Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,43

witnessing those awful things. “Thank you, Tara.”

She nodded. Declan filled a glass with orange juice and added it to the tray with some napkins and silverware. He picked up the tray and headed upstairs. The bed was empty as he entered the room, but the sound of the sink running confirmed Sean’s whereabouts. When Sean came out, Declan told him, “Get comfortable. I brought breakfast.”

Sean protested while climbing into bed, “I could have gone downstairs.”

“I know you could have, Sean. I just wanted to have breakfast alone with you.” Declan set the tray over Sean’s lap and settled beside him. “Eat.”

He seemed to accept Declan’s explanation and tucked into the food. Declan picked at his food, his appetite non-existent. He prayed Kyle had good news.

Once Sean finished, Declan nudged his plate toward Sean to encourage him to eat more. Sean eyed the food, but asked, “Aren’t you hungry?”

“Not really. Go ahead.”

With a happy sigh, Sean tucked into the food and Declan smiled indulgently. He ran the fingers of his left hand over the side of Sean’s neck, touch catching on the collar for a second. How anyone could possibly do something so heinous to anyone as innocent as Sean caused rage to boil through Declan’s veins. He hid his emotions behind a fake half smile and after the second plate had been cleaned, he slid off the bed and lifted the tray. “Why don’t you get dressed and we’ll head downstairs, okay?”

Sean nodded and stood, but hesitated at the foot of the bed. Declan frowned. “Something wrong?”

At first, Declan didn’t think Sean would answer, but then he turned toward Declan and asked, “What did you do to me?”

Taken aback, Declan set the tray on the nightstand and approached Sean. “What do you mean?”

Sean tugged on his lower lip with his teeth. “I don’t know what you did, but somehow the limp I’ve had for longer than I can remember is gone. I’ve never been able to walk normal.” He looked Declan in the eyes. “I know whatever you did to save me when I should have died changed me.”

Declan grasped Sean by the shoulders. “I did what I had to in order to save you, Sean. You are my mate and I would give my life for yours. That’s all that matters.”

Shaking his head, Sean replied, “I can feel it. When you’re around me. Something is different.” He touched his chest. “In here.”

Exasperated, but also impressed at how intuitive and intelligent Sean was, Declan said, “We’re mates, Sean. Our souls are bound because I claimed you. You feel it within you.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t the whole truth either. He didn’t want Sean to know about what he’d actually done to save him. Uncertainty still danced in the depths of Sean’s eyes, but he seemed to accept what Declan said. “Okay.”

Declan pulled Sean close and hugged him tight for a split second before releasing him. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

Sean nodded and Declan grabbed the tray and left the room.

13

Sean

Sean watched Declan leave the room. In his heart, he knew Declan hadn’t been totally telling the truth, but he couldn’t get the strong alpha to admit to what he’d really done to him. Turning, he pulled a t-shirt and jeans from the dresser drawer Declan had shown him a couple of days prior. It didn’t take long to dress and then he headed down to the dining room, stopping at the bottom of the stairs when he heard a giggle. His breath caught in his throat when he realized the sound had come from Vicky. His butt hit the stairs as his knees gave out and his throat tightened.

Out of every cub who’d ended up in the dingy basement, Vicky had been the most impacted psychologically. She hadn’t spoken a word since the first time Carl beat her for shifting in fear. Sean had tried for a long time to get her to speak. To hear her actually laugh was like a fist to his stomach and a sledgehammer to his heart. He would never be able to do enough to thank Declan for saving the cubs he’d come to love and care for over time. Even if he’d died in that dingy, dark basement, he wouldn’t ever regret letting Ronnie go. Just for Vicky to be able to feel safe enough to giggle in such a happy way meant more to him than anything else in the world.

“Hey, you okay?” Ronnie asked, coming out of the kitchen