Page 49 of Seduced By Moonlight

“I can’t imagine suddenly being dragged away from my court, my mates. They are my world,” Hudson said, taking first Connie’s hand, then Kit’s.

Ward’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t thought of that, much less had asked. What kind of leader was he? He’d been so concerned about her power and physical state, he hadn’t thought of her mental state.

But she hadn’t said anything about leaving someone behind, and he had definitely picked up a vibe between her and Celine. If she were mourning someone, hopefully she wouldn’t use Celine to help her forget.

“Neither can I,” Kage admitted, staring at Austin.

“Exactly. So, please, I ask that we don’t forget that,” Ward said. “And also don’t forget the hunters kidnapped her. And then, when she escaped them and stumbled across that coven, she thought she’d found help. Only she hadn’t. They tried to sacrifice her.”

“How strong are her abilities?” Fenton asked.

“I don’t know,” Ward admitted. “We haven’t tested them yet. I also don’t know if she has the inherited weaknesses of each paranormal.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Raven asked.

“This happened less than a week ago. I asked her not to use her powers without supervision. I haven’t had a chance to oversee that. Also, I should point out that she was suffering from malnutrition,” Ward said. “She’s been sleeping a lot.”

“Not trying to tell you your business, but we really need to know what she’s able to do,” Hudson said.

“I agree,” Ward said. “I’m also not going to push her before she’s ready. But I do plan to ask her soon. In the next night or two. As I said, I don’t know if she has any weaknesses either. Does she need blood? Can she shift? Can she breathe underwater? Not that I consider that a weakness, but will she need to visit the ocean if she can? I simply do not know.”

“Dear Neptune, if she can do all that we can….” Fenton shuddered. “Plus, she’s a witch.”

“A very powerful witch,” Ward added.

“That’s… scary,” Axel said slowly. “She could definitely be a threat.”

“She most definitely could be a threat,” Raven said.

“Or she could be an ally,” Ward said. “Which I would remind everybody here of that. She could be a formidable ally, which, frankly, we could use such.”

“In other words, what Ward is saying is to think long and hard about making this woman an enemy,” Isabella said from the bar. “And I agree with him.”

“So she pledged to your clan?” Hudson asked. “Isn’t that what you told me?”

“Yes. And I made it clear she was welcome to stay permanently or go elsewhere,” Ward said. “If she wants to leave, I will willingly let her.”

“Is there any possibility she could go back to her own realm?” Fenton asked.

“I haven’t the foggiest idea if that’s even possible or if there is anyone strong enough to do that, to be honest with you. I seriously doubt the covens in San DeLain would help,” Ward admitted. “And I doubt she’d trust them.”

“Can’t say that I blame her,” Kage said. “We all know that anyone who falls into the category of a magic user—archmage, mage, magus, magic-user, spellcaster, enchanter, enchantress, sorcerer, sorceress, warlock, witch, or wizard—and isn’t corrupt, usually avoids the covens here in San DeLain.”

“Here’s the million-dollar question—do you trust her?” Fenton asked.

“I felt the bond click into place when she pledged to me. She isn’t inherently evil. So, yes, I trust her. Keep in mind I haven’t had the chance to truly get to know her, but her spirit is pure. I felt that,” Ward said.

“Good enough for me,” Hudson said.

“Same,” Kage said.

“Well, if the three most powerful paranormals in San DeLain are not worried, I’m not worried,” Raven said. “Axel? Fenton?”

Axel shrugged. “I’m not worried either then. Which is good, considering there are still hunters in San DeLain. And now, it sounds like we need to keep a closer eye on the covens too.”

“I agree with Axel.” Fenton rolled his neck, the popping sound loud in the restaurant. “It’s never ending, isn’t it? We get rid of Lennox and Nox and now there’s a new threat on the horizon.”

“Are you referring to the witches?” Raven asked. “Because if you are, I would like to remind you they’ve always been a problem.”

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