Suddenly, one of the girls started crying.
He whisked a hand over his black hair, then picked up our daughter closest to us.
The minute she was in his arms, she quieted as if her daddy was the baby whisperer.
Instantly, the color returned to his ashen and tired face as his dimples emerged, his lopsided grin awakening the butterflies in my stomach. “What shall we name you?”
Goose bumps sprinted along my arms as warmth bloomed in my chest. “We have Luna, Bianca, Elara, Phoebe, Danica, and Aurora on the list.” The names had various meanings but mostly aligned with the stars and planets, which was important to Sam.
I’d never been interested in any of the sciences or had given much credence to what a name meant. Growing up, I was more interested in how to hunt and kill vampires than the constellations. Nevertheless, I loved the names we’d come up with, especially Luna.
He rocked his upper torso. “You have your momma’s blue eyes. And do I see some reddish strands poking out of the pink beanie? How about Bianca or Elara?”
“Isn’t Elara the moon around Jupiter?” We’d researched names, argued over some, tossed some out, and in the end, we had several we both liked. I was dead set on using the name Luna, but the girl in his arms didn’t strike me as a Luna. To me, our daughter with black hair did. Maybe because her hair was the color of night, and Luna meant goddess of the moon. “Your middle name is Jupiter. Elara seems fitting, and we can call her Ellie for short or El.”
“Then Elara it is,” he said just as the other two girls woke up, crying.
Sam’s eyes grew wide.
I broke out into a laugh. “This is only the beginning, vampire. Feeding time will be quite the task.” As would changing diapers and everything else that came with raising quadruplets.
I’d decided not to breastfeed. Four mouths would be hard to juggle. Of course, it was doable, but I was concerned the supernatural aspect might bring on its own challenges. Fangs came to mind. I didn’t mind Sam’s fangs in my thighs or neck, but my nipples—not so much. Supernatural aspects aside, the easiest course to take was bottle-feeding.
“But we have Jordyn to help us,” I added.
My sister agreed to be our nanny since she wasn’t working on Sawyer’s tech team. The SEALs had suspended her for sneaking off with our now-deceased cousin Junior. Jordyn had the notion that she could bargain with our nutty grandmother for my life. She’d convinced Junior to take her to Intech’s facility in West Virginia, the place where I had been held against my will. Tragically, they’d gotten into a car accident that had taken Junior’s life.
A chill crept down my spine as something occurred to me. “Is Jordyn okay? I remembered she was trying to get into the prison before I blacked out.”
He cringed slightly as he handed me Elara.
She became fussy the second she was in my arms. Maybe because I was wound tight, waiting for Sam to answer me. After all, my husband was an empath, and I had no doubt one of our children would have that special ability.
“Tell me, Sam. How is my sister?” My voice hitched. She hadn’t been herself since she and Junior had gotten into a car accident.
He picked up our black-haired beauty and gazed down at her. But he wasn’t beaming like he had with Elara, and a muscle jumped along his jaw. I doubted his ire had anything to do with his daughter and a lot to do with Jordyn. But whatever was plaguing Sam had to wait.
“They’re hungry.” I stabbed a thumb behind the bassinets at the bottles on the counter by the sink. “The nurses made up bottles of formula.”
Sam collected two bottles and handed me one. The second we began feeding Elara and her sister, they quieted, but their other sister was bawling.
Taking care of four babies would be a challenge, but once I got them home, I’d planned out a schedule to feed them thirty minutes apart. Hopefully, the routine would work.
The door opened, and Jo glided in. Her black hair was damp and free about her shoulders. She’d changed out of her scrubs and into a blue blouse, black cotton slacks, cute silver flats, and a lab coat with her name stitched into the chest.
“I was just coming to check on you. Perfect timing,” she said with pep in her step, eager to hold one of her nieces or her nephew.
Before I could track her movements, our third daughter was in her arms. “Auntie Jo is here. Let’s get you a bottle.”
Sam went over to the glider and dropped down into it, a sigh escaping him.
I giggled. “Are you ready for all this, vampire?”
Despite the exhaustion plaguing him, he said without hesitation, “One hundred fucking percent.”
I fell in love with him all over again.
The minute our third daughter had a bottle in her mouth, silence reigned.
