Page 4 of The Bull's Head

When they came down from their laughter, Alp led them through the corridors of Wald. Teddy was amazed at the changes in what had once been gray, featureless laboratories and offices. Now there was color everywhere, from the sky blue paint on the walls, to the dark blue floors, plus dozens of pillows in every conceivable color. Gone were the glass windows on the labs, and now there were rooms with blinds for the older residents, and bedrooms stuffed with plush toys and soft beds, instead of the cages that each person had been forced to live in. In the larger areas, walls had been knocked out and replaced with half walls, giving the area a large, airy feeling. These had been turned into several common areas—logical, considering how many people would now call Wald home—and they each had cream-colored carpets, overstuffed furniture in a variety of bright, breezy color schemes, televisions, stereos, bookcases filled with literature from superhero comics to Moby Dick and Citizen Kane, to a vast array of romance novels for every taste. There was also a computer section set up, with e-readers, laptops, and other devices for those who Hyde had maimed that would, hopefully, allow them to find out life was still possible, if they’d only embrace it.

“This is amazing,” Teddy said softly.

“Thank you. The workers are doing a wonderful job. We still have a big crew here, fixing up the next sections. There’s going to be more rooms for those who are tweens and teens now, as well as more for when the other kids get older. Plus, hopefully, we’ll be able to get our other residents to shift back, and they’re going to need a place to live.”

“Other residents?”

Alp sighed. “We have six shifters who haven’t reverted yet. We don’t know if it’s because they can’t, or if they simply refuse to do so. One of them was kept walled off in a lab, stuck in a pen that wasn’t big enough for him to turn around. He was forced to stand there on the concrete floor, without access to sunlight, grass, or water, and only enough straw to….” He sighed. “To soak up the urine, but even that was swamped. When Lydia went in, she swore he was dead. She knelt down and put a hand on his side. He leaped up, bellowed and thrashed, which scared the hell out of her, and she slipped in the… excrement that seemed to never be cleaned.”

Teddy was aghast. He knew how horrible these people had been, but every time he looked, there were new depths to their monstrosity. “Are they okay now?”

Alp blew out a breath. “They’re getting better. Callum—he’s the bull, according to Hyde’s records—refuses to shift back. Lydia suggested we move him outdoors, let him eat some real grass in addition to the food, antibiotics, and other medications she’s been giving him. The workers made him a small barn where he could have access to the outside. He sits in his pen, and he eats, but he won’t interact with anyone. We have to sedate him in order for Lydia to be able to examine him, because he becomes aggressive.”

That sounded wrong on so many levels, but what could Teddy say? He held his tongue while Alp continued to chat about the changes done to the former military base. Teddy pushed everything else out of his head. He needed to focus, to understand about his new home.

At least until he failed them too.

Chapter 2

The night had been amazing. Teddy had loved being surrounded by all the children who watched in rapt attention as Elsa sang her way into their hearts. Cece had kids pushing to be near her, so she told them to shift. When they did, Cece morphed into her wolf form, and they all piled up in the center of the room. Teddy watched as they nuzzled against her, seeing how she gave each of them a nudge or a lick. The kids ate the attention up.

Still, the evening had ended far too early for Teddy’s taste. He could have sat with them all night and watched more movies. When Alp announced it was time for bed, there had been groans from everyone, until Malachi stepped into the room. Then the kids couldn’t leave the place quickly enough. True to his word, Alp went to each room and gave everyone a hug and a kiss on their foreheads. Like they had done with Cece, the kids couldn’t get enough attention from Alp. How starved for love they must have been.

Once again, Teddy found himself wishing it had been Ivan and him who’d found Hyde. Cece had killed the man without mercy, but Teddy and Ivan had discussed it and said that if it was them who found the monster, they would have enjoyed playing with him—batting him hard into the walls, biting him and making him scream—until he begged to be allowed to die. Then they would have ended his life.

“What are you still doing up?” Malachi asked as he stepped into the kitchen. He went to the refrigerator and pulled it open. He peered inside, then grabbed a carton of milk and poured himself and Teddy a glass. He reached in again and took out a plate with two slabs of chocolate cake on it. He put one on a smaller white dish, placed a fork beside it, and slid it across the table to Teddy.

“Thank you, First.”

He held up a hand. “Mal, please. I’d really prefer that.”

Of course he would. “Yes, Mal.”

“And you didn’t answer me. Why are you awake?”

Teddy sighed. “I find I’m not able to sleep most nights. I have… nightmares.”

“Oh, okay. I can understand that. I’ve had more than a few myself.”

Teddy picked up his utensil and stabbed into the cake. His first bite was transcendent. He hadn’t had chocolate in a long while and had almost forgotten how good it was.

“Delicious, right?” Mal said, taking a mouthful of his own. “You know, when Alp finds out it’s missing, he’s going to be pissed. And I fully intend on telling him it was your fault.”

“What? But I didn’t?—”

“Stop teasing him, Mal,” Alp grumbled as he came into the room. He wore a blue bathrobe that had been cinched at the waist, and beneath it, Teddy couldn’t help but see the hickeys that dotted the tiny man’s skin. “There’s at least two more cakes, I promise.” He opened the door, stuck his head into the refrigerator, then turned around, shooting a death glare at Mal. “There were two more cakes.”

Mal’s eyes widened as he licked frosting from his lips. “Oh, no, I wonder where they could have gone.”

Alp frowned. “Mal, that was supposed to last at least another day. What will the kids get tomorrow?”

A dismissive wave. “We can have them make a few more cakes in the morning. We’ll be fine come lunchtime.”

“If someone doesn’t eat those too. I thought you were a wolf, not a pig.”

Mal grinned. “Let me huff and puff for you, baby.”

That got a groan from Alp. “I have a sweet tooth.” He frowned. “I really wanted cake, but I guess I’ll have to settle for the ice cream.”

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