Page 5 of Seduced By Moonlight

Her scanner beeped intermittently as she ran it over the woman’s body. After a moment, Celine looked up, her eyes wide. “Ward, there are latent energies here that are unlike anything I’ve seen before. Ever.”

Ward’s thoughts raced as he paced back and forth, his mind unable to settle.

“Are Lennox and Nox responsible for that?” Ward mumbled, finally coming to a stop in front of Celine. A sense of awe and fear flooded him at the implications.

“Maybe? Who knows with those two. Or maybe they stumbled upon something or someone much older than any of us realize. I don’t know what to make of her.”

Ward ran a hand through his hair. “We must awaken her safely and find out who she truly is.”

“First, I should treat her injuries,” Celine said. “Pain can impair judgment, if you know what I mean, and we do not want this being’s judgment impaired.”

As his healer examined the hunter, Ward stepped back, his gaze lingering on the unconscious figure. She was a puzzle wrapped in an enigma—her scent alone was a tangled web of paranormal entities that should not coexist harmoniously within one being.

Whowasshe?

Yet here she was, breathing and very much alive, despite the myths and rumors suggesting such a combination should be lethal.

Celine glanced up from her examination. “Her physical injuries are not fatal—bruises, cuts, minor concussion—but it’s what I can’t see that worries me. There’s magic in her blood. It’s powerful.”

CHAPTER TWO–WARD

WARD FROWNED. “Can you identify it?”

“Whatever it is, it’s unlike anything I’ve encountered before. And considering who we’re dealing with….”

They both knew the dangers posed by Lennox and Nox. Their experiments were notorious for crossing lines others dared not even approach.

“She’s unconscious at the moment, but with your permission, I’d like to cast a spell to keep her that way. At least until I’ve healed the minor trauma she suffered.”

“Yes, that might be best.”

Celine nodded. “I think it would be okay for you to leave. I’m not worried about her waking unexpectedly, not with the spell I’m using.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s a powerful spell. As weak as her body is, I doubt she can fight it off.”

“Well then, if you’re sure.”

“I am. It’s like being under anesthesia, and I control the gas,” Celine joked. “She’s not waking. Check back in two hours. I should be done and ready to lift the spell.”

“Okay then.”

Leaving the infirmary, Ward made his way to his private study, his footsteps echoing thanks to the castle’s stone walls. Those witches had dared to target a creature who possessed powers beyond what most could comprehend. It was a dangerous game they were playing.

Now that Lennox and Nox were both dead, their powerful organization had fallen into chaos. Fractured and crumbling, it was now being divided up and distributed among the remaining leaders of San DeLain, including himself.

He’d been more interested in property and financial gain—not a hunter who shouldn’t exist. But if someone forcibly mutated her DNA, that made her a victim.

But shewasn’tlike those others. She was something more.

He’d rescued her from a black magic ritual where she was to be sacrificed. Did that make him accountable for her well-being? Did he even want that responsibility? And what about her? Did she want him to take responsibility for her?

Ward’s clan included gargoyles, humans, and other paranormal beings. In that aspect, he was much like the Elder of the Daemons of San DeLain. He offered asylum to pretty much anybody who wanted it as long as they’d swear allegiance to him.

Out of all the individuals Ward had welcomed into his clan, none possessed as much power as him. However, this woman—whatever she may be—might match his strength. Maybe. But he had age and experience on his side.

Additionally, although she was beautiful—even with her bruises and messy appearance—she did not pique his interest in the slightest. His desires lay solely with men. How would she react to someone who only desired males?

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