I nodded, then shook my head. "Halina in love...what is the world coming to?"
Both vampire women laughed, my children joining along, even though they didn't understand what we were laughing at.
A few hours later, after running through every room in the massive spread that the Adams lived in, my breathless children ran up to me in the living room. Relaxing with a glass of wine and rustling my feet in Spike's fur as he stretched out in front of the enormous, artistic fireplace, I lazily smiled at them as they crawled all over me.
Julian sat in my lap while Nika grabbed my face. "Mommy, can we go see Daddy?"
Feeling that Teren was no longer near the place where the "incident" with the cows had happened, I nodded at them. Julian squealed and then they took off, running out the backdoor to where they could sense him. Spike lifted his head as they darted between Alanna's legs, but then rested back down, too comfortable to chase after them. I felt the same way.
Alanna smiled at my contentment, patting my shoulder, then when on about maintaining the luxurious home that they lived in. I closed my eyes, offering to help, and heard her chuckle and tell me to relax as she slipped out of the main building to one of the other side buildings.
The ranch had three buildings in all, the main two-story dwelling being where the family stayed, with Halina's room being underground. The side buildings held various rooms along with several guest rooms. And all the buildings formed a U shape around a huge swimming pool in the back yard. Coming here was like coming to a resort. Getting married here had been idyllic.
Settling back into the couch, I felt my family reunite. I smiled at the mental image of Teren and his dad greeting the kids. Teren's dad, Jack, was completely human, but obviously in the loop. He adored those kids, doting on them nearly as badly as the vampiric women. It would be a miracle if I could somehow raise those two without them getting spoiled to pieces.
Setting my empty glass on the coffee table, I drifted in and out of alertness, my hearing and smell drifting in and out as well. I could make out Imogen and Alanna talking to each other, even though they weren't anywhere near the other. I could smell the roast Alanna had broiling in the kitchen, along with the hint of fresh blood that was still wafting in the room from outside. I could hear and sense Spike's breathing, steady and slow, as he too started drifting off.
It was some time later when my eyes popped back open and my alertness slowly returned to me. I stretched out, Spike wrapped around my feet, groaning lightly as I moved him. Mentally rolling my eyes, I wondered why this ranch constantly wore me out, even if hadn't done anything. Maybe it was just so comfortable here that it lulled me into submission. I think I preferred that thought.
Sitting up, I yawned slightly. Glancing out back, to when I could still see bright rays of afternoon sun glinting off the water in the pool, I felt for the other vampires.
Imogen was in her room, waiting out the remnants of day, her knitting needles clacking away. Alanna and Jack were talking about the attack in the kitchen; apparently a mountain lion had taken down two cows, one with child. Both Alanna and Jack were upset about it. As Imogen offered to stay out nights when Halina was away, to spook off any would-be predators, I felt for my children.
Their presence always in the back of my mind, I felt them outside with Teren, still playing in the pastures. Standing, I listened to Alanna and Imogen work out a plan to watch-guard the property when their nocturnal predator was away with her boyfriend. I felt bad that I couldn't help. Seeing as how I could barely keep my eyes open here during the day, I knew I wouldn't be very helpful on guard duty. Plus, I knew they wouldn't let me do it. Not while I was alive. Not when I didn't have the super healing attributes that they all had as undead vampires. They'd keep me away from danger just as surely as I kept the kids out of danger.
Quietly leaving them to their conversations, I went to go find my darlings. As I stepped into the bright California sunshine, I heard Alanna address me. "Emma, tell the kids I have some fresh cow's blood for them."
I shook my head at her thoughtfulness. "Okay, thank you, Mom."
"You're welcome, dear."
As I heard the conversations shift back to the cows, I blurred across the fields to find the hearts that lingered outside of my body, beating or not. Streaking to the very east fields, I slowed to a normal pace.
As I walked into an empty pasture, to where I could sense Teren and my children, I came across a scene that made my heart surge. My husband was playing with them in the way that most men played with their offspring. He was laughing as he tossed them into the air. I was fine with that. Children, for some odd reason, loved being chucked around. What made my heart surge though was the fact that Teren was chucking them "vampire style."
He would toss one in a sideways arch, the child laughing and giggling as they flew through the air. Then he would blur to where they were going to land and catch them. It was like he was playing catch with himself...with my children.
The toddlers squealed and giggled, begging him for more, their little faces alive with love and joy and complete faith that their father would never let them get hurt. Their tiny growing minds probably didn't even comprehend the meaning of the word. Daddy had them. They were safe.
My mind had a little more understanding of just what could go wrong with Teren's little game. Blurring over to him, I grabbed his hand when he was about to fling our giggling daughter. "Teren Nathaniel Adams! That's enough of that!"
He looked over at me, a huge grin on his face as he swayed Nika back and forth in his arms, still prepping to launch her. "What? They love this. They've been asking me to do it all day." He turned to Julian sitting on the grass beside us. "Right, little man?"
Julian grinned and clapped his little hands, his fangs extended in his merriment. As I looked at Teren's miniature clearly enjoying himself, I sighed. Teren took my moment of indecision to chuck our daughter into the air. I gasped as I watched her tiny limbs flail about. He'd thrown her pretty far, and my heart started to race. He was already speeding over to her, but what if he missed? The ground wasn't exactly a soft cushion. She'd break something for sure and with her mixed blood, we couldn't take her to a doctor.
Just as my hands were going to my face, he caught her in a bucket scoop, twisting his body with the movement so the landing would be a gentle one for her. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck while he chuckled at her. "Again, Daddy!"
The vision of them together was heartwarming, but there was just no way I was letting this continue. My heart couldn't take it. Blurring over to him, I grabbed Nika, scooping her up and resting her on my hip. Julian had already blurred over to us, only tripping once halfway through the field, and I grabbed his hand before he reached Teren.
"Me, Daddy. My turn!"
Teren reached down for his son, but I pulled them both a step away from him. He glanced up at me and rolled his eyes, a slow grin spreading on his face. "I think Mommy's had enough of our fun for today," he said, his grin widening.
Clutching my children tightly, I twisted my lips at him. "I wish you'd keep in mind that they don't heal like you do. They're mostly human, you know."
He put his hands on his hips. "Do you really doubt my abilities? I wouldn't let them get hurt. Ever."
I sighed, knowing he meant well. I just also knew that things happened that were beyond our control. Our entire family was sort of proof of that. "I trust you with them, Teren." I shrugged and sighed again. "I just can't handle the what-ifs."
He tilted his head and then gently shook it. "Still the worry-wart."
I laughed in spite of myself. "One of us has to be."
The kids started complaining once they realized their vampiric games were over. "No, more, more, more." They started chanting that in unison, their little hands reaching out to Teren. Sometimes I cursed the fact that we'd ever taught them to speak. It was much easier to redirect an infant that couldn't talk back to you.
Turning to head toward the house, I pulled Julian's arm and held Nika tighter. Both were trying to escape me, to get back to Teren. "Nope, fun's over for now."
They started crying in earnest and Teren laughed, rustling Julian's hair before patting him on the back. "Go with Mom." Ducking down to Julian's height, he added, "We'll play again later."
Julian giggled, his small face identical to the grown man before him, right down to the devilish grin. I gave Teren a scathing glare as he stood, but he only laughed at my look and shrugged. "What?"
Groaning in frustration, I tugged Julian's arm. He willingly went with me, knowing Daddy had promised him more flying later. "Come on kids, Grandma has some blood for you and it's getting cold." That immediately got their attention, and squealing in delight, they both jerked away from me.
Setting Nika down and letting Julian go, I watched them streak off to the house. I completely understand their enthusiasm; I was getting a little thirsty myself.
Chuckling, Teren walked up to me and grabbed my hand. Sighing, I looked over at him. The sunlight bounced off his dark hair, creating a ring of light in it. It highlighted his pale eyes, showcased the sexy stubble. Even though I didn't want to, I found myself responding to just looking at him. He smiled wider as he sensed where my mood had shifted to. Grabbing my waist, he pulled me into him. "They're fine, but I'll stop if it really bothers you."
His hand started rubbing a circle into my hip. It made a jolt of desire flash through me. He leaned in, inhaling deeply. "Yes, please." I wasn't sure if I was responding to his statement, or the unasked question our bodies were starting to ask.
Alone time with children was a tricky thing. Especially when those children were super fast and had amazing hearing. Plus, they always knew where we were, thanks to the bond, and since we were their favorite people to be around, that usually meant...they were around. It had been awhile since Teren and I had been truly alone. And as they were preoccupied in the house with the other vampires, we had a bit of time.
A growl came out of Teren's chest as he pulled our h*ps so they were touching. I could feel his desire too. My breath came in sharper pulls as my arms laced around his neck, my fingers twirling in his hair. Our lips met, soft and searching. He sucked on my lower one, swishing his cool tongue over me. I groaned and grabbed his backside. Grinning, he adjusted his mouth to fully enclose mine.
As that miraculous man's cool mouth made every fiber of my body burn with the need for more, he reached down and picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. Within seconds we were flying, traveling farther away from where I could sense our kids. I wasn't worried though, Alanna was with them, probably feeding them and telling them childhood tales of Teren.
As we stopped, I looked around briefly. He'd taken me to one of his favorite spots here. It was a wide, slow moving creek winding its way through a low spot in the hills. Long tufts of grass lined the banks and under today's perfectly azure sky, the water sparkled like tiny diamonds. It wasn't a childhood haunt, since he hadn't grown up on this particular ranch, like I'd once imagined, but it was idyllic and lovely and I liked to imagine a young Teren here, lying out under the stars.
He knelt down by the edge of the creek, my legs still wrapped around him, and then he laid me back in the tall grass. We'd made love here before, what seemed a lifetime ago, when we'd been trying to conceive those little miracles he'd been tossing around earlier. The spot held a warm place in my heart. It wasn't the only spot on me that was currently warm.