18. Killian

Chapter eighteen

Killian

E rebus was the only person I’d had sex with before Zander, and I’d never bottomed before. It was different, and I didn’t mind it, but it didn’t get me off. He’d gone to sleep, his chest pressed into my back, and having him in my bed felt right. Hadn’t expected to like that part. He was fun and didn’t mind that I wanted to be silly. He fell right into that and let me be myself. I fell asleep with his arm around my waist and his nose tucked into my neck. I could get used to this.

The toilet flushed in the bathroom sometime later, and Jules patted my face. I lifted the covers, he climbed in, and we went back to sleep. We didn’t wake up until Zee’s alarm on his phone went off at six.

Jules was the only one ready for conversation at breakfast. He wanted a plan for the day, and we talked about watching the crew finish the pavilion. Jules liked that idea. Zee kissed me before he left, and Sophie walked into the kitchen. She had several things to discuss, and the first thing she did was call Zee. I laughed softly and shook my head as he answered.

“Zander, hello, it’s Sophie. Why is Killy laughing at me?” she asked.

“Because I’m standing on the porch. What’s up?” he asked but didn’t come back inside.

“Oh. Well, could you be here this afternoon around four? Briar Donadieu will be here then, and we could work something out with the homes?”

“I’ll be there,” Zee said.

“Thank you.” She ended the call and arched a brow at me.

“Papa hadda a sleepover,” Jules said as he ate his pancake with his fingers.

“Did he?” Sophie asked, bumping her shoulder into me.

“He did. My bed cold, Papa. Can you fix it?” Jules asked.

“I can.” If I don’t go to Barnham’s, will the Pride know? I asked Sophie.

Count spaces, she shrugged. No one has to know you left the house. I’m fielding calls today, so I’ll be here.

Thanks. I’m not ready to deal with Barnham right now, I thought.

Don’t blame you. He’ll be here on Friday.

Still too soon, I thought, and she laughed.

Couldn’t like the man because he treated his daughter like a commodity. I was happy to have Jules. Just not happy that Barnham’s attitude nearly got my house burned down. My first instinct was to string him up and gut him in the middle of town. So I’d go with my second and stay away from him for a while.

“Do you want to go shopping?” I touched my forehead to Jules’, and he giggled.

We cleaned the kitchen first and dressed before counting spaces to Fowler’s warehouse. Jules was excited about getting a new bed, and in awe of all the furniture and decor. We walked around, searching for the bedroom section, and several people watched us for a moment. Briar was alerted to a Blood-right in his warehouse and came to help us personally. After the mess with Arnaut, his Pride was wary of Amber Light. We shook hands in front of his staff, who settled down and returned to work.

“Sorry,” he murmured as Jules tested the beds he liked, and we followed.

“Everyone is twitchy after the war,” I smiled.

“And Arnaut. Heard you had some trouble last night. Reaper texted me. He doesn’t want trouble with you.”

“None of us want trouble, Briar. He came and got Gerald, so problem solved.”

“Papa! This one!” Jules had chosen a large, round bed with no frame. He could crawl into and out of it without problems and was currently kneading a spot to lie down in.

“I hadn’t thought that would be a good bed for cubs,” Briar said. “It works, though.”

“I’ll take it,” I said. “He’s got a human toddler bed, and it’s cold, no matter how many blankets he has.”

“Let me see what we have for bedding,” Briar murmured, lifting his hand. A young man joined us and raised his eyebrows. “Jack, this is King MacLaden. What bedding do we have for the bed his son is happy with? Something neutral. No flowers.”

“Blue!” Jules hollered, and Jack laughed.

“Not a problem, my lord. I’ll be right back,” Jack said and left us again.

“You comin’ to my house at four?” I asked.

“I am, yeah,” Briar nodded.

“We should walk the site before discussions so my Pride sees you. It would be good for Pride relations. Cassandra isolated MacLaden. Their only contact with other Prides seems to be with Gerald MacGetty.”

“I like that idea,” Briar said. “I don’t think any of MacLaden Pride have come to the summits at Cypress Wood, either.”

“We need to change that.” I had forgotten about the summits, and the next one was in two months.

Jack joined us again with a bed in a bag, and the bedding was indigo blue. Jules clapped as he climbed down, and I scooped him up again.

“I’ll take this,” I said, and Briar held up his hand as he answered a phone call.

“Coleen, hey. Sophie called you? I see. He’s picked a bed, yeah.” Briar clapped me on the back, and Jack set the bedding on the mattress. “I’ll see you at four. You can take that from here.”

Jules kissed my cheek, and together, we counted spaces for the bed, the new bedding, and us home. The bed didn’t fit in his alcove, and he pouted over that. The tears were coming and I scooped him up again. “Don’t fuss now. Let’s go see if Jenkins is still here?”

Jules nodded and put his head down, shuddering against me. I walked through the house, and Sophie came too, wanting to know why Jules was upset. He hadn’t cried. He just fussed in French.

We reached the porch, and Jenkins stood by one of the work trucks. When the door opened, he looked up, and Sophie motioned for him to join us.

“Something wrong, my lord?” Jenkins asked.

“Papa got me a new bed an’ it doesn’t fit!” Jules grumbled.

I put my hand on his face and smiled at Jenkins. “He’s not ready for his own room. His toddler bed was cold, and he chose a new one that looks like a large pet bed, really. Comes with bedding. It’s really nice. It’s just huge.”

Jenkins laughed and touched the top of Jules’ head. “If I could see?”

I invited the man in, and he followed us through the pool room to my bedroom.

Jenkins went into the nursery and began moving wall panels. “These are to create the wall here, separating your papa’s room from yours. They aren’t sealed at the bottom; the air is coming beneath the wall.”

Jules’ bedroom extended to the outer wall of the hall, and he had a bathroom, too. I’d assumed it was wasted space. Jenkins and I hung half the wall separating Jules from me and hooked it into the floor so it didn’t move. Everything locked into place like a giant puzzle, and Jenkins stored the last panel in Jules’ closet, leaving the panel door on the left side. Jules’ closet opened into the bathroom, and he had one window now above his bed.

“I was expecting to tear out walls,” I laughed, and Jenkins smiled.

“No, my lord. Zee designed this because Axl hadn’t thought beyond Jules being two. Boys grow into men and will want their own space. This works for a few years,” Jenkins said. “I’ll let Zander show you the other secrets of the house.”

“There are other hidden spaces?” I asked, and Jenkins roared with laughter all the way to the front door.

Jules and I washed his new bedding and rearranged his bedroom. His toiletries went into his bathroom, and I placed the tablet on his little desk beside the bed.

“Papa, can I show Alex and Rhys?” Jules asked.

I checked the time and pulled up Indy’s contact info, showing Jules to press the video button. He placed the call, and when Indy answered, Jules went off in rapid French about everything and then asked to speak to the twins.

I changed the sheets on my bed, leaving him alone with his first phone conversation, and gathered the laundry to wash.

My pride would most likely know I chose not to see Barnham for a bed, but Jules was happy.