Page 75 of Cam's Treasure

Ember snorted from the kitchen, where he was busy making lunch. He'd shooed Cam out within minutes of starting and declared no one was allowed in the kitchen until he was done. I wondered what Cam had done to elicit that reaction.

"I was thinking..." Cam started, and Micah glanced up.

"Oh no," he murmured in a voice filled with mock-dread, making Cam laugh.

"Shush, you! I was thinking...that while we wait for the little shadow monster, we should go on a date. All four of us."

"That...is a great idea!" Micah said with a smile, his eyes sliding to me. "What do you think, Kai? Would you like to go on a date with us?"

I stared at him, wide-eyed. I should've expected this. After all, we were mates. Of course we'd go on dates. Why hadn't the thought occurred to me at all until now?

Micah's smile faltered. "It's okay if you want to wait or if you just aren't up for it."

I blinked, then shook my head. "No, I mean. Yes, I'd like that."

"Yeah?" Micah's smile reappeared, and I returned it, nodding quickly.

"Ember! We're going on a date tonight!" Cam shouted, as if Ember didn't have supe hearing.

"I heard, Cam," he answered mildly, making me chuckle.

"Okay, so where should we head?" Cam questioned, his eyes flicking from me to Micah.

I shrugged. "I don't know Mistvale very well—" or what a good date would be like, not that I'd tell them that, "—so you should choose."

Cam's brows furrowed thoughtfully, and he glanced at Micah, something passing between them. They'd told me about the mental link they shared with Ember, and they'd promised to add me to it once I felt comfortable with having Micah in my head.

Micah had also assured me that he didn't mind keeping his shields up for me—even though I'd figured out that it gave him headaches—but I still felt a little guilty. Even though we were still getting to know each other, I didn't like the idea that I was inadvertently hurting Micah. I still wasn't ready to allow him access to my head, but I wished there was something I could do to block him so he wouldn't need to maintain his shields all the time.

"Okay, how about a picnic?" Micah asked, and I smiled.

"It sounds fun."

"I can make us some picnic food later," Ember chimed in from the kitchen as the scent of spices filled the air. I breathed it in greedily as my stomach growled, making Cam grin. "Lunch will be ready in ten," Ember added, and I blushed, wondering if he'd heard my stomach too.

As Cam and Micah started talking about the best time for a picnic and how Cam needed to tell Raiden to keep Mistvale rain-free this evening, my thoughts started drifting once more.

The worry for my coat was a constant buzz in my mind, but I ignored it in favor of the awe I felt at how close I'd grown to these three men in a matter of days.

Despite my determination to not trust them, I'd failed. Somehow, without realizing it, I'd started believing in Cam, Micah, and Ember. Maybe it was because of how kind they'd been to me, or because of how adamant they were about getting my coat back. Or maybe it was because of the bond we shared, a bond that existed even if I couldn't feel it.

I didn't know what exactly it was, but I knew that when I looked at Cam, butterflies started fluttering in my belly, and when I looked at Micah, I wanted him to press me against a wall and kiss me, and when I looked at Ember, I wanted to be wrapped up in his big arms.

"Oh, if we go there, I can show Kai my dragon! And Ember can show off his phoenix," Cam said, bringing me back to the conversation.

"I can see your dragon?"

Cam grinned, sliding closer to me on the couch. "Of course! You could even ride me, if you wanted."

The idea of being up in the sky terrified me, but Cam wouldn't let me fall, right?

"That sounds amazing."

Ember

After a filling lunch, Cam was sprawled on the living room floor with his arms wrapped around Jodi, and Micah was once again curled up in his armchair, while Kai and I sat on the couch. I'd convinced Kai to lie down on the couch, and my hand rested on his ankle, his feet in my lap.

Kai was still a little stiff, as if unsure if he could relax, and I rubbed my palm over his shins, hoping he'd settle in. Meeting his dark eyes, I offered him a soft smile, and he returned it a little hesitantly. I didn't blame him.

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