Page 42 of Cam's Treasure

The hostess led us to a private nook behind a half-wall partition, with a big couch, a coffee table, and a thick, soft rug underneath.

Micah took a seat on the couch while Cam settled on the rug with his legs crossed. I took the other side of the couch and watched as their eyes roamed around the place.

"It feels so cozy. I love it," Micah murmured, and I smiled. I'd hoped he would like this place, since the paintball had been more Cam's style, and I was glad I'd gotten it right.

This date was going better than I'd hoped for, and I was so very glad for it.

Eighteen

Cam

This place was very Micah, and it was clear he liked it. I liked it too. It had a very cozy, homey vibe, and the rug I was sitting on was insanely soft and comfortable. I could easily imagine Ember dreaming up something like this. He had a very strong caretaker vibe. Like I'd first thought,Daddy.

Even though he'd only known us for a few days, Ember already seemed to have quite a good idea of what made us tick. He'd picked paintball for our first-date activity, which I'd loved, and now dinner at this beautiful place that Micah was clearly in love with. He'd managed to find balance in a way that Micah and I both enjoyed the date and never felt like one of us had gotten more consideration than the other.

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if the whole date had catered solely to Micah's tastes—it was what I did whenever itwas my turn to plan a night out—but it felt nice to be thought about. Not that Micah didn't think of me when we went out. Whenever it was his turn, we usually went somewhereIwould enjoy.

The menu was full of comfort food items, and the three of us ordered a large variety of dishes. Ember explained that as the end of his cycle grew closer, he had a much larger appetite since his body was storing up energy for the rebirth and the 'growing up again' part. I wondered what that was like, and when Ember told us he'd be happy to answer any questions we had, it almost broke my brain as a multitude of questions crowded for attention.

"When you're growing up again, are you mentally that age too? Or just physically?"

"The brain grows along with the rest of the body, so my mental capacity is the same as the physical one at any given age," Ember explained, his blue eyes warm as they flicked between me and Micah.

Micah had inched a little closer to Ember in the fifteen or so minutes since we'd sat down, and he was watching Ember with rapt attention.

You're so smitten, I told him through our mental link, and his cheeks flushed a bright red as he shot me a scowl, his expression clearing instantly when Ember turned to look at him.

"Do you have any questions, Micah?"

Micah blinked, seemingly surprised to get addressed directly. He swallowed a few times, his lips moving without a sound coming out, and I was just about to jump in and rescue him when Ember raised a palm at me in the universal sign of 'wait,' his body blocking his hand from Micah's sight.

"Uh, yes," Micah said finally, and I relaxed back onto the rug. It seemed like Ember was already learning how to read our mate. "Do you still have your memories? Once you're reborn?"

That...hadn't occurred to me yet, but Micah had asked the most important question. Because if he didn't, would we have to rebuild our relationship every hundred years?

Ember pursed his lips, and I couldn't quite tell what he was thinking, whether the answer was good or bad.

"Yes, and no," he answered finally, and if he hadn't continued almost immediately, I would've snarked something like, 'Well, that clears everythingrightup.' But he saved me from making an ass of myself. "When I'm still 'growing,' the memories are hazy, like they're being stored in some vault in the corner of my mind because it is incapable of dealing with all the hundreds of years. But once I'm fully grown, they return to me again."

Micah and I shared a look, both of us relieved by the answer. If it had been no, if we had to win Ember over every hundred years, I knew we would've done it, but I had a feeling it would've broken our hearts to know Ember had forgotten all the memories we'd built together. I imagined without that, being a phoenix would feel more like a punishment than a reward.

Our food arrived then, and we—but mostly Ember and I—jumped on it like we were starving.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed after taking my first bite of the garlic and mint chicken. "It tastes like something DD would make."

Usually, every restaurant had a flavor of its own, something that made food taste different to homemade cooking. But here, the meal tasted exactly like something I'd eat at home. It was amazing.

Micah's eyes were sparkling as he ate, and Ember's eyes flicked between us both, as if my declaration wasn't enough to assure him the meal was fabulous.

He waited until he'd finished eating to ask, "You like it then?"

"Yes," Micah answered emphatically, and Ember grinned, looking relieved.

"It truly does feel like home here." I meant it too, though for me, part of the reason was the fact that my mates were here with me. I had a feeling that as long as they were around, any place could.

You're such a sap, Micah said in my mind, fondness lacing his tone, and I grinned at him. I wasn't going to deny him, because I owned my sappiness. I wasn't the type of person who kept my feelings to myself, not when saying it out loud might make someone smile.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Ember. This place is wonderful," I said, and Ember's blue eyes brightened, his lips widening in a smile.See?

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