as the words left his mouth. Despair flooded Sean’s features. Causing his mate anymore pain sat like a rock in Declan’s chest, but he needed to know. “I know it hurts to talk about them, Sean, but their families need to know what happened to them. If it’s too much, at least tell me their names and we’ll go through the records we can find to locate any missing children with those names.”
Sean swallowed hard several times and he finally managed to croak, “I’ll tell you.”
“There were twelve?”
“Fourteen,” Sean whispered. “It started with Yuri, a seven-year-old panther cub. My fa-Carl killed him because Yuri bit him. He kept hitting Yuri over and over again until Yuri didn’t move or make a-another s-s-sound.”
Grief twisted Sean’s features. “Then it was Destiny, a rabbit shifter. She was only two. H-he sn-snap-”
“Stop, baby!” Declan rasped. “Just names and if you know what kind of shifter they were. You don’t need to relive their deaths.”
Sean took a deep breath and nodded. “Hector, seven years old, a bear shifter. Charlie, six years old, a hawk shifter.”
Declan reined in his need to roar in rage and break the closest piece of furniture as he listened to Sean recount each child. He glanced at Victor to see the man writing the names and shifter breeds down. It would take time for them to find as many of the families and clans as possible.
When Sean finally finished, Declan could hardly breathe. To know so many had suffered and Sean had witnessed it all, dealt with burying them, it shattered his heart. He wished with all of his soul he’d been able to save Sean from the years of pain and death. Declan crushed Sean to him in a hard embrace. He buried his face in Sean’s hair. “I’m so sorry, baby. No one should ever have to live through something like this.”
A shudder wound its way through Sean and Sean rested his forehead on Declan’s shoulder. “They deserved more.”
“You deserved more,” Declan breathed. “You’ll never have to see anything like that again. I swear it on my life.”
Declan turned toward Victor. “Have Cameron provide instructions on exhuming them to prevent disturbing the bodies more than necessary, Victor, and make sure someone is with Becky when they bring back Gina.”
Victor gave a brief nod and left the room, the sheet of names in one hand. Nothing could ever make Declan understand how anyone could possibly do what the psycho Carl McNeely had done. He hoped the bastard burned in hell for eternity.
Sean had remained quiet and Declan returned his attention to his mate. Shoulders hunched, Sean stared down at the floor, pure anguish hanging over his slender frame. Declan knew Sean had been through so much, but there were so many things still left to deal with and he had no idea how he could protect Sean from what was to come.
“Sean?”
He raised his gaze to Declan’s.
“We need to get ready to head into the city, baby. Today is the only day we can do the tests Cameron suggested before you can shift.”
Sean gave a nod. “Okay.”
Declan took Sean’s hand in his as he led him out of the room. Once they were in the car and on the road, Declan glanced at Sean. “I just need to ask you to not mention shifters in public, Sean. The general human population doesn’t know about shifters and it would be very bad for all of us if they found out.”
Sean nodded, staring out the window and watching the trees rushing by. “I understand.”
Grimacing, Declan tightened his hold on the steering wheel of his Chevy Tahoe. Being a fairly large man and taller than most due to his genetics as an alpha tiger shifter, Declan couldn’t fit into something smaller. He typically ended up uncomfortable or with a crick in his neck. He reached out and grabbed Sean’s hand, squeezing his fingers lightly. “It’ll be okay, Sean.”
A slight shrug is all Declan saw from Sean’s direction. He knew Sean’s detachment from most situations wasn’t normal, but they needed to deal with one thing at a time. The next event which broke Declan’s heart even further was the sheer wonder on Sean’s face as the city came into view. Even the gas station had Sean with his face stuck to the window, watching the people, the cars, and the new sights. “What’s that?” Sean exclaimed as they passed a bakery window with cakes and treats displayed.
Swallowing hard, Declan managed, “It’s a bakery. Do