Page 3 of Cam's Treasure

"Nah, I'm sure they have food there. I can wait for a few more minutes."

"As you wish." Micah shot me a smile, and we left the house to walk the few blocks to Micah's parents’ place, my excitement mounting with every step I took.

Who would I hug first? Probably Ames. Then Dad and DD, at the same time. Then Cass and Gus, my fathers-in-law. Fathers-in-matehood?

I couldn't wait to see the look on their faces! It was going to be epic.

Two

Micah

I put my shields back up as we reached the stone bungalow I'd called home for more than a decade. My dad was a fire mage, so having a house that wouldn't burn down was kind of a must, though he had much better control of his magic now than when he'd first bought this place. I'd always loved our house, because it'd felt strong and impenetrable to me. No one could get to me or those I loved as long as those stone walls were between us.

Of course, the fact that my dads were a fire mage and a vampire also helped me feel safe when I was younger, and Dad's familiar, an eagle owl named April, had watched over me for years when I first came to live with them, before doing the same for my younger brothers, Mateo and Miles.

Since there were two dragons, two mages—Cam's older sister Amelia was also a mage—and a vampire inside, the front doorhad been left unlocked, so I didn't need to dig for my keys as we stepped inside.

Papa's purple eyes snapped up the moment I stepped through, and a wide smile spread his lips, giving off a peek at his fangs as he shot to his feet, rushing over to us with his vamp speed. "Micah! Cam!"

Dad and Cam's dads shot to their feet as Papa threw his arms around me in a tight hug, and I hugged him back, relaxing in his familiar cool embrace. Fuck, I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed this, missed my family, until now. I clung to him like I used to when I was younger and had a nightmare, and I had to bite my lip to keep from making a sound when Dad's big, warm arms wrapped around us both, squeezing just a little too tight like always. The contrasting cold and hot feel of my dads was as familiar to me as my own skin, and I soaked it all in, allowing my heart and soul to settle back into place.

I could've stood there for hours just hugging my dads, but then Mateo piped up. "So, are we going to get to hug our big brother or what?"

Giving a warm, rumbling laugh, Dad pulled back, and Papa followed suit, giving me a sheepish grin.

Cam was wrapped up in three sets of arms, his dads and his sister holding onto him. The sight made me smile, and then I grinned as I pulled Mateo and Miles into a tight hug, ruffling their blond hair even though they were quite a few inches taller than me. No matter how tall or old they got, they'd always be my little brothers, and they'd do well to remember it.

"It's good to have you back, X," Mateo said, and I rolled my eyes at the old nickname. It served me right for introducing him to the world of comics.

"I missed you, my little night owls." I squished them both closer, much to their disgruntlement. They were twenty-three now, but I still remembered them as the tiny little barn owls wholoved getting naked and shifting into their owl selves whenever they could get away with it.

"Ha ha, very creative. Now let us go so we can hug our brother-in-law."

"Yeah, we missed him a lot more than you, after all," Miles added with a sly grin, and I gasped, pressing my hand to my chest.

"How dare you!"

Laughing, they pulled back, taking a step away from me, and then Cam's dads and Amelia hugged me, while my family hugged Cam, because over the years, we'd all grown quite close to each other. Cam and his dad, William, were the only ones who shared a blood bond—and Miles and Mateo, of course—but all of our bonds were strong, because at the end of the day, we were all family.

I really had four dads and three siblings. Cam's family was mine, just like mine was his. Cam's dads had grounded me just as many times as mine, and they'd taken care of me just as much too.

Back in that basement cell in Ravenshire, the mage island where I'd been imprisoned as a kid because my telepathy was considered 'evil' for reasons I hadn't understood, I never could've imagined that this would be my life someday.

"How are you here? We thought you had no plans of visiting yet," Papa asked once everyone was done with the hugfest.

Before I could answer, Cam's stomach growled. Loudly.

He grinned sheepishly, while Dad grabbed his arm and led him to the couch. "Sit. I'll get you two something to eat."

Smiling softly, I watched him hurry into the kitchen, and I got the feeling he needed a moment alone. My dad was a big bad fire mage, and also a big freaking softie. He was probably a little overwhelmed by our sudden arrival. I glanced over at Papa, andwe shared a look as he smiled at me before making his way to the kitchen to check on Dad.

Joining Cam on the couch, I took his hand in mine, answering Papa's earlier question since I knew they could still hear me.

"We're not visiting."

"We're home for good," Cam finished, and Raiden—Cam's dragon dad, whom he'd started calling DD for short as a kid and never stopped—sat forward on the other couch, his eyes going wide.

"You're staying?" he asked hopefully, and I nodded.

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