Page 24 of Seduced By Moonlight

“High priestess? Was she as strong as you?” Celine asked.

“No. I haven’t met a witch as strong as me yet.”

Very few paranormals were, Ward was willing to bet. But then how…?

“The four of them probably cast together, thus strengthening the spell to hide their presence from your wards,” Rihanna said. “That’s how they overwhelmed me.”

“That makes sense on both accounts, especially if there was a high priestess involved,” Celine added.

“Also, keep in mind that I may be strong, but evenIcan be overwhelmed if enough people are casting together,” Rihanna said.

“True. Could they have also cast a spell to make me forget about them trespassing?” Ward asked.

“Oh boy,” Celine said, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

Once again Rihanna appeared mesmerized by the action.

“I mean, if they could use a spell to shield themselves from you while on your land, there’s no reason to think they couldn’t also cast a spell to make you temporarily forget about them trespassing as a sort of fail-safe,” Celine said slowly.

“But you would think seeing Rihanna would kind of cancel that out, right?”

“In a way, it eventually did, Ward. Youdidremember,” Celine said. “And her presence probably prompted that remembrance a lot quicker.”

“That’s very worrisome,” Ward growled.

“I’m assuming Celine’s the one who cast the wards here. She’s very strong, but I can strengthen the wards if you’re comfortable with that,” Rihanna offered. “And to help you feel comfortable, why not have Celine go with us? She can see if I’m doing anything untoward. Not that I would, of course.”

“Thank you. We’ll do that as soon as Kayden and his crew leave. They shouldn’t be long since this is nothing more than a preliminary assessment, and I have increased the guards for now too.”

“Sounds good,” Celine said. “Just text me when you’re ready, and we’ll meet you in the grand hallway.”

“I will.” Turning, Ward left the infirmary.

As he strolled through the corridors toward the kitchen his thoughts drifted back to Kayden again. The nonhuman was definitely sexy in a rough, blue-collar sort of way.

But Ward couldn’t label him as just another pretty face. There was a sharp mind under that shaggy brown hair. Brown hair that was streaked by the sun, something Ward had never seen in person.

And there he went again, daydreaming about Kayden.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the intrusive thoughts.Focus,he chided himself silently.Focus on the present dangers, not on daydreams.

As he entered the kitchen, he caught the scent of freshly baked bread and the rich aroma of brewing coffee—comforting yet ordinary breakfast scents. In the corner of the large, well-lit room, his chef, Manny, was instructing a younger apprentice on the finer points of pastry folding.

“Morning, Ward,” Manny called out without turning around.

Ward shook his head. His chef seemed to have eyes in the back of his head when it came to sensing anyone’s presence.

“Morning,” Ward replied automatically, his mind still half on his wards and half on Kayden.

Manny turned for a moment to give him a knowing look. “Well, you look awfully grim for someone who just got up. Coffee? I’ve got a fresh pot ready.”

“That’d be great, thanks.” Ward waited while Manny fixed him a cup.

Closing his eyes, Ward took a deep drink. Gods above and below, that was good stuff. He looked at Manny and grinned. “You are awesome.”

Manny winked at Ward. “So I’ve been told. The breakfast buffet is ready, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Taking his coffee, Ward walked out to the main dining area. The setup was buffet style with cafeteria seating, and he quickly went through the breakfast line.

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