Page 26 of The Ruby Dragon’s Unconventional Mate (Oro Escondido #3)

Chapter

Twenty-Four

“ H e’s not coming, Lachlan.” Lars felt his shoulders slump. He had really believed that Bryant would come for him by now. Come to work things out.

But he was still alone at Lachlan’s house, the twins becoming just about as sad. Lachlan and Alban were bonding, but if Bryant refused to take Arthur, then it wouldn’t matter. They would have to leave.

“Don’t give up on him, Lars. He’s stubborn, but he’s not stupid. You’re the best thing that ever happened to him. Killing her just cut a deep scar. He’s a good dragon, all the way deep, so it hurt him greatly.” Lachlan came to hug him. “I miss him too, though.”

“I know. I should go?—”

“Nope. He has to come to you. He has to believe in you.” Lachlan steered him back into the main room when he headed for the door.

“But—”

“Lars, would you like to try this cheesecake pudding?” Arthur asked him.

“Um. Sure.” No. No, he wanted his mate, and barring that, he wanted to rail and cry.

“Come on. Try it.” Lachlan led him, followed by Slippy, to the kitchen. He felt listless, and not at all hungry, but then his belly growled like a tiger, and he sighed. Someone didn’t care if he was hungry or not.

Someone wanted him to eat.

All of a sudden, Slippy raced to the window and pressed his little front paws there, staring out.

“What is it, buddy?” Lachlan asked. “You okay?”

Slippy chattered, and Lars had the distinct impression of the word, “Mate.”

His heart kicked into high gear, and sure enough, moments later, there was a thud as a dragon landed outside.

“Oh, please let it be Bryant. Please.”

There was a knock at the kitchen door, and Lachlan went to let Bryant in before nodding to Alban and Arthur. “We’ll come back and meet him in a bit.”

“Okay.”

Another figure, this one Slippy’s size, streaked into the room before Bryant closed the door.

His eyebrows rose. “Who is this?”

“Andine. She’s here for Slippy.”

“Oh.” He stared at Bryant. “And who are you here for?” Lars asked.

“For you, love. I need to talk to you.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, resting them on his belly. “Why?”

“Because I need to apologize. You’re right. I should at least meet them. The Keepers. Then I can see.”

“And?” He was going to pout.

“And I missed you. I’m sorry, Lars. I love you. I just have this terrible fear, but it’s not worth losing you and making Lachlan choose between me and a keeper and?—”

He rolled his eyes, then stepped close. “You’re not going to lose me. But I was getting pretty sad. I need you. We need you.” He took Bryant’s hand and put it on his belly.

“I need you too. And I don’t want to miss any more of this. Especially not to prove a stupid point.”

“It’s not stupid, but we can move past it.”

“I believe you.”

Lars beamed at his mate. “Good. Arthur made me cheesecake pudding.”

“I’m not sure if that sounds yummy or awful.”

“I haven’t tasted it yet, but it’s something different.” Lars chuckled. “And it looks easier than baking.”

“Arthur, hmm?”

“Yeah, Arthur. He likes to bake and…he’s not at all like Simon or Celeste.”

“No?” Bryant looked at him with a quizzical expression.

“No. No, these two are sparkly.” Lars shrugged. That was the best way to explain them. They were rainbowy—like pure rainbows and lights.

And feathered.

And they laughed together.

“Sparkly.” Bryant shook his head. “It figures that you would find someone sparkly in your fairy-tale house.”

“Shut up. I’m going to make you leave again.” He rolled his eyes, proving to Bryant that he was playing.

“No, Andine needs Slippy, and I need you to kiss me and then you can go have cheesecake pudding.”

The kisses sounded better than the cheesecake pudding, but the baby wanted cheesecake pudding. His little one was a sick, sad little dragon.

“I want to meet Andine. You have a familiar, and I missed it.” He caught himself getting teary.

“She just came over today, and I’ve missed you.

” Bryant tugged him in and hugged him tight.

“I mean it. I’m so sorry. Not about the Keeper; I don’t know about that part yet.

I’m sorry for treating you like you didn’t get a choice in any of this.

I’m sorry for not talking to you and for just being an asshole.

Please forgive me. I’ll make sure that I listen better in the future. ”

What was he supposed to say? That it was an actual perfect apology, and he didn’t want to argue about it, so he didn’t. He just held on tight. “I’m sorry that—I don’t even have words for what that creature was that hurt you and Lachlan. I hate that she did it.”

“I do too, but I have been reminded—very forcibly, actually—that I could spend a bunch of time reliving the past, but I’m going to miss my present and my future if I do that.

” Bryant winked at him. “I don’t want that.

I want to be with you now. Cravings and kicking babies and swollen ankles. I’m in. Come home. Please.”

Lars nodded. “I want you to meet Arthur and Alban. You don’t have to have them at the house if you don’t want to, but it would mean a lot to me if you would just meet them.”

“I will. I promised myself I would fully give them a chance.” Bryant breathed deeply, and Lars could see the effort it took to say it. But it was an effort he appreciated so much.

So much.

He squeezed Bryant’s hand. “Let’s get this over with. Arthur, could you come in, please?”

Arthur kind of floated in, the feathered dragon absolutely spectacular. He met Bryant’s gaze and bowed partway. “It is my honor to meet you. I understand that you were ill-used, but I am here to serve you and your family line until it ends.”

Bryant stared at Arthur, and Arthur didn’t back off for a second. He just stood there in all of his rainbow glory, those feathers not even fluttering.

“If you harm so much as one hair on my mate’s head or my child’s head there will be hell to pay.”

Arthur tilted his head, blinked. “I have been called to you and your family to protect them and love them and you. If I do cause them harm, then do as you will. The beast that you killed was not a Keeper of the Keys. I have nothing to worry about. My biggest concern is that you will never find happiness.”

Bryant blew out a hard breath. “Can you be happy away from your twin?”

“Could you be happy away from yours?” Arthur chuckled softly, the sound merry and not mean in the least. “Alban is right here with Lachlan. I expect to see him often and speak to him more frequently than that. We are so excited to have been called to serve in the same wing, and with a baby on the way!”

Lars watched them, paying attention to Bryant’s tension. Are you all right?

I don’t want to like him.

I know. I do. He’s sort of impossible not to like. There was something about Arthur that was just easy. He supposed that that’s how it was meant to be. That was the point. He’d seen it with Simon. The dragon simply made things easy.

Bryant focused on Arthur. “So, the rumor is that you know Simon.”

Arthur nodded. “We’re cousins. Simon is very kind, even if he does have a bit of a mean sense of humor.”

“Well, obviously he does know Simon…” Bryant muttered, and Lars chuckled.

“Maybe a little bit.” So what’s the plan? I want you to be comfortable. But he also wanted Arthur to come home with them.

He can come to the house, but I don’t want him to be alone with you, not right this minute. Is that fair? Bryant was trying so hard, and Lars could tell. He can come, but we watch him, and he can’t be alone with you for a while. Until I know for sure.

That’s very reasonable. I appreciate it and you. Thanks.

I love you. And I like him despite myself. So I will try very hard. But I need at least someone with you until I know in my bones that he’s safe. And I want to meet with Lachlan and his twin.

Lars nodded. Okay. “Arthur, can you call in Alban, please?”

“Certainly.” Arthur beamed, and then his eyes went unfocused for a second, an expression he and Bryant both knew well. Arthur was calling to his twin mentally.

Bryant clearly did the same, because Lachlan and Jarrel followed, Lachlan grinning like a fiend. “Did he apologize?”

“He did, and very prettily too.” Lars winked. “He wanted to meet Alban.”

“Ah well, good. Alban, this is my brother Bryant. Bryant, this is my Keeper of the Keys, Alban. I like him. So does Jarrel.”

Bryant smiled faintly. “Oh, Jarrel always did have a better sense of judgment than you did, Lach.”

Lachlan hooted, and Lars was so happy to see him laughing. He’d put a good face on it, but being without Bryant the last little while had really hurt his feelings. “I know. That’s why I let Simon choose my keeper this time.”

Alban chuckled and nodded his head gravely to Bryant. “It is very good to meet you, ruby dragon. I promise you that I will care for your brother and his line as well as I am able and with great honor.”

Bryant nodded to Alban in return. Lars thought he was already more relaxed than he had been only moments ago. Certainly more so than when he’d arrived. “I hope that is true. My brother has been hurt by an impostor, and he finds it easier to trust than I do, but I worry.”

“Your brother has nothing to fear from me,” Alban said. “Well, except that perhaps he won’t like some of my food. I do like to make some experimental Thai and Vietnamese dishes.”

“Oh goodness, Lachlan likes that way more than I do. I’m such a meat and potatoes dragon,” Bryant teased.

“It’s a good thing then that you have the pastry brother. I assume that you like desserts as much as Lars?” Alban asked.

“Not quite as much as Lars does at the moment, but at least as much as he does when he’s not pregnant,” Bryant shot back.

Lars rolled his eyes, although he loved that they were joking with one another. “That is not funny. I can’t help it. It’s all your fault that I’m pregnant.”

Bryant raised his eyebrows. “All my fault? Do you want me to talk about how you begged for?—”

“Stop it right now.” Lars held up a hand. “I will not have you talk about our personal life that way,” he singsonged.

“Um, then don’t blame me for all of it.”

Lars sighed. “Fine. It’s half my fault. Happy?”

Bryant tilted his head to one side. “No. I think you’re right. I’ll take all the blame since you have to do all the hard work and bear the baby.”

Lars flew into his arms. “Gods, I love you. Can we go home now?”

Bryant looked at Lachlan, who raised an eyebrow at him, eyes flashing platinum. “I suppose we can. I was going to say that I don’t want Lachlan to be alone with the new Keeper until I’m certain about him, but he would just kick my ass for that.”

“Wait, so it’s okay for you to say that about me but?—”

“You’re pregnant, and you’re my mate. That’s my prerogative.”

Lars pondered that. “Fair enough.” He took Bryant’s hand. “I want to go home, and I think Lachlan wants me to go home.”

Lachlan laughed. “Not necessarily, but I do want you and Bryant to be together and happy, so please take Arthur and go, right, Alban?”

Alban nodded. “Absolutely. You can take your pudding with you.”

“Mmmm.”

“I’ll go grab that.” Arthur winked, then hustled to the kitchen, the two ferrets chasing him. They seemed happy with him, as well, which Lars hoped reassured Bryant.

He would spend a good bit of time rewarding Bryant for being reasonable and willing to apologize once they got home.

Lars believed in positive reinforcement.

Bryant gave him a sideways look. I heard that, love.

Did you? He tried not to smile, but he couldn’t help it . I’m practicing for our baby.

I am not an infant.

And you’re not even acting like one anymore.

Oh, I will tickle you until you pee for that.

Uh-huh. Home. I need to go home. And that was simple as that.