Page 16 of Zeven Ways to Kill Your Lover

She’d seen his family turn into wolves when they’d come back to kill her family. That was why she’d always considered them werewolves. If they could control how and when they changed, why had Zeven never turned into a wolf in front of her? Now her curiosity was piqued. She just hoped she could control her fear if he ever did change in front of her.

“Vali couldn’t stand to watch his children suffer so he begged the gods to save them from the curse. They were given a blessing that allowed them to control their form with magic.”

She was going to let that comment about talking with the gods go unquestioned. “So that’s why you don’t change with the full moon. I always wondered.”

“Vali was controlled by the moon phases, but his children were freed from the effects of the curse and mostly only have the benefits of the magic. His curse became our blessing. Now we have long lives, strong bodies and can use magic.”

It did sound more like a blessing than a curse. “Are there any downsides?”

“Not many. Well, sometimes our wolf spirits can be stubborn or difficult to understand.”

“Is it really separate from you?”

“Yes and no. It’s really hard to explain.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe it would be like having a best friend or brother who doesn’t speak the same language. We’ve always been together so even without speaking we can usually understand each other, but it’s not the same as talking to each other with words.”

She nodded. The concept might be something that couldn’t be explained easily but she was very glad he was trying. “How does this all tie into my being a telepath but not really a telepath?”

“Ah, right.” He stroked his fingers over the short hair on the back of her head. “My people live long lives thanks to our magic. A lot longer than humans.”

“Oh…” The idea sank in, and a subtle sad pain tightened in her chest.

“Before you start to worry, just listen to the rest.”

“Okay.”

“When our wolf chooses a mate, or when we do and the wolf accepts her, the magic that we have is shared between us. That includes the magic that slows down our aging.”

Her mind spun with the implications of what he was saying. But how did that make any sense? How could his cursed wolf give her any kind of magic? “The scientific concepts don’t exist to explain this.”

“No, they don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that it is true. I for one am damn glad it is. How unfair would it be to fall in love with you and then be forced to watch you grow old.”

“Your magic will keep me young?”

“Among other things. You’ll be able to use almost all the same magic as me including telepathy and turning into a wolf.”

“Oh…” She simply couldn’t wrap her mind around it. But she was sure that if he wasn’t teasing her, this new reality would drastically alter her life. “I won’t age… For how long?”

His gaze held hers. “Forever.”

Forever…Did loving Zeven really make her immortal? “You know, I’ve been teased a lot lately for looking younger than I should. Do you think your magic has been affecting me all this time?”

“Probably.”

Did that mean that to him and his wolf, she’d been his mate since they’d met. If being mated had changed her, what did it do to him, if anything? “Does this mate thing change you in anyway?”

“Not much. It does make my magic just a little stronger.”

“That’s it?”

He brushed a kiss over her forehead. “It means that neither my wolf nor I have any interest in seeking another mate. For me, there was you and only you, from the first day we met. I’ve never wanted another. I’ve been very lonely without you.”

She felt a twinge of guilt over running away from him. Not that she could have guessed any of what he was telling her now. And he hadn’t told her anything at all when they’d met. She had a lot to think about. It wasn’t as if she could just accept it all. Hell, she couldn’t even figure out if it was all good or not.

“Take your time getting used to what it means.”

“I suppose there is no rush.” She literally had forever to sort it all out. But even if it took her a while, she would have to figure it out fairly soon. It wasn’t as if she could continue her nice normal human life anyhow. Even if the stupid werewolves who were hunting her gave up, she’d eventually be turned into a lab experiment for never aging. That meant her time as a doctor was limited to a decade or two at the most.

His fingers loosened, ass his breath slowed.

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