Page 65 of Seduced By Moonlight

“Matt’s vehicle also got hit. He’s spinning out and—”

Kayden was practically standing on the brakes trying to stop, but the trees were simply too close. His truck hit the tree and the airbag exploded, drowning out Mika’s words. Pain exploded in Kayden’s head.

Through the haze of ringing ears and blurry vision, Kayden struggled to regain his senses. The acrid stench of burned rubber and leaking fuel quickly infiltrated the cab of his mangled truck.

Gasping for breath, he wrestled with the seat belt that constrained him, finally snapping it free with a hard yank. Every movement sent waves of pain coursing through his body.

Outside, shouts and the crackle of flames punctuated the night, drawing his attention to the dangers that weren’t over yet. He crawled out through the broken driver’s window and dropped to the ground.

The scene that unfolded before him was one of utter chaos. Matt’s vehicle had indeed spun out and now lay overturned a few yards away, its underside exposed.

The rest of the vehicles belonging to his crew had stopped and now were parked behind the shimmering ward. The air crackled with energy as the witches launched their relentless assault, their spells colliding with the invisible shield.

Kayden staggered to his feet, his body protesting each movement, but survival and protectiveness drove him on. Blood dripped down his face.

Above, the sky loomed with an unnaturally deep darkness, as if an immense, invisible hand had drawn a heavy curtain across it. The oppressive shadow pressed down from the heavens.

Lance was motionless, suspended by his seat belt. Mika was working to free him from it.

A wave of fury surged through Kayden. A fiery tempest ignited within him, consuming every corner of his being with a searing intensity. His heart pounded furiously, and his hands clenched into tight fists, trembling with the raw power of his anger.

Pain, anger, and fear for his friends coalesced into an energy that danced on the surrounding airwaves, making his hair flutter about his head. Reaching out with his power, he ensnared several witches, lifting them effortlessly into the air.

They hung suspended, grasped tightly by their throats. Their feet flailed and kicked helplessly in the emptiness beneath them, their eyes wide with terror as they struggled for breath, their gasps echoing in the charged atmosphere.

Black fire hurtled toward Kayden with a fierce roar, its fiery tendrils licking the air. In a swift, practiced motion, he raised his hand, flicked his wrist with precision, and energy crackled around him as he redirected the scorching projectile, sending it whirling back toward the witch who’d unleashed it.

Someone was screaming, and it was like nails on a chalkboard. Ithurthim. His vision wobbled, the surrounding colors blurring, but he ignored that.

Whoever was doing the yelling, it certainly wasn’t the witches he’d flung into the air, for they were now motionless. Their robes tangled around their still forms, and their awkwardly splayed limbs looked frozen mid-dance. He sent their bodies crashing into the remaining witches with sinister pleasure.

Hurt his friends? Attack him and his crew? He’d show themexactlywhat a teek could do.

A sudden explosion erupted nearby, sending a shockwave through the air, yet he couldn’t discern what had just blown apart. He wished whoever was screaming would fucking stop. And, oh God, his head felt like it was going to explode too. There was a pulsing pressure in his mind.

The world spun around Kayden, the edges blurring into a haze of pain and fury. He stumbled forward, his footing unsure on the uneven ground littered with debris from the wreckage.

Each step was a battle, his body screaming in protest, but the fierce determination to protect his crew fueled him. Using his power once more, he envisioned a massive hand encircling three of the witches casting spells at the gargoyle’s wards.

He increased his power, compressing them forcefully. A grin spread across his face at their screams, their bodies cracking under the pressure. Their painful sounds stopped once he completely crushed them.

Amidst the chaos, he caught sight of Mika, who’d cut Lance free from the seat belt. Lance looked groggy but alive, which fueled a surge of relief and resolve through Kayden’s veins.

Something warm trickled down his temple, but he pushed the distraction aside.

His eyes fixed on Marianna. She had a twisted smile on her face. He stared her down, a silent challenge. Without breaking her gaze, she raised her hand, and lightning crackled at her fingertips. He drew harder on his power, and his headthrobbed.

That wasn’t good. At all. Neither was the fact that he was having trouble seeing Marianna now. His vision was shit.

Just then, an ear-splitting roar cleaved through the night sky.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN –WARD

WARD SENSED the disturbance in the wards like a ripple through still water. The moment the assault registered in his mind, he alerted his council and then soared into the sky.

The air rushed past him, cool and biting, but his focus was unwavering. Deep in his heart, an unshakeable certainty took root—someone had ambushed Kayden and his crew as they left his territory.

In his gargoyle form, Ward descended from the sky.

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