Page 76 of Cam's Treasure

While I had jumped into this relationship headfirst, I'd also been waiting for more than 800 years for it. I couldn't expect the same from Kai, especially when such an important part of him had been stolen.

I opened my mouth, planning to ask Cam when he wanted to leave for this picnic date of ours, but before I could speak, sharp pain raced across my spine, making me jerk my hand off Kai as I curled forward with a hiss.

My symptoms were getting worse, and faster than usual. Had I miscounted? Did I have less time left than I'd thought? Shit. This was not the right time for this.

"Ember? Ember!"

The haze of pain lessened a little, and I realized I was surrounded. Kai was pressed against my right, his knees digging into the side of my leg as he clutched my shoulder. Cam was on my left, his palm running up and down my back as he pressed his lips to my temple. And on his knees in front of me was Micah, his hands perched on my knees as he gazed up at me. I methis worried eyes as I opened mine and smiled softly as the pain disappeared as quickly as it'd arrived.

"Are you okay?" Micah asked, his voice hitching at the end, and I reached forward, wrapping my hands around his waist and pulling him up. He came willingly, and I was glad we'd gotten the new couch and Cam had paid an obscene amount of money for the one-day delivery, because it was deep enough that Micah could perch on it between my legs.

"I'm okay," I assured them, glancing at Kai when I noticed how hard his fingers were digging into my shoulder. "I'm okay."

Kai nodded slowly, then loosened his grip, as if just now realizing he was still doing it.

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" Cam asked, and I sighed. I thought about downplaying it, but I didn't want to lie to my mates.

"Yeah. I think I might've miscounted," I said, rubbing my right hand over my face while my left arm stayed wrapped around Micah.

"Shit," Cam muttered, and I agreed. I didn't want to deal with this, not when we had more important things to focus on, like Kai's coat and our relationship. We'd only just gotten together, and I didn't want to saddle them with the responsibility of kid-me. Which reminded me of something I'd thought of before. I hadn't gotten the chance to bring it up before, but this seemed as good a time as any.

"I was thinking of asking Raiden and William if they'd be willing to...foster me, for lack of a better word, after I'm reborn," I said, and Micah frowned as I met his eyes.

"You think we can't look after you?"

"I don't think that's it, princess," Cam murmured, his green eyes serious as he glanced between us. "When Ember is reborn, he'll be a kid physically and mentally. We're his mates, and while we love him,—" that was news to me, but Cam blew past it like he hadn't just told me he and Micah loved me, "—our love isdecidedly romantic, and I don't think that meshes well with the type of care kid-Ember will need."

Yeah, that was exactly why. Until now, I'd spent the six months it took me to grow in a long sleep since I didn't have anyone to look after me, but I didn't think my mates would allow me to do that, so this was my next best option.

"So will you not want us to see you at all for the whole six months?" Micah asked, and I shook my head.

"No, of course not. You can visit, but I'm worried I might hurt you since I won't remember you."

Micah waved me off. "We won't be upset. Right, Kai?"

I realized our newest mate had been silent this whole time, and I glanced at him, meeting his dark eyes. I'd told him about my end-of-cycle troubles and what rebirth would entail, and while he'd taken it all in stride, I wondered if he was struggling now.

"Yeah, of course not. I bet baby-Ember will be all chubby and cute," he said with a smirk, making me laugh.

"Right? He'll be a round little thing with stubby fingers and big blue eyes. My dads might never give you back, you know," Cam teased, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'll talk to them about it later."

"They'll say yes," Cam said, waving it off like he had no doubts whatsoever. Honestly, I didn't either. Cam and Micah's parents were some of the kindest men I'd ever met, and I knew either of the pair would be more than happy to help me. I might ask them both, just in case I hadn't miscounted, because then my rebirth would be pretty close to Raiden and William's hatchlings' arrival, and I wouldn't want to add more to their plate.

Kai was the first to move away, and he slid back to his previous spot on the other side of the couch. Maybe getting a bigger couch hadn't been the best idea, since Kai was so damned far away now.

Cam settled deeper into the couch on my other side, which prompted Jodi to jump up on the couch and curl up on Cam's other side.

Micah stayed where he was, snuggling deeper into my chest, and I wrapped both arms around him as I leaned back into the couch, humming in contentment.

Whether my cycle ended in a few days or in a year, I was going to spend every moment until then with these three.

Thirty-One

Micah

"So where are we going?" Kai asked from the backseat, and I turned to look at him as Cam drove. Between Cam and me, he was the better driver—I had a tendency of getting distracted by random thoughts, mine or others'—and since Ember wasn't as familiar with the streets of Mistvale and Kai couldn't drive, he was the designated driver for the foreseeable future.

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