Page 4 of The Ruby Dragon’s Unconventional Mate (Oro Escondido #3)

Chapter

Four

B ryant knocked at the door to Lachlan’s office, hoping his brother was in the mood for company. He held a bag of hamburgers and fries, and he needed to talk to someone.

Because he had a feeling he’d screwed up badly, again, and he wasn’t used to that.

“Lach? Can I come in?”

“Come on,” Lachlan called.

“Thanks.” He walked into the dark room. “I brought supper.”

“Yeah?” Lach sat back from his desk, the smile on his face pulling the scars a little, his wings casting a shadow across the floor. “The hamburger place here decent?”

“Better than that. It’s really good. I got the green chile on the side.”

Lachlan scoffed. “Probably a good idea. I’m not used to the fire yet.”

“Right?” He grinned, grateful that his brother was feeling good today. “You got a minute to chat?”

“For you? Always.” Lachlan waved him to a chair.

“Cool. Thanks.” He sat, pulling out food to hand over. Fries for Lach, onion rings for him. Double bacon cheese for his brother, mushroom Swiss for him.

They opened ranch and ketchup and shit, and settled in to eat, Lachlan’s familiar, a Canadian lynx named Jarrel, stood and stretched, huge paws spreading, then stalked over to beg a fry. He loved salty shit.

“So what’s up, bro,” his brother asked.

“I think I fucked up, man.” He dipped an onion ring in ranch. “I was trying to make nice with the younger McCallum guardian…”

“Lars?” One of Lach’s eyebrows arched, the scales glistening. “You know you don’t have to pretend that you weren’t?—”

“Yes. Lars. He buried the hatchet to buy me a coffee, and then I stepped in it, hard.”

“I wondered why my training was suddenly with Bea.” Lach studied him, his eyes a mix of silver and gold that befitted a platinum guardian. “What did you do?”

“I just mentioned that I worked for a living.” He sighed, readjusting his bun. “What I meant was that I ran a bunch of businesses, but it came out wrong. I’m so embarrassed by how I treated him that I’m being an asshole. It’s ridiculous. I’m a better man than that.”

“Huh.” Lach grinned at him, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes, which stayed watchful. “I mean, you’re supposed to be the diplomatic one.”

“ I know! ” He shrugged, focusing on his food.

“And I feel like a total dick. I didn’t mean to imply he didn’t have a job.

You and I both know a guardian has a full-time commitment.

But I meant I worked in the corporate world as well, not just for the wing.

It just came out like a giant insult.” And he knew that it didn’t have anything to do with careers.

“Did you apologize?”

“No. He just left. And apparently, he’s been, uh, hiding at home since. I got an earful from Logan.”

Lach stared at him. “Not good, Bry.”

“I know.”

“You have to apologize. He deserves it. I—is he that untrustworthy?”

He nodded, shook his head, shrugged. “I don’t know! He knows everyone. He talks to everyone. Everyone talks to him. I couldn’t risk you. You know that. I needed to make sure you were safe first.”

“I’m not—You know I appreciate you, but…maybe you should take him to lunch? Explain?”

“Well, I know your standing order. I don’t know his anymore.”

“It’s been two years, not a century. You know.” Lach rolled his eyes. “And if it’s changed, I think you should find out. I mean, you make a mean custard tart. Maybe you ought to take him something like that.”

“No way am I going to admit to him that I bake.” That was Lars thing, baking. He didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t been as clueless as he’d pretended when he was in seduction mode. “Besides, the situation has changed. He’s not available. I don’t shit where I eat.”

“Crass!” Lach rebuked.

“Okay, I don’t sleep with co-guardians. Fair?”

“Yes.” Lachlan sighed, his wings fluttering. “But still, we do have to work with him. We must find a balance, hmm?”

“I know. I do, I’m just so ashamed. I hate that I had to hurt him. I hate that I couldn’t trust him.” And that was that, he supposed.

He hadn’t felt like he could trust Lars.

“Why couldn’t you trust him?” Lachlan munched a fry. “I mean, you really liked him when you were out here before.”

“I know.” Bryant sighed. “But this is about you, not me. I didn’t want to tell him things about your situation. He’s chatty. Sometimes overly so.”

“So you were worried he’d scatter all my secrets about?”

“I mean, I guess?” Bryant felt the tension rising in his chest, his muscles tight. “Maybe?”

“Bryant, you are one of the most decisive people I know. So what the hell is it?” Lachlan stared at him, a tiny bit of ketchup on his chin.

“I don’t have time to mate bond. Especially with another guardian. When you were the guardian of another wing and I was mostly your corporate raider, it was fine. But if we’re going to be co-guardians.”

Scowling, Lachlan wiped his face, his wings moving in agitation. “So this really is about me. Just not about my secrets. You figure if you have to take care of me like some kind of overblown nanny you won’t have a place in your life for a mate or kids?”

“It’s not just that!” he snapped.

“Then tell me what it is! Because you’re never cruel, Bry, and you’re being cruel.”

“What?” He expected his brother to have his back. Just like he had Lachlan’s.

“Well, from what you told me, you pursued him when he would have just avoided you. You gave him expectations. You kept in touch when you left. But when you decided to come back, you figured out you couldn’t trust him?”

“It’s not that simple!” Damn it. He just wanted to have his lunch, not bare his soul.

No one in the damn wing seemed to know that Lars was an omega.

It had been a harmless flirtation as far as most people had thought when he’d been there before, but if he kept it up when he came back, then it was like shining a spotlight on Lars.

Between that, his brother, his own shit, which he hadn’t even talked to Lach about, it was just not the time.

Right?

Because there was something in the water here, Bryant thought. Babies popped up like daisies all over the damn place.

And he was so not ready for that.

Lach took a bite of his burger, chewing and swallowing before speaking again. “So explain it to me. You came to me to talk. So talk.”

“I’m not sure I can. I just wanted some advice on how to make it up to Lars.”

“You know how crazy that sounds.” Lach shook his head. “You want to make nice, but you don’t want to?”

“Dammit, Lach.”

“I really want you to think about what you want, man.” Lach blew out a breath. “And don’t think about me. I’ll be fine.”

“Really?” Now it was his turn to take a big bite before he spoke so he could think about what he wanted to say. He swallowed. “Why are you hiding, then?”

“I don’t have to be out and about. You do that part. I can still be a fine guardian.”

“Not if you never meet the wing.” He crossed his arms over his chest, giving up on the pretense that he was going to eat until they were done.

“So what, you want me to agree to come to a cookout so you can agree to make nice with your mate?” Lachlan slapped his hand down on the desk, making his lynx jump. “You’re so full of shit. And a coward.”

“This is getting us nowhere.” He rose, grabbing his food.

“You came to me.” Lach could be incredibly stubborn on a point sometimes.

“I did. And I value your opinion. But when it comes to this, you know dick all. I can’t mate with Lars.”

There was just too much standing in the way. Not least of which was Lars’s position in his wing.

He would hate Bryant if he took that away.

Wouldn’t he?