Page 6 of Seduced By Moonlight

He sat at his desk, maps and texts spread before him in a chaotic swirl of paper and ink, along with the trappings of modern technology, like his desktop and laptop.

Gargoyles kept to themselves, so he did not have close ties to the other leaders of San DeLain, but he trusted the daemons and dragons the most. Maybe it was because, out of all the paranormals, those two species were the most like his kind.

Meaning they could not change humans into what they were like the vampires, weres, and the mers. The only way gargoyles could prolong a human’s life was by sharing their blood, the exact same way the daemons and dragons did.

He needed to inform Kage and Hudson of this latest development. But first,he needed tounderstandthe latest development.

This hunter could shift the balance of power in ways no one could predict. He needed to restore her health, and then… well, they’d see. His gut said he needed to protect her until he could ascertain her true role in all this chaos, and he always listened to his gut.

What was she? Could she be a creature from another dimension? A being from ancient times? Or perhaps even a manifestation of pure magic itself? Whoever or whatever she was, she’d fallen into his world like a meteor—sudden and fraught with unknown consequences.

His castle might be her sanctuary for now, but whether it would remain so depended on her. Ward knew one thing for certain: Paranormal society was standing on a precipice, and every step needed to be measured with caution and precision.

The balance of power in San DeLain was delicate even at the best of times—introducing an anomaly like her could either stabilize it or send it tumbling into chaos.

And they’d had enough chaos. Only time would unveil what role she would play in all of this—and until then, he would watch over her, guardian or jailer, as need be.

He was still contemplating the situation when his cell phone started ringing incessantly. Seeing that it was Celine calling, he quickly answered.

“Ward, I need you back here immediately. She’s trying to wake up. She shouldn’t be able to with the sleep spell I put on her, but there you go. You need to get here.”

Shit, shit, shit. How?“I’m on my way. If you feel unsafe, just get out of there.”

“That goes without saying. Hurry.”

Ward jumped up from his desk and rushed from the room, pulling his human glamor around him. Last thing he needed was for their guest to freak out over how he looked. Who knew if she remembered seeing his true form earlier.

And dammit, he should’ve stayed even if Celine hadn’t thought there was a reason to, but she’d been so sure the hunter couldn’t wake up.Howwas she trying to wake up? He knew of that sleep spell, and it was a doozy.

His people swiftly moved out of his way as he ran through the corridors. Within minutes, he entered the infirmary. Celine was still there, so Ward assumed that was a good sign.

What wasn’t a good sign was that the hunter was wide-awake and sitting up.

Her gaze, bright and alert, scanned the dimly lit room with a predator’s precision, pausing only when it landed on Ward. For a moment, there was a palpable silence filled with tension and unasked questions.

“She woke up just now,” Celine whispered, standing rigidly by the bedside.

Ward knew his healer enough to know that even though her face was a mask of professional concern, her body language betrayed a hint of fear. Why hadn’t she left?

“I tried reinforcing the sleep spell, but it didn’t work. She woke quickly. She’s… she is incredibly strong. I’ve never seenanythinglike it.”

The hunter turned her attention to Celine briefly before addressing Ward directly, her voice hoarse. “Where am I? And who are you people?”

Ward advanced slowly, careful to keep his movements nonthreatening while putting himself between the hunter and his healer as she backed away from the bedside. He knew the importance of first impressions.

“You’re safe here,” Ward said softly, hoping to convey sincerity through his tone and demeanor.

The woman blinked slowly. “Where am I?” she asked again.

“You are in my castle,” Ward replied. “My name is Hereward Tywyll. I go by Ward. My clan is Clan Tywyll. I am the king of the San DeLain gargoyles. I brought you here for your protection. Do you remember your name?”

“My protection?” Her eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of skepticism and slight amusement.

Ward chose his next words carefully, fully aware she hadn’t answered the question of who she was. “There were witches who were here in my woods doing a black magic ritual. They planned to drain you of your powers, and I intervened and stopped it.”

The woman appeared to consider this, her gaze never wavering from his face. Then she swung her legs off the bed and stood up.

“I don’t remember asking for help,” she said quietly.

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