Page 15 of Seduced By Moonlight

“This is a schematic of the castle. Here”—Ward pointed at a section of the castle layout on one map—“is where I need your expertise. Weather erosion has affected the west wing, and the recent attack by hunters worsened the damage. We’ve taken measures to protect the interior, but it needs a professional’s touch to fully repair it.”

Good grief, the gargoyle was tall. And massive. Those leather pants were fighting for their life. They were so tight, and holy shit, that was a very inappropriate thought to have on the job, even if it was true.

And it was soooo true.

And if someone could tell him why the gargoyle smelled so damn good, that would be awesome, thanks. Kayden didn’t normally care for perfume, but whatever Ward wore was totally working for Kayden.

Like, was it ever.Down boy.

Kayden got his head back in the game—his other head—and leaned over the indicated area. “We can definitely fix this. I’ll need to examine it—to match the original stonework, for example—but also so I can get a good feel of what needs to be done. Can we do that tonight?”

“Of course,” Ward said. “I also want to install modern amenities for those who stay there. However, they must not disrupt the ancient aesthetics of my home.”

“We can manage that,” Kayden replied thoughtfully as he straightened. “We have people who can integrate modern utilities without compromising historical integrity.”

“Good,” Ward said. “Also, the lighting within many parts of the castle needs modernizing while maintaining aesthetic continuity with its ancient design.”

“I noticed that, and it’s definitely doable also,” Kayden assured him, already mentally cataloguing the equipment and modifications they would need.

“There is one more thing,” Ward added after a moment’s pause.

One more thing?Kayden stiffened.What now?

“This job needs not just skill but also discretion. There are secrets within these walls that must remain undisturbed.”

One of the gargoyles, Kayden thought her name was Luna, nodded in agreement. Neither of the two following them around was very talkative. But then, his crew didn’t have much to say either.

“Understood,” Kayden responded with equal seriousness. “You have my word that my team will handle your home with the utmost respect and confidentiality.”

Ward nodded. “Then follow me.”

Ward led them out of the room and toward the west wing itself. Reaching their destination, the contrast between the ancient beauty of the rest of the castle and this area immediately struck Kayden. Here, the damage from the hunters’ attack and the impact of weather was undeniable.

“Oh man, yes, they really did a number here, didn’t they? Damn, I’m sorry to see history damaged in such a way.”

“I guess we’re lucky. They bombed Kage’s building, and the destruction was much worse.”

“There is that. At least no one died here.” Kayden paused as he looked at the gargoyle who had answered. He thought his name was Emmett. “I hope no one died?”

“No, no one died.”

“Good. The hunters have done enough harm.”

“You’re more right than you know,” Ward said.

There was a wealth of meaning in those words that Kayden had no chance of understanding.

CHAPTER FIVE –WARD

AS WARD’S gaze flicked toward Kayden, a sense of strangeness washed over him. Although a newcomer, he blended in seamlessly. It was almost as if he belonged there.

An inexplicable sensation settled in Ward’s chest, one of curiosity mixed with unease. How could someone appear so at home in a place they’d just arrived? It was truly an odd occurrence that left Ward questioning his own perception of reality.

Kayden was a good-looking male, with sun-kissed brown hair and striking blue-gray eyes. His time in the sun had tanned him, while Ward blended perfectly with the shadows.

He’d never paid a lot of attention to tattoos because it was more effort than it was worth for his kind, but Kayden had the word OVER on the knuckles of one hand and COME across the knuckles of the other hand in a beautiful script. When Kayden rested his hands together, it spelled the wordovercome.

The artist had also shaded the bottom of each word. There was another tattoo on his right hand that said MIND OVER MATTER, again, in beautiful script. That was interesting. Everything about the young nonhuman was interesting.

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