a hard hug. “Welcome home, son,” Arthur murmured.
Austin, who’d been quiet until then, said, “Does this mean I have to share my room?”
Nicole chuckled. “I think Alpha Declan plans on keeping Sean here, sweetie, since they’re mates.”
“Oh, okay. Cool.” Austin shrugged and returned to the game on his phone.
Declan considered cuffing Austin on the back of the head for being so standoffish, but he could understand how it would be hard to relate to suddenly having a brother appear out of nowhere. It would probably take the teenager some time to adjust. “Would you like to stay for dinner?” Declan asked.
Nicole nodded, never once releasing her hold on Sean. She pulled away from him enough to see his face. “You must tell me everything. I want to know my son.”
Sean frowned. “There isn’t much to tell.”
“There’s a lot for you to tell me. What does your tiger half look like? Are you all white with black stripes or a shade of orange?”
“He’s all white with black stripes. It’s how I had the idea he may well be your missing child,” Declan said.
“I’m so pleased!” Nicole replied.
“Are you both tigers?” Sean asked.
“We are. Your father is a white tiger while I am only half tiger, half lion. My father was a lion while my mother was a tiger. I’m what they call a liger nowadays. Though the term didn’t exist when I was first born.”
Declan excused himself to go alert Rose to the addition of three more to dinner. Satisfaction and love trickled through him when he heard Sean losing some of his reticence and begin asking questions. He knew Sean had been worried, fearful they would reject him. Their bond allowed him to feel many of Sean’s emotions. The only way Sean would be reassured had been to meet them. Declan had known Nicole for most of his life and he’d seen how devastated she’d been after Sean had been abducted.
Rose was in the kitchen with Sam and Tara helping her prep some of the ingredients for the evening meal. “We’ll have three more for dinner,” Declan told her when he reached the counter. Snagging a piece of tomato, he tossed it into his mouth and leaned against the counter by Rose. “The Biancas are staying.”
“Who are they?” Tara asked, her brow furrowed.
Declan debated on letting Sean tell them, but he didn’t want to lie either. “They’re Sean’s parents.”
Sam dropped the knife she held while Tara’s eyes widened. “His parents?” Sam whispered.
Declan sensed the fear and agitation from the two of them. He approached Sam and rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be all right. Remember, he’s mated to me so he’ll be staying here.”
Sam swallowed hard and nodded, but Declan could see she still wasn’t reassured. “They’re a part of the streak, Sam. Even if he were to move in with them, they wouldn’t be going far.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Sam mumbled.
“Would you like to meet them?”
Tara and Sam shook their heads. “Not yet,” Tara replied.
Uncertainty still shone on both of their faces. Declan looked at Tara. “Can we talk for a few moments?”
The uncertainty grew on Tara’s features and Declan said, “It’s nothing bad.”
Tara looked at Sam who didn’t say anything. “Can Sam be there?”
“Whatever makes you most comfortable, Tara.”
Declan led them to the dining room table and gestured for them to sit. He sat in front of Tara and never allowed his gaze to waiver. “We believe we’ve found your pack.”
Tara paled. “No,” she whispered.
“We haven’t contacted them yet, but I really do believe they should know you’re alive.”
“But I don’t want to leave Sean or Sam or Vicky!” Tara exclaimed.
“I won’t force you to leave or to contact them if you really don’t want to, but Tara, put yourself in their shoes. Your baby is here with you, in your belly, but what if he or she were already born and someone took them from you. Wouldn’t you want to know what happened to them? Were they being taken care of? Were they being loved?”
Tara fidgeted in her seat and wrapped a protective arm around her protruding abdomen. It wouldn’t be long now before she gave birth. “What if they try to take me away?”
“I won’t allow it to happen, Tara. I promise. They can come here to visit you and really it’s only about a three-hour drive to their pack lands.”
“Tara, you can’t seriously be thinking about this, can you?” Sam demanded.
“Alpha Declan is right, though,” she whispered. “I can’t imagine not being able to