Page 56 of Seduced By Moonlight

A few minutes later he got a text back from Ward saying they were perfectly fine, yes, please come to the castle, and he appreciated the concern.

“A nice, perfectly appropriate response,” Kayden said, glaring at his cell phone. Then he had to remind himself that Ward had expressed his appreciation without overdoing it, just like Kayden had. So why was he disappointed the text was so emotionless?

“You’re ridiculous,” Kayden chided himself.

Thoroughly annoyed, he got up and went to shower. Once he was done, he stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his shirt and scrutinizing the trim beard that framed his jawline.

Perfect balance between rugged and refined—he smirked at his reflection. He had to say he looked good.

With a final check on his tools and the papers in his leather bag, Kayden’s cell dinged, letting him know his crew was almost there.

He snatched his keys from the hook by the door, the metallic jingle echoing softly in the quiet room. With a swift motion, he slung his worn leather bag over his shoulder, its contents settling with a familiar weight.

He paused for a moment, taking one last glance around the room, his eyes lingering on the shadows cast by the setting sun. Time to put aside the personal drama and focus on the job.

As Lance got in the passenger seat and Mika climbed into the back, Kayden started his truck. He waved to his crew as they pulled out.

The drive was uneventful, and it gave Kayden time to collect his thoughts. As they approached the second gate to the castle, Kayden immediately noticed there was a security detail.

That was new. And the wards acted even clingier than usual. Had they strengthened them since Kayden was there last?

They pulled up beside a massive pile of raw materials—stone, wood, metal—all waiting to be transformed under their skilled hands.

Stepping out of the truck, he saw Tank and waved him down. “Evening. Something going on tonight? Noticed there’s a guard at the gate.”

“Just precautions. Recent events have everyone a bit on edge,” Tank replied gruffly.

Recent events—so the accident?

“Right.” Kayden nodded slowly, then gave up pretending to understand. “Actually, I have no idea what that means, but okay.”

Tank snorted.

Seeing that Tank wasn’t going to explain—wasn’t there an old saying about you couldn’t get blood from stone?—Kayden walked toward where his crew was already unloading their gear.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tank pull his cell phone out of his back pocket.

Kayden moved a large section of stone with a graceful wave of his hand, effortlessly gliding it through the air to a new, closer location. The stones settled into place with a soft thud, perfectly positioned for the task ahead.

Kayden’s crew wasted no time setting up lighting so they could see and getting to work. The worksite buzzed with activity beneath the crescent moon ascending over the old stone towers.

The electric charge in the air wasn’t entirely from paranormal energy or power tools. It felt like anticipation… or trepidation. All he knew for sure was that the vibe there was off.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he dragged it out. The cryptic message that popped up on his screen said to please come to Ward’s office.

Ward wanted to meet? Now? Kayden frowned deeply but texted back a simple affirmative before turning to inform his crew he needed a moment and would be back shortly.

And what do you know? Tank was waiting for him.

Making his way toward Ward’s private quarters involved navigating dimly lit corridors that felt more oppressive tonight than usual. They arrived, and Tank knocked twice before being let inside.

Ward looked none the worse for wear after being in a car wreck. He wore his usual leather pants, and Kayden saw no scratches on him, but that made sense. Paranormals healed incredibly quickly.

“Good evening,” Kayden said.

“Hey.” Ward nodded to Tank, who turned around and left. “Please have a seat.”

Kayden calmly took a seat in front of Ward’s desk. God, he felt like a naughty kid who had been called to the principal’s office, and he did not like that feeling. “Is everything okay? Did you have changes you wanted to make?”

---