Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,12

sandwich and began to eat. Amazing flavors exploded across his tongue and he closed his eyes, moaning at such decadence. "Oh," he whimpered in pleasure.

His stomach grumbled loudly in the silence as he devoured the entire sandwich in what felt like seconds, loving the different textures of the bread, the crunch of the seeds, the tang of the mustard, and sweetness of the mayo. The turkey tasted smoky and divine while the ham seemed to have a bit of sugar on it. Sean would have licked the plate if Declan hadn't been in the room with him. He blushed when he realized Declan was staring at him, his own sandwich untouched. Sean dropped his gaze to the tray, nervously grabbing the spoon.

Steam rose off the bowl of soup and Sean ladled some out carefully, blowing on it to cool it off some before taking the scoop into his mouth. Again, the taste was so unlike anything Sean had ever eaten. Whenever Carl would allow Sean or the others to eat, they were lucky to get cold leftovers or things from a can. He'd never let them have something so exquisite or flavorful before. Sean managed to keep his moans to himself this time, but he couldn't quite contain his happy smile as he enjoyed the food. To his disappointment, the bowl emptied before he was ready for it to be. He wanted to ask for more, but felt it would be rude and didn't know if it were right to do so. Instead he set the spoon down on the tray.

Declan surprised him by placing half of his sandwich on Sean's plate. "I'm full already. Why don't you go ahead and finish that for me?"

Sean looked at Declan, hesitant but hopeful. "Are you sure?"

He gave Sean an encouraging smile. "I'm sure. Go ahead."

"Thanks!" Sean dug into the sandwich wholeheartedly. His stomach gave a pained protest when he finished, but Sean couldn't have been happier. He sank back into the pillows with a tired, but full, sigh. He'd eaten so much his belly even looked a bit distended. He couldn't remember ever feeling so satiated before. "That was the best thing I've ever eaten," he said, his voice slurring with sleepiness.

Declan smiled again and moved the tray from the bed. "That was nothing. Wait until you try my spaghetti. Ronnie says it's the best in the world."

Sean grunted as Declan helped him lie back down. He probably wouldn't have done it if he hadn't been on the verge of falling asleep again, but since he'd first caught sight of Declan's hair, he'd been fascinated by the golden locks. They were simply beautiful. Sean slid his fingers through the silken strands, grinning goofily as how soft they felt on his skin. "Pretty," he murmured.

A chuckle rumbled in Declan's throat. "You like my hair, huh?"

"Uh hmm," Sean sighed. His eyes were mere slits by then and he could barely form words. "'S soft."

Declan leaned down until the tip of his nose brushed over Sean's throat. "Maybe one day soon you can feel it on other parts of your body."

Sean frowned and wrinkled his nose. "Could tickle."

"Perhaps," Declan murmured as he pulled back. "Are you ticklish, Sean?"

Sean nodded, face serious. "Very."

"Interesting to know." Declan pressed a gentle kiss to Sean's forehead. "Get some sleep, baby."

Grumbling, Sean wanted to argue. He'd slept so much already. But his body seemed to agree with Declan because he passed out rather quickly, the conversation melding into a part of his dreams, and it became something he forgot about by the time he awoke the next morning.

This time when Sean awakened he found himself alone and his body had healed even further. Sean slipped from the bed, careful not to agitate his ribs which still seemed tender, but nowhere near as painful as the day before. He made his way to the bathroom to relieve himself. Looking in the mirror afterward, he gaped at how the bruises had already become yellowed and appeared to be over a week old rather than a matter of days. How was that possible? Even the ones on his ribcage were fading.

"Sean?" Declan called through the door.

Sean opened the door and stared at Declan, confused. "What did you do to me?"

Declan frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Gesturing to his face and body, Sean replied, "I have never healed this quickly before. You must have done something."

A look flashed too quickly over Declan's face for Sean to identify. "You're a shifter. You heal faster than