Page 26 of Seduced by Moonlight (Gargoyles of San DeLain #1)

FURY BURNED through every inch of Ward as he watched Graymore crashed unceremoniously into the dining hall doors, splintering them on impact.

Ward roared again.

The single furious note froze everyone in place. Even Lance’s mouth hung open as he peeked around Tank, his gaze darting between Kayden, Ward, and the doors the elder had disappeared through.

“Do not interfere, my council,” Ward commanded with terrifying calmness. Then he turned to face those still in the dining room. “Anyone else have a problem with whom I’m dating?”

Everybody in the dining room shook their heads.

Ward stalked to where Graymore lay, grabbed him, and tossed him back into the dining area. He wanted everyone in there to see and hear what he had to say.

“You dare to threaten someone under my protection? You’re fortunate Kayden acted before I could,” Ward threatened, stopping next to Graymore.

“My King, please, I beg of you, think of what you do. I am an elder! They are not clan members,” Graymore said as he struggled to get up. “I must insist that we discuss this in private and—”

“Did you not hear what I said? They are under my protection. You will not threaten my mate or his friends! ” Ward shouted.

There were gasps throughout the dining room.

“Mate?” Tank repeated, stunned.

“You cannot mean to bond with him,” Graymore sputtered. His tail whipped behind him as he finally stood.

“I can and I do,” Ward said coldly, towering over the elder.

“You are… confused!” Graymore beseeched. “He has lured you into believing this somehow. Used magic on you, I bet, to make you believe this.”

“Did that throw scramble your marbles?” Lance queried. “Kayden’s telekinesis power isn’t magic based, unlike yours. He can’t make anyone fall in love with him, you overgrown paperweight.”

“Jesus.” Kayden glared at Lance.

“Scrambled your marbles?” Tank asked.

“Work with me here, my dude.”

“Do not speak to me, you… you… shifter! Ward, consider this before you make a grave mistake!”

“Do not presume to know my mind!” Ward’s anger surged again. “You speak as if I do not understand my heart. I know very well what I am doing.”

“I demand that you kick them out!”

Lance growled again, low and menacing. Turning, Ward saw Tank loom protectively in front of Lance while Scarlett stood in front of Mika. He was proud to see his trusted advisors protecting Kayden’s friends. Kayden stood next to Ward, as a mate should.

“The only one in jeopardy of being kicked out is you, Elder.”

Graymore’s face paled. “This is madness.”

Ward heard Kayden’s rapid breathing, and he noticed that his hands also shook. Ward held his hand out to Kayden, who immediately took it.

More composed now, Ward addressed the others in the room. “Understand me right now. Kayden is my mate.”

“He’s making it official,” Lance murmured under his breath.

Scarlett nudged him sharply. “Shh. Primo moment here.”

“We have decided, though, to get to know one another,” Ward announced to everyone assembled. “We will not be bonding immediately. But make no mistake, that does not mean it will not happen.”

Ward stared Graymore down until the elder finally turned away and started to leave.

“Elder Graymore?”

Graymore looked over his shoulder at Ward.

“If you threaten my mate or his friends again, prepare for worse than splintered doors. This is your last warning. Heed me on this.”

Elder Graymore nodded as he hurried away. Joel stared at Ward for a second before following his father.

“Shit. If that’s what you guys do for excitement, I may need a vacation from my vacation,” Lance muttered.

“We need to talk,” Kayden said. “I have questions you need to answer.”

Ward could only imagine after what Kayden had heard.

“Let’s take a walk.” Some fresh air would probably do them both good.

Ward led Kayden out of the suffocating dining room, where every eye had been on them, and into the woods near the castle. The sudden silence away from the tension was almost deafening.

“I may have jumped the gun in announcing you’re my mate,” Ward admitted. He glanced at Kayden, totally expecting to see anger or disbelief.

Instead, Kayden was grinning. “You think?”

Ward stopped abruptly, his wings flexing behind him, a faint shadow against the moonlight. “You are not upset?”

“No. I mean, kind of? It’s not every day someone declares you their mate in front of an entire clan of gargoyles. But we’ve both felt this from the start. Right?”

“You know that I have,” Ward reassured him. “I didn’t plan to announce it like that, though.”

Kayden chuckled softly. “I think everyone figured that much out.”

They continued walking, their hands still intertwined. Ward felt Kayden’s pulse calm under his grip.

“I do apologize for not speaking with you first.”

Kayden stopped short. “About the mate thing?”

“That, among other things.”

“You dropped a nuclear bomb. No wonder that elder had a meltdown.”

“That’s no excuse. Graymore has always been a pain in my ass,” Ward replied. “He’s too traditional for my tastes, but he’s an elder because his son, Joel, is on my counsel. I’m starting to question having both of them so close to me, though.”

“He definitely has some opinions about your ideal mate.” Kayden rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you sure, Ward? About… me? Us? In case you didn’t notice, I can’t give you an heir.”

Ward stepped closer. “It is you I’m certain of above all else. And modern technology has given us a way around the fact that neither of us are female.”

“I’ve never thought about having kids and now suddenly we’re talking about having kids.”

“The elders want me to have an heir. That doesn’t mean I want that.”

“But do you? Can you and I even have a child together? Can we do that?”

“No. Our species are incompatible in that way. Gargoyles can only reproduce with a gargoyle.”

“Right. So that means any child you have won’t have my DNA. Same for if I had a kid.”

“If a surrogate provided us with a child who had your DNA, I would cherish it just as I would a child with my own DNA because any child would be ours. Kayden, is all this just too much?”

Kayden opened his mouth but hesitated. He exhaled slowly. “It’s a lot and fast, but….” He shook his head.

“But?” Ward coaxed gently.

“But it’s not too much,” Kayden said, squeezing Ward’s hand.

Relief washed over Ward like moonlight breaking through the clouds as they walked around the thick woods.

Ward would’ve been perfectly happy to stay out there all night, but, unfortunately, duty called. But at least they’d been out there long enough for everybody to calm down. And yes, Ward had some fires he needed to put out.

“I guess we should be heading back, huh?”

“I was just thinking that,” Ward admitted.

“I imagine you have some things you need to handle, and I need to log in and see what emails and such I have waiting for me too.”

“We have a library in the castle, you know. It’s not used very often. That might be the perfect place to work if you don’t want to go to your room,” Ward said. “Would you like for me to show you where it’s located? Actually, I haven’t had a chance to give you the full tour.”

“That can wait. In fact, that could be our next date. How does that sound?”

“I’d enjoy showing you my home,” Ward said as they walked up the steps and entered the grand hall. “Still, though, do you want me to show you the library?”

“I bet I can find it. Besides, I imagine I need to have a conversation with Mika and Lance first,” Kayden said.

“Ah, yes. Because I blurted out that we’re mates.”

“Got it in one.”

“Why don’t I text you when it’s time for lunch, then?”

“I think that’s exactly what you should do,” Kayden said, then tugged on Ward’s hand. “Come here, you.”

“Where am I coming?”

“Down here.”

Ward snickered as he bent over so Kayden could kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Looking forward to it,” Kayden said. “I think I’m going to check the game room first. I bet that’s where I’ll find them.”

Ward watched Kayden wander down the hall, then sent a text to all of his council. Well, except for Joel. Ward intended to have a word with him separately. Once that was done, he headed toward his office to where his council was told to meet him.

Scarlett clapped him on the back as he walked inside. “Gods above and below, you certainly know how to announce you’ve found a mate.”

Luna grinned from her seat. “And here I thought this century would be boring.”

“You should have seen how Kayden tossed Graymore.” Tank shook his head as he sat down next to Luna at the table. “I was impressed.”

Emmett glanced between them all, looking thoughtful. “Speaking of that elder, you know he won’t let such an insult pass, right?”

“There was no insult. Kayden was protecting someone he considers found family,” Ward said, taking a seat.

Scarlett shrugged. “Why am I not surprised the miserable old stick in the mud tried to butt in?”

“Well, technically, he did more than just try to butt in,” Emmett pointed out.

“I cannot believe he lost his temper to the point where his eyes started turning red,” Scarlett breathed. “The audacity.”

“Which is why I got in front of Lance,” Tank said, clearing his throat.

“You’re damn lucky Kayden tossed Graymore out of there as quickly as he did,” Emmett said. “Gargoyles can be turned to stone also. You took a huge chance.”

“I couldn’t allow him to hurt someone who Ward had offered protection to,” Tank said. “Besides, even if the worst-case scenario had happened, Ward could fix it.”

“That’s not the point,” Luna said.

“I’m glad each of you see Graymore’s actions were a problem,” Ward said.

“Oh, we’re perfectly aware of the things Graymore considers problems,” Luna said. “But in regards to Kayden, there’s a long list of reasons he isn’t happy. Kayden’s not a female, Kayden’s—”

“Not a gargoyle,” Tank finished for her.

“And is that a problem for any of you?”

“Absolutely not,” Tank said.

“Are you kidding me? Why would that ever be a problem?” Emmett asked.

“You know Scarlett and I don’t have a problem with that,” Luna said.

Ward looked at each of them in turn, a whirl of emotions colliding inside him—joy, apprehension, wonder—but most of all, relief that they were taking this so well.

“You know I’m happy for you,” Emmett added quickly. “We all are. But we have to be ready if Graymore stirs up trouble.”

“Do you really think he can stop me from being with my mate?” Ward asked.

“No,” Scarlett replied. “But it is a concern. He’s been even more outspoken than usual about the changes you’ve made, Ward.”

“Like?”

“You know he disagreed with you having me and Luna on your council. Females in any kind of position of power are offensive to him.”

“According to him, females should be running the castle, not defending it. At least, in his mind,” Tank said, then pointed at Scarlett and Luna. “I’ve seen these two fight. I’ll gladly have either one of them at my back.”

“Then you made Rihanna a temporary member,” Emmett added. “He’s been mumbling about the fact that we know nothing about her. She was a hunter, and this Power of Three business.”

“Kind of hard to do a background check on someone from another realm,” Luna said snidely. “And she wasn’t a hunter, for crying out loud.”

“Not to mention letting those witches gain the Power of Thee would be a horrible idea,” Tank snapped. “Rihanna could’ve been used as a fucking weapon against all paranormal society.”

“Exactly. But besides that, she was somebody who needed help. I do not turn my back on people like that,” Ward said.

“Which is why we have humans and non-gargoyles as part of your clan,” Luna said. “But you know some elders didn’t like you accepting the others.”

“It was mainly Graymore, and we’ll be keeping an eye on him,” Tank said.

“I think that would be best. I need to know if he’s getting more aggressive in his beliefs,” Ward said. “I also want to thank you all for accepting Kayden.”

He checked his phone as it buzzed to life in his hand—a text from Joel asking to meet privately. That was interesting. And the timing was perfect.

“All right, everyone,” he said. “I need to speak with Joel alone about this Graymore mess. But thank you for your support. Truly.”

They nodded back.

Luna was the last one out the door and turned back to say, “You know we’re here if you need us. We might be your council, but we’re also your friends.”

“I know. And thank you.”

Once they’d left, he texted Joel and told him to come to his office.