Page 8 of The Ruby Dragon’s Unconventional Mate (Oro Escondido #3)

Chapter

Eight

B ryant ran on a treadmill when he needed to work off frustrations.

He supposed here in Oro he could fly some. Or run outside. Or just go take an icy dip in the river in his dragon form.

But he found jogging on the treadmill to be meditative. He couldn’t get lost or attacked in Lachlan’s basement. The treadmill kept him at a steady, sustainable pace. And he could just let his body go on autopilot and his mind race.

Lars.

It was all about Lars right now.

Because Lach was pissed at him. No one else in town was talking to him, not that anyone but Lars and Logan ever had. He was beginning to think he was the one who should just leave.

He’d told everyone and himself that he had no time for a mate. But in a twist of irony, all he had now was time on his hands, and he was…

Dammit, he missed Lars.

He missed their texts. Their late-night phone conversations. The feedback he got about life. The way he could shoulder some of Lars’s problems too.

But he’d just ruined that.

He turned up the speed a little. He needed to outrun his shit now. Because thinking about it wasn’t doing him any good.

Bry! I need you!

The mental shout had him leaping off the treadmill and racing upstairs. “Lach? Where are you?” he shouted.

Shower.

Shit. He ran to the third floor, and found Lachlan in the master bath, crumpled on the floor, water beating down on him. “Lachlan!”

He grabbed his brother up, stunned to find him ice cold.

Lachlan didn’t just have permanent physical injuries. His magic field was all messed up, and sometimes he just collapsed, his energy unable to sustain his corporeal form until things evened out.

He turned off the water with one hand, then hauled Lach to the bed, laying him down before going to the bathroom to grab towels.

“Did you hurt yourself?”

“A little banged up.” Lachlan was gasping, his body heaving as it tried to get back on some kind of an even keel.

“Shit. I’m sorry. I should have been?—”

“Stop it. I was just taking a fucking shower.” Lachlan sighed. “I’m fine. Cold. But fine.”

He dried Lachlan quickly, then got him stuffed under the covers. “We really need to get a new housekeeper.”

Suddenly, his phone beeped. Lars’s text tone sounding.

What’s wrong?

He blinked, just staring at his phone.

“What? What is it? What’s going on?” Lach started to try to sit up, and Bryant pushed him back down.

“It’s Lars. He wanted to know what happened.”

One of those silver eyebrows lifted. “But he isn’t your mate…”

“Shut up, get under another blanket.” He texted back.

Lach. Lach fell in the shower

Lars knew about the problems Lach was having. Lars was impossible to hide things from in the long run.

Damn. What can I do?

Can you bring soup? Soup would be really good.

He sent the message before he allowed himself to think at all. He needed to see Lars. This worked.

I’ll be there in an hour.

Thanks

Okay, wow. “He’s bringing soup.”

“What kind of soup?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t tell him what kind of soup. He asked what he could do to help, and I said bring soup.”

Lachlan grinned at him. “I think that sounds great. Soup. Soupy soup. I think that you should go take a really quick bath so that you don’t look like you’ve been stress running. Gross.”

“Once I know you’re okay…”

“I fell in the shower. It happens. Thank you for coming to get me out.” Lachlan stared at him. “This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a mate. Lars is a basically good guy, and he likes you a lot. You are basically good guy. You do know I don’t hate you, right?”

“Oh, shut up.”

He had to grin though. He wanted to see Lars. Lars was coming over.

And bringing soup.

He loved soup. He would bet Lars was bringing as much for him as for Lach.

“I’ll take my shower in here so you can call if you need me.”

“I’ll sleep it off. I’ll be fine.” Lach ducked his head, not meeting his gaze now, and he could see the embarrassment stealing over his brother.

“You will. But I’m here to help.”

“I hate this.”

“I hate that you were hurt, but I love you, man.” And he wanted to love it here, as well.

“I love you too, brother.” Lach sighed, but he was already drifting, his body trying to shut down in order to charge up.

“I’ll be right here if you need me.” He headed to the bathroom, knowing he could just wrap up in a towel when he needed to go get clothes.

He cleaned up and washed his hair, then he got dressed, going for casual but decent before Lars showed up with soup.

Not that he wouldn’t love opening the door to Lars naked…

Oh, he was a bad, bad dragon.

He opened some wine to let it breathe, just in case, and he pondered making some kind of quick dessert. He had a brownie mix, he thought. With the ice cream he had in the freezer…

Although Lars was a baker. Maybe he’d bring something. That would be weird if he made box brownies…

Maybe just ice cream sundaes.

He’d just about decided when the doorbell rang.

He opened the door to find Lars standing there—arms filled with a huge Crock-Pot, a cake box, flowers, and a basket filled with a blanket.

Wow.

“Hey, you.” He gave Lars a smile, hoping it read as anything but freaked out and desperate. “Let me take some of that.” He grabbed the slow cooker and the cake.

“Careful. It’s hot. It’s potato soup. I have fresh biscuits and a chocolate stout cake, too.”

“Oh, wow. I have ice cream in the freezer.” He led Lars to the kitchen, wondering if he would notice that the house was changing from what it had been a few weeks back.

He laid his stuff down, and when Lars put the rest on the counter, he turned and put his hands on Lars’s shoulders. “Thank you, Lars. I—Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Lars met his eyes. “I felt how scared you were. I had to help. You’re one of us now, right?”

“I want to be. I know I started off like shit. I know it, and I’m so sorry.” He reached up to stroke Lars’s cheek. “But I belong to this wing now. So does Lach. And I want to be here.”

“Is he okay? How can I help?” There’s cheese for the bread, but everything needs to heat…

We’ll put it all in. He just needs to rest. It’s like…he’s recharging his battery. But he fell in the shower and it scared me so bad. He grabbed Lars and hugged him, needing the contact.

So scary. I’m sorry. I know you worry about him a lot.

I do. Lars’s warmth was like the best medicine. Let’s get things plugged in and then we can hang for a bit until Lach wakes up? That way we can all eat together. And if Lachlan slept on, he would eat with Lars and save some for Lach.

“Are you sure? I mean… Do you want me here? I know we’re not…well, things have sucked.”

“I want you here.” He kissed Lars’s forehead. “I really do.” He squeezed one more time before letting go. “So, let’s plug the soup in on low and get the bread ready to melt, cheese and all. Then you can come sit with me and we can just—” Maybe he could make it up to Lars.

Bryant took a deep breath, trying to find the words.

“I’ve been reacting, not thinking. Not letting you know how I feel. Can we talk for real? I promise not to insult you every other sentence.”

Lars chuckled. “Maybe every third.”

“Maybe not even that.”

“Okay. I’d—I’d like that. To talk. I was your friend, you know. I care.”

And Lars was honest and brave, offering himself, and Bryant didn’t deserve the care.

Lars shook his head. You might be a jerk, but you’re really a good guy.

He chuckled, but his chest felt tight, and he wanted to kiss Lars so badly. Gods. But he just took Lars’s hand and kissed that instead. “Thank you. Did I say that?”

Lars gave him a patently false stank eye. “Are you just trying to get me to let you have cake first?”

“Nope. That soup smells delicious, and I love potatoes and bread and cheese.”

“I remember you put French fries on your grilled cheese.”

“And you told me I was weird.” He plugged in the Crock-Pot on the island.

“I did, but that’s all right. I forgave you.” Lars unpacked the rest of the goodies, including a heavy blanket. “It’s a weighted blanket. He’ll like it.”

“Oh, he will. Wow. This is amazing.” He chuckled. “I wondered if it was for a floor picnic.”

“No. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do that.” Lars gave him a bright smile, his silvery scales flashing for a moment.

“I would love that. But we might end up eating in the master if Lach is stuck in bed. He would love the company.”

“Fun!” Lars laughed, the sound a little like a cheerful waterfall. Gods, he was pretty.

It was like Lars had invaded his heart again when he’d heard Bryant’s fear about his brother.

Lars had cared more about them than he cared about his own pride. That honored the hell out of him.

They set up the bread, and he found a bottle of wine to open, which Lars actually clapped his hands over. “It’s a New Mexico wine!”

“It is. Lach sent me out to get him a little of everything when we first got here. So I got him chocolates with chiles, some amazing wines, some super cool cheeses. A lot of yummy stuff.”

“I love it.” Lars did the swirl and sniff. “I used a local stout in the cake.”

“That sounds amazing, sweetheart.”

Lars glanced at him. “We need to be gentle with each other. We can hurt each other, so easily.” And I don’t want to hurt you, okay?

I don’t want to hurt you either. I know I did. I have a lot to make up for. But I miss you, and I’ll try to explain where my head has been at, okay? He sipped his wine, needing to take this slow. Lars was right. They could do a lot of damage, and he didn’t want that.

He just didn’t deal with stress about Lachlan well. Lach was the older twin. The platinum guardian. The one who had always protected and taken care.

And now he was needing that from Bryant, who was so willing to give it, but it gave him a churning gut and a tight chest.

“It’s hard, I know. Logan is the boss, but sometimes, I have to pretend to be the big brother.”

“I can see that.” He could. He knew Logan well enough to have seen him fly off the handle.

Dakota was good for him, and so were the babies.

But Lars…well, Lars was so much more even- keeled.

Bryant had thought he was too. “I’d love to blame it all on the magic flux around Lachlan, but I was just an ass. ”

“I just wish…” Lars closed his mouth and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What, sweet? What do you wish?”

Lars took a sip of his own wine, humming. “I tell you what? Why don’t we sit and chat like friends, and then have supper with Lachlan, and then if we want to have the harder talks, we can. I think you need to calm down, not ramp up, and I just want to help out and be with my friend. Okay?”

He stared at Lars for long seconds, but he couldn’t argue with that, really. Could he? So, he smiled, nodding, and let it go. For now.