Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,14

could bring Sean's father back from the dead and kill the son of a bitch all over again he would have. There'd been no way to miss just how deprived Sean was from the outside world. He knew there were a lot of things he still needed to know about Sean, but it seemed Sean had never been taught even the smallest of things. Declan intended on making it his life's mission to show Sean everything and anything his mate desired.

He smiled on his way down to the kitchen, his lips tingling at the remembered feel of Sean's mouth under his. He'd purposely kept the kiss light, not wanting to press for more, certain Sean had never experienced a kiss before. He'd been right if Sean's expression had been anything to go by. The innocent wonder on Sean's face made Declan's heart ache at just how much Sean had missed out on in life and his balls tighten at knowing he'd be the first to touch Sean in such an intimate way. His tiger relished the fact Sean was untouched, the beast prowling beneath the surface of his skin, yowling to go back upstairs and claim their mate before anyone else could dare try. Not that anyone would go near Sean without his permission. None of the other males had even been upstairs since Sean's arrival in Declan's home. They knew Declan would gut them if they even tried. It would take all of Declan's self-control to even allow Sean out of his home before he'd placed his mark on Sean, but as long as Declan was with him, it would have to be enough.

Victor sat at the table chatting with Rose while Sam and Tara were attempting to get Vicky to eat. Vicky immediately brought her gaze to Declan the moment he stepped into the kitchen. He'd already been downstairs once, but the girls hadn't been awake yet. "Good Morning, Vicky," he greeted with a soft smile.

She never took her eyes off of him as he stepped to the stove and dished out eggs, bacon, and home fries for Sean. He slathered toast with butter and jam and set it on the plate with the other food. "Would the three of you like to visit with Sean after his breakfast?" Declan asked.

"Yes, please, if that's all right," Sam replied. She studied Declan and he knew she was a very intelligent young shifter. "Sean's your mate, isn't he?" she asked bluntly.

Tara hissed at Sam as the others fell silent. Declan continued to put everything on a tray for Sean and, once finished, he turned and moved to squat beside her, looking at her. "He is," Declan answered quietly. "But he isn't aware of it. I would ask that you not tell him as I don't want to scare him. He has a lot to deal with right now."

Sam gave him a shrewd look, but after a few moments hesitation, nodded. "Don't hurt him."

"Never," Declan promised, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "I'll come back downstairs to get you once he's finished eating."

Tara glanced at Declan. "Is he okay?"

"He's doing much better. He may even be up and around tomorrow."

The girls shared a look, but didn't say anything. Declan knew the reason Sean had healed so quickly was because he'd shared his life force with Sean. They were bound and Declan's strength flowed through Sean's veins now which meant Declan's abilities as an alpha also could be tapped into by Sean, including his body's natural ability to heal faster. Declan couldn't share this with them though. He needed to get that damned collar off of Sean and soon.

After pouring a glass of orange juice and adding it to the tray, he lifted his bundle and carried it upstairs to his bedroom. Sean sat staring at the window, watching the leaves of the tree rustling in the light breeze. Declan cleared his throat to alert Sean to his presence and entered the room to place the tray on Sean's lap. The sheer joy shining from Sean's face at the sight of the food before him almost shattered Declan's heart. For the first time since he'd been a child, Declan actually felt his eyes burn with the possibility of tears. He kept his movements slow and easy as he settled down onto the bed beside Sean.

"While you spend time with the girls, I am going to give my friend a call. I believe he may know how to remove the collar," Declan managed