Page 152 of The Heat of Us

He flopped himself down across my bed, laying himself out like a naked centrefold. “You can check if you don’t believe me,” he offered, with a flourish of his hand around his nether regions.

I giggled. “Maybe later, Remy.” He winked and set off a minor implosion of butterflies in my stomach.

“Wow, you really have it bad, don’t you?” Aleks observed.

“Shush, you.”

Ben eventually returned but he didn’t come alone, bringing a couple of visitors with him. A screaming, blonde-haired blur launched itself at me.

“Am I allowed to hug you?”

It was a futile question as Juno was almost completely horizontal on my bed from how enthusiastically she had thrown herself into greeting me.

I squeezed her back. “Yes. I demand it, actually.”

Isaac had accompanied her. He stood with Remy and Aleks, all three of them watching us with lost-looking expressions. Ben, however, seemed extremely conflicted over my joy (good) and his sister’s joy (annoying).

“How are you feeling?” Juno patted her clothes back into place. She did a double take at the bondmark on my neck. “Wait a minute. Ben said there might be a surprise.” Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

She looked at Ben. Back at me. Ben. Me.

I was once again suffocated by her python-like hug and her hair in my face.

“If you break up I want you to have custody of me,” Juno said, just loud enough for Ben to hear as well.

Ben threw his hands up. “Literally just standing here,” he said, offended.

“I’m kidding, god, you take everything so seriously,” Juno huffed, sitting back up. She turned so only I could see her face. I’m not kidding, she mouthed. I just about popped a vein trying to keep my expression straight.

“Anyhoo, Isaac has updates for you all.” Juno hopped off the bed and motioned to Isaac. I hid a smile, knowing exactly who led their pack.

“Hi Hazel, I’m glad you’re back.” Isaac cast a glance at his omega. “Juno was very worried.”

“I don’t plan on doing it ever again, if that helps,” I told him blandly.

The corners of his eyes crinkled. “It does.” His face grew serious. “It’s only been a few days but you should know that the investigation into your case is being pursued. From what I understand, they managed to get their people on the scene to collect evidence before your mother and Damien could get rid of it all.” Isaac frowned and scratched his jaw. “They also mentioned something about a mountain of physical evidence as to Hazel being there?”

My cheeks went beet red. I tried to cover it with my hands and the heat radiated through my fingers.

“Hazel,” Ben said deliberately. “Is there something you want to tell us?”

“I, um…” How to phrase this without sounding like a lunatic? “...thought I was being murdered so I left my hair and fingerprints…and saliva and footprints on things.”

Ben and Remy stared at me agape, and I could sense Ben’s distress at where my mind had gone when I was taken.

Aleks’ face however, split into a wide grin. “That’s my girl.”

Isaac looked like he wasn’t sure what to do with this information. He cleared his throat and continued. “The lead investigator will need a statement from all of you. I couldn’t work around that. I hope I wasn’t being presumptuous but I said you would be available to talk in an hour and she’s happy to come here. I figured you’d want to get it out of the way before…” His eyes swung around surveying all of us before landing on a blank bit of wall above all our heads. “...you know.”

All the fucking and bonding.

I turned to Juno. “He’s my favourite.”

She laughed, hugging his arm and looking up at him, completely besotted. “He’s pretty perfect, isn’t he?”

Isaac’s ears went an interesting shade of crimson.

Ben stepped in. “We can’t thank you enough for your help. I can take over the police dealings from here.” The two primes shook hands.

---