Page 32 of Seduced By Moonlight

Elder Graymore’s lips flattened.

“And as far as Kayden goes, I have welcomed him and his crew into my territory to do the work that is needed. I willnottolerate any actions or words that make them feel unwelcome. They are our guests and should be treated as such. Do I make myselfclear?”

The atmosphere shifted. There was a tension now present among the group gathered before him, but Ward remained firm in his stance—a silent warning to anyone who might have thoughts of causing trouble.

There were quick mumbles of agreement from the gargoyles sitting around them, along with several horrified looks toward Elder Graymore.

“Elder? I didn’t quite catch your response,” Ward said, leaning in closer to hear over the rustle of wings and muttered conversations from the rest of the group.

“Of course, Alpha King. I understand.”

“Good. Then I will assume everything will go smoothly with Kayden and his crew,” Ward said. He spoke calmly, but his eyes flickered with a slight reddish light as he fixed them on Elder Graymore. “Because if anything does go wrong, I willnotbe pleased.”

The elder quickly ducked his head.

Satisfied he’d made his point, Ward took one last bite of his lunch, then wiped his mouth. He’d barely dumped his trash when Celine approached, looking slightly apprehensive.

“Ward, do you have a moment?”

“Of course,” Ward replied. Celine’s voice held an urgency that immediately put him on alert. “What is it?”

“It’s about the wards,” she said. “I set my laptop to monitor the energy levels remotely since they’re so new, and there’s something odd.”

Ward frowned. “Define odd.”

“The energy—it spikes unpredictably in certain areas.” Celine pulled out her laptop. “See here? These spikes aren’t normal fluctuations. They’re too sharp and too frequent.”

Ward studied the graph closely, noting how the lines jagged dramatically at intervals. “Could it be an external breach? Someone trying to test our defenses?”

“That’s one possibility,” Celine agreed. “Or it could indicate that something from inside is trying to manipulate or disrupt the wards.”

The implication hung heavily between them. Perhaps something or someone on his land was trying to escape. He’d known that might be a possibility, given the spell that kept him from realizing his wards had been breached, but already?

“We need to investigate this. Now. Tank? Luna? Emmett? I need you three to come with us.”

“Yes, Sire.”

While they hurriedly finished eating, Ward faced Celine. “Celine? Please find Rihanna and bring her here immediately.”

“Will do,” Celine nodded before exiting promptly.

His castle needed to be an impenetrable fortress now more than ever. A few moments later, Celine returned with Rihanna in tow.

“Celine explained,” Rihanna said.

“Excellent. And ladies, remember, if you feel threatened, do whatever is necessary to defend yourselves—even if it means using magic.” Ward locked eyes with Rihanna.

Rihanna nodded slightly.

He’d requested that she refrain from using her magic until they had a better understanding of its capabilities, but he wouldn’t have her handicapped either. And depending on what they found out there, she might be the best weapon they had.

“Where are we going, Celine?”

“The woods. Right where we strengthened the wards earlier, in fact.”

Ward led the group swiftly down the castle’s ancient corridors, each step reverberating against the stone with a sense of urgency, and then outside toward the woods.

The trees loomed overhead, and an unnatural silence hung over the dense foliage. Ward led the way, Tank right behind him, his large stature almost obscuring the moonlight. Celine and Rihanna walked together, then Luna and Emmett brought up the rear, keeping watch as the group ventured deeper into the forest.

---