Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,16

then. "I've gone ahead and had Rose order you some clothing. It should be here in the next couple of days. Whatever you don't like or doesn't fit right, we can return," Declan said as Sean resumed eating.

"You didn't have to do that," Sean protested.

"Are you planning on going around without clothes?" Declan asked. "Because the clothes you wore when I brought you here literally disintegrated when I removed them." Dismay covered Sean's face and Declan felt guilty, but he didn't apologize. "Don't worry about it, Sean. I have plenty of money and it is my job as your alpha to take care of you."

Surprise replaced the dismay. "My alpha?" Sean queried.

Declan grinned. "Of course. You're part of my streak now."

"I don't know anything about being in a streak," Sean replied.

"We can teach you," Declan said, waving away Sean's concern. "Finish eating. While Sam and the others are visiting with you I'll give my contact a call about the collar. See if they know of a way to remove it."

Sean touched the aforementioned object, grimacing. "I really don't think you'll be able to. My father said I'll never shift."

Declan scowled. "Your father was wrong. We will get that infernal collar off and you will shift, Sean. I promise you we will find a way."

Sean gave Declan a hopeful look. "You think so?"

"I know so," Declan growled. He knew without a doubt the collar had to be magicked. If Sean had worn it since childhood, it had to have grown with him to prevent choking him, which meant it had to be enchanted somehow. He didn't want to scare Sean any more than the younger man had been in his life as it seemed Sean had no clue about other preternatural beings aside from shifters and he didn't share the concept of there also being sorcerers in the world.

Once Sean had cleaned his plate and drank the glass of orange juice, Declan took the tray from Sean's lap. "I'll send Sam, Tara, and Vicky upstairs. You're not to leave the bed as you're still healing."

"Okay," Sean murmured.

Declan smiled at him and leaned down before Sean knew his intentions to steal another brief kiss. "I'll be back in an hour or so to check on you."

He left the room and headed downstairs where he deposited the tray in the kitchen and then told the girls it was okay to visit with Sean. Then he went into his office and shut the door. Taking a seat, he turned on his laptop. While it started, he grabbed the cell phone on his desk and dialed the number he knew quite well.

"Hunter."

"Kyle, it's Dec."

"When do you need me?"

"As soon as possible."

"Two days."

"See you then." The call disconnected and Declan set the phone back on the base. For Kyle not to ask questions meant he must have been somewhere he couldn't. Declan had been hoping to discuss the collar and find a way to remove it sooner, but he knew if anyone could figure out how it would be Kyle. He wondered if maybe the house his mate had been kept in held any secrets. He called Victor to his office and made a request for Victor to take a couple of others with him to search the house and the surrounding property and bring back whatever information or paperwork they could find. Victor didn’t question Declan’s orders or ask for any further details. He merely nodded and left to do as requested.

Figuring he'd give Sean and the others time to themselves, Declan spent the next hour answering emails from other clans and dealing with streak business. He had been letting a lot slide the last few days because of Sean's arrival at the compound and needed to catch up. It was mostly minor squabbles amongst disagreeing members and other packs reaching out to discuss trade agreements. Declan also found an email from one of his members who was currently traveling with his family, Arthur and Nicole Bianca and their teenage son Austin. They were the rarest of shifters in his clan, white tigers. There weren't many of them left in the world and Declan had been reluctant to let them travel so far, but they'd insisted, wanting to go see family in their native land of Russia. He'd only let them go when they'd promised to contact him twice a week while they were gone to let him know they were okay. He knew that probably made him seem like a dictator, but they'd already