Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,75

my magic just as your spirit is your animal.”

Sean felt sad for Maximus. He laid his hand on Maximus’s knee. “I understand.”

Maximus lifted his head, his mouth trembling. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so fucking sorry. I knew what he was doing was wrong, but I didn’t know how to stop it.”

“Telling someone would have been a god damn good start,” Kyle grunted. Sean had almost forgotten Kyle was in the room as he’d been so quiet up to then.

“And what about the other children?” Declan demanded, rounding the desk and leaning down into Maximus’s face. “How could you let that happen?”

Confusion chased away the pain and guilt. “Other children? What other children? I only ever saw Sean.”

“You didn’t know?” Sean asked.

Maximus shook his head. “No. There was only ever Sean.” He paled. “There were others? What happened to them?”

“Carl kept them in the basement.”

If it were possible, Maximus paled even further. “What?”

“In fucking cages, like animals!” Declan snarled.

Sean touched Declan’s forearm. “He didn’t know, Declan. And I don’t blame him.”

“How can you not blame him for the years of pain and abuse you went through?” Declan asked, incredulous. “If he’d only told someone you would have been rescued! Even reunited with your family!”

Sean gave a small smile and took Declan’s hand in his. “You told me our animal halves are an integral part of our being. The same must apply to Maximus and his magic.”

Declan crouched beside Sean. “You continue to surprise me every day, mate,” he murmured, the rage gone for those moments. “After everything you’ve suffered through to have such a beautiful, caring heart is humbling to me.”

Heat flooded Sean’s face, but he focused on Maximus again. “What did your talisman look like?”

Hope warred with uncertainty in Maximus’s face. “Flat, like a coin. One side had the image of a Celtic wolf and the other is the Celtic Goddess Morrighan.”

Kyle snorted from his position where he leaned against the wall close to the window. “Celtic Goddess of death and war. Not exactly helping your case, are you?”

“She was not just a goddess of death and war!” Maximus snapped. “She was also a wolf goddess. The image that appears on the opposite side of the coin tells us who our life mates will be. They’re forged when we’re born and only once we come fully into our powers do the coins reveal the other half of our soul.”

“I remember that. Carl wore it around his neck and he never took it off,” Sean interjected, frowning. “But I don’t know what happened to it.”

Declan scowled. “Most likely burned with what was left of his carcass when I was through with him.”

“No!” Maximus cried, struggling at his bonds. “No! Please tell me you didn’t burn it!”

Sean gave a pleading glance at Declan and Declan sighed. “I will have Victor check the house for it.”

“Thank you!” Maximus sobbed.

“Enough of this! Tell us how to remove the infernal collar around my mate’s throat or you’ll never live long enough to see the talisman again,” Declan demanded.

Maximus shrank as far into the chair he sat in as possible. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Declan growled.

“I need the talisman!” Maximus whimpered. “I-I can’t remove the collar without it.”

Sean saw Declan glance at Kyle who shrugged. “How do we know you aren’t lying?”

“Why would I lie?” Maximus choked. “You’d just kill me if I was.”

“Smart little witch,” Declan shot out. “You’re damn right I’ll kill you if you try anything stupid or you hurt Sean any further.”

The violence of the situation, the rage emanating from Declan, and the obvious telltale signs of abuse on Maximus’s face caused Sean to flashback to a similar moment in the basement. His father stood over one of the younger children, his hands fisted at his side, eyes wild with rage. Bruises and blood, screams of agony and distress, the smell of urine when the boy had messed himself, all raged through Sean. A whimper stuck in his throat and he found he couldn’t move, couldn’t look away from the horrible scene before him. “Daddy, no! Please stop! Don’t hurt him!”

But Carl never listened to him, never stopped, his fury too great. It wasn’t until the cub lay lifeless and broken did Carl stop. A scream welled up in Sean’s throat and it was too great to hold back.

20

Declan

The only thing Declan focused on was finding a way to force the witch who’d placed the collar on his mate to remove the fucking vile thing. He didn’t notice at first the terror