Page 7 of Cam's Treasure

"Why you're surprised after all these years is what I don't get," I said as we walked the few blocks to Jai and Raphael's townhouse, the rain still pattering away on our umbrella. "You do remember Gus and Cass took you shopping when you first told them you wanted to try femme stuff, right?"

"I know! It just felt weird to have my father and brother staring at my belly button so intently," he said with flushed cheeks, making me chuckle. God, he could be so adorable sometimes.

"Well, would it make you feel better ifIstared intensely at your belly button?" My gaze slid to the piercing as I spoke, and Micah hissed much like Saaya before slapping his palm over his belly.

"Shut up!" he grumbled, muttering under his breath about how he never should've listened to me. Sure, I'd been the one who suggested he might like it, and I knew that he did. He was just embarrassed about all the attention he was getting because of it.

Sometimes, Micah still thought he wasn't the sexy-as-sin man I knew him to be, so I had to do things like this to make him realize it. Apparently, my compliments didn't count because I was his mate, so I had to make sure everyone else complimented him too. I'd do anything for him, and sometimes, I didn't think he knew that. I wished I could put my feelings into words so he'd know, but I just didn't feel like words were enough. So instead, I tried my best to show him.

Reaching Raph's place, I closed the umbrella as Micah knocked on the door, and the sound of familiar barking filled theair. Oof, I'd even missed Padfoot, their adorable gray husky, and Neya, Raphael's squirrel familiar.

I used to have a dog when I was younger, but after he got into a car accident, I couldn't bring myself to adopt another pet, especially because DD had blamed himself for a while after, even though it hadn't been his fault.

Maybe once we had our own house, we could adopt a pet together, one that wouldn't hate me the way Saaya did.

The door opened and Finn grinned at us, opening it wider so we could get inside. "It's good to see you, guys," he said as he pushed his glasses up, and I patted his shoulder as we walked inside.

On Finn's eighteenth birthday, he'd discovered what he was when he'd accidentally turned Jai to stone. Raphael had called DD in a panic, and DD had deduced that Finn, Penny, and Dean were a being that everyone had thought to be extinct. They were basilisks, able to turn anyone into stone for a while simply by looking at them. It was a defense mechanism, and DD and Rhiannon—the clan warlock—had made the glasses to nullify the effects of their eyes until they learned to master their magic. While Penny had already stopped using her glasses, Finn still wore his, even though I was sure he was more than adept at controlling his powers. I had a feeling turning Jai to stone had affected him hard, and it'd take him time before he felt truly comfortable.

"My babies!" Raphael shouted as he ran across the living room and threw his arms around us, pulling us into a tight hug. "I missed you so much."

"I swear he loves those two more than us," Finn joked, and I smiled because I was glad he could joke about it now. I remembered the early days when they'd first joined the clan, when Finn had been so afraid he and his siblings wouldn't be accepted here, wouldn't be wanted.

"Finn!" Penny, his younger sister said, and I heard a smack that I guessed was her smacking him in admonishment. Finn was twenty-six while Penny was twenty-two, and they both shared the same green eyes and red hair, though Finn's was darker with brown mixed in, while Penny's long hair was the blazing red of flames.

"Come on in. Jai's making the dosas now," Raph said, dragging us inside without letting us go, his arms thrown over both our shoulders as Padfoot danced in front of us, eager to say hello. The dog was over fifteen years old, and I wondered if Raph's magic was what kept him looking so young and healthy.

Jai smiled at us as we stepped into the kitchen, and we hurried over to give him a hug. Dean was helping him with the food, and his lips split into a wide grin as he waved a spatula at us.

"Sit, sit. The food's almost ready."

The scent of coconut chutney and hot sambhar filled the air, and my stomach growled loudly, making everyone laugh. I grinned unrepentantly as I started serving us the chutney and sambhar while Jai placed freshly made dosas on our plates. The thin, savory crepes called my name as I quickly started breaking pieces off to dip into the chutney before stuffing them in my mouth.

The flight last night had taken more out of me than I'd realized, and dinner had barely replenished me. Jai didn't seem to mind as he kept placing a fresh dosa on my plate every time I finished one.

I rolled my eyes as Raph, Penny, and Dean started taking bets on how many I'd eat, and I shot Micah a betrayed look when he joined in, to which he merely broke into laughter.

Fuck, I'd truly missed these people, missed moments like these.

Never again. I was never going be away from Mistvale for this long ever again.

Four

Micah

After breakfast, Cam caught up with Jai and Raphael while Finn and I found ourselves in his room. Out of all the other 'kids' in the clan, I was closest to Finn and Neel, the human son of an incubus named Memphis.

Finn and I understood each other. We were both on the quieter side, and we'd both seen way too much shit in our early years. We'd bonded over our traumas, and then discovered we actually shared some interests, which had turned us into good friends.

"I didn't take you for the piercing type," Finn said, nodding toward my belly button. I felt like there was a spotlight on the damned thing. Maybe I shouldn't have worn a crop top... "Don't get me wrong—it looks sexy as fuck." Finn's eyes slid to the door, as if he expected Cam to crash through. While my dragon matecouldget a little possessive, he was pretty good at letting others compliment me. In fact, it made him preen, like he was proud to be my mate.

"Cam talked me into it," I confessed as my cheeks turned pink. I did like the piercing, and it felt great when Cam played with it while we made out...or did other things. But I'd been pretty hesitant when we stopped in front of the tattoo shop, and I probably wouldn't have had the guts to do it if Cam wasn't by my side the whole time.

I wouldn't have the guts to do a lot of things without Cam.

"That sounds about right," Finn said with a chuckle, then sobered up. "Are you okay? With the whole mate thing?"

Finn was the only one I'd confessed my doubts about finding our mates to. I knew I could trust him to keep it to himself, and I'd needed to talk to someone, needed someone to tell me I wasn't a selfish asshole for wanting Cam all to myself for a while longer.

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