Page 27 of The Bull's Head

“You don’t even need to ask.” He turned to Mal. “Will that be okay with you, First?”

“You take as much time as you need,” Mal told him. “Callum, we’re so happy to be able to talk with you. Later, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak in depth.”

A sudden surge of protectiveness rushed through Teddy. “Why?”

“To find out if he wants to call anyone or if he’d prefer to stay with us. We do have plenty of room, and if I’m honest, I think Wald is a place you’d feel at home.”

A small flutter floated through Teddy’s stomach at the thought that Byk might stay. He’d love to show him around the town, take him to the diner that served amazing mozzarella sticks, maybe romp through the woods again. Okay, fine. He really wanted to brush the bull some more. There was something about all that beautiful hair cascading down, drooping over his eyes, and the gentle demeanor that settled Teddy.

He didn’t want Byk to leave, and he had to wonder, if he did, would Teddy be willing to take a chance and go with him? He’d done stranger things. Leaving home to go with Hiram, for example. After he discovered Hiram had killed his family, Teddy actually wished he’d never left the farm. True, he hated it there, but Casper and Alana…. He wouldn’t have gotten attached and wouldn’t have a hole in his heart now. Maker damn Hiram to hell. To sell out shifters to someone like Hyde? To murder your wife and children? All to protect the fact that you stole money?

“Teddy?”

He smiled down at Byk. “Yeah?”

“I’m scared.”

Teddy lay beside him again. “I know, but I’m here, and I’ll take care of you. Close your eyes for me.”

His eyes fluttered shut. “I’m not a brave person,” Byk admitted.

Teddy scoffed. “What is bravery? I was a bodyguard before I came here. I stood between my First and anyone who would do him or his family harm. Do you think that’s brave?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Then why is it, every time we were to go out, Ivan had to come and hold my hand while I threw up? Or comfort me when we were on our way here? I was scared to death to go out there. Cece—she’s my former First mate—is a big, strong wolf. She could kick Ivan’s and my ass, even if we fought her together. She’s scared of her sons being hurt. We’re all afraid of something, Byk.”

“I like it when you call me Byk,” he said again. “I never had a nickname. I was always Callum.” He reached out and took Teddy’s hand. “What am I going to do?”

It was a valid question. “You let the doctors see if they can help you, and you lean on me for strength. I won’t let you down, you have my word.”

“I know you won’t.”

He slumped into Teddy’s arms, and Teddy was glad to take his weight. They lay there, neither speaking, until they fell asleep.

For someone so big, Teddy’s snores were quite soft. It was more a sigh than anything. Oddly, Callum—Byk, he reminded himself—found the sound soothing to his fractured nerves. What had been up with that dream? Cooper had seemed so real, right down to the stench that used to trail behind him after he finished a workout.

“You’re not sleeping.”

Byk turned on his side and found Teddy staring at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. I…. Well, I felt like you were awake, and that woke me. What’s going on?”

“Just thinking about that dream. It was so vivid. I swore I could smell my brother.”

“Well, Alp said he’d talk to Dr. Hamilton in the morning to get you set up with one of the therapists.”

“I know.” He sighed. “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?”

Teddy propped himself up on his elbow and rested his head in his hand. “Seriously? You were forced into form and kept that way for who knows how long? No one could ever not be affected by something like that. We need a balance in our lives. If we don’t shift for too long, our muscles ache. If we stay in shifted form for too long, we run the risk of losing ourselves to our animal. So if you’re seriously asking, no, there’s nothing wrong with you that wouldn’t be with anyone else who had to endure what you did.”

“Alp seems well adjusted, though.”

“Hardly. When we were here, before I moved to Wald, Alp had nightmares too. In his, he saw his mate die, and that sent him into a tailspin. Cece told him she has similar dreams. We’re not just humans—we’re animals too. That means our minds don’t work like either of them. It’s a unique wiring that allows us to become an animal and still retain some humanity.”

It made sense. Byk had never given thought to the necessity of their brains when it came to shifting.

“Look, you just shifted back. You need time for your mind and body to become acclimated again. It’s not something that should be rushed, okay?”

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