Layla glanced at our daughters. “For sure. I can’t believe they came out of me. But fate better not fuck with them.”
The press conference returned with a vengeance, clouding my mind. Layla would freak out when I told her about her sister Rianne.
I closed my eyes, swearing left and right in my head. The whole fucking world now knew we had a child but not quadruplets. Layla had never told Rianne she was having more than one. Regardless of the number, we would be hunted, more so than I’d ever thought. I had to do everything in my power to shield my children from the evil about to rain down, even if that meant giving my life to make it happen.
More importantly, the quicker Layla was on her feet, the faster she could train. The road ahead was about to become darker than I’d ever seen it.
8
LAYLA
For the first time in ages, I felt pure, sheer happiness. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this content. In the four years since my mom died of breast cancer, life had been one roller-coaster ride after another. My dad had been murdered, supposedly by a vampire. I’d met Sam, and then whoa. What a journey of epic proportions—physical, emotional, magical, and supernatural.
I also learned that my mom had vampires and witches in her family. I’d found out I carried the unique blood type to get impregnated by a vampire. My grandmother had turned evil. My crazy sister Rianne had joined her along with my cousin Noah. Sam had been kidnapped. I’d been taken as well. I’d gotten married in a handfasting ceremony. Then to add the cherry on top, I’d given birth to four tiny inhuman babies.
As much turmoil as Sam and I had been through, the journey up to this point had been worth it. Sam and I had made four precious and beautiful creatures. Fate had gotten it right, and for the moment, I wanted to bask in the love floating around the room and not dwell on whether one of my children had the ability to upset the balance of mankind.
My daughters were sound asleep, swaddled in pink wraps and beanies. One girl had black hair like her brother. The other two had red to reddish-brown hair. I had yet to hold them, but I didn’t want to disturb them. Truth be told, I’d only come out of surgery just over an hour ago. The fact that I was sitting up and ready to start the new chapter in my life was amazing, thanks to the magical elixir Dr. Vieira had given me. My healing process would be cut down by more than half.
Hallelujah. That meant I could get back into fighting shape sooner rather than later. I would need more energy than ever before to keep up with four littles and, of course, my hot-as-sin vampire husband—a chiseled beauty whose rough exterior was softened by his adorable son.
Sam bonding with his tiny look-alike was a moment to behold. Sam’s long lashes had swept downward as he fixated on Orion, a tear cascading down his face, with a loving grin that had my heart soaring and my stomach fluttering. I wished I had my phone to capture the heartwarming picture of father and son.
I couldn’t imagine what my husband had gone through. Doc and Jo had filled me in on what had happened during my delivery. I’d cried when I heard Orion had a rough start, then I was shocked to learn I died three times. Magic and miracles did happen, and I was grateful for the incredible medical team but also for the supernatural world I was now part of.
I was also relieved that I hadn’t suffered the same fate as Emily Crawford. She was the only human before me who had been pregnant with inhuman babies. Doc had been worried I would follow the same path, and I had but with some differences. She gave birth to twins not quadruplets, and while I’d died during childbirth, I’d returned to the living. As far as we knew, Emilywasdead, at least according to her medical record, although pages were missing. But just like her pregnancy, our babies grew faster in the womb and were born at five and a half months instead of nine.
Since I didn’t have my phone, I mentally imprinted the tender and loving scene into my psyche as I clutched on to my ruby engagement ring that was hanging from my necklace. It was a habit I’d developed from the moment Sam had clasped the chain around my neck. At first, I’d been afraid I might lose the gemstone, but as time passed, I clung to it whenever I was nervous or deep in thought.
The longer I stared at my babies, the more happy tears began to flow. I was so in love with Sam and now our new family. I wanted to steal them away and not subject them to the world, at least not until we could find peace. If my mom was right about the prophecy or my grandmother continued her quest or if my crazy sister Rianne was still alive— and the list went on—then living a blissful existence was a pipe dream.
But for the moment, in this room, among our babies, the prophecy and everything else could go fuck itself. I wanted to cherish every second I could before life walked through the door. I wanted to absorb the love peppering the air, swallow it, feel it, and bottle it up.
I gazed at my daughters, and joy bloomed like a bed of wildflowers on a warm summer day. I swung my legs over the bed on the side closest to the bassinets.
“What are you doing?” Sam asked in a gruff voice. “You need rest.”
I eyed him over my shoulder. “I need to hold my girls.”
Sam rose from the rocker. “I’ll bring them to you. Get back in bed.” His tone permitted no argument.
I snarled. “I’m perfectly fine.” I dug my palms into the mattress and pushed myself up, and dizziness washed over me. Well, shit. I guess it wasn’t a good idea to pop out of bed, so I sat back down. “Okay, you’re right.”
Mentally, I was ready to work out, kick some ass, and fend for myself, something I hadn’t done in months. Physically, I couldn’t do any of those things yet, and that pissed me off.
Easy, girl. The magical elixir is working, but Doc said you won’t heal instantly like a vampire.
Sam set Orion in the empty bassinet farthest from me. Then he came over, helped me back into bed, and kissed me on the head.
I flattened my hand on his unshaven face. “I never thought I would say this, but immortality would be nice right about now. That way I would heal as fast as you do and also spend eternity with you and the kids.”
As if I’d triggered a demonic memory, he flinched, his brow creasing.
Then it dawned on stupid me. “I don’t mean genetic engineering.” I would bet his mind had gone down that road. “I want to live by your side forever. But I would never take the serum.”
I shuddered at the memory of when Rianne had hooked me up to an IV bag filled with the crazy juice. Luckily the stars had aligned that horrific day in Intech’s lab when I’d woken up and ripped the needle from my hand. I’d learned later on that not enough of the serum had gone into me to turn me into a monster.
Sam’s broad shoulders slumped, losing that ten-ton weight he’d been carrying since he’d walked into the room.
