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It felt too surreal to say that out loud, like Jack had just spoken it into existence. He kept pushing the diagnosis to the back of his mind over and over again, forcing himself not to think about it.
“I wondered why a checkup took five hours,” Mendez said, “but it wasn’t my place to ask. I take it this visit was more than you being homesick?”
Jack nodded. “I don’t have the heart to tell my family, but I wanted to spend time with them. Now McKenna probably hates me with the way I reacted to her happy news.”
Mendez ran his knuckles down Jack’s cheek. “She doesn’t hate you. The entire time we were coming after you she was so worried you’d crash. She was crying, saying she should have handled it better and prayed you’d forgive her.”
Jack dropped his head. Now he felt like the world’s biggest jackass. She was crying about his reaction? So not fair. That just didn’t seem right. “Is she really safe with Taylor?”
“He would rather chew off his own arm than hurt her.”
That was good to know. Jack was glad she’d found someone to love her that deeply, because McKenna deserved it.
“He only shoved her behind him because he smelled my wolf. They’re also going through their honeymoon period, and having any other males around her makes him lethal. He was growling up a storm with me in his truck when we came after you.”
That made Jack chuckle. “You two looked as if you were going to kill each other.”
“We both had our mates with us. That’s not something we play around with. If you let me claim you, I’ll be the same way for about two weeks. After that, I still won’t like men around you, but I won’t be as deadly. You also better stop flirting with females.”
Jack grinned. “Wondered why you looked so pissed that morning in the diner. I thought you were just mad because I didn’t hide my identity.”
“It was for both reasons,” Mendez admitted.
“Wow. I think I need to extend my vacation if you’re going to be pissy for two weeks.” Jack had said it as a joke, but he saw hope flare in Mendez’s eyes. “But I’m not sure about any of this yet.”
He’d just discovered an entirely different world existed, that fate had made him and Mendez soul mates, and shit, wasn’t that enough to make his head swim? Jack still had other problems to deal with, but those two were the most important right now.
“Not that I want you to use it as the only reason, but if we mate, no more cancer.”
Jack’s jaw dropped. “How?”
He felt like he’d been handed a death sentence that morning at the doctor’s office. He’d walked out of the building in a daze, denying it could happen to him, that Dr. Chastine had been mistaken, that he’d read the results wrong or mixed up his chart with someone else’s.
“I told you. Fate made a way for mates to be together, and since my kind outlasts yours by centuries, my saliva has a healing component.”
Jack was blown away, but Mendez was right. He didn’t want to mate with the guy just because he wanted to escape cancer. That wasn’t a good enough reason, and Jack would feel as if he’d used him.
“Exactly how old are you?”
“Two hundred and seventy-five.”
Jack damn near choked on that. He couldn’t wrap his mind around that age. And he would live as long as Mendez did? Fucking wow. He just couldn’t stop using that word, but it was just that. Wow.
“Did the doctor tell you anything else?” Mendez lay back on one elbow. He looked so damn good like that, as if he were on display. If Jack had the energy, he’d jump Mendez’s bones.
Then he remembered Mendez had asked him something. “He talked, but I was so devasted that I didn’t pay attention. I planned on following up with my own doctor when I got home.”
“You’ll do your follow-up,” Mendez said. “I’ll make damn sure of it. That gives you time to consider this, time for you to process this thing between us. But if he says the cancer is too advanced, I’m claiming you, Jack. I won’t hear any arguments. You can hate me for it, but you’ll be alive.”
“But—”
“It’s nonnegotiable, Jack. I won’t out you, either. I don’t mind being your bodyguard and protecting you, but when we’re in private, you’re all mine. Mates are a precious find. It’s a connection so deep it’s unfathomable. I’m not going to lose that chance because you don’t want to use me.”
Jack had no idea what to say. Most would call him a fool for not jumping on this miracle cure right away. Maybe he was. Right now Jack didn’t know what to think, and he really did want time to process this.
“Do you want to go back to your mom’s?”
“Not yet.” Jack looked up at Mendez. “How long do we have this house?”
