries are now reinforced with more powerful wards.”

The table’s occupants exchanged nods of approval. If anyone had objections to Rihanna’s involvement, they wisely kept it to themselves.

“As many of you also know, I’ve been working on some upgrades for the castle itself—both functional and aesthetic improvements that will make our environment even more secure and inviting,” Ward said.

There were murmurs of agreement all around. As he spoke, Joel, Emmett, and Scarlett joined him, along with a few elders.

“There has been a construction crew here recently. I vetted them, of course. The owner is Kayden Lancaster, if anybody is interested,” Ward added.

“I know that name. He’s a nonhuman, right?” Elder Graymore Ross, Joel’s father, demanded.

“Yes, he is. His crew is mainly paranormal, and the few humans they have are in the know.” Ward clenched his jaw.

He was annoyed at the disrespect he saw on the elder’s face. He’d certainly made his feelings known with his wrinkled nose and voice laced with disdain.

While he got along with most of the elders, Elder Graymore was not someone Ward particularly liked. He was a bit too traditional for his taste—not to mention a snob—but Ward was stuck with him.

A hush fell over the group. The sound of silverware clattering against plates was loud in the suddenly quiet room.

Scarlett glared at the elder. “Oh gods,that’swhat you’re going to latch on to? What he is? Listen, he’s more than just a—”

“I have a great respect for Kayden,” Ward said. “He comes highly recommended from both Hudson Redmond, the dragon king of the Fire Court of San DeLain, and Kage Dargon, the Elder of the San DeLain Daemons.”

Elder Graymore huffed as he looked down at his plate.

“As I was saying, structural repairs are being done to our home, as well as upgrading the electrical systems. And, of course, we are also modernizing the castle while maintaining its original aesthetics,” Ward continued, happy that the elder was finally keeping his thoughts to himself.

“First this strange witch and now a damn teek let loose in our territory,” Elder Graymore mumbled.

Ward growled. Looked like he was wrong.

“Dad.” Joel’s face flushed as he shot a look toward Ward.

“Elder? Tread carefully,” Ward snapped. “Rihanna gave her oath, and I accepted it.”

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