Page 15 of Cam's Treasure

"That sounds good. Maybe we can scar your dads now that we've scarred DD," he joked, and I rolled my eyes at him. The memory of Raiden blaring pop songs in his ears and singing at the top of his voice made me crack up, though, and I chuckled as I pushed him away.

"You're a menace."

"Yeah, but I'myourmenace."

"That you are." I pulled him close at the top of the stairs so I could kiss him.

"Ugh, do we really have to be subjected to all this sappiness? When are you moving out?" Mateo demanded, and I pulled back to scowl at my brother.

"Shut up, Mateo." While Miles and Mateo were identical twins, their personalities were wildly different, and unless they were quiet or asleep, I could usually tell which one of them it was simply by the way they spoke. Or if they spoke at all.

Mateo stuck his tongue out at me, then glanced at Cam. "We're trying to see how far one of us can throw the other in their owl form. Wanna come and take a shot?"

I wasn't even offended he hadn't asked me, since I knew I threw like I'd never held a ball in my life. Like I'd told him before, Cam was a big brother to Mateo and Miles, and he'd taught them all he knew about causing mischief, which was a lot. If Dad didn't love him so much, he'd have set him on fire many times over the years.

Cam's eyes sparkled at the idea, and he glanced at me, giving me his big pleading eyes. How it still worked on me after all these years, I didn't know, but I found myself rolling my eyes and waving him off.

Grinning, he leaned forward and smacked a kiss on my lips before racing down the stairs after Miles. He did things like that, then asked me why he was so tired.

Shaking my head wryly, I walked back down the stairs in search of my dads. I hadn't had the chance to catch up with my dads on my own, and this was as good a time as any. Not that there was anything we wouldn't say in front of Cam. He was as much a part of this family as me, but he had a tendency of dominating any conversation he was a part of. While I didn't mind that at all—especially when I wasn't feeling particularly social and he carried the conversation so I wouldn't have to—I did want to talk to my dads, to see how they were doing.

"Hey, Micah! Dinner's almost ready," Papa said as he shot me a grin, his twin fangs peeking out.

My stomach rumbled happily as I hopped onto a barstool across the counter, watching with a soft smile as my dads moved around the kitchen in a dance they'd been doing for years. They were so in tune with each other, and I hoped Cam and I—and our other mates—would be just like them someday.

"How are you, kiddo?" Dad asked, walking around the counter to throw his big arm around my shoulders as he pulled me into his side. Raphael called my dad Cassybear, and I thought the name fit him perfectly. With his big, cuddly body, red beard, and his long-ish red hair, my dadwasa bear. But he was also the sweetest, kindest man I knew, and he was a lot closer to a teddy bear than a grizzly. He also gave the best hugs in the world.

"I'm good. I'm really happy to be back home," I said with a grin, and Papa frowned at me from across the counter.

"You didn't enjoy your trip?" he asked, immediately on alert. While Dad was a teddy bear, Papa was more like a papa bear, extremely protective of his kids, and ready to throw hands—or rip into throats—at a moment's notice if he felt one of his kids had been harmed.

"No, no. I did. We had a lot of fun, and we made a ton of great memories. But I missed everyone." I gave him a smile so he'd know I meant it, and he relaxed, putting down the spatula he'd unconsciously picked up and wiping down the sauce that had dripped down his arm.

Dad rumbled a soft laugh, tousling my hair before returning to his mate's side and pullinghiminto a hug. Dad pressed a kiss into Papa's hair, his lips curved in a smile. "Calm down, Tay. He's okay."

"Yeah, yeah," Papa grumbled under his breath, then narrowed his eyes. "Where are your brothers? Are they with Cam?"

I gave him a sheepish smile and he groaned loudly, smacking his head against Dad's chest. "Those two are a hundred times worse when he's around, always trying to impress him."

"Shhh," Dad said, rubbing his arm. "April's watching them, but if you want, I can go make sure they don't cause too much trouble and bring them back in for dinner."

Papa pursed his lips, then shook his head and pulled out of Dad's arms. "Nuh-uh, they'll just drag you into their antics because you can't say no."

"That's not—"

"Remember the time you let them braid your hair and we had to cut it off because they used glue at the ends instead of rubber bands?"

Dad clamped his mouth shut, and took the spatula Papa handed to him as he untied his apron. "I'll go. You and Micah can set the table."

I chuckled under my breath, and Dad shot me a look, which just made me grin wider. God, I loved them so much.

Cam

"And go!" I shouted as I threw Mateo into the sky, his wings tucked in tight to reduce resistance as he sailed through the air. We'd decided to throw high instead of away since we didn't want to disturb the neighbors, and Mateo rose up up up in the air before he paused for a moment. Then, he started plummeting down, and April gave a shrill squawk, worried for her charge. Even though they were in their twenties now, April still watched over the twins like they were kids.

"Are you having fun tossing my sons into the sky, Cam?" Gus's voice right behind me made me jump, and I whirled around as Mateo spread his wings right before he crashed into the ground and sailed off into the trees.

Miles, realizing we were busted, took off after his brother, leaving me alone to face their vampire dad.

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