Page 58 of Seduced By Moonlight

“She escapes and finds her way to a coven of witches in San DeLain, but they end up capturing her too because they desire the superpower she now possesses.”

“That’s it in a nutshell, yes.”

“You said her name was Rihanna, and she pledged to your clan.”

“Yes. She is under my protection now.”

“And because you interfered with the coven’s attempt at sacrificing her, you think they have it out for you.”

“That’s what the head priestess implied. At least, I’m assuming the witch who survived was the head priestess. She transported herself away.”

Kayden leaned back in his chair, his mind racing as he tried to process this astonishing revelation. The world they inhabited was already famous for its peculiarities and hidden depths, a place where mysteries lurked around every corner, but this was beyond anything he had ever imagined. It was utterly wild.

“There are several covens in San DeLain. Do you, by chance, know which one is gunning for you?” Kayden finally asked.

“It’s interesting you bring that up because when I explained the situation to Kage and Hudson, they asked the same question. I don’t know the coven myself, but I described the surviving witch to Kage. He has a magic user in his clan who might be able to identify her.”

“Huh.” Kayden pursed his lips, thinking. “You have some pretty impressive wards here. I’m guessing you also have a magic user? I mean, before Rihanna.”

Ward raised an eyebrow. “Yes. And before you ask, no, she didn’t recognize the description.”

“This is going to seem really, really wild, and is probably nothing more than coincidence, but Lance had a run-in with a witch here recently at Club Nomadic.” Kayden repeated what Lance had told him.

Ward leaned forward. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“Can’t say that I’m a fan, either. Lance, Mika, and I went out the other night to Club Nomadic, and sure as shit, she zeroed in on Lance. Again. She sniffed us like shifters do. She was also powerful.”

“Kayden? Can you describe her? Please?”

“Sure,” Kayden said. “She was a beautiful woman with hair that’s an unnatural shade of deep violet, and her eyes were a molten silver.”

“Shit. That sounds like her.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that. It freaked Lance out. Hell, it freaked out me and Mika when she approached us. He did some digging into her. Her name is Marianna Crescente, the High Priestess of the Sisters of the Crescent Moon.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN –WARD

“THANK YOU.” Ward picked up a notepad from his desk and jotted down the name. “That helps a lot. I need to relay this information to Hudson and Kage.”

Kayden massaged his temples. “I have to speak with my team. If someone is targeting you—”

“I understand, really, I do.” Ward leaned back slightly in his chair. “I want you to know I’ll release you from the contract.” He hoped his words conveyed his sincerity and understanding.

“Thanks. Let me get back out there before they get much further into the work, talk to them, and then I’ll let you know something.” Kayden stood.

Ward also climbed to his feet. “I’ll escort you back.”

As soon as Ward walked around his desk, his damn tail tried to latch on to Kayden’s leg, and it wasn’t the first time either. At the last second, it dropped to the floor, but it’d been a near thing. Luckily, Kayden didn’t seem to notice. Ward had no idea how he’d explain why his tail wanted to touch Kayden.

The moment they exited Ward’s office, Tank fell in step with them. Kayden remained silent, merely casting Tank an odd glance. The silence continued as they escorted Kayden back to his crew’s worksite.

Upon their arrival, Kayden brought his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp, ear-piercing whistle. Instantly, Kayden’s crew halted their work. “Meeting in five.”

“Come on, Tank, let’s excuse ourselves,” Ward said.

“So? Did you tell him everything?” Tank asked once they’d moved a respectful distance away.

Ward nodded as he watched Kayden’s crew gather around their boss.

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