Page 16 of The Bull's Head

“Ivan….”

“I miss my brother, but I am beyond happy he’s chasing after a dream.”

“You know, you can always come visit me.”

“You would allow this?” Ivan asked tentatively.

“Allow? You’re my brother, idiot. I would love to see you.”

“Then da… I mean, yes, I would like to come see you.”

“Great. I’ll show you around, introduce you to Callum, and?—”

“Callum?” Teddy could picture the raised eyebrows. “Who is this person of whom you speak with such fondness?”

“What? No, I wasn’t?—”

“Theodore,” he chastised. “I know your tone. This man—Callum—he is important to you.”

“Oh, he’s…. Well, let me tell you the story.”

He leaned back against a stack of papers and regaled Ivan with everything he knew so far. When he finished, he felt lighter, as though sharing the horrors somehow chased some of them away.

“It sounds as though you like this person.”

“I do. He hasn’t shifted back to human yet, but I know I’m going to like him in either form.”

“What if he is ugly?” Ivan teased.

“Then he and I can be ugly together,” Teddy replied.

“No. The two of you, even if ugly, will be beautiful together.”

And that comment from his always-so-guarded brother warmed Teddy to his soul.

Chapter 6

The hot spray sliding over his hair felt incredible. For the past hour, Teddy had Callum standing beneath a cascade of water that beat the gross stuff out of his fur. He peered at the floor and saw chunky brown goop swirling down the drain. He knew he should be embarrassed, but the feeling of being clean trumped any shame he would normally feel.

And then there were Teddy’s hands. Big, thick, powerful. They moved deftly, running up and down Callum’s legs, changing the once-grimy, blackened fur back to its natural reddish color. After he seemed satisfied, Teddy took towels and dried Callum off. Just when he thought they were finished, Teddy brought out a hairdryer and brush, and proceeded to remove tangles that had picked up all manner of nasty things from the labs.

When he finished his ministrations, Teddy stood back and smiled. “You look… stunning,” Teddy whispered in Callum’s ear. “It’s hard to believe how much different you are. I thought you were beautiful before, but now? It’s night and day.” He ran a hand along Callum’s flank, which made Callum shiver almost as much as Teddy saying he was beautiful. “We just need to help you put on a few pounds, because I’ll be honest, you’re looking way too skinny.”

Callum wanted to snort. He’d never been muscular. That had been Cooper. No, Callum had been chunky. He never thought it looked bad on him, even when other people taunted him. He actually liked his broader hips and thicker thighs. They went well with his full and pouty lips. Sure, he wasn’t going to win a beauty contest, but for the most part, Callum was comfortable in his skin.

“Are you feeling better?” Teddy asked near Callum’s ear.

He bounced his head up and down. It had been the first time he’d been truly clean for years. He stood, chest out. He knew with the amount of food Hyde’s people had given him, he was probably gaunt as hell, but right now he didn’t care. Teddy was taking care of him, like he promised. The fear that he’d lived under constantly since being brought to this hellhole started to slip away.

And the man beaming at him had everything to do with it.

Callum wished he could shift back. He wanted to know where Cooper was, wanted to tell him he was okay. Even if they hadn’t always gotten along, he knew Cooper was worried for him.

“I talked with Mal and Alp. If you promise me you’ll eat, Dr. Hamilton says we can start introducing more food for you to choose from. She said you’re at least a hundred pounds underweight for a Highland bull, so if we want to get you healthy, we have to get you fed up. Plus, she thinks the nutrients will help to remove what’s remaining of the garbage they used out of your system.”

In the past, Callum had only eaten when he had no choice. Food was a rarity, but more often than not, it was only given when they wanted to do something to him. Once he’d refused to eat, figuring it was better to starve than undergo another experiment. They’d fed him intravenously, then tortured him.

Now? Knowing that Teddy said it was okay, Callum would eat. And he’d do it happily. Though, if he was honest, he wanted to sit with Teddy and enjoy a meal, not stand there chewing noisily like a cow does with his food.

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