Page 3 of Seduced By Moonlight

Shocked gasps came from the three other hooded figures.

The one who spoke was powerful. Exceptionally powerful. Could she be a leader of this coven? Ward lunged forward, grabbing hold of the two closest witches, slamming them together. They crashed into one another with such force that they crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

The witch who’d spoken screamed in anger as she threw spell after spell at Ward, but none penetrated his shield. Finally, she turned and ran, using magic to obscure her retreat.

Ward knew these woods like the back of his hand. He could walk through them blindfolded. With a powerful leap propelled by his muscular legs, his wings unfurled, and he caught up with her easily—his powerful hands clamping down on the woman’s shoulders. She hadn’t gotten far.

The witch struggled under Ward’s grip, her cloak tearing slightly as she tried to twist away. “Release me!”

“I don’t think so. What was it you planned to do here?” Ward asked, shaking the witch.

“You have no idea what you’ve stumbled upon,” she sneered. “No idea. You mess with things best left alone.”

“Oddly enough, I could say the same about you.”

“The ley lines cross here! This is the most powerful place, so we had to do it here! Besides, that creature is an abomination. You know that. You interrupt at your own peril!”

“Again, my land, upon which you are trespassing and using black magic,” Ward said as he dragged the witch back to the circle. “You kidnapped that woman. And regardless of whether or not she is a hunter—yes, I can smell her—you planned to do… what? You are the abomination, and I will not allow this.”

Ward looked past the witch to the bound hunter, whose eyes filled with gratitude and renewed hope. He motioned with his head slightly and hoped she understood he’d free her soon.

“Can you not smell her power? She has the Power of Three,” the witch screeched. “There has not been a being with that ability in centuries, and those hunters gave this foul creature such an ancient power through DNA manipulation, and—”

“The hunters are the foul—”

“—we’re going to bleed the power from her and take it for ourselves, and gargoyle king, if you interfere, we will also deal with you.”

Ward chuckled. The sheer nerve of this one. She threatened him when the witches were the ones in danger. Reasoning with such creatures was useless. They only understood one thing—power.

“The only thing you’re going to do is die. Again, you trespass on my land. My land, the very basis of my power.”

“Your interference will not only cause your death, but your clan’s too.”

Anger, bright and swift, rushed through Ward. Threatening him was one thing, but threatening his clan was another. The surrounding darkness glowed red as his eyes flared with an ancient power, a reminder of his lineage and the responsibilities it entailed.

He wasn’t merely a guardian of stone. He was an Alpha King, as powerful as the most powerful sorcerer. “You dare to threaten—”

“Mmmph! MMMPH!” the woman in the circle struggled to yell.

The hair on the back of Ward’s neck tingled, and he looked over his shoulder to see a curse come screaming at him. He spun while still gripping the witch and raise a shield to protect them. The witch who had threatened him chanted a transportation spell and disappeared.

Another witch screamed in dismay.

Had the leader of this coven really abandoned her sisters? Why didn’t the other three transport? Were they not powerful enough? The other two, who Ward had thought were unconscious, joined the last remaining witch.

They unleashed a barrage of spells, one after the other, each one more deadly than the last, but his shield held, pulsing, a vibrant cascade of light that blunted the assault of spells as he rushed them.

He reached out with one massive hand, grabbing at the air, and the magic at his command twisted the space between them, distorting it with a visible ripple.

He dragged one witch through it, flinging her against a tree several feet away with a sickening crack. He didn’t hear a heartbeat. Good. One down, two to go. The other two ran, darting through the woods.

Ward took to the air once more, arrowing straight for the retreating figures, his wings beating powerfully, kicking up a gust that scattered leaves and debris.

He caught the slower of the two, and with a powerful sweep of his claws, decapitated her. Just as he swooped down upon the nearest one, a sturdy branch whipped out, hitting the witch right across her throat.

Her feet flew out from underneath her, and she hit the ground, her head at an awkward angle. There was no heartbeat either.

Silence fell over the grove, broken only by his harsh breaths as he landed. His eyes dimmed as he calmed himself, reining in the anger. His shield dissipated into wisps of light that faded into the darkness. “Thank you, Mother Earth.”

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