Rayce is wrong—there’s nothing fortunate about this. The bloodlust is unspeakable. The words Cade had spoken echoed in his head. What would happen if Cade couldn’t accept him as his mate, despite his assurances? He’d said his grandmother’s body had betrayed her. She and his grandfather co-existed through the long, lonely years. Was that all Jax had to look forward to? Being Cade’s burden, a heavy weight around his neck, dragging him down? Had Jax indeed jumped out of the frying pan and landed squarely in the fire?

Chapter Four

“So when is your cousin supposed to get here?” Gabe asked, looking out the window of the Zack’s office and down the driveway.

Zack looked up from his desk and smiled at his mate. “Soon, I think. I talked to Connor last evening, and they stopped in Atlanta to spend the night before driving up here. He said they should be here by lunchtime.”

Gabe smirked. “Leave it to a wolf to measure time by his stomach. How many are there? Should I tell them down in the kitchen?”

“I already handled it,” Zack said absently, his gaze dropping back down to his paperwork. Gabe had gotten into the habit of coming to his office while he worked in the mornings to drink his coffee and work on his computer. He was taking correspondence courses from the university, and was almost finished with his latest course in Economics. It was in his core curriculum, a required course, and he hated the damn thing. He usually took any opportunity to distract himself.

“Is he nice-looking?” he asked. Zack glanced back up, frowning.

“Who? Mycousin?”

“No, the Pope. Of course, your cousin—that’s who we were talking about, wasn’t it?”

“I guess he is. I don’t know—and why are you so interested? You don’t need to worry about what other men look like.”

Gabe laughed, swinging his chair around to gaze over at his mate flirtatiously. “Are you already jealous? Damn, he must be good-looking.”

“Yeah, well, don’t get your hopes up. My cousin Cade has a mate already. A soif de sang, at that. Good looks dorun in the family,” he said with a grin, “and he has a brother, but Connor’s still young enough to embarrass easily, so leave him alone. He wouldn’t know how to handle somebody like you.”

“What did you mean by that soft thing?”

“Soif de sang. It means bloodlust. It’s like a blood match, only even stronger. Very rare— actually, I thought it was just a myth. Our grandparents were supposed to have had one, but I always thought it was just family lore.”

“Stronger than the blood match?” Gabe shivered. “Damn, that would suck.”

Zack frowned again, sitting back in his chair. “What do you mean?”

Gabe smiled and moved over to prop his hip on Zack’s desk. “Baby, you know how much trouble I had with it. If it’s even more intense, God help his poor mate.”

Zack ran a hand down Gabe’s leg. “Yes, you’re so abused.”

Gabe smiled. “What is this bloodlust thing anyway? You never mentioned it before.”

“Supposedly it’s a bond that’s absolutely unbreakable, and compels the mated couple to be together. The two feed from each other, and the wolf’s mate actually becomes a shape-shifter.”

Gabe raised his eyebrows and Zack nodded. “Pretty incredible, but together they become an alpha pair and rule the pack as a unit.”

“Oh, I’d like that. You mean the wolf can’t boss his mate around,because they’re both alphas? Shit, this I have to see.”

“Apparently, Cade has only just met his mate and is still in the process of forming the bond. It will take time for him to become a shifter. But yes, it should be fascinating to watch as it develops. This kind of thing is really rare.”

“When will you take Cade to look for land?”

“As soon as possible. I know he’s anxious to start building, and the weather will get too bad in a few more months. If we don’t start soon, they won’t be able to build before spring.” Still rubbing Gabe’s leg absently, he gazed out the window next to his desk. “The leaves are already turning a little.”

“Do you think they can find a building spot nearby?”

“I don’t know about around here. Pack lands are more extensive in North Carolina.” He smiled up at Gabe. “How would you fancy a visit with Nicky while Marco and I help Cade find some land?”

Gabe grinned. Nicky, the North Carolina alpha’s mate, was his best friend and partner in crime. Nicky was yin to his yang, and he wished they lived closer. “I’d love it. I haven’t seen him or Rory since Tucker’s mating ceremony.”

“Yes, when the two of you got in that fight, and Marco and I had to separate you.”

“Just a love spat,” he said, chuckling. “Besides, Nicky started it. And I totally won.”

The sound of motorcycles coming down the long dirt road onto the property had both Gabe and Zack turning toward the window. Gabe jumped up in excitement. “Oh my God, they’re on choppers. How fucking cool is that?”

Gabe turned and started out of the room to go downstairs, pulling Zack with him. They went down the big central staircase and out onto the front porch, arriving about the same time the big motorcycle in front of the riders pulled up. There were two people on the bike, and the one in front pulled off his helmet to reveal a handsome man who looked to Gabe to be in his late twenties. Gabe immediately noticed a strong family resemblance to his mate, whom Gabe had long thought to be the handsomest man he’d ever seen.

This man gave them a charming little crooked smile and levered his leg off the bike to step forward and give Zack a big bear hug. They began to speak to each other in rapid French, as Gabe raised one eyebrow. He had no idea Zack spoke French, especially so fluently. The person on the back of the bike hopped off and removed his helmet and Gabe did a double-take. A beautiful young boy stood there, a little travel-stained, with purplish shadows under his blue eyes. His longish blond hair fell over in his face, and he pushed it back impatiently with a slightly feminine gesture. He noticed Gabe’s intent stare and smiled at him, as if not quite sure of his welcome.

Before Gabe could speak to him, the man who must have been Zack’s cousin, Cade, turned to him and held out a hand. Immediately the young boy took it and stepped up beside him, his eyes shining as he gazed up at Cade.

“This is my mate—Jax.”

Both Gabe and Zack looked at them with surprise, but Zack wasthe first to speak. “Your mate?” he asked, his voice sounding a little shocked. “Good Lord, Cade, do his parents know he’s missing?”

* * * *

Jax felt the hot blush stain his cheeks as he ducked his head and moved back a step behind Cade. He didn’t know exactly how Cade would react to what Zack said, and so far, his reactions to most things had not been totally predictable. To his relief, Zack only laughed.

“Jax is nineteen,” he said, but the big man Cade had called Zack looked at him in disbelief. “Bullshit,” he murmured, just barely loud enough for Jax to hear.

Cade huffed out a laugh. “I know—he looks much younger, but I checked his ID. Don’t worry. The police won’t be showing up at your door.”

“Thank Christ,” he muttered. Stepping forward, Zack held out a hand to Jax. He didn’t shake Jax’s hand, just held it warmly between his. “It’s very nice to meet you, Jax.” He turned to an exotically handsome young man standing next to him. “This is my mate, Gabe. Close your mouth, darling.”

Gabe shot his mate a dirty look and came toward him, pulling Jax in for a hug. He smelled as good as he looked, a faint scent of leather and expensive cologne.

The older boy instantly fascinated Jax. He looked to be in his early twenties, with black hair and blue eyes fringed with impossibly long lashes. Eyeliner rimmed his eyes, and one gold ring adorned his left ear. It matched a heavy gold collar-style necklace around his throat. He wore a green T-shirt with a logo in red letters across the front that read One Man Wolf Pack, with a picture of a cartoon wolf wearing sunglasses. Other than the fact he didn’t have any visible tattoos, he reminded Jax of a British rocker, with his heavy black combat boots and tight, ripped jeans. He was everything Jax aspired to be. Jax totally expected him to have a Brit accent, but when he spoke, his voice instead had a twang that Jax immediately recognized. “It’s nice to meet you, Jax.”

“You’re from Alabama,” Jax said. He thumped his chest lightly. “Me too. From Piedmont.” The handsome young man widened his eyes in surprise. “No shit. I’m from Centre,” he said, naming a town only about twenty miles north of Jax’s home town.

They grinned at each other and Gabe shook his head, slinging an arm around the younger boy’s shoulders. “And just mated to a wolf. Honey, you’ve come to the right man to clue you in.”

Zack pulled on his arm. “Don’t start,” he said in a low voice, and Gabe let go of Jax with a laugh. Right away, Jax felt better about this new place Cade had brought them to. He glanced around to see the others had all gotten off their bikes, and Mason was still standing next to Connor. They’d seemed to become close in the past couple of days. Jax held out a hand to him and he came willingly.

“This is my little brother, Mason,” Jax said, looking mostly at Gabe, because he was much less intimidating than the big man standing next to him.

“Cool,” Gabe said. “Nice to meet you, Mason.” He looked around the crowded porch and grinned. “You guys must be hungry. Come on in and have some lunch.”

Everyone followed the two hosts into the big house, and Jax looked around, impressed with the huge room. It reminded Jax of a hotel lobby, in a way, with sofas and chairs in small seating clusters, and a huge rock fireplace along one wall, the rocks stretching up all the way to the top of the vaulted ceiling. Jax and Gabe led the way to another large room off this one, set up with tables and chairs and a buffet table under the picture windows loaded down with food. Cade steered Jax and Mason to the table Zack indicated. Everyone else filtered in and found a place, and Zack stood up to speak to them. “Everyone please help yourselves. I’m afraid we don’t have accommodations for everyone inside, but we have some sleeping tents set up out back for you, and of course, you’re welcome to use all of the facilities in here.”