Eighteen

Cam

This place was very Micah, and it was clear he liked it. I liked it too. It had a very cozy, homey vibe, and the rug I was sitting on was insanely soft and comfortable. I could easily imagine Ember dreaming up something like this. He had a very strong caretaker vibe. Like I'd first thought, Daddy .

Even though he'd only known us for a few days, Ember already seemed to have quite a good idea of what made us tick. He'd picked paintball for our first-date activity, which I'd loved, and now dinner at this beautiful place that Micah was clearly in love with. He'd managed to find balance in a way that Micah and I both enjoyed the date and never felt like one of us had gotten more consideration than the other.

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded if the whole date had catered solely to Micah's tastes—it was what I did whenever it was my turn to plan a night out—but it felt nice to be thought about. Not that Micah didn't think of me when we went out. Whenever it was his turn, we usually went somewhere I would enjoy.

The menu was full of comfort food items, and the three of us ordered a large variety of dishes. Ember explained that as the end of his cycle grew closer, he had a much larger appetite since his body was storing up energy for the rebirth and the 'growing up again' part. I wondered what that was like, and when Ember told us he'd be happy to answer any questions we had, it almost broke my brain as a multitude of questions crowded for attention.

"When you're growing up again, are you mentally that age too? Or just physically?"

"The brain grows along with the rest of the body, so my mental capacity is the same as the physical one at any given age," Ember explained, his blue eyes warm as they flicked between me and Micah.

Micah had inched a little closer to Ember in the fifteen or so minutes since we'd sat down, and he was watching Ember with rapt attention.

You're so smitten , I told him through our mental link, and his cheeks flushed a bright red as he shot me a scowl, his expression clearing instantly when Ember turned to look at him.

"Do you have any questions, Micah?"

Micah blinked, seemingly surprised to get addressed directly. He swallowed a few times, his lips moving without a sound coming out, and I was just about to jump in and rescue him when Ember raised a palm at me in the universal sign of 'wait,' his body blocking his hand from Micah's sight.

"Uh, yes," Micah said finally, and I relaxed back onto the rug. It seemed like Ember was already learning how to read our mate. "Do you still have your memories? Once you're reborn?"

That...hadn't occurred to me yet, but Micah had asked the most important question. Because if he didn't, would we have to rebuild our relationship every hundred years?

Ember pursed his lips, and I couldn't quite tell what he was thinking, whether the answer was good or bad.

"Yes, and no," he answered finally, and if he hadn't continued almost immediately, I would've snarked something like, 'Well, that clears everything right up.' But he saved me from making an ass of myself. "When I'm still 'growing,' the memories are hazy, like they're being stored in some vault in the corner of my mind because it is incapable of dealing with all the hundreds of years. But once I'm fully grown, they return to me again."

Micah and I shared a look, both of us relieved by the answer. If it had been no, if we had to win Ember over every hundred years, I knew we would've done it, but I had a feeling it would've broken our hearts to know Ember had forgotten all the memories we'd built together. I imagined without that, being a phoenix would feel more like a punishment than a reward.

Our food arrived then, and we—but mostly Ember and I—jumped on it like we were starving.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed after taking my first bite of the garlic and mint chicken. "It tastes like something DD would make."

Usually, every restaurant had a flavor of its own, something that made food taste different to homemade cooking. But here, the meal tasted exactly like something I'd eat at home. It was amazing.

Micah's eyes were sparkling as he ate, and Ember's eyes flicked between us both, as if my declaration wasn't enough to assure him the meal was fabulous.

He waited until he'd finished eating to ask, "You like it then?"

"Yes," Micah answered emphatically, and Ember grinned, looking relieved.

"It truly does feel like home here." I meant it too, though for me, part of the reason was the fact that my mates were here with me. I had a feeling that as long as they were around, any place could.

You're such a sap , Micah said in my mind, fondness lacing his tone, and I grinned at him. I wasn't going to deny him, because I owned my sappiness. I wasn't the type of person who kept my feelings to myself, not when saying it out loud might make someone smile.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Ember. This place is wonderful," I said, and Ember's blue eyes brightened, his lips widening in a smile. See?

"It was my pleasure. I've enjoyed spending time with you. I hope I'll get to see you again."

"Are you kidding? You're never getting rid of us now."

"Cam!" Micah hissed, but Ember merely laughed, and the sound was warm, feeling like an auditory hug as it wrapped all around me.

"Nothing would make me happier," Ember said, his eyes first boring into mine, as if waiting for me to understand how serious he was, before moving to Micah.

I heard Micah's breath hitch, watched the way color rushed to his cheeks and his eyes darkened, and I grinned. Micah was into Ember big time. Whatever hesitation he'd been holding onto about meeting our mates, it was starting to melt away in the face of Ember's warmth.

Ember

After we'd finished our meal—if it weren't for Cam's similarly large appetite, I'd have been embarrassed about just how much I'd eaten—we stayed there chatting for hours, never running out of things to talk about.

I learned that Cam had lost his mom when he was young, and that his father had met Raiden when he was nine. He very proudly explained how he'd played matchmaker to get them together while Micah fondly rolled his eyes and told me to be prepared to hear this story a million more times in the future.

The thought made me insanely happy, and not just because I was imagining our future together, but because Micah was too. I knew he'd had some worries about accepting me into their lives, but if he was looking toward the future, it meant he'd at least decided to give me a chance.

When we finally left, it was because it was closing time, and even as the owner of the place, I couldn't linger there, not when it would mean my employees would have to stay late to clean up after us.

I thanked Mindy, the woman who managed and ran Home on a daily basis, for the great service and then led my mates outside, breathing in the crisp night air. It was close to midnight, and I pursed my lips as I glanced up at the dark sky. I didn't want them flying back so late, even though I knew it was unlikely they'd run across trouble in the skies.

"Would you like to come back to my place?"

When two sets of eyebrows shot up toward hairlines, I winced and amended my question, my cheeks turning hot. "I meant if you'd rather not fly at night. I have a guest room you can use."

I didn't want to rush things by inviting them into my own bed, even if I had no ulterior motives other than to hold them in my arms all night.

Cam and Micah had one of their mental conversations—Cam had explained to me that Micah had constructed a psychic link between them so they could communicate mentally—and I was as always fascinated and a little jealous. I knew it would take time before Micah trusted me enough to create a link like that between us, and I accepted that. But that didn't mean I couldn't feel just a little envious. I wasn't perfect.

"Okay, we'll stay the night. We don't exactly have a reason to rush back home. Maybe we could talk some more before we turn in?"

"Of course," I agreed instantly, not wanting the night to end just yet.

The drive to my place was quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Or maybe Cam and Micah were talking while I was lost in my own mind.

It was only when we arrived at my place that I remembered I'd forgotten to mention something very important.

"Are either of you scared of dogs?" I asked as I turned off the engine, twisting in my seat to look at them.

"You have a dog?" The excitement in Cam's voice was all the answer I needed from him, and one glance at the bright-eyed Micah assured me neither of them would have a problem with Jodi.

"Yeah, she's pretty big."

Getting out of the car, I opened their doors for them, then locked the car and led the way up to my house. It was a small but cozy house, with a warm wooden structure, two stories, and a sloping roof.

The click-click of Jodi's paws approached the door as I unlocked and opened it. She patiently waited just inside, and I smiled as her tail started to wag at the realization that we had guests.

"Oh my god!" For a moment, I thought Cam had said that, but then I realized, with no small amount of surprise, that it was Micah.

Cam grinned on as Micah rushed inside, offering his hand to Jodi for a sniff before petting her head.

"What's your name, pretty?"

Shaking my surprise away, I smiled as I closed the door behind them, turning to watch them shower Jodi with pets. She seemed to be having the time of her life, and I wondered if maybe I hadn't been socializing her as well as I should've.

"Her name's Jodi. She's a sweetheart."

"Yes, she is," Micah agreed, none of his earlier nerves or hesitation visible as he ruffled her ears, then kissed her just above her nose. He laughed when she started licking his face, but didn't pull away. "She's so big."

"She takes after her daddy, doesn't she?" Cam said in that voice people used when talking to babies or animals. "All big and strong and sweet and gentle."

I swallowed hard at the adoration in Cam's voice, the fact that he was talking about Jodi and me making my stomach feel all fluttery.

In all my years of existence, my stomach had never felt fluttery . What were these two doing to me?

Clearing my throat, I said, "Come on. The living room is through there."

Our party of three supes and one dog slowly made its way down the short hallway and into the living room, where Cam and Micah settled on the couch as Jodi danced in front of them, unable to decide which one of them she wanted more pets from.

"Would you like something to drink? Water, soda, coffee, beer?"

"Water, please," Micah requested, back to his soft-spoken self when he glanced at me. I supposed it was me who made him act subdued. I hoped he'd feel comfortable enough to be himself around me someday.

"Me too," Cam joined in after humming thoughtfully, and I fetched water for all of us, topping up Jodi's food bowl while I was in the kitchen. She was one of those rare dogs who grazed at their food without overeating, so I generally left her enough food for the day, just in case I was held back for some reason. Like crashing into my mates' backyard.

After giving them their water, I settled on the armchair on the right of the couch, twisting a little so I could face them better. They'd pushed the coffee table back a little to give Jodi more space to stand, and I smiled as I watched them play with her, content to soak in the soft murmured praise they gave her, and her happy pants as she enjoyed being petted and adored.

Movement in the corner of the room drew my attention, and I blinked as a black cat stepped out of the shadows, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"Do either of you own a cat?" I asked as my body went on high alert. I couldn't sense any ill intent from the cat, but you could never be too careful.

Micah followed my gaze and grinned. "Saaya! Come meet Jodi!" Then he turned to me. "Saaya's my familiar. She can travel through shadows."

"And she's a pain in the ass," Cam added, making Saaya hiss at him. I got the feeling those two weren't the best of friends.

I offered Saaya my hand as she drew closer, and she sniffed at it before swiping with her claws, leaving three bright red streaks across my fingers.

Cam, the brat, snickered. "So it's not just me she hates," he said, sounding delighted, while Micah stared at my hand with wide, horrified eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled, reaching out even though we were separated by the coffee table, and I waved him off. Grabbing a wet wipe from the box under the table—Jodi loved giving drooly kisses, so I always kept some in every room—I wiped the blood off my hand, showing him the unblemished skin.

"Wow, that's some fast healing," Cam said, and I grinned. Being a phoenix did have some perks.