Fifteen

Micah

The look on Cam's face when Ember said he was going to go would've made me laugh if I wasn't so damned nervous.

Our mate was Hot . Like, hot with a capital H. Cam's running mental commentary seemed to agree with me, and I wondered why we'd never talked about what our dream mates would look like, because Ember was definitely that.

Probably because I had a little mental freakout every time the topic came up.

I was still freaking out a little. After our conversation last month, I'd started relaxing because I'd thought we had time. Cam had promised me that until I was ready, he wouldn't do anything to try to find our mates.

But it seemed like Fate didn't have the patience to wait for me to get my head on straight, and so she'd sent our mate crashing into our lives, literally.

"I would like to court you properly, if you'd agree."

"Court us?" Cam asked, amusement shining in his eyes. He was unnecessarily stoked about the fact that Ember was clearly much older than us, and I knew it was mostly because he loved driving his dads crazy.

Since his dads had a 2,000-year age gap between them, it wasn't like they had a leg to stand on, but Cam and I both knew it'd still bother them a little.

"Yes. I'd like to take you out on dates, get to know you better," Ember explained, his blue eyes warm as they flicked from Cam to me.

I found myself caught in their intensity, and my cheeks warmed when Ember continued gazing at me for far too long.

He likes you. .. Cam's singsong voice in my head finally made me jerk my gaze away as my cheeks darkened further.

Of course he did. He was our mate, so Fate wouldn't have picked someone who found either of us unattractive. Out of the two of us, though, surely he found Cam more interesting. Cam was actually talking to him, while I'd said nothing more than a few words.

Despite myself, I found myself peeking at Ember's mind in an attempt to ascertain if I still had a chance. It wasn't a competition between me and Cam, and if Ember liked Cam better, I'd understand. I loved Cam, and I knew there was no one better than him in this world. How could Ember not like him?

He's beautiful , Ember thought, and even his mental voice was suffused with warmth.

I snuck a glance at Cam, agreeing with him completely. Cam's unruly hair and his bright green eyes always so full of sparkles...he truly was a sight to behold. And when he shifted into his dragon form? Wow.

A little shy, but that adds to his sweetness , Ember thought, and I blinked, turning my eyes away from Cam. No one could ever, ever call Cam shy. I'll need to take extra-special care of him .

Wait. Was Ember thinking about me? My eyes flashed to his without a thought, and he met my gaze, a smile curving his lips as if he'd realized I'd read his thoughts and wasn't the least bit bothered by it.

You're a beautiful man, Micah, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you better .

I bit my lower lip, jerking my gaze away from him and staring down at my lap, reeling. He'd been thinking about me. Me . What the fuck?

"Micah?" Cam's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I glanced up at him.

"I'm gonna walk Ember out." He waved toward the backyard, telling me Ember was planning to fly back. "You okay?"

I nodded immediately, but I couldn't bring my legs to work as I watched them get up and leave. I stayed where I was, watching as Ember and Cam talked softly on the way out, and shaking my head at how comfortable they already looked in each other's company. Then again, Cam could befriend a tree if he put his mind to it, so I wasn't really surprised they were getting along.

I was surprised that I'd caught Ember's attention like that. He seemed to like Cam, but he'd also seemed to like me. I shouldn't have been surprised since he had a bond with both of us, but still. I'd thought I would need to work a little to get him interested in me.

He hadn't even seemed annoyed by my mind reading, and I'd thought only Cam could feel that way. Was he truly that nice, or had he tried to tolerate it because we'd just met?

Slim fingers sliding through my hair pulled me back to my surroundings, and I glanced up at Cam, who stood in front of me. He watched me with concerned green eyes, and I tried to smile up at him to get the look off his face.

I must've failed, because he went on his knees in front of me, moving closer so he kneeled between my legs, his hands cupping my cheeks. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged, but he waited patiently, and I remembered my promise—to him and to myself—to do better at communicating.

"I'm not sure how I feel. Ember was...unexpected."

Cam snorted. "Tell me about it. Of all the ways I imagined meeting one of our mates, I never thought he'd crash into our backyard. It'll make for a good story, I guess."

Only Cam could make me smile when my mind was whirling in a thousand different directions.

"You know, if you wanted, I could tell Ember that we're not ready to date yet."

I peered into his eyes, and realized he really meant it. He would do it. He would postpone his own relationship with Ember for my sake.

"No, that's not necessary. I...I am interested in him. It'll just take me a bit of time to get used to it."

Cam's eyes scanned my face as he tried to decide if I was telling the truth. I would've been offended, but I didn't exactly have a good track record, so Cam was well within his rights to doubt me.

"Okay, then. I gave him our numbers and also made a chat group with the three of us, so we can talk and make plans together. Later."

Smiling, I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his, sighing softly when his palms slid to my neck, anchoring me to him.

Meeting Ember had been unexpected, but as long as I had Cam by my side, I could take anything life threw at me.

Ember

Sitting in my empty living room, I wished I'd taken Cam up on his unspoken offer to stay.

If I'd remained, I would be cooking them a good meal right about now, something that would make them feel warm and full and nourished.

For as long as I could remember, I'd enjoyed taking care of people. I liked turning a house into a home, filling it with care so its residents felt safe and comfortable within its walls.

Hatching alone with no signs of my mother or any other phoenixes, I'd spent most of my life drifting from one place to another.

For someone who couldn't stay in one place for more than a few decades lest the humans notice I didn't age, I had a tendency of getting attached way too easily.

I still remembered so many of the humans I'd taken care of, whether it was when I worked at an inn, or more recently when I volunteered at soup kitchens and various charities.

I'd learned early on to focus my need to take care of people into something professional, because I could never hold on to personal bonds, whether it was because I couldn't stay anywhere too long—when I was involved with a human—or because I had to disappear every hundred years—when I was with a supe.

But now, I'd met two men I could take care of, two men—and a third, they'd said—who were mine.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I smiled down at the chat group Cam had made for us.

The Best Mates , he'd named it, and I couldn't help a chuckle as my thumb hovered over the keyboard. Would I seem too eager, too pushy if I texted them right now? Cam had said I could text them anytime, but not Micah.

My thoughts flickered to the telepath, the sweet, quiet man who'd watched me with eyes full of nerves and anxiety. From the way they acted around each other, I could tell Cam was used to taking the lead, at least when it came to being social, that he thrived in it while Micah preferred to stay in the background. They also seemed to share a mental link of some sort, because more than once during our conversation today, they'd talked to each other without ever opening their mouths.

Cam and Micah worked together like a well-oiled machine, and I didn't want to be someone who caused damage to their beautiful relationship. Instead, I wanted to help them make it stronger, and maybe form bonds of my own with them.

On my way out, I'd asked Cam if Micah was okay, because something had told me that while Micah was usually quiet, this level of silence was unusual for him.

Cam hadn't told me much, but he had said that Micah had some emotional wounds from his past, and that I'd need to be extra patient with him. I'd thought as much myself, but hearing the words from Cam had strengthened my resolve further. It'd also told me that Cam would not be hurt or disappointed if I were to pay some extra attention to Micah. In fact, I got the feeling he would prefer it. It made sense, since Cam was a dragon, and dragons took great care of their treasure.

Deciding I'd rather seem too eager than not interested enough, I unlocked my phone once more and typed out a short text in the group.

Me : Would you like to go out on a date with me this Friday?

Cam's response took barely a minute, and it made me smile.

Cam : Hell yes!

I wondered if they might prefer to see me separately, at least in the beginning. I doubted it, but I decided to offer them the option anyway, just in case.

Me : Would you two like to go together or separately?

This time, it was Micah who answered.

Micah : Together, please.

Me : Of course. I'll pick you up on Friday. Would it be okay if we went somewhere outside of Mistvale? Or would you prefer to stay in town?

I had a few ideas about where I could take them, but all the places I knew were in this town. I didn't know Mistvale well enough yet to plan a date there, and I wanted our first date to be as close to perfect as possible.

Cam : Outside works, no problem. We can even fly over there if it would take too long to drive.

Oh, of course. For a moment, I'd forgotten Cam was a dragon. I pursed my lips as I tried to recall if there was a place close by big enough for him to land, then sent him the address.

Me : You can land there, and I'll come pick you up. How about 5 p.m.?

Flying in would cut down our travel time a lot, which would give me more time with them. Perfect.

Cam : Sounds good. Micah and I are very excited!!!

I smiled at the text, the multiple exclamation points somehow a very Cam thing to do. Today had truly been the best day of my life until now, but I had a feeling it wouldn't stay at the top for long.

Me : I am very eager to go out with you two as well.

There wasn't much to say after that, so I bade them a good night before putting my phone away.

Nails clicking on the floor pulled my attention, and I glanced up as Jodi stepped into the room, finally done napping on my bed.

I'd rescued the Great Dane a few years ago, and she was very dear to me.

With me seated on the couch and her standing, she was a few inches taller than me. At full height, she reached my chest, and she was the sweetest, gentlest dog I'd ever met.

"Hey, girl. You would never believe what happened today."

She stepped forward, then awkwardly climbed onto the extra-large couch I'd bought just for this reason. Resting her head in my lap, she peered up at me, as if telling me to go on with my story. So I did. I told her all about Cam and Micah as I ran my palm over her big body, and daydreamed about our upcoming date.

I hadn't courted someone in a long time—probably since the term 'courting' went out of use—but I was still going to do my best to make sure Cam and Micah both had a great time.