Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,91

and then Cameron and Luthor appeared there. “Casey,” Luthor snapped. “Let’s go.”

Casey flinched, but schooled his features quickly. Sean gave him a sad look. He knew what it was like to live under someone who controlled you. “Forgive me, Alpha-mate. I must go.”

Sean nodded and watched the four shifters leave. He dropped into a seat beside Sam. “Is Declan going to be okay?” Sean rasped, fear for Declan nearly paralyzing his vocal cords.

Victor settled into the seat next to him. “He will be all right, Sean. He would never allow anything to happen to you.”

He gave a weak smile to Victor. Worry and anxiety tangled his stomach into knots. Sean had already begun to suspect his feelings for Declan went deeper than that of the man who’d saved him and his family. He loved Sam, Tara, and Vicky, but he knew the love he held for Declan was different. When he thought of the girls, he didn’t have the same warm feelings in his heart or the way a single smile from Declan made his belly flutter as if it held butterflies in there. He wouldn’t let anyone harm Declan. Not when he loved him more than anything.

Over the next few hours, many strangers came and went. Much shouting could be heard from down the hallway to Declan’s office, and Sean had chewed his thumbnail down to the quick, beyond nervous. But during all of it, Declan never once requested him to come in to explain the past, and as selfish as that may make him, he couldn’t have breathed a deeper sigh of relief mentally when the last one left. Luthor and Casey still remained behind, Luthor once again disappearing into Declan’s office while Casey returned to the dining room where they all sat.

Casey told them about their lands, how beautiful it was where they lived, and the way the clan helped one another through good times and bad. Sean really liked Casey. Somehow, he knew Casey was a good person, someone he could see being friends with. The almost quiet happiness Sean sensed from everyone, despite the somber reason for the gathering, caused his tiger to stretch languidly in his mind. It was one of the strangest things Sean had ever experienced, but it also had him grinning because he could finally sense his animal half.

The seemingly pleasant air to their small group shifted dramatically when Casey touched Victor to gain his attention. Casey’s eyes widened and his features paled. He trembled and then wrenched away from Victor. “I need to see Luthor. Now.”

None of them knew what was happening and Casey ignored any questions thrown his way as he rushed to Declan’s office. Sean followed, but stopped just outside the doorway. He heard everything Casey said; about the dark shadow aiming for them, how Luthor wouldn’t win whatever it was he thought he could, and he heard the snarled words between them.

Luthor brushed past him when he left Declan’s office, ignoring him, while Casey gave him a strange sympathetic glance and a quick squeeze of his hand. “We will meet again, Alpha-mate.”

Unsettled at Casey’s words, Sean watched them leave then heard Declan call for him through their connection. He turned and entered Declan’s office, rushing to Declan when he held out his arms to Sean. The worry and fear faded the moment Declan wrapped him in a tight embrace, resting his chin atop Sean’s head. Sean closed his eyes and breathed in the deep scent he knew so well.

“I need you to promise me you won’t leave the house without Victor or myself at your side,” Declan said.

Sean heard something in Declan’s voice, a tension he’d never heard before, and he leaned back enough to peer into Declan’s eyes. “What’s coming?”

Declan stiffened. “You heard?”

A blush stole over Sean’s cheeks. “I was outside the office.”

“Where was Victor? He shouldn’t have left your side.” Declan scowled.

“He didn’t,” Sean hurried to say. “He never let me out of his sight.”

His reassurance seemed to settle Declan. “We don’t know what is going on yet, but until we know of whatever force Casey spoke of, I don’t want you alone. Please promise me.”

“I promise,” Sean murmured.

“Thank you,” Declan whispered then kissed him. Sean immediately opened to Declan’s seeking tongue. When Declan broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against Sean’s. “I’ve had many days where things weren’t what you call easy, but today tops the list of the worst ones.”

“It’s not your fault,” Sean protested. “No one could have known what was