you memories so happy you’ll never be able to choose just one.”
“But you already have,” Sean replied.
Another tremor raced through Declan and then Declan rolled Sean to face him. Tracks of dampness on Declan’s cheeks shone in the moonlight shining in the window and he didn’t even have the chance to reach out and wipe at them before Declan stole his breath with an intense kiss. “Every single minute,” Declan said between kisses, “of every single day,” another kiss, this one softer, “you will never have cause to cry or be unhappy.
“I swear it.”
Sean heard the absolute certainty in Declan’s tone. He knew Declan meant it, but he also wasn’t naïve enough to believe he’d never have a reason to cry again. “I’m already happy,” he said, smiling crookedly.
Trailing the tips of his fingers over Sean’s throat and over the collar, Declan said, “When all of this mess with the clans is over and you can finally shift, I want to take you on a vacation, Sean. Take you to see the world, to see the beauty of the mountains and the vastness of the ocean. I want to bathe with you in the waters of Japan and make love to you under the lights of the Aurora Borealis.”
Sean had no idea what an Aurora Borealis was, but everything Declan said sounded beautiful. “I want that too, so much.”
“We will and there will be nothing but happy memories in our future.”
Sean burrowed closer to Declan, closing his eyes and allowing the promises of a brighter life lull him to sleep. His dreams were of running with Declan in his true form, rolling together in the grasses of the forest surrounding them, and seeing Sam holding her baby while Tara sat with Vicky on her lap. Vicky was finally talking and happy.
When he started to awaken from his dream, he found he didn’t want to. He wanted to hold onto those moments and never let go, but a hand on his arm pulled him free. “Baby?”
He opened his eyes to see Declan seated on the bed beside him, fully dressed. Sunlight filled the room and Sean knew he’d slept quite late into the day. A tray sat on the bed next to him with food on it and Sean smiled, rearranging himself until his back rested against the ornate headboard. Declan placed the tray over Sean’s lap and moved to Sean’s other side.
There were scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and orange juice. “You’re going to spoil me,” Sean murmured while taking hold of the fork.
Declan shrugged. “It’s my right as your mate and you deserve it. I want to spoil you."
The food tasted amazing even being simple fare. Declan fed Sean several bites despite Sean’s protests of being able to feed himself. He also made sure Sean took the vitamins Cameron had prescribed.
Sean could sense a tension in Declan, but didn’t ask. He figured Declan had a lot of things on his mind after hearing about the other prides and packs. But it was only when the plates were empty and Sean had finished the orange juice that Declan dropped the bomb in Sean’s lap.
“Kyle is back.”
Those words caused Sean to stiffen and he dropped the glass onto the tray hard, wincing at the noise it made. Excitement warred with fear and anxiety. He wanted the collar removed, but knowing the pain and uncertainty that awaited the moment he was free of the circle of leather scared him. No, the idea terrified him, almost as much as the sound of Carl’s boots on the stairs of the basement. “Did… did he find the witch?”
“Yes. Maximus is with Kyle. I’ve already spoken to him.”
“Did he tell you anything?”
Declan seemed hesitant, but finally answered, “The collar didn’t work on its own.”
“What do you mean?”
“The injections, the ones you mentioned, they contained a powerful serum Maximus said worked in tandem with the collar to suppress your ability to shift.”
Sean’s breath caught in his throat and the remembered agony of those shots twice a year, every single year, caused him to start to hyperventilate. He barely noticed Declan remove the tray. All he knew was Declan straddled his lap much as the tray had and held Sean’s face between his palms. “Breathe in slower. Slower. Now let it out.”
Time passed at a crawl for Sean and he tried to follow the instructions Declan gave him. Finally, he felt the anxiety and panic begin to wane. “What does that mean?” Sean whispered.
“It means, depending on the last