Page 14 of Seduced by Moonlight (Gargoyles of San DeLain #1)

C HAPTER FOURTEEN – KAYDEN

KAYDEN OPENED his eyes. He stretched his arms above his head, feeling the satisfying pull in his muscles, and then tossed the crumpled sheet aside.

Tonight marked the official start of work on Ward’s castle, and anticipation bubbled within him. Yes, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on Ward’s castle—ha, ha—but he also looked forward to seeing the gargoyle himself.

Kayden and his team were prepared to proceed. Ward had examined and approved the samples that Kayden had sent not long after he and Ward had last spoken.

A quick check of his cell showed he had about two hours before his crew would be there. That would give him enough time to shit, shower, and shave.

He’d always believed in maintaining a presentable appearance, even if the job was all about dust and stone—perception mattered in his line of work, especially since he was a teek.

After a quick breakfast, he ducked into his office. As he answered a few emails, he glanced at the sketches spread across his desk. The designs melded ancient aesthetics with contemporary finesse. He couldn’t wait to see Ward’s satisfaction when he finished the project.

Returning to the den, he waved his hand and turned on the TV. A mug of coffee drifted out to him as he caught up on the latest news in the area.

A reporter discussed an accident that had happened on the interstate the previous night involving an SUV and a semitruck. The footage then switched to a black SUV overturned on the side of the interstate, surrounded by flashing emergency lights.

Just as Kayden was about to switch the channel, Ward’s human face abruptly flashed onto the TV screen. Even though Kayden had only seen Ward as a gargoyle, he’d Googled the gargoyle king when Ward had approached Kayden about a job, so he knew what he looked like in that form.

A sudden wave of shock crashed over him, causing his heart to skip a beat. The coffee mug that hovered in mid-air trembled slightly as an icy shiver traced a path down Kayden’s spine.

The sound of the TV reporter’s voice overlapped with the chaotic sirens on the news footage. Kayden was unable to fully comprehend what he just saw, his breath coming in quick gasps.

“W-what the hell?” The fleeting image vanished just as quickly as it appeared, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was Ward.

Ward had a run-in with an eighteen-wheeler? And survived? The quick glance Kayden got wasn’t enough, but at least he knew for sure Ward was alive. He wasn’t sprawled on a stretcher or zipped inside a body bag.

Suddenly Kayden’s breakfast set heavily on his stomach.

Grabbing the coffee out of the air, he took a long sip. He needed to get a grip. Ward had been in an accident. With an eighteen-wheeler. Had he been alone?

Apparently, he was okay. But what had he been doing on the interstate? Had he been going into San DeLain? Or coming back? If he was going into the city, who had he been going to see?

That last thought made him blink. Whatever Ward had been doing, it was none of Kayden’s business. At all. Still, the question circled in his head. As did the need to check that Ward was truly fine. But again, that was none of Kayden’s business. Ward was a client. Nothing more.

If Ward was hurt, someone at the castle surely would have told Kayden. They had humans and other paranormals there during the day. Someone would’ve notified him if they needed to delay construction, right? Only, why would they? He was just the hired help.

“Fuck,” Kayden whispered. That thought really chapped his ass.

Would it be out of line for him to text Ward and ask if he was okay? He could play it off like he didn’t want to waste a trip out there for nothing. Shit. Maybe he just needed to leave things alone.

“And I’m going to drive myself crazy until I actually lay eyes on him.” Kayden pulled his cell out of his pocket. He texted Ward, mentioning he saw the accident on TV and inquiring if Ward felt up to beginning the work that night.

There. Kayden could show he was concerned without overdoing it.

A few minutes later he got a text back from Ward saying they were perfectly fine, yes, please come to the castle, and he appreciated the concern.

“A nice, perfectly appropriate response,” Kayden said, glaring at his cell phone. Then he had to remind himself that Ward had expressed his appreciation without overdoing it, just like Kayden had. So why was he disappointed the text was so emotionless?

“You’re ridiculous,” Kayden chided himself.

Thoroughly annoyed, he got up and went to shower. Once he was done, he stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his shirt and scrutinizing the trim beard that framed his jawline.

Perfect balance between rugged and refined—he smirked at his reflection. He had to say he looked good.

With a final check on his tools and the papers in his leather bag, Kayden’s cell dinged, letting him know his crew was almost there.

He snatched his keys from the hook by the door, the metallic jingle echoing softly in the quiet room. With a swift motion, he slung his worn leather bag over his shoulder, its contents settling with a familiar weight.

He paused for a moment, taking one last glance around the room, his eyes lingering on the shadows cast by the setting sun. Time to put aside the personal drama and focus on the job.

As Lance got in the passenger seat and Mika climbed into the back, Kayden started his truck. He waved to his crew as they pulled out.

The drive was uneventful, and it gave Kayden time to collect his thoughts. As they approached the second gate to the castle, Kayden immediately noticed there was a security detail.

That was new. And the wards acted even clingier than usual. Had they strengthened them since Kayden was there last?

They pulled up beside a massive pile of raw materials—stone, wood, metal—all waiting to be transformed under their skilled hands.

Stepping out of the truck, he saw Tank and waved him down. “Evening. Something going on tonight? Noticed there’s a guard at the gate.”

“Just precautions. Recent events have everyone a bit on edge,” Tank replied gruffly.

Recent events—so the accident?

“Right.” Kayden nodded slowly, then gave up pretending to understand. “Actually, I have no idea what that means, but okay.”

Tank snorted.

Seeing that Tank wasn’t going to explain—wasn’t there an old saying about you couldn’t get blood from stone?—Kayden walked toward where his crew was already unloading their gear.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tank pull his cell phone out of his back pocket.

Kayden moved a large section of stone with a graceful wave of his hand, effortlessly gliding it through the air to a new, closer location. The stones settled into place with a soft thud, perfectly positioned for the task ahead.

Kayden’s crew wasted no time setting up lighting so they could see and getting to work. The worksite buzzed with activity beneath the crescent moon ascending over the old stone towers.

The electric charge in the air wasn’t entirely from paranormal energy or power tools. It felt like anticipation… or trepidation. All he knew for sure was that the vibe there was off.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he dragged it out. The cryptic message that popped up on his screen said to please come to Ward’s office.

Ward wanted to meet? Now? Kayden frowned deeply but texted back a simple affirmative before turning to inform his crew he needed a moment and would be back shortly.

And what do you know? Tank was waiting for him.

Making his way toward Ward’s private quarters involved navigating dimly lit corridors that felt more oppressive tonight than usual. They arrived, and Tank knocked twice before being let inside.

Ward looked none the worse for wear after being in a car wreck. He wore his usual leather pants, and Kayden saw no scratches on him, but that made sense. Paranormals healed incredibly quickly.

“Good evening,” Kayden said.

“Hey.” Ward nodded to Tank, who turned around and left. “Please have a seat.”

Kayden calmly took a seat in front of Ward’s desk. God, he felt like a naughty kid who had been called to the principal’s office, and he did not like that feeling. “Is everything okay? Did you have changes you wanted to make?”

Ward blinked at Kayden, and his wings fluttered slightly as they folded up on his back. “Oh. I apologize. I didn’t ask you to meet me for that. No, everything is perfect. I love what you suggested and don’t want to change a thing.”

Kayden ran a hand through his hair. “Then what’s going on? I feel like I’m about to be scolded, but damned if I can figure out why. We couldn’t have done anything wrong. I mean, we haven’t been here long enough to do something wrong.”

“I’m making a mess of this. Again, I apologize. You and your crew have done nothing. The plans are perfect. I asked you to meet because I wanted to explain what happened last night.”

Kayden perked up. It really was not his business, but he was slowly driving himself insane, wanting to know. “There’s something wrong, isn’t there?”

“I’m afraid so, and since you are in my territory, I should appraise you of the situation.”

Kayden’s interest suddenly went in another direction. “Is my crew in danger?”

“I knew that would be your first worry. You know, you have traits of an alpha.”

“Yeah, no. I’m no leader.”

“Oh? Do you not consider the people who work for you yours?”

Kayden wasn’t getting into his found family and his feelings for them. “I’m very protective of my people, yes. So what’s going on, Ward?”

Ward leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. “While driving home from a meeting in San DeLain last night, an eighteen-wheeler veered across the median on the interstate and attempted to collide with my vehicle head-on. Instead, it ended up sideswiping us. They didn’t target the other SUV with me.”

Kayden recoiled sharply in his chair, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Oh my god, are you serious? Are you okay? You look okay!”

He scanned Ward’s face for any signs of injury, which was dumb, because Ward was a paranormal. Any wound would’ve healed quickly. His mind raced back to the moment he’d glimpsed Ward on the television screen earlier. He’d basically looked fine then too, just pissed.

Ward cringed. “You saw me on—great.”

“I did. But the camera didn’t stay on you long.”

Ward let out a relieved sigh. “Well, I guess that’s a blessing.”

“So, some random big rig tried to run you over?” Kayden asked. Even he could hear the disbelief in his voice. “Is that what you’re telling me? I get the feeling it wasn’t an accident.”

“Yes, someone tried to hit us. But no, I don’t think the driver intentionally did it. In fact, from the quick glimpse I got of him, I don’t think he was aware of what was happening at all.”

“Um, there is a hidden meaning in that, but I’m not getting it,” Kayden admitted as he attempted to unravel the layers of the message.

“I understand. Listen, I have something important to tell you, and once I do, you’ll be able to decide whether you want to stay on this job. You asked if your team is at risk. The answer is, I’m not sure.”

Kayden shifted uneasily, torn between curiosity and apprehension. His grip on the arms of his chair tightened as he sat on the edge of his seat. “I need you to explain that.”

“I know.”

Kayden listened, partly captivated but mostly horrified, as Ward spun a chilling tale of black magic, witches, and a sinister plot involving an attempted ritual sacrifice. He shivered. There was danger, and his crew was in the middle of it.

Ward finished speaking finally.

Kayden stared at him, the words hanging in the air between them. “Let me get this straight. Four witches tried to sacrifice someone in your territory about a week ago.”

“Yes.”

“And the individual those witches attempted to sacrifice was actually a witch who somehow transported herself here from another realm?”

“Yes.”

“And the hunters promptly kidnapped that witch, then did experiments on her. Because of that, she ended up with this Power of Three thingy.”

“Yes.”

“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.”