Page 94 of Moody as a Minotaur

“But,” Teague continued, “I can also manipulate them.”

“Manipulate them?” And now I was back to wanting to yank Parker away from the mage and hide him away. “How?”

“I can make a chosen bond like a fated bond.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

Parker eyed me with concern. “Levi? What’s going on? What is he talking about?”

Teague held my gaze and nodded. “It’s true.”

I swallowed hard, wishing I’d brought my ale with mefrom the pub. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Seriously, someone has to explain this to me,” Parker bit out.

“Right. Sorry.” Teague cleared his throat. “My magic allows me to perform a ritual where I can modify your expected life span to match Levi’s.”

“Wha… I… Huh?” Parker rubbed his forehead.

“Right now,” Teague stated, “you will live another…” He squinted at Parker, or more accurately, at the air around Parker. “Oh, I don’t know, say forty-five years or so.”

The hair on the back of my neck quivered. Icy strands of fear skated down my spine. “I don’t want to talk about that. I’ve already lived through one mate’s death…”

Parker grabbed my hand and rubbed circles over my wrist, but he was looking at Teague, waiting for him to continue.

“And minotaurs can live forever,” Teague finished.

“Shit. I never thought about that.” Parker went rigid. “And you can change how long I’ll live? How?”

Teague nodded. “The ritual is complicated, and everything comes at a cost.”

If this was real…

“I have money,” I blurted, grabbing at the unexpected and literal lifeline.

“Not that kind of cost, I’m afraid,” Teague said. “I don’t tell many people about my magic, but I’ve been watching your bond grow since I’ve arrived in Willow Lake and…” He glanced at his hands. He’d clenched them so tightly his fingers were purple. “Please don’t tell anyone about what I can do.”

“Never,” Parker said. “You’re offering us something beautiful and amazing. We’d never betray you.”

Teague sucked in a breath and released it slowly as he nodded. “The highest price is usually paid by the couple, but the ritual would drain me too.”

“You’ve done this before?” I asked.

Teague winced. “Yes. I know what I’m doing.”

“I wasn’t questioning your ability. That’s not…” I let my words die. It was obvious the guy didn’t want to talk about his past. That was a sentiment I was all too familiar with.

“You should discuss it and get back to me,” Teague said. He peeled his hands apart and moved to stand.

Parker motioned for him to wait. “Why would you do this for us?”

Teague smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “As I said, I’ve watched your bond grow. It’s beautiful, and it’s within my power to give you a chance at a long life together.”

“What would the cost be? If it’ll endanger Parker in any way…”

“It’s different for each couple,” Teague said. “And ultimately, it’s up to the Eternal Magic what she wants in compensation. Sometimes the life expectancy of one supe is evened out with the other. So, one person ultimately lives a shorter life, and the other a longer one. Sometimes the supe will lose some of their magic. In extreme cases, a shifter may lose their ability to shift. And sometimes, she doesn’t take anything at all. Or it could be something else entirely.”

Parker paled as Teague listed the possible scenarios. He was shaking his head. “It’s too risky. I can’t be the reason you die early or lose your minotaur abilities or anything like that. We can’t do it.”