you wish.”
The butler disappeared into the house and Julianna turned to him, her smiling growing as her eyes fell on the large box under his arm. “More gifts?”
“Mind you, I’m not trying to buy their affections, but I thought it could help to convince them that I’m not all bad.”
Julianna closed the distance between them, placing her hand on his free arm. She cuddled up against him and released a happy sigh that hugged his heart. “Oh, my darling Aiden. I know you have nothing to fear. They will love you.”
Aiden could only smile and pray that she was right. He’d survived more centuries than he cared to remember. Fought in bloody battles, been scorched by the sun time and again, been sure that he would not survive to see another sunset, and none of it felt as terrifying as climbing the stairs with her. Any future and happiness he might have with Julianna hinged on these next few moments.
At the top of the stairs, she brought him over to a pair of doors. On the other side, he could hear the soft tinkle of piano keys being played, along with a pair of raised voices in argument. She placed her hands on the handles but paused, sighing loudly.
“Obviously, not the first impression we were trying for,” she muttered under her breath, and Aiden bit his bottom lip to hold back his smile.
She threw open the doors and they stepped inside in time to see two little boys wrestling in the middle of the room while an older boy was sitting at the piano, playing. The youngest of the four was sitting on the floor, leaning against the piano bench.
“Rafe! Bel! What are you doing?” Julianna demanded sharply.
The two wrestling boys parted and pushed to their feet. One looked up at his mother with wide, tear-filled eyes while the other stood apart, his expression mutinous as he glared at his brother. No…his twin. They had many similarities, but it was clear they were both the same age.
Aiden’s heart pounded as he took in all four boys with their thick black hair and sharp blue eyes. Little replicas of their beautiful mother. But it wasn’t just in their looks. There was a riveting intelligence in each pair of eyes, a stunning sharpness that warned Aiden there would be no pulling any tricks on them. She’d told him she had children, but she’d given him no details beyond that. Yet, there had been something in her look, or maybe her voice, that hinted to him they were her entire world.
“Mother, Rafe said he was going to smash my new telescope!” the one who was likely Bel cried. He stood straight, his slender shoulders painfully tensed while he roughly wiped tears from his eyes.
“He said he was going to name the first planet he discovered after Mrs. Pitts’s dog!” Rafe argued, his small body positively trembling with indignation.
“Rafe, really!” Julianna said with exasperation. “You know Bel can name a planet whatever he wants if he discovers one. If you want to name a planet something else, you’ll just have to discover one too. Now apologize.”
Bel sucked on his bottom lip as he stared at his twin, his heart in his eyes. Rafe’s shoulders slumped in an instant before he crossed the short distance between them and wrapped his arms tightly around him.
“So sorry, Bel. You know I’d never hurt your telescope,” Rafe mumbled.
Bel didn’t hesitate to hug him back. “It’s okay. I’ll help you find your own planet, Rafe.”
“A comet. I want to name a comet after Mother,” Rafe replied, and Aiden swore he melted into a puddle right there in the music room. He had no defense against them.
The oldest child slipped down from the piano bench and walked over to them, holding the hand of the youngest. His inquisitive gaze remained locked on Aiden while he kept his body positioned between himself and the little one. So protective.
“Aiden, I would like to introduce you to my sons,” Julianna began. She motioned to the tallest, who looked to be maybe thirteen or fourteen. “This is Marcus, my oldest son, and Winter, my youngest, is with him.” Her youngest couldn’t have been more than six or seven. He was a small, slender child with a wary look in his large eyes. Both children bowed politely, and Aiden returned it before he extended his hand to Marcus, and then Winter.
“It is an honor to meet you, Master Marcus, Master Winter,” Aiden said.
“My lord,” Marcus