Page 16 of The Ruby Dragon’s Unconventional Mate (Oro Escondido #3)

Chapter

Fourteen

“ F ifteen-two, fifteen-four, and a pair is six.” Lars was over at Lachlan’s house to play cribbage while Bryant was out learning flight paths with Jake.

Samuel had taken the kids to Dakota’s to help with some kind of craft thing, but Lars hadn’t felt like wearing glitter and glue, and besides, Lach played a mean hand of cards.

And he had a few questions to ask Lach.

“Lachlan, can I ask you something?”

“You’re my brother’s mate. That means you’re family, so I guess you can ask me something, yes.” Lachlan’s smile was super kind.

Lars didn’t want to be that person who dug for information, and he really wasn’t.

He was just desperately curious. “It’s about Bryant, and if you don’t feel comfortable answering, please just say so because I’m not—I’m not.

I don’t want any secrets. I just—” He shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable.

“Has Bryant changed to you? Because when he was here, before you got hurt, he seemed very different. He was much more laissez faire, I guess.”

Lachlan put his cards down and stared at Lars long enough that he felt very uncomfortable, and about the time he was going to say, “Just don’t tell me,” Lachlan began to speak.

“When I got hurt. No. When I was attacked, it was by someone in our space. The beta dragon that was meant to care for our home.”

Lars sat back in his chair, absolutely unable to breathe. “What?”

He didn’t even think that was possible. These betas were born to do this job. They trained their entire lives. These were dragons who made this commitment. It was their calling. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either. I don’t think I ever will, but it happened. It was a terrible betrayal of everyone who was in the house, and I’m the only one who survived. Thank the goddess that Bryant was here with you.”

“Oh, Lachlan, that’s just… I can’t even…

I don’t…” What the hell did he say to that?

All of a sudden, he wanted to go to Logan’s house and tell Simon he had to leave right now.

And Celeste? How did that even happen? He was going to have to ask Simon.

How could this even happen? This was a magical bond.

This was goddess-sent. How did this happen?

He lurched to his feet and launched himself at Lachlan and held on. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that this happened to you, but you have my word that I won’t let anything else happen to you like that in the wing. We won’t let anything hurt you like that ever again. I promise you.”

Mate, mate, what’s the matter? What’s going on? Do I need to come back? Bryant’s voice felt frantic.

Lars wanted to tell Bryant yes, but the fact was that he had this. This wasn’t a new pain for Lachlan; it was a new pain for him. And the way to ease it was to share it amongst the other guardians and to figure it out.

There had to be a way for them to figure this out.

No, I’m all right. I was just talking to Lachlan. He told me what happened.

Oh. How is he?

Better than I am. But I’ll be all right. You just do your thing. I’m here with Lachlan . And he wasn’t going to leave, either.

Well, I’m glad he felt comfortable enough to talk to you.

Me too. I’m honored.

He felt a mental caress, but then Bryant withdrew a little, and he thought maybe he was checking in with Lachlan. Finally, Lachlan smiled at him, brighter this time.

“I believe you, Lars. Thank you for being so kind.” Lachlan patted his back. “I’m healing every day. This wing is a good place.”

“It is, and we’re glad to have you. The little girls especially.

Those two think you hung the moon or held the ladder for the guy who did it.

” He was going to lighten this up, and then he was going to get hold of Logan.

He was going to have a come-to-Jesus meeting with Simon.

He needed to know one hundred percent that his brother and Dakota and those babies were safe.

“They’re amazing, so smart and fierce. And they just—they didn’t even care that I looked different.”

“Oh, they’re used to seeing all sorts of things, you have to remember.

We have teenagers who can’t hold their wings or their scales or anything.

That’s one of the great things about Oro Escondido—the coffee shop, the art store, and the bookstore.

That’s where the teens start. They begin to integrate to where they can get comfortable moving around in public and out of the wing.

Then, once they graduate from that, they usually go to the Golddigger to wait tables or to the coffee shop as a barista. Once they’ve really got it down.”

“I’m not ever going to get to go there, I don’t think.”

Lars snorted. “That’s why we bring it to you. Not only that, but I happen to know the owner of the restaurant, and I bet that we could have it closed for a private party. Then the whole wing could come, including the little ones. I mean, think about it, Grant? Not safe out in the human world.”

“Right. Bryant told me that his mothers both died in a storm?”

Lars nodded. “They were flying in a storm, and they ran into each other and crashed. It took them both. It was…ill thought out. But they were both very impulsive.”

“That seems so—” Lachlan stopped himself. “I don’t want to speak in a mean way about the dead, but they had a child.”

Lars shrugged. “They did, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that, had they thought for a second that this would happen, they would never have done it. It was an accident, and accidents happen. You can’t just not live because you have a child, right?

I mean. Logan has to go do his business, so does Bryant. It’s just a thing.”

A scary thing, but they had lives.

“Does Bea have a business? I mean beyond being a guardian?”

“Construction.”

“Huh. She’s well-suited to it.” Lachlan smiled. “Though my house seems to be…building itself.”

“Oh, sure, but we need schools and other houses and stuff. Guardian houses are magical. You need a castle, so that’s what you’re getting.”

“Not because I’m a scary dragon?” Lachlan made a rar noise and claw hands, and he laughed.

He went to sit down. “It’s your play, you big alpha dork.”

“Right.” Lachlan winked, and they played the next round. He could tell Lachlan was thinking hard though.

“Be patient with Bryant,” he finally said. “He had convinced himself he wasn’t going to mate with you, or have kids, and now he’s convinced himself he won’t leave me to come and be with you at your house, but I know better. This isn’t Bryant’s house. It’s telling me so.”

Lars sat there with his mouth hanging open, and then he snapped it shut, grinning a little. “You are into the shock moment, huh?”

“I’m a platinum guardian. It’s my job.”

“Mmhmm.” He thought about that. “Do you think he’ll quit resisting?”

“Oh, yeah. He was already planning on sneaking out to stay with you, coming back to have breakfast with me, then go see you. Wash, rinse, repeat. He just wants me to not be alone. He wants to get me a housekeeper, but you can also see why he hasn’t.”

“Of course.” He shuddered.

“I keep telling him I have Jarrel. And maybe there’s someone I could just be… I don’t know. Roommates with. Someone elderly in the wing who needs me as much as I need them.”

Tears pricked at his eyes. That was both incredibly kind and a little sad. “Maybe. We have many elders in our wing. It’s such a small town… Kids leave. But you know, we also have some co-living houses. You know, where they can live together.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s kind of a tradition here in New Mexico, and definitely in Oro. We’re not meant to live alone.” He reached back over to grab Lachlan’s hand. “We’re not meant to be solitary creatures. I understand Bryant. Why he doesn’t want to leave you.”

“He will. And I will bless it for him. I want him happy.” Lachlan shuffled, then dealt out more cards. “And I want you happy, too.”

“We’ll do what we’re going to do.” Lars picked up his cards. “You dealt me a shit hand.”

“Awww.” Lachlan winked.

He shook his head, tossing his two cards into the crib. “Play cards, buddy. See if I don’t kick your platinum butt.”

“You’re on.” And from then on, the most serious thing they discussed was what snacks went best with cards.

Definitely not Cheetos.