Page 14 of The Ruby Dragon's Unconventional Mate

Lars didn’t say it aloud. He wasn’t sure what he did say because he was so in his own head, listening to himself. He’d never once considered actually leaving, but he could.

He could leave.

He could just get in his car and go anywhere, and it would be okay.

What a fascinating thought.

He’d always been needed here in the wing, but now there were two more guardians. There was an excess of guardians, even.

Fascinating.

He could just leave.

“Are you all right?” Bryant asked.

Lars glanced up into the new guardian’s eyes and nodded. “I am. Thank you. I’m fine.”

He was leaving.

“I—” Bryant seemed so unsure. “Do you wanna come sit and chat?”

“Sure, I have a few minutes. No problem.” He could have his coffee before he went to go get Slippy. Then he could go home and send an email resigning.

He needed to buy some boxes.

Of course, really, he could just make sure that all the perishables were gone. Logan would let him keep his house until he found a new place. Then he could pay to just have it packed.

He could give notice and, in two weeks, be gone. He could just go somewhere and be…him.

He didn’t know what to think. He wasn’t sure he was supposed to.

Goddess. He was going to leave.

Chapter

Six

“… S

o, in conclusion, since there is an abundance of guardians for the wing, I am tendering my resignation. Please consider this email my two-week notice.”

Bryant stared at his phone, where the email had popped up.

Lars was resigning.

He wasleavingthe wing.

That had been in the email too. Gods. For a long moment, he was completely numb. Like, for real. As if all his nerve endings had died. His lips wouldn’t even move to speak the last line of the email aloud.

When he snapped out of that, he immediately fell into a space of complete panic.

Of course, the next email read: “Bullshit you are.” And that was from Logan. “I do not accept your resignation. I’m calling a meeting NOW. Everyone get their asses over here.”

Well, that was clear.

Lachlan walked out of the rooms that he’d claimed as his own. “So what did you do?”

“Nothing!” Bryant felt as if he’d been hit in the breadbasket. “I apologized. I told him the truth—it wasn’t that I didn’t trusthim about me. I didn’t trust him about you, and you’re my number one priority. He said fine. We had a cup of coffee. We talked about absolutely nothing of any importance, and then he left. I didn’t do anything.”

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