Page 50 of Seduced By Moonlight

“I know,” Fenton lamented. “It’d just be nice to have a break.”

“No argument there,” Axel said. “And speaking of witches, these witches who trespassed on your land, what happened to them?”

“I killed three. The other one who transported away? I believe she was the high priestess. I told Kage and Hudson about this. The three of us are checking into it, plus they’re trying to find information and possibly notes on Rihanna and the experimentation done on her.”

“Shit, the last thing we need is for someone to figure out how to mutate such a power into existence,” Axel said.

Raven shook his head. “That’s a horrifying thought. I also find the audacity of the witches troubling. If they’re bold enough to challenge Ward, none of us may be out of reach from their schemes.”

Isadora then stepped back into the conversation. “I propose a collective inquiry into this matter—not just Hudson and Kage. A coalition of sorts to investigate these witches and their networks. We need intelligence sharing if we’re going to counteract whatever’s brewing.”

Her suggestion prompted nods and murmurs of agreement from around the room. Each group offered their expertise and what resources they could.

Now that they’d discussed Rihanna, the atmosphere lightened, and people moved around chitchatting. Isadora opened the bar so drinks could be served.

Ward introduced those of his council who’d never attended a meeting to Austin, Kage’s mate, and Kit, Hudson and Connie’s mate. It was pretty obvious Isabella had taken both of the former humans under her wing.

Ward was also glad to see the women in attendance spoke to Scarlett and Luna. Looking around, he noticed Tank and Lord Mitchell, one of the red dragons, off in a corner, discussing weapons.

Emmett and Felix, one of Raven’s vampires, were talking about goth clothing. Joel was in a conversation with Axel. Ward tensed when he saw Kage and Austin join them, but tempers didn’t flare, so hopefully Joel remembered Ward’s warning.

Hudson, Connie, and Kit drifted over to Ward to ask about the repairs on his castle, and he lost himself in conversation with them.

As the meeting adjourned, Ward was happy with how things had progressed. Everybody now knew about Rihanna’s situation and had welcomed Ward’s gargoyles enthusiastically. He’d actually enjoyed himself, even though it’d been a business meeting.

This time, he took a seat in the back of the SUV, having occupied the front seat on the trip there. Scarlett and Tank conversed quietly as they made their way back to Ward’s territory.

The city lights blurred past them, casting shifting patterns of illumination inside the vehicle. Ward stared out of the window, his thoughts meandering through the evening’s events as he felt the steady hum of the SUV cruising down the interstate.

Suddenly, Scarlett and Tank’s conversation ceased.

“Um, Tank? Does it look like that big truck just crossed the—”

A massive eighteen-wheeler thundered down the highway toward them. The blinding glare of the truck’s headlights pierced through the darkness, flooding the cabin with an intense, stark white light. It seared Ward’s eyes, momentarily overwhelming his senses and leaving him blinking in its harsh brilliance.

“Oh gods, oh gods! It’s coming straight at us!” Scarlett yelled.

“What the fuck is that asshole—” Tank yanked the steering wheel hard to the left, trying to dodge the behemoth that was barreling toward them.

The SUV’s tires squealed in protest against the asphalt, struggling for grip. Shards of glass flew into the air like ice crystals in a blizzard as the massive truck sideswiped them with a sickening screech of metal.

The impact rocked their vehicle, throwing everyone against their seat belts with brutal force. Scarlett let out a sharp cry as her body lurched forward, only to be caught harshly by the restraint.

Ward squinted out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of their assailant as it rumbled past.

His eyes locked on to the silhouette of a figure slouched in the driver’s seat—a human with an expressionless face, their eyes vacant and devoid of emotion, staring back at him with eerie detachment.

Ward immediately started whispering a spell to keep them from tipping over as Tank fought valiantly with the steering wheel, but a hit from the truck’s trailer sent Ward’s head slamming into the passenger window, interrupting him.

Pain exploded in his head as the SUV lurched precariously onto two tires.

A heart-stopping moment passed where everything moved in slow motion—the glaring lights, flying sparks from scraping metal, and shards of more broken glass glittering around them like deadly stars in a twisted galaxy.

Tank started muttering a spell too, but the SUV tipped over with an ear-splitting crash that echoed endlessly into the night air, adding to the chaos.

Airbags exploded, interrupting Tank’s spell. Scarlett grunted as her airbag slammed into her, and Ward knew it was too late for spells.

Shift!” Ward roared as they tumbled end over end across lanes, each brutal roll delivering new shocks and sounds—steel crunched, glass shattered—and the impact scattered personal belongings wildly.

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