Page 24 of The Bull's Head

He was. “Yeah.”

“Well, I should talk with Mal and Alp, let them know you’ve shifted back. I wouldn’t want anyone to get freaked out by someone they didn’t know. Plus, we need to see about getting you some clothes. I doubt anyone would be shocked by nudity, seeing as how we’re shifters, but I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

Which Callum would. He’d caught a glimpse of himself when they entered Teddy’s room, and the realization that he had lost so much weight scared him.

“I used to be chunky. It’s a thing with bull shifters,” he said. “Unless we work out constantly, there isn’t going to be a lot of muscle tone. What I saw freaked me out, because now I look like a walking skeleton.”

“Well, we’ll get you fed up and start you on some good, wholesome food.”

That sounded fine to Callum.

“Why don’t you lay here a bit longer? Let me give Alp a call.”

“Okay.”

Callum was quite comfortable in Teddy’s bed, surrounded by the smell of daffodils and dandelions, of the lushest green grass, and the heavenly aroma of fresh cut hay. He curled up, his arm under his head, and smiled when Teddy covered him with the thick comforter.

A flash of light when Teddy opened the door, followed by a quiet snick as he closed it.

“What are you doing?” he whispered to himself. “You know what happened in this place. You should be trying to get out.”

He’d been out, though. Teddy had taken him on a run through the woods, had brought him vegetables, had bathed and brushed him. Why was the terror he’d always felt now waning? He knew the answer, but didn’t want to examine it too closely. With Teddy, Callum felt safe, protected. He tried to think back. Had he ever had those feelings before? Not that he could recall.

He was sliding toward sleep again when the door opened.

“Callum?”

“Hm?” He was so exhausted, he couldn’t even make his mouth work to answer.

“Did you want to sleep some more?”

Yes! Sleep sounded delightful. He pulled the cover up to his chin and heard Teddy chuckle.

“Okay, why don’t you get some rest? Mal is busy with Damon right now, and Alp is getting ready to do a bedtime story for the kids.” The bed dipped when Teddy sat on the edge. “Did you want to listen in on the story? Alp has a soothing voice.”

At the moment, Callum didn’t care about anything. “Sure.”

Teddy leaned forward and flicked a switch. A few moments passed, with Callum sliding closer and closer toward sleep, when a gentle voice invaded his mind, talking about wolves and rabbits, of family, of peace, of home. Then Callum was surrounded again by Teddy’s warmth as he lay behind him, his face buried in the crook of Callum’s neck. The gentle breath, the sweet smell, and the knowledge Teddy had him safe helped Callum fall asleep.

How can you lay there, especially knowing I’m dead because of you!

The voice was unmistakably Cooper’s. It pounded in Callum’s brain, the fear slamming into him once again. The acrid scent of sweat after a workout hung in the air.

You left me there to die while you saved yourself! I looked for you, I yelled, I begged you to stay and help me, and you ran like a coward. When they locked me in that cell, I was so pissed off. I would have killed you myself if I could have gotten to you.

It wasn’t Callum’s fault. He couldn’t have helped Cooper, and he knew it. He’d never been a fighter, never had Cooper’s aggression. Callum preferred sitting in the fields and peering up at the clouds to going to the gym and building up his muscles. Cooper was the big guy, the strong one, the….

And what did all my muscles do? Got me killed saving your stupid ass.

Fear Callum had never known flooded his body. Even the harshest of experiments had never brought on this level of trauma. It was like he was watching Cooper fighting for his life, feeling what Cooper did, experiencing it all firsthand. The terror of knowing the fight was going to end with him losing. The fear that they’d do something to him. When they slid the hood over his head, it became hard to breathe, and his heart hammered so hard, Callum feared it would burst.

You did this to me, you son of a bitch! Cooper snarled. I died, and it’s your fault!

Callum jolted up and screamed. It was torn from his very depths, and he was afraid it would never stop.

But even more fearful of what it would mean if it did.

Chapter 9

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