Page 29 of Monochrome (ORCA #4)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

JULIUS

The twins fell asleep, cuddled in our arms on the drive home, and we carried them up to their beds.

It was too early for them to go to sleep for the night, but a nap wouldn’t hurt, and they’d been through a lot.

Eventually, we were going to have to get them to tell us as much as they could about what had happened, but that didn’t need to happen right now.

Ethan had insisted on taking a shower, and I couldn’t blame him, so I snuck into our en suite bathroom and perched on the counter.

“Nero called. He said he told McMahon that if he wanted our statements, he needed to come here to get them. Everyone is on their way back. Crime scene techs are at the warehouse, and McMahon will be here within the hour to take our statements.”

Ethan nudged the shower door open a crack.

“Good, that means we have time.”

A spike of lust traveled through our bond, and I whipped my shirt off over my head.

“Time for what, E?” Though I already knew.

Kicking off my pants, I opened the shower door, and Ethan stepped to the side so I could enter under the hot spray, but in the next breath, he had me backed up against the cold tile, his lips millimeters from mine.

“I need you, Jules.”

I understood his desperation.

We had come this close to losing everything today.

We needed the reminder that we were alive, and here, and safe.

And it was my pleasure to provide the comfort we both needed.

Ethan passed me the small bottle of lube I kept in the shower, then turned and bent over, pressing his hands to the wall, water sliding over the tight globes of his perfect ass.

I wasted no time slicking up my fingers and opening him up for me.

We both needed this fast and dirty and primal, and I couldn’t wait to feel him around me.

I lined my lube-slick cock up with his hole, grabbed his hips, and shoved all the way home on the first thrust. Ethan moaned, the sound reverberating off the tiles, and I felt his pleasure-pain through our bond.

Knowing he needed it to hurt just enough to make him feel alive lit me up, and I set a punishing pace that had us both hurtling toward the edge of orgasm at lighting speed, the constant feedback loop of pleasure through our bond made everything more intense, and I blanketed Ethan’s back with my chest, holding one hip hard enough to leave finger-shaped bruises while I worked his dick with my other hand.

My mouth found the claiming mark I’d left on his skin, and I sucked at it, biting down just enough to remind Ethan who he belonged to.

“Jules!” He came with my name on his lips, and I thrust into him hard, once, twice, three times before I let go, painting the inside of his body with my cum and marking him from the inside out.

I let the water wash Ethan’s cum from my hand, then I pressed it against his chest and lifted his torso so we were back to chest. My cock was still inside him, and I felt him relax as I ran my hands over his pecs and down his abs, tracing every curve and mapping every inch until my cock hardened again, then I pushed him forward, letting him brace himself against the tile as I fucked him again.

“You’re mine, Ethan. Mine for-fucking-ever. I’ll never let you forget it.” My teeth closed over the claiming mark again, and Ethan moaned.

“I’ll never forget. I’m yours, Jules. Only yours.”

Our second orgasm was just as intense as the first, but this time, I kept Ethan bent over as I slid from his body, watching as my cum trickled from his hole and ran down his inner thigh before being washed away by the shower spray.

He was relaxed and satisfied, just the way I wanted him, and I grabbed the washcloth and body wash and carefully cleaned his body, making sure he felt loved and cared for as much as he felt wanted and craved.

Ethan stayed in the shower with me as I washed up, then we both toweled off and changed into sweats and T-shirts.

By the time we got downstairs, McMahon had arrived.

“Detective McMahon is taking our statements one by one in Quin’s office. He asked that we not talk to each other about what happened today until he’s done. Nero and I have already spoken to him, and I gave him the recording I took from Ethan’s lapel camera. Cal is in with him now.” For once, Felix didn’t have his laptop in front of him.

Instead, he was playing some game on his phone.

“Oh, and we ordered pizza. Should be here soon.”

Ethan’s stomach chose that moment to rumble.

“Good. We’re starving.”

We found a spot on the large sectional couch in the family room and waited for our turn to be called in to talk to McMahon.

By the time he got to us, there were very few gaps left to fill in, and he asked only a handful of questions.

“Your story matches up with what all the other parties involved have said. Do you have any questions for me?”

I shook my head.

“Not that I can think of right now.”

“No problem. If anything comes up, Nero has my number.”

“Thank you for being there today. For looking out for us.”

McMahon’s stern expression flickered as a smile tugged at his lips.

“Your brother is a good man and a good friend. I give him shit, but he’s good people. You all are. And I’ll deny I ever said this if you bring it up, but cops need people like you. Guys who are willing to do a bad thing for a good reason.”

I nodded my understanding and stood, heading for the door.

“Wait, there is one more thing. Lily and Jude.”

McMahon’s brow crinkled.

“What about them?”

“Do you have to question them? They’ve been through a lot already, and I don’t know if they can handle it.”

“We’ll need them to tell us as much as they can about what happened between the park and the warehouse, but don’t worry. It won’t be me asking the questions. We have a child psychologist on staff who brings the kids into a playroom and talks to them while they play with all the toys she has.”

“Okay, I’m not their guardian so I can’t speak for them, but make sure you tell Ethan that, please. I think he’s worried they’re going to be interrogated.”

“No problem.”

With that, I left the room, returning to the living room couch and sending Ethan in to see McMahon.

The door had barely closed behind him when we all heard the front door open and a familiar female voice called out from the foyer.

“What the hell is going on here? Why is there a cop car outside?”

None of us moved, and a second later, our grandmother appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, her familiar thick silver braid tossed over one shoulder.

She was dressed in flowy floral-print pants and a plain black sweater, an outfit we’d come to consider her borderline-Boho-chic, classic professor uniform, and Ben, who had been relaxing in Hadrian’s lap, sat up abruptly, slapping his mate in the chest as he stared.

“Holy shit, Hade. That’s Juno Hunter.”

Hadrian shook his head.

“I told you she was our grandmother. Did you not believe me?”

Ben scrambled off Hadrian’s lap and streaked across the room.

“I can’t believe I’m really meeting you.” He held out his hand, and looking completely confused, Juno took it.

“I’m a huge fan. Huge. You’re the reason I became an art historian.”

Juno looked around the room, then back at Ben.

“Thank you. That’s lovely to hear, and I certainly don’t mean to be rude, but who are you?”

Ben literally facepalmed.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I’m Ben. Ben Woodford.” He looked over his shoulder to where his mate was beaming at him from the armchair.

“I’m Hadrian’s mate.”

My grandmother’s eyes went wide.

“Hadrian’s mate, you say?” Juno looked around Ben, and Hadrian pulled the collar of his shirt aside so she could see his saddle patch.

Her hand flew to her mouth, and I swear I heard a tiny squeak of joy escape from behind it.

“In that case, come here.” She reached out and pulled Ben into a hug.

“Family doesn’t shake hands.”

When she finally let him go, Ben looked a little dazed and more than a little starstruck as he made his way back to Hadrian’s lap.

He gestured over his shoulder.

“Juno Hunter hugged me.”

“I know, babe.” Hadrian couldn’t keep a straight face as he said it, and he pulled Ben onto his lap, hiding his smile in the beaver shifter’s hair.

“Who are all the rest of you?” She stood in the middle of the living room and turned in a circle, and one by one, my brothers and Marcus introduced their mates, showing off their saddle patches for my grandmother’s inspection.

“And what about you, Jules? Where is your mate?”

“He’s in with the detective, giving his statement.”

A look of shock crossed her features.

“Seriously? You found your mate too?”

“I did.” I heard the sound of little feet running in the upstairs hallway, and I knew the twins were about to make an appearance.

“And he came with an added bonus. Two of them, actually.” The twins ran into the room, stopping short when they saw a stranger.

I reached out to them, and they moved my way, keeping their eyes on Juno the whole time.

“It’s okay, guys. She’s my grandma. Lily, Jude, this is Juno Hunter. Juno, this is Jude”—I ruffled his hair, and he batted my hand away—“and this is Lily.”

Juno bent down so she was eye-level with the twins, and I noticed her eyes were shining with joy and unshed tears.

“Hello, Jude. Hello, Lily. It’s so wonderful to meet you.” Then she leaned a little closer and whispered, “Have my grandsons shown you the secret ice cream stash?”

The twins’ eyes went wide as they shook their heads.

“Can I show you?”

“Yes!” Lily yelled.

“I love ice cream!” Jude said.

Juno held a hand out to each of them.

Jude looked at me, and I nodded, telling him it was okay to go with her.

Lily did the same, but before she took my grandmother’s hand, she came back to me.

“Will you watch Buttercup for me, Unca Jules?”

I nodded and tried to speak around the tears clogging my throat.

“Of course, Lily girl. It would be an honor.”

Jude cocked his head and narrowed his little eyes.

“Why does your voice sound like that, Unca Jules?”

And it was all too much.

I slid off the couch and pulled the twins into a tight hug as happy tears gathered in my eyes.

“Because I love you both.” I pressed kisses to the tops of their little heads.

“Now, go eat your ice cream.”

They didn’t need to be told twice.

Felix sniffled, and I saw he had his glasses off and was wiping tears from his own eyes.

“That was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I think I got a cavity from watching it.”

Nero rolled his eyes.

“If you have a cavity, it’s from all the Twizzlers you eat.”

Cal raised his hand.

“Uh, wait a sec. I think there is something more important we need to discuss.”

We all looked his way, and I felt a ripple of worry make its way around the room.

“Did she really name that orca stuffed animal Buttercup? That’s a terrible name for a killer whale.”

Marcus scoffed.

“Oh, because Caligula is so much better.”

Cal stood.

“Say that to my face, Marcus Aurelius.”

“Sit down.” Quin threw a pillow at Cal, and he pretended to be wounded, falling back onto the couch and into Jack’s arms.

“Are you really going to let them treat me like that?” he asked his mate, looking up at him with big, sad eyes.

Jack looked down at Cal and shook his head.

“You brought that on yourself, sweetheart.” But he leaned down to kiss Cal anyway.

A few minutes later, Ethan and McMahon emerged from Quin’s study.

McMahon clapped his hands and rubbed them together, looking around the room.

“I think I spoke to everyone, and I think I have everything I need. I’ll be in touch if anything else comes up.” He turned his focus on Felix.

“Don’t forget to send me the rest of those files.”

Felix gave him a mock salute.

“Already done. They should be in your inbox. If anything is missing, let me know.”

“Okay. Will Do.”

Nero pushed up from the couch.

“I’ll walk you out.”

McMahon nodded and waited for Nero to meet him in the doorway.

A few seconds later, he was back, but before he could sit down, Juno yelled from the kitchen.

“Someone better fill me in on why the cops were here, and they’d better do it now, and I swear, Cal, if this was your fault, I’m cutting you out of my will.”