Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,65

really know. It’s always kind of been this long. Sam and Tara tried to cut it when they could, but I don’t really remember it any other way.”

“You have no idea how much you break my heart,” Rose mumbled and picked up the comb.

“I’m sorry,” Sean whispered.

Suddenly Rose hugged him from behind, her arms wrapping tight around his shoulders and her cheek pressed to his. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Sean. I wish we’d found you all sooner is all.”

Rose cleared her throat and released him. She grabbed the spray bottle and started spritzing his hair while combing. Sean closed his eyes when a few droplets dripped, tickling his eyelashes. He heard the snick of the scissors several times. “You have such beautiful hair, Sean. I’m jealous. I can never do anything with mine.”

She kept up a string of chatter while cutting his hair and it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes when she stepped back. “There. So much better, right?”

Declan held up a mirror to Sean. Both sides were now even and the ends were no longer ragged. “Thank you, Rose,” Sean said.

She smiled while removing the towel. “Of course, sweetie. I help Declan keep his mane tamed, too.”

She bustled around sweeping up the bits that had fallen to the floor. Victor came into the house then and Sean noticed Declan tense. Declan stood when the two men shared a glance and Victor headed toward Declan’s office. “I need to speak to Victor, baby. You’ll be okay if I leave you here with Rose?”

“Yeah.”

Declan kissed him quickly and then strode from the room. Sean couldn’t help his curiosity, but didn’t feel he had the right to ask what was going on. It must be something important because Declan had seemed upset.

Sean folded his arms on the table and laid his head on top of them. So many things in his life had changed in such a short time. He hadn’t really allowed himself to hope he could shift, but he could admit to himself he really did want to shift. What kind of animal was he? The one thing he’d always wondered was why had he never shifted before Carl placed the collar on his neck. Then again he couldn’t remember much before his life in the basement. Maybe he had, but his other half just hadn’t been able to break through the magic enough for him to know.

Of course, that caused his thoughts to turn to wondering if Carl really hadn’t been his father. If so, where were his parents? Did they still think about him? Did they miss him? Had they had more children and didn’t need him anymore? His chest tightened at the idea of them forgetting about him. Even though he didn’t know for certain they were out there it still caused a slight pall over the happiness he’d started to feel.

Then he started to wonder about Declan’s family. Rose had Ronnie, but he’d yet to meet Ronnie’s dad and what about Declan and Rose’s parents? “Rose?” Sean said, sitting straight in the chair again.

She glanced at him. “What’s up, hun?”

“Where’s Ronnie’s dad?”

Rose started, the hand with the knife halted, and he saw her take a deep breath before turning to face him. Sean saw such a deep sadness in her eyes. He immediately guessed. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

She gave him a wobbly smile. “It’s all right, Sean. He’s been gone for a year now, but I still miss him. Ronnie… he remembers him, of course, but Declan has really helped by spending time with him and kind of standing in as his dad in most ways.”

“What about your parents?” Sean queried.

Setting the knife down, she wiped her hands on a towel and came to sit by him. “Our dad was in a really bad accident and since our parents were life mates, Mom followed not long after him. She couldn’t really live without him.”

Sean gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

Rose nodded. “It’s okay. I think if it weren’t for Ronnie I may have gone the same way after losing David. But I have to be here for him. He deserves at least one parent in his life and I can’t imagine leaving him behind like that.”

“Would that happen to… to Declan if I…”

“It’s most likely, sweetie. You see, life mates, when they bond, they share a part of their souls with one another. It’s all very mystical, I guess. When one of the pair passes, it tears something in the other and they