Page 48 of The Ruby Dragon's Unconventional Mate

“Not because I’m a scary dragon?” Lachlan made ararnoise and claw hands, and he laughed.

He went to sit down. “It’s your play, you big alpha dork.”

“Right.” Lachlan winked, and they played the next round. He could tell Lachlan was thinking hard though.

“Be patient with Bryant,” he finally said. “He had convinced himself he wasn’t going to mate with you, or have kids, and now he’s convinced himself he won’t leave me to come and be withyou at your house, but I know better. This isn’t Bryant’s house. It’s telling me so.”

Lars sat there with his mouth hanging open, and then he snapped it shut, grinning a little. “You are into the shock moment, huh?”

“I’m a platinum guardian. It’s my job.”

“Mmhmm.” He thought about that. “Do you think he’ll quit resisting?”

“Oh, yeah. He was already planning on sneaking out to stay with you, coming back to have breakfast with me, then go see you. Wash, rinse, repeat. He just wants me to not be alone. He wants to get me a housekeeper, but you can also see why he hasn’t.”

“Of course.” He shuddered.

“I keep telling him I have Jarrel. And maybe there’s someone I could just be… I don’t know. Roommates with. Someone elderly in the wing who needs me as much as I need them.”

Tears pricked at his eyes. That was both incredibly kind and a little sad. “Maybe. We have many elders in our wing. It’s such a small town… Kids leave. But you know, we also have some co-living houses. You know, where they can live together.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s kind of a tradition here in New Mexico, and definitely in Oro. We’re not meant to live alone.” He reached back over to grab Lachlan’s hand. “We’re not meant to be solitary creatures. I understand Bryant. Why he doesn’t want to leave you.”

“He will. And I will bless it for him. I want him happy.” Lachlan shuffled, then dealt out more cards. “And I want you happy, too.”

“We’ll do what we’re going to do.” Lars picked up his cards. “You dealt me a shit hand.”

“Awww.” Lachlan winked.

He shook his head, tossing his two cards into the crib. “Play cards, buddy. See if I don’t kick your platinum butt.”

“You’re on.” And from then on, the most serious thing they discussed was what snacks went best with cards.

Definitely not Cheetos.

Chapter

Fifteen

Bryant whistled as he wandered up to Lars’s front door. Logan and Dakota had brought all four of the kids to visit Lars, and while Bryant loved them to death, he wanted his alone time with his mate.

Because Lars was so his mate. And he was itching to see him. Crawling out of his skin. He was hot to the touch, and the slightest hint of Lars’s thoughts made him go on high alert.

So he had a feeling Lars was…heated.

He grinned. Goddess he was a dork. But he was a dork in love, and he had all afternoon and evening to spend with Lars.

He knocked, but it wasn’t Lars who answered the door. A ferret opened it, hanging off the doorknob as the door opened, then flopping to the floor.

“Slippy? Where is Lars? Is he okay? Take me to him!”

Slippy turned and ran through the house to the stairs, then scampered up them. Bryant raced down the hall, following him to Lars’s bedroom, but no one was in there. Then he heard a moan in the bathroom.

“Lars! Did you fall?” He slid into the bathroom, his feet moving too fast for his body, his heart hammering.

Lars was in the bathtub, perfectly relaxed except for the wide eyes. He had one leg on the edge of the tub, his hand around his cock. His head was resting on a little blow-up pillow with all that hair piled on the top of his head in a weird little knot. It was at once adorable and hot, and it made his mouth dry.

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