Page 16 of The Ruby Dragon's Unconventional Mate

“In the war room.” Winking, Simon turned to lead them in. “Which right now means the library. His office isn’t big enough for everyone.”

“Right.”

“Is Lars here?” Bryant asked.

Simon gave him a little frown. “Not yet. Jake has been sent to bring him.”

“I—” What was he supposed to say? That he was sorry? He was, but he wasn’t sure this was the appropriate time and place.

No, he needed to apologize to Lars. Personally and in private.

But he would protest in this meeting for sure. Lars needed to stay in his home where he was loved and where people knew and needed him. Not let Bryant and his stupidity run him out.

This entire fucking thing had gotten altogether out of hand, and that was on him.

It sucked, but it was true, and he had a guardian to beg forgiveness of.

They sat in Logan’s library, but the golden dragon himself wasn’t in there yet. Just his mate, Dakota, and their pair of mountain lions.

“Hey. Would you guys like a drink?” Dakota asked.

“Sure, thanks.” Lachlan smiled, his wings folded neatly so he didn’t knock anything over. “Water would be great.”

“Any lemon or lime? Juice in it?”

“Lime if you have it.”

“You got it. Bryan?” Dakota gave him a little smile, and he couldn’t decide if it was sympathy or pity in those pretty eyes.

“Uh—” It was probably bad form to ask for a whiskey, though he knew Logan had a lovely selection.

“Do you have any scotch?” Lachlan asked. “He might need a little liquid encouragement.”

“Wow, I can feel the bus wheels go round and round on my back.” He glared at his brother.

Dakota gave a soft snort of laughter. “Right. I can do that. Ice?”

“Just neat. And a cola for a chaser if you have that.”

“Always.” Dakota got up and left the room, which was like Logan’s magical cue to walk in, his own drink, and a platter of some kind of snacks, in his hands.

“Hey, thanks for coming, guys. Bea is on her way, and did Dakota tell you Jake went to retrieve Lars?”

He wanted to say, “Arf,” because that sounded like duck tolling or something, but he figured it was best not to be more of an ass than he had been. What about the McCallum brothers did this to him?

With Logan, he had a feeling it was because he looked so much like Lars, only gold rather than silver.

It was Lars who got under his skin. All the way. Like a nail more than a thorn…

“He did tell us,” Lach said. “This is wild, Logan.”

“Lars has a bee up his butt for sure.” Logan gave them a tight smile. “Cheese and crackers and shit. Help yourself.”

He looked at Logan and shook his head. “This is my fault.”

“Partially, yeah.” Logan rolled his shoulders. “And it’s partially mine. He told me how badly he’d been hurt by this situation, and I blew him off and told him to suck it up. That’s on me.”

“I didn’t--” It was just the three of them, his brother and one of his best friends, so he could admit it. “I just didn’t know what to say. Lars can be so damn open, and I was just worried about him saying something that would endanger Lachlan, our place here.”

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