Page 103 of Cam's Treasure

Ember was warm, and an utter softie. He turned into putty when he was fucked, made the best noises, and loved all kinds of touching, whether it was a simple hug, a cuddle with a movie, or a hard fuck.

"Really?" Ember asked, voice breathless, and Kai nodded.

"I love you too. And you," Ember added, glancing up at me. "And you," he told Micah, making him smile.

I leaned down to kiss his hair, while Micah dropped a kiss on the arm he'd wrapped around Kai.

"I love you too. Both of you," Micah said, his eyes flicking between Kai and Ember.

"I love all three of you, and I have since the day our parents introduced us to each other, Micah, and since the day you crashed into our backyard, and since the day you almost cracked your head open on that rock, Kai."

Three sets of eyes blinked at me, and I shrugged. "My dragon knew you were mine the moment we met, even if it took some time for the human side of me to get with the program."

They continued to stare at me for a moment longer before Micah smiled. "All right. I guess that makes sense." I grinned, and he shook his head before sitting upright. "I'm really glad we found you. Or rather, that you found us. I don't know if I ever told you this, but I was actually very worried. I was...insecure, and I thought you might like Cam more than me, or that he might like you two better, and I wouldn't be needed or wanted anymore. It was a stupid fear—"

I growled, cutting Micah off as my dragon reacted without my input as it always did when Micah talked badly about himself.

He smiled, and dipped his head in silent apology.

"Okay, it wasn't a stupid fear, but it was a baseless one. I haven't felt that way once since you arrived, and I'm really glad to have you both in our lives."

Ember and Kai smiled up at Micah, and I was so, so grateful in that moment. I'd felt like such an ass when I'd realized Micah wasn't ready to meet our mates and I'd been dragging him all over the globe in the hopes of doing just that. It made me happy to see him with our mates, to know that his fears had been laid to rest.

"I can understand why you felt that way," Kai said as he sat up and leaned against Micah to offer comfort. "When I first arrivedhere, after I decided to accept your claim that we're mates," he grinned, as if the idea that we'd lied was amusing now, "I was worried that I wouldn't have a proper place in your relationship, that the three of you were already a well-oiled machine and I'd just mess things up. I don't feel like that anymore of course, but in the beginning, I did. I think it's natural to be a little doubtful."

"I agree. I..." Ember trailed off, and I got the feeling he had something on his mind.

"Go on," Micah urged softly, and I knew he knew what Ember was struggling with, but he was letting him say it out loud at his own pace.

"I didn't feel hesitant in the beginning, even though I could feel how close you two were. I just wanted to be a part of your relationship, to take care of you," Ember said with a smile, and I smiled back at him even as I worried what he meant by 'in the beginning.' Did he mean he felt like he didn't belong now? Had I done something to make him feel that way?

"But now with my symptoms getting worse and the end of my cycle approaching...I guess I'm just worried. I hate that I'll be apart from you for six months, and I hate it even worse that I won't remember you during that time. I wish I could, but I won't, and I don't want you to be hurt by that. I guess I'm just concerned about how much things will change while I'm gone. Six months never seemed as long before as they do now."

Sitting upright, I wrapped my arms around Ember, pulling him to me as I kissed his cheek. "We'll miss you very much, but you don't have to worry about hurting us. We're big boys. We can handle it. And when you're back, the four of us will go on a trip to celebrate."

"That's a good idea," Micah said with a smile, and Kai nodded in agreement.

Ember glanced between us before relaxing in my arms, an amused look on his face. "It's too early for all this serious talk," he grumbled, making me laugh.

"Good communication makes a good relationship, so I'm happy to have serious talks whenever necessary," I declared. It was something I'd learned from my dads—from their wins and their mistakes—and I planned on making sure to follow that rule in my relationship. I didn't want to make a mistake like I did with Micah ever again, and if that meant having big conversations at nine in the morning, then so be it.

Forty-Two

Ember

Talking with the others made me feel better, and after a few minutes, we climbed out of bed. Only, now that the conversation was over and we weren't half covered beneath the sheets, I noticed something I hadn't before.

"Kai, is that…" I pointed to his chest, and he glanced down, eyes widening when he saw the four-pointed star on the center of his chest, all four points equally dark.

Cam and Micah had followed my gaze, and Cam grinned, then glanced at his own hip. "Oh! Mine's all colored in too!" Then he glanced at Micah, and even I could see the darker mark on his shoulder. "So is yours!"

Then all eyes turned on me, and I glanced down at myself, smiling when I found a mirroring mark on my right thigh. Last night, I'd been too out of it to notice. Had it appeared when wehad sex? Or when Kai told us he loved us? I hadn't been awake by then, but the others hadn't realized either.

We shared a few kisses to celebrate the completion of our bond, but before it could go any further, I pulled away. We needed sustenance, so I slipped into my clothes from last night, and decided to make breakfast while the other three freshened up. I could shower once they were done.

While the bathroom in the master bedroom was big enough that all four of us could probably fit comfortably, we hadn't tried it yet. Maybe someday, I mused as I made my way downstairs after kissing my mates.

In the kitchen, I quickly whipped up a filling breakfast of fresh fruit, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon.

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