Chapter 169

Adolph watched Basil leave. Nimue winced.

"I would like a moment to speak with my wife," Adolph said slowly.

Nimue nodded, "I'll go after him."

She left wincing. That had been a fucking disaster if she'd ever seen one. As she exited the room, she followed the trembling confusion, fear, and anger down the hall and around the corner. The thing about magical compatibility between fated matches was that it worked like a homing beacon. She found him in a parlor sitting on the couch with his head in his hand.

He lifted his head and shot to his feet as she entered.

"You-You can't just say things like that!" Basil said, "You can't just accuse her if you-You're a healer! How would you know something like that anyway?"

Nimue watched him, his shoulders heaving as he held himself still.

"I am a healer," she said. "But I am not just a healer. Sit down and calm yourself."

"Look me in the eye and tell me the truth," Basil said, glaring at her. "Tell me you know for sure my mother did it. Tell me what the hell is going on! Werewolves can't use magic!"

A glint of light shot up his shoulder and she sighed. A shimmering shadow leaned out of the window with a teasing smile, dressed in old Wiccan robes. The woman wiggled her eyebrows and vanished as Nimue crossed the room to sit.

"Sit."

He flopped on the couch beside her and leaned forward with his head in his hands.

"As I said, werewolves, in general, don't have the power, but you're not a usual werewolf and neither was your mother."

If she had to guess, the spirit who had leaned into the room had been Crystal or one of her descendants. It was likely that there was a werewolf mage in Basil's mother's lines or even in his father's considering the blessings that were wrapped around Adolph.

"Laying certain kinds of curses takes more energy than others," she eyed him. "Do you remember what I said the first time I healed you?"

Basil grimaced, "You scared me."

She'd told him that there was a thread of death in his aura. He'd gone pale thinking that meant his injury was fatal or wouldn't heal, but it was just a cracked rib. She hadn't had to heal him. He was an alpha werewolf and would heal within a few hours without aid.

"A thread of death only happens a few ways, you had a run-in with death, which I don't think you did. You were reborn, which again, probably not-"

"People can be reborn?" Basil asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes," she said. "It's more common than you would think."

Basil's lips twitched into a wry smile, "At least I'm not crazy."

He leaned back, "And what is the reason for my thread of death?"

"Curses," Nimue said. "Most specifically, death curses or curses powered by deaths."

Basil frowned, "My mother died in childbirth."

"An otherwise healthy young werewolf with the best care the throne of the moon could afford just happened to die during childbirth?"

Basil flinched, "Why would Laurel say that?"

"Because she was called. The white wolf is special as is the black wolf Blessed by the moon, of course."

Basil turned to look at her and held her gaze. His wolf growled. Nimue watched his eyes and the wolf seated in his soul staring at her.

She smirked and reached out, placing a hand on his chest.

Basil shuddered and let out a moan as she drew her hand over the wolf's head and hummed. The wolf growled with contentment. The rush of his pleasure at being acknowledged and petted washed through her riling up her magic. She swallowed the sound that wanted to escape and refused to squirm at the pleasure rushing through her.

It had been a stupid idea, but she couldn't help it. She was out of her depths encountering her fated match and she was too old to bother beating around the bush about it. He could be young and struggling with his issues, but she didn't have to let that affect her.

"You're not subtle," Nimue said wryly. "You've been staring at me and practically drooling for weeks. Though this prince you've chosen is troublesome."

*I know.* *I hate him.* *Worst mistake of my existence.*

Nimue laughed as Basil's eyes widened, "You You can hear him?"

Nimue nodded and pulled back, "Part of that not just a healer thing. What did you do to him?"

Basil stared at her in shock as she tried to keep her heart calm. He turned and winced.

"It's complicated."

Nimue nodded and sat back, "Well, you can tell me about it or we can go back to talking about your mother and father."

He glowered at her, "Are you always like this?"

She grinned, "I'm too old to fawn over you, Basil."

He shuddered, drawing up his shoulders as he let out a shuddering breath. She felt almost guilty using her magic this way, but putting a little magic in his name wasn't playing dirty. It was pretty typical among Wiccans to do it when attempting to seduce a bed partner.

He was her fated and it didn't do anything more than give him a feel for her magic.

She bet it felt like she'd reached into his pants and squeezed.

He was her fated match whether he or she liked it or not. She almost felt bad for him. She had centuries of experience under her belt and he was twenty-something. It would be a while before he could keep up with her, but at least, he was young enough to have the stamina to give it a good go.

*Best start early, I suppose.*

"Please don't" he shook his head, "That was What did you do?"

"Nothing much. You just felt how magically compatible we are."

"Compatible?"

"I'm your mate," she shrugged. "You're my fated match. Not hard to put that together."

Basil sputtered, "You--I'm not We're not!"

Nimue smirked, licking her lips and feeling a bit devious, "Oh? We're not?"

"No!" Basil scowled, "You're--You're not a werewolf!"

She reached for the tie of her hair and tugged it loose from the bun she'd tied it in, shaking it out and pretending not to notice the hunger in his eyes. His wolf stared at her raptly and was probably tormenting Basil to no end.

She liked his wolf. He was rather level-headed. He felt old. Maybe he was the same wolf spirit as Crystal's lover, maybe not.

She hoped not.

"What does that have to do with being your mate?" She twirled a curly lock around her finger and crossed her legs.

Basil's gaze dropped to her legs before jumping back up to her face.

"Everything."

"Does it?" She asked leaning towards him, "Or would it be easier if it did?"

Basil turned bright red as she slid a hand up his chest, "I assure you being with a Wiccan is nothing like being with a werewolf in the best of ways."

Adolph looked at Laurel as she fidgeted. He stood and went to her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it was just" She huffed. "I'm scared, Adolph. I've been trying to keep calm, but I can't and Having Nimue here to say the same thing that I've realized and the goddess said is only making it more real, and I-"

Adolph pressed his lips to hers, stopping her from saying anything more.

When he pulled back, he wiped her tears.

"Not the best way to break the news to Basil or me, but I'm not upset." Adolph smiled at her, "Let's just try and focus on the path forward."

Laurel nodded, "Right. Of course."

"Shall we go search for my son and the hardly-young woman?"

She laughed and nodded. They exited the room as a guard came up to them.

"Your Majesty, there are some documents that we need you to look over"

Laurel smiled and looked up at him, "Go on. I'll find your son. We'll meet back in the parlor."

He nodded, kissed her cheek, and went off with the guard.

She walked down the hall, following her nose in the direction that Nimue went. As she grew closer, she heard Basil's voice.

"Nimue" he gasped. Laurel heard a little laugh as she pushed the slightly open door open and stopped, barely keeping herself from grinning at the scene.

Basil's shirt was open. He was sprawled on the floor with Nimue seated on his hips. His eyes were dazed and his face was flushed. Nimue smirked down at him, looking pleased with herself before looking up at her.

"Luna Laurel, I assume we can return to continue the conversation?"

Basil froze and his eyes grew wide.

Laurel nodded, "You should pull yourself together though."

Basil slapped a hand over his face as Nimue stood gracefully and winked down at Basil.

"We'll see you back in the parlor."

Laurel snickered a bit and didn't say anything as they headed back to their parlor.