Page 73 of The Bull's Head

The words had rattled around in his head for a while now, but this was the first time he’d say them out loud.

“I want to see if I can make a life with you.”

Maker, please let it be so.

Chapter 23

Teddy never wanted to leave the room. After they had a shower, Teddy crawled in behind Byk to not only provide warmth and comfort, but to partake for himself. The truth was, he was exhausted both mentally and physically. He’d spoken of truths tonight that he hadn’t even shared with Ivan.

He and Byk lay on the bed, naked bodies entwined together, with Teddy holding his bull as close as possible. This, he decided, was right. This was where the Maker had steered him. To this time. To this man. He was here for the Maker’s purpose, he had only to figure out what it was.

Byk snuffled, rolled over, and buried his face in Teddy’s chest. Maybe that’s all he was here for, to provide for Byk. To show him a life existed beyond the pain. He slid thick fingers through Byk’s long hair, enjoying the silky strands as they glided over his skin.

Ivan didn’t know what he was missing out on. Sure, sex was probably great for him, but this feeling, being the other half of one person? There wasn’t anything like it that Teddy had ever experienced.

“Teddy?” came a sleep-filled voice. “I’m going to talk to Dr. Lydia,” he said, his voice filled with certainty. “I wasn’t sure before, but now? I want to find out why I can hear Connor in my head. I want to know what they did to us. Will you be with me?”

It hurt that Teddy couldn’t protect Byk from his past, but he would be his knight every day of the future the two of them shared.

“I will never walk away from you,” he promised.

“Thank you.”

Teddy chuckled. “You never have to thank your mate.”

“Love you.”

And then Byk was asleep again. It scared Teddy that Byk might die, but what worried him more was the fact that Byk might never be whole until he faced those fears that had set up residence inside him.

“Maker, I know we’ve had our differences, but I will give my all for this man. Thank you for bringing us together.”

Another soft kiss, and Teddy fell asleep too.

“He’s going into shock.”

“No, open the valve on the sevoflurane to maximum.”

“As weak as he is, that might kill him!”

A dark laugh. “Doesn’t matter. Look at him. He wasn’t going to live anyway. Besides, we have another use for him after this is all over.”

Byk lurched up, his eyes wide. What the hell was that? Every time he thought he had come to terms, something new wormed its way into his brain. He couldn’t see, but hearing was bad enough. There’d been so many clicks and whirs, beeps, and chirps.

“Byk?” Teddy sat up and scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “Another nightmare?”

He wanted to say yes, but it hadn’t been. It was… something else. “I don’t think they’re dreams,” he rasped out, clutching the blankets in his fists.

He was enveloped in Teddy’s arms. “What do you think they were, then?”

That was a good question. They were too real, too raw. They weren’t disjointed like dreams usually were. “I think they were memories.”

“Okay.” Teddy reached over and picked up his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling Dr. Hamilton,” he replied, pressing a button on the screen.

“Teddy, it’s three in the morning.”

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