Page 44 of Seduced By Moonlight

“I’ve been looking into anything having to do with their activities, their interests, entities they associate with,” Lance said.

“We also need to figure out what might be similar among us that attracted her attention,” Kayden said.

“Also,” Mika chimed in from the back seat, “we might want to look into any historical conflicts or alliances between any paranormals and the Sisters. There could be old grudges at play here.”

“Good God, where do we even start?” Kayden asked. “It’s not like there’s a database on dark covens or magic users that outlines who hates whom.”

“The dark web,” Lance said. “It’s not all about the humans, if you know where to look.”

“Of course you’d know where to look,” Mika said.

“What can I say? I find technology fascinating.”

Mika sighed but didn’t respond. Kayden wanted to sigh dramatically too, but he didn’t. He also wasn’t going to touch on the fact that his best friend was fucking around on the dark web.

What was that old saying about a cat having nine lives? Because Lance had probably used up a couple of his already due to his antics.

As the truck sped through the night, passing under flickering streetlamps, Kayden tried to figure out not only their next steps, but also why Marianna Crescente had taken an interest in them. He couldn’t figure out a single thing they shared in common, and it was driving him nuts.

Once Lance and Mika dropped Kayden off, he went into his house and double-checked that he had locked everything securely. Call him crazy, but he was quickly becoming paranoid. First Ward acted strange, and now the witch. What the hell was going on?

Before he went to bed, he checked his email and was relieved to see Ward had sent the inspirational pictures for the decor Kayden had requested. He’d look over that first thing tomorrow.

As dawn crept through the curtains, Kayden finally succumbed to sleep.

HE WOKE later that evening, groggy and unrested. The dim light of the setting sun cast long shadows across the room, adding to his disoriented state.

The first thing he did once he was up was review the email from Ward. Oh, he liked the pictures Ward had sent. Many of the things, Kayden would’ve chosen too.

He needed coffee, but his brain was percolating, so he hurried to his office and plopped down at his desk. His handwriting danced across the page as ideas came to him.

This was going to look so good when he got done. He couldn’t wait to phone Ward later that evening and discuss everything with him.

Once he was done jotting down ideas, he brewed some coffee. As the coffee machine worked its magic, he reviewed his notes. Once the machine finished its routine, he used his power to prepare the coffee and had it float behind him while he continued to examine the pictures on his way to his office.

He spent several hours making calls and setting up meetings with potential suppliers for the castle’s construction. As most of his suppliers were paranormals, and some were vampires, working on a Sunday or at night wasn’t a problem, thankfully. It hadn’t always been that way.

Kayden went back to the kitchen, prepared breakfast, and ate it. With night having completely descended, it was now time to call Ward.

Going back to his office, he sat and dialed Ward’s number, eager to discuss the collection of inspirational pictures. As he waited for the call to connect, he anticipated their conversation.

He was actually looking forward to hearing Ward’s thoughts. There was an undercurrent of excitement, a curiosity about what unique angles or clever observations Ward might bring to the table.

And yes, Kayden was looking forward to hearing Ward’s voice too. Sue him. It was damn hot.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN –WARD

WARD HAD just wrapped up his breakfast and was on his way back to his office when his cell phone buzzed.

A thrill of delight surged through him, like a wave crashing onto the shore, upon seeing Kayden’s name flash on the caller ID. His heart skipped a beat, and a broad smile spread across his face.

“Hey, Kayden,” Ward greeted. “What’s up?”

“Hey, I just went over the images. Love what you sent. It captures the essence of your castle and fits what I was envisioning perfectly too. I have a few ideas to bounce off you, though.”

“Shoot. I’m all ears,” Ward responded.

Ward listened as Kayden dove right into his thoughts, discussing materials and textures, colors and ambience. He explained how certain elements could enhance each room’s character while keeping the historical integrity intact—something Ward had insisted upon.

---