Page 5 of Seduced by Moonlight (Gargoyles of San DeLain #1)

AS WARD’S gaze flicked toward Kayden, a sense of strangeness washed over him. Although a newcomer, he blended in seamlessly. It was almost as if he belonged there.

An inexplicable sensation settled in Ward’s chest, one of curiosity mixed with unease. How could someone appear so at home in a place they’d just arrived? It was truly an odd occurrence that left Ward questioning his own perception of reality.

Kayden was a good-looking male, with sun-kissed brown hair and striking blue-gray eyes. His time in the sun had tanned him, while Ward blended perfectly with the shadows.

He’d never paid a lot of attention to tattoos because it was more effort than it was worth for his kind, but Kayden had the word OVER on the knuckles of one hand and COME across the knuckles of the other hand in a beautiful script. When Kayden rested his hands together, it spelled the word overcome.

The artist had also shaded the bottom of each word. There was another tattoo on his right hand that said MIND OVER MATTER, again, in beautiful script. That was interesting. Everything about the young nonhuman was interesting.

“So? When can work begin on my castle?” Ward asked, glancing at the chaos surrounding them.

Kayden pulled out a small notebook from his back pocket, flipping through the pages filled with scribbled notes and schedules. “ We can start preliminary assessments tomorrow, which will be the structural integrity tests. From there, we’ll work outward to the less critical cosmetic repairs.”

Ward nodded, pleased with the prompt timeline. “Excellent. How long do you anticipate the entire project will take?”

Eagerness to see the end result bubbled within him. He wouldn’t get in Kayden’s way, but this was important to Ward. He needed to make sure all went well. It just so happened that a side benefit of that was actually getting to see Kayden. Which was weird. Why did he care?

Kayden scanned the damaged corridor, taking note of the destruction. “Before I can give you an estimate on that, I’d also like to check out the exterior.”

“Of course. Follow me, please.” Ward quickly led them outside and into the vast gardens around the castle.

He led them through a maze of hedgerows and blooming flower beds. The moon broke from the clouds, illuminating their way, along with the pathway lighting. Finally, they reached the area that needed work.

Ward’s sharp gaze followed Kayden and his crew as they scoured the area with the same intensity they had applied to their inspection of the interior. He didn’t stare at Kayden’s ass too much.

The team carefully scrutinized every inch of the stone exterior and meticulously observed every detail. They moved like a well-oiled machine. Their efficiency and determination impressed him. His gaze flicked back to his castle. He’d made the right choice in hiring Kayden.

Kayden came back to stand in front of Ward. “As I said, I can have my team here by tomorrow evening.”

Ward nodded, his tail whipping behind him. Then it reached for Kayden but dropped to the ground at the last second.

Kayden stared at it before glancing back at Ward. “Um, as for your request about modernizing without losing the essence of the place, I’ll bring in some samples and mock-ups next week. We can go over them together to make sure everything is to your liking before the final installation. Now, the timeline.”

“Yes? How long?”

“That depends on you, I guess. A full restoration? Considering the extent of damage and your requirements for modernization, I’d estimate around eight months.”

Luna grimaced and shot Ward a look.

Ward sighed, his tail dropping behind him. Eight months? Some of his eagerness faded. That was a long time to have strangers in his territory, disrupting the peace and harmony he’d worked so hard to establish.

The thought made his stomach churn, and his wings moved restlessly behind him. He could already imagine the endless noise that would fill the once serene landscape. Eight long months of constant disruptions and inconveniences? Of having strangers underfoot?

It was enough to make Ward want to cancel the entire thing, but he knew he had no choice but to do it. At least he would get to see Kayden. Although why he considered that a benefit was beyond him.

What was it about the male?

“However, I could shorten that time if necessary. That’ll mean a significant increase in your costs, though. But—”

“That won’t be an issue,” Ward quickly assured him.

“But that means I’ll have two crews working night and day,” Kayden continued. “As I understand it, gargoyles are stone during the day?”

Ward shifted uncomfortably. Days too? Strangers here while he and some of his clan rested? While they were stone and at their most vulnerable? The thought alone was enough to make him clench his jaw.

Emmett huffed.

“And by everyone’s reaction, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that makes all of you uncomfortable. Which I completely understand, but it’s the only way I can wrap this up quicker,” Kayden said.

“That’s not an option, I’m afraid.” Neither Ward nor his clan would feel safe.

“As I said, I understand. So eight months it is, barring any unforeseen complications. It’s important you and your people are comfortable with me and my crew here, for both our sakes.”

Ward caught the underlying meaning in that sentence. Last thing he needed was for someone on the construction crew to get hurt while in his territory. “I agree.”

“Good. Tomorrow is Friday. We’ll meet here after sunset to do the preliminary assessments, then. Is that okay?”

“Yes, tomorrow after sunset would be fine,” Ward said.

“Perfect. Then we’ll meet next week, again, after sunset, of course. I need you to send me pictures of the type of aesthetics you like. I know you want to keep it realistic, but I want to see what your tastes run to. I’ll have blueprints drawn up and some samples and mock-ups by the time we meet again.”

“I can do that.”

Kayden fished out his business card and handed it to Ward. “My work number and email are on there, along with my personal phone number. Try to send me those inspiration pictures this weekend, please.”

Ward took the card and slipped it into his front pocket. Turning, he motioned for Kayden and his crew to follow him back toward the castle entrance. “I will.”

“The sooner you get those to me, the sooner I can get to work,” Kayden said as he walked beside Ward. “After the initial consult, I’m going to need a day or two for my crew to switch over from days to nights too.”

“Of course,” Ward said as they returned where everyone was parked.

“And I would also like to reassure you that we’ll be meticulous in our work and that we’ll go to extreme lengths to protect the rich history I’ve seen here.”

Ward was pleased with that assurance. “I’d like you to know there was another reason that I chose you for this job.”

“Oh?”

“You come highly recommended not just for your craftsmanship but for your ability to see beyond what is there—to understand what could be there. It is said you have vision.”

Kayden grinned. “Why thank you. I appreciate that. Your home is breathtaking. I’ve never had the privilege of seeing a real, honest-to-goodness working castle, but I promise you, by the time I’m done? You won’t even know that we’ve been here, but everything will be in working order.”

“That’s perfect,” Ward said. “I’ll send you those pictures by Saturday. I trust that’ll give you enough time?”

“Absolutely,” Kayden responded. “You know, most of my projects haven’t been nearly this exhilarating. There’s usually a straightforwardness to them—restore this, fix that—but here, I feel like I’m becoming part of a story.”

Ward chuckled lightly even as he wondered if Kayden felt a sense of welcome there. “Every stone in this place could tell you a story. Perhaps one night during our project, if you’re interested, I could share some of those stories with you.”

“I’d like that,” said Kayden. “Until tomorrow, then, after sunset?”

“Until tomorrow,” Ward agreed, extending his hand.

Kayden’s hand was warm in Ward’s grip, and he was so very tempted to run his finger over one of the letters on Kayden’s knuckles, but he didn’t want to make things weird.

Well, he was already acting weird. Maybe he should say he didn’t want to make things weirder. And what was with the static electricity? It shocked him that first time when they touched.

As Kayden and his crew left, the moon dipped behind a cloud, casting elongated shadows that danced across the castle’s ancient stone walls. Ward watched them go, a mixture of anticipation and dread churning within him. The restoration was necessary—vital even—but the coming disruptions gnawed at him.

Once the sounds of the departing vehicles faded into silence, he walked back inside. Both Emmett and Luna looked at him, but he shook his head. He needed a minute to think about what all he’d learned.

They both headed for the kitchen as he made his way to his private chambers, then stepped onto the balcony, letting the night breeze ruffle his hair. In the distance, he heard the caws of ravens.

Pulling out Kayden’s card from his pocket, Ward turned it over, contemplating the modern world pressing in on all sides of his ancient refuge.

With a deep breath, he accepted the necessity of change, and he knew that creatures with such long lives did not always welcome it. But change, unwelcome or not, was inevitable. It had to be.

Ward gazed over the sprawling grounds that had been his and his kind’s sanctuary for centuries. The moon emerged from behind its veiled curtain of clouds, bathing the land in a ghostly silver light. He could hear the distant calls of the nocturnal creatures that roamed his lands freely.

He sighed and rested his elbows on the cold stone of the balcony railing. A flapping sound caught his attention. A few seconds later, Tank landed next to Ward, folding his wings behind him. Tank’s real name was Dean, but everyone called him by his nickname.

“Everything okay?”

“Everything is fine—just the weight of being king,” Ward joked. He should’ve known Tank would check on him.

Tank turned to stare out at the landscape too. “And they say it’s good to be king.”

“Yes, well, ‘they’ have no idea what they’re talking about,” Ward replied, managing a small smile.

Tank turned toward Ward. “You know, change is often heavy before it becomes liberating.”

“If you start quoting proverbs at me, I’m going to toss you off my balcony.”

Tank snickered. “I’d like to see you try.”

“You might be bigger than me, but I’m stronger. There would be no trying.” Ward wasn’t bragging. Tank earned that nickname for a reason, but Ward was king for a reason too.

“I see someone woke up and chose violence this morning.”

“Why are you here again?” Ward asked, only half kidding.

“You looked like you needed to unload, so here I am. Unload away, My King.”

Ward wanted to make a joke, but Tank was right. He did have things on his mind. “I suppose I’m worried about maintaining our privacy with so many outsiders coming and going.”

“Especially since we have that new… person.”

“Yes, that too.” Speaking of which, Ward needed to talk with her shortly. Just one more thing on his to-do list.

“But Mr. Lancaster seems reliable enough, aware but discreet,” Tank said.

“That he does.” Ward paused, watching a bat flit across the moonlit sky. “I have a feeling change is in the air.”

“And I know how much you hate change,” Tank agreed softly. “But remember, growth requires change. And without growth, we become stagnant. And if we become stagnant, time will leave us behind. Honestly, Ward? Sometimes I feel like we are teetering on the brink of being left behind.”

“I know. And I’m trying to involve us as a clan more in San DeLain issues. I provided clan members every time the leaders of San DeLain attacked the hunters,” Ward pointed out.

“But that’s the only time we really have anything to do with other paranormals. That needs to change, Ward.”

“I know,” Ward said. He needed to get in step with change or get walked over. He understood what he needed to do, but even so, sometimes change was painful.

The night air cooled his thoughts as much as it did his body. Tomorrow’s meeting with Kayden would mark not just a restoration of stone and mortar, but potentially the start of something transformative for everyone involved.

“Gather the clan, please. Or as many as possible. I need to introduce them to Rihanna and explain her situation.”

“Give me about forty-five minutes. Where are we doing this?”

“The grand ballroom should be big enough,” Ward said.

“Got it.”

As they descended back to the lower levels of the castle, Ward made his way to where Rihanna was temporarily staying.

Rihanna was sitting at a small table, a book open in front of her, but she stared out the open window. Her clothing was different, so Celine must have let her borrow something.

Rhianna looked up, her expression unreadable. “Hello.”

“Good evening. How are you?” Ward asked, resting against the doorframe.

“I’m fine, thank you. Celine was kind enough to show me to the shower, give me new clothes, feed me, and offer a place to sleep.”

Celine joined them. “Hey, Ward.”

“Hello, Celine. How are you?”

“I’m fine. I just received the results of her bloodwork, and we’ve already discussed it. She gave me permission to share with you as well. Overall, everything looks good, but there are some indications of malnutrition, which is not unexpected given the circumstances,” Celine explained.

“I appreciate you sharing that with me,” Ward acknowledged to Rihanna.

They made small talk, Ward asking about her previous life. Rihanna answered everything he asked, he was happy to see. He also answered questions she had about his clan and this world.

Finally, he checked his cell phone. “Are you prepared, Rihanna? It’s time.”

“I am.”

Ward led her and Celine to the ballroom, where Clan Tywyll and its elders had gathered. He stood at the front of the room with Rihanna by his side.

Celine faded into the crowd of people. Not all clan members were there—it was too short notice—but it was a good gathering, nevertheless. Along with the gargoyles and other paranormals, there were humans also mixed in.

For generations, specific families had faithfully served him and his kind. These families were highly valued and respected. Along with them, there were other humans who had found their way to him because they needed assistance or didn’t fit in with society.

Tank jokingly called them strays, but he wasn’t wrong. There were also a few magic users outside of Celine, but she was definitely the strongest. Well, she had been until Rihanna’s arrival.

“Clan Tywyll,” Ward began, his voice echoing in the ballroom. “Tonight we welcome a new member into our fold—under unusual circumstances, yes, but with hope for mutual protection and benefit.”

An electric current crackled in the air, filling the room with an indescribable tension as every gaze turned toward the newcomer.

Turning back to Rihanna, Ward continued, “Rihanna Norwood has sworn an oath not to harm our members or property and seeks refuge and understanding among us. I have accepted her oath. The vows were solidified into a bond. Now she offers the same to you.”

Facing the crowd squarely, Rihanna spoke clearly so all could hear. “I swear by my true name, Rihanna Norwood, that I am here in peace and seek only sanctuary and knowledge among Clan Tywyll. I will do no harm, by my bond, unless I am harmed.”

An approving murmur from the gathered crowd met her words as Ward nodded solemnly.

After a moment’s pause, Ward spoke again. “Let it be known, Rihanna Norwood is under our protection, as she is one with us now, bound by her oath sworn freely this night.”

Energy hummed and shimmered in the air as the oath solidified, then disappeared.

“I have given Rihanna the option of sharing her story, and she has agreed. It’s quite a story, and although I cannot verify parts of it, I can attest to the validity of what happened once I found her in the woods,” Ward said.

Celine left the crowd and stepped next to Rihanna, showing her support. Taking a deep breath, Rihanna spoke about her experience and the world from which she’d been torn.

Ward saw how his clan reacted to her horrifying story. And he saw how the elders glared at him. Their looks were not just steeped in skepticism, but also in concern.

The implications of Rihanna’s story were terrifying. It hinted at broader conflicts brewing. She had the Power of Three, something no one else had in recent memory.

Many had thought it was nothing more than a tall tale—Ward glanced at Rihanna—except there the proof stood.

Ward raised a hand to silence the murmurs that had started throughout the room. “I know this is a lot,” he acknowledged, meeting the gazes of the elders one by one.

They stared back at him.

“But remember, our creed is to offer sanctuary to those in dire need, and I would say that her need is very dire.”