“Before I go into detail, I’ll call Steven and ask him to join us along with Sam. That way I’ll only need to explain things once.”
“Can Jordyn be here too?” I really didn’t want her suffering anymore. Although I was afraid of how I would react to my sister.
“I don’t see why not, and Jordyn will be a test to see how you fare with her,” he said as he dialed Steven. “But I suspect that since you’ve been drinking blood for months now, you can control your bloodlust around humans.”
He had a lot of confidence in me that I wouldn’t have until I could know for sure. “Ask Sam to bring our children too.” I also had to know and be absolutely sure I would be okay around them. I would stab myself if I was even tempted to sink my fangs into my babies.
After Dr. Vieira called Steven, I drank two bottles of blood in preparation to meet my sister and Agnes, as well as my children, as a brand-new vampire. To say I was nervous was an understatement. I felt as though I was meeting everyone for the first time, and I wanted them to like me. After all, in my mind I was still Layla, but I was now a predator. If my dad was watching over me from his grave, he was probably cussing left and right.
Yet I was also jumping up and down that I wouldn’t grow hair or claws. Fate was on my side this time.
I was biting my nails and pacing between the lab benches when someone knocked on the double doors an hour later.
Dr. Vieira hurried over and unlocked it.
My husband waltzed in, freshly showered—damp hair hung to his shoulders, his face was clean-shaven, and he was wearing his military uniform as he pushed the stroller with our son in it.
I rushed up to Sam and Orion and squatted down. “Hey, baby boy.” My heart swelled as I sniffed the air. Aside from Orion’s baby scent, nothing about him caused my fangs to drop or my bloodthirst to surface. “Where are the girls?”
“They’re at Jo’s house,” Sam said, placing a hand on my back. “We decided to just bring Orion to test things out.”
I smoothed a hand over Orion’s thick black hair. His green eyes were bright as he watched me while sucking on his pacifier. I couldn’t even begin to describe the love I had for him. Or the happiness I had that I had no desire to drink his blood.
I squeezed his tiny foot. He was dressed in a onesie, showing his chubby legs. His feet were covered in socks, and he had a bib around his neck. Then I leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you so much.”
I stood to my full height and threw myself at my husband, who smelled amazing with his woodsy scent doing things to my body that weren’t appropriate in front of Orion. “I’m a vampire.”
“I heard.” Sam laughed. “How are you?”
“Aside from wanting a hot shower and to sleep,” I said, “I’m fantastic. It’s like I’m seeing the world in a whole new light. I can hear sounds from faraway. My sense of smell is strong, and I feel invincible, almost.”
He moved strands of blood-caked hair behind my ear. “All the benefits of being a vampire.” He leaned into my ear. “When we’re alone, you’ll feel things like never before,” he whispered. “If you get my drift.”
Heat rose to pinch my cheeks as I understood his meaning. He’d always said he could smell my lust. If he could, then Doc could as well. So I picked up Orion. “Dr. Vieira, when will my children’s fangs grow in?” I had to change the subject and shake off thoughts of Sam and me naked.
“Considering I don’t have any experience with inhuman babies, I can’t give you a firm answer,” he said. “It might be when they start teething or when they lose their baby teeth.”
Either way, it would be a challenge to deal with four children and their bloodlust. But I didn’t care. I was alive. I was immortal. And I had my family for an eternity.
I carried Orion as Sam and I ambled over to the stool I’d been sitting in. “You were right, Dr. Vieira. I’m fine around Orion.”
The doors groaned open, and Steven, Jordyn, and Agnes sauntered in.
My gaze rounded on Jordyn first.
She had her mouth hanging open. “Is that really you, Layla?” Jordyn’s brown eyes were wide with amazement.
“It’s me, sis,” I said as Sam grabbed Orion from me.
“I can’t decide if I’m more stunned that you’re alive or a vampire,” Jordyn said.
“Join the club,” I volleyed in return, sniffing the air. A sugary mixture of vanilla and fruit wafted into my nostrils, and I couldn’t stop my canines from dropping. Humans did smell totally different from vamps, even discounting colognes, perfumes, and scented soaps. Sam, Doc, Steven, and Orion had neutral odors.
Holy shit!
Agnes flinched. Jordyn didn’t. Instead, my sister, brave as ever, padded over to me, chin held high, curiosity steeped in her brown eyes. “You’re glowing. Every scratch that Rianne inflicted is gone. Your ear is attached again.”
I closed my lips tightly until my fangs retracted despite that scratchy burn in the back of my throat. While I was pregnant, I had the same feeling when I needed blood. The difference now was that I had canines and my sense of smell had increased a hundredfold.
