Page 13 of The Ruby Dragon's Unconventional Mate

He wasn’t about to give Bryant guidance on his brother and the wing. No way.

“Yes.” Bryant finally nodded once. Definitively. “You and… Mariposa? Should come over. With Lars and Logan and Dakota. It will be a great little dinner party to introduce Lachlan to some folks while letting him hang out with Logan, who he knows already.” Bryant gave him a narrow-eyed stare.

Well-played. Lars watched Teaball groom Slippy’s ears, trying to think of an out.

“That sounds amazing. I can bring apps. Lars should bring dessert.”

“Sure. He can come up with something out of the book he stole from me.” Now Bryant’s eyes were glinting with teasing laughter, which Lars remembered so fondly from his visit.

Which was so not cool.

He didn’t want happy memories of Bryant, dammit.

“It was my book, since I ordered it. But sure, why not?” he said, trying for breezy.

Amber chortled, and he wanted to pinch her. She was having too much fun.

It wasn’t nice.

“I’ll text you both with the details once I check in with Lachlan,” Bryant said. “Now, what kind of tea goes best with a thriller, Amber?”

“Oh, cinnamon and cardamom.” She bagged Lars’s books and checked him out, then helped Bryant while Teabag and Slippy played.

They were having a ball, so maybe he should go get a coffee next door while they had fun.

“I’ll just go?—”

“I owe you a coffee.” Bryant took his bag of books. “I’ll walk over with you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to.”

“I know.” Bryant cupped one big, warm hand under his elbow and walked him out. They didn’t speak while they moved to the coffee shop, but once they got inside and put in their order, Bryant gave him a wry smile. “I owe you an apology. I was inexcusably rude.”

“You were.” Lars turned to poke him in the chest. “Not about the coffee thing and me not working. But about showing up here without telling me,” he hissed.

“I know. I totally panicked. Lachlan’s situation is—” Bryant glanced at the barista, who could probably only hear steaming milk. “Complicated. I wasn’t even sure we wouldcomehere until the last minute.”

“Well, once you knew, you could have texted me. So you didn’t trust me.”

“I do trust you. For me. I don’t trust anyone for Lachlan.” Bryant spread his hands. “I can’t. Not after what happened.”

The steamer stopped, and so did Bryant, going to stand at the pickup counter.

Well, he guessed that was that.

For the first time, it was clear as crystal, what was going on here. What his position here was.

Bryant was not his mate. It wasn’t on anyone’s mind even. He had precedence for this. If Logan had to choose between him and Dakota, Dakota would win.

Samuel had left his entire wing behind for Jake.

Bea would eat her young for Mickey.

He wasn’t going to waste time being upset about it. He didn’t have to.

“Guardians, what can I get you?”

To get out of Oro Escondido.

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