Page 33 of Seduced By Moonlight

Ward’s senses were on high alert, the metallic taste of magic hanging subtly in the air. It was sharp on his tongue, a warning that danger was near.

He scanned his surroundings, searching for any signs of a disturbance or threat. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, a primal instinct urging him to be cautious.

But he didn’t sense anyone.

As they approached the location Celine had pinpointed on her laptop, there was no mistaking the magical disturbances.

“Stop,” Ward commanded softly as they reached a small clearing. He scanned the area, looking for any signs of tampering or anomalies.

Celine set up her laptop on a fallen tree trunk, booting it up to cross-reference their current location with the energy spikes she’d recorded. She frowned deeply as she worked, her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard.

“It’s right here.” Celine pointed at a specific location on her screen and then to a spot just ahead in the clearing. “Whatever is causing the disturbance should be directly in front of us. It’s almost as if something or someone tried to open a portal through the ward and couldn’t.”

Emmett, who had been quietly surveying the perimeter, suddenly stiffened. “Do you all hear that?”

Ward frowned. “It sounds like—”

The sudden caw of a raven split the air, echoing through the trees, reverberating with a strange, unnatural cadence that set Ward’s nerves on edge.

Everyone glanced up, following the sound. The bird, large and black as a patch of night sky, perched on a gnarled branch above them. Celine gasped softly, and Rihanna instinctively stepped closer to her, swearing softly.

“A bird set the wards off?” Emmett asked, scratching his head.

Luna sighed heavily. “That’s no ordinary bird. Feel that magical marker? It’s a shifter. But it’s a shifter who hasn’t shifted in quite some time, based on what I can sense.”

“It feels cursed,” Celine whispered.

“How the hell did it get trapped in here then? Was it just… what? Hanging around?” Tank asked.

“The wards let it in, apparently, but once we strengthened them, it got trapped, I guess.” Luna glanced at Celine. “Is that possible?”

Celine’s fingers flew over her keyboard. “It’s been a bird for some time, so maybe the wards mistook it for a natural bird?”

“Huh,” Luna said.

“The old wards allowed anyone in who didn’t mean us harm, but then we strengthened them. Itisa shifter, and it didn’t have permission to be here, so I guess the new wards trapped it? But I’m guessing here.”

“Well, it can’t get out now. That much is obvious. And why is it trying to get out?” Emmett asked Luna.

“Um, because it’s stuck in here?” Luna guessed. “Don’t they usually have a pretty big territory? Maybe it belongs to a flock of ravens? Hell, why are you asking me like I have the answer?”

“So, are we letting it out?” Tank asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Celine said.

“Even though it’s cursed?” Tank stared at the bird. “Someone cursed it for a reason, don’t you think?”

“We don’t know that,” Celine said. “And I said itfeelslike it was cursed. I’m not sure, though.”

“Rihanna? Do you sense anything malevolent about it?” Ward asked.

“No. It’s a shifter who has almost lost himself in his raven form. That’s all I get from it.”

“Celine? Same question,” Ward said.

Celine shook her head as well. “I don’t sense a threat from it, so I agree with Rihanna.”

“So do you think it’s safe to let it go?” Ward asked.

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