Page 70 of Seduced By Moonlight

He touched the spot on his head where he recalled bleeding. There was a bandage in place. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and then shivered. That sparked a memory, like someone else had also done that to him here recently, and he’d liked it.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had a concussion, but thank you. I appreciate you healing me. You didn’t have to do that.” The tension that had stiffened his muscles dissipated at the news of his team being safe. And wow, he was sure sore.

“I actually did, or I would’ve had a very unhappy gargoyle on my hands.”

Kayden had no idea what she meant by that.

“Anyway, give me about an hour to check on everybody and then I’ll be back. I’ll take you, and anyone else who’s hungry, to our kitchen. In the meantime, rest, please?” Celine pointed to another door. “That’s the attached bathroom.”

“Got it, and I will. Again, thank you.”

As Celine left the room, Kayden stared up at the sterile ceiling tiles overhead—which certainly weren’t providing answers or solace—but it allowed him a momentary reprieve from having to decide anything immediately.

Outside his room, life at Ward’s castle moved on steadily, which kind of surprised him. For some reason, he just assumed everything came to a screeching halt during the day while the gargoyles were stone. Which was idiotic.

He knew perfectly well this was a working castle, so obviously somebody had to work it, right? Some of the clan members were other types of paranormals. Plus, Ward had human members here too.

Gradually, Kayden pushed himself up to a standing position, feeling the coolness of the floor beneath his feet. As he steadied himself, relieved that the room remained stable and didn’t spin nauseatingly around him, he began his careful journey to the bathroom.

He reeked of sweat, blood, and magic.

Wincing as he caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Kayden couldn’t help but pause. He was pale and his eyes looked shadowed, haunted almost.

He leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting the dark circles. Someone had tried to clean the blood off him, but the sharp, metallic scent still clung stubbornly to him.

With a grimace, he used the bathroom. After he was done, he turned on the faucet and let the cold water pour over his hands before splashing it onto his face.

The shock of it was refreshing, momentarily clearing some of the fog that had settled in his brain. Cupping his hands, he drank as much as he could. God, that was good.

Kayden patted his face dry with a towel hanging loosely on the rack beside him and then studied himself for another moment in the mirror.

He wanted to take a shower, but since he didn’t want to put the dirty clothes back on, he waited. Instead, he lay back down on the gurney to wait for Celine to return.

He’d just close his eyes for a minute. But the chaos of his memories disrupted any possibility of peace. The deafening echoes of magical energy blasts, the sharp cries of pain from his teammates, and the sulfurous smell of dark spells lingered hauntingly in his mind.

He tried to push those thoughts away, focusing instead on the rhythmic sound of his own breathing and the faint murmurs of activity outside his door.

Sleep, however, remained elusive. His mind relentlessly replayed the events just before the blackout, trying to piece together everything that happened.

The ambush had been sudden and violent. He knew who. Now he needed to know why. The questions gnawed at him, demanding answers he didn’t yet have.

A gentle knock at the door snapped him out of his reverie.

Celine peeked in. “Hey,” she said, stepping inside. “You look better. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been pulled through a keyhole sideways.” Kayden managed a weak smile. “But better than earlier.”

“That’s good to hear. I brought clothes if you want to shower.”

“Oh God, do I. Thanks. Give me, like, fifteen minutes.”

“No rush.”

Kayden showered and changed into borrowed clothes that fit pretty well, then rejoined Celine.

“Ready to join the others for some food? You need to eat something.”

Kayden’s stomach churned at the thought. He really needed to eat, though. He’d used a lot of power earlier.

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