“Weaponized incompetence?”
“Eh, one of those things.” Frikka huffed and silenced as a loud flush interrupted them, followed by a rustle and the running of a sink.
“I’m sorry, did I call at a bad—”
“I’m in heat! I am taking break, having a piss and letting the asshole get some sleep before he fucks me again.” Frikka’s phonerustled some more, having likely shouldered it to his head to wash his hands.
Awfully civilized.
“Wait, how are you coherent in heat?” Viraj had heard that heats made Dettes inconsolable and stupid, mentally gone.
“Because I am amazing and I know herbs. I am not ready for another clutch. My pups are plenty.” The echoing continued as he spoke.
“Pack some snacks and drinks. Make sure they give you baths. If you don’t want pups, tell me and I’ll have someone send something over. If pupshappenand you do not want—we can make arrangements. Plenty of dragons want pups and it’s not unheard of for a Dette to laylarge blanksif we can keep the Drakes from bonding to them.” Frikka put a lot of his life at risk to help others.
“I want pups. I really do.” Viraj’s voice went soft as he thought about his great-nephews and how wonderful it was to play with them. Memories of his time in the harems circled back, and the joy of a dozen pups running about made his heart sing. “As many as the goddess gives me.”
Frikka whistled. “Do not say this. Have you seen the mess Hallr and Leo have? They drive a bus! Do you know how hard it is to find a nicebusto drive?”
“You forget where I grew up.”
“True. Your dragon will know what to do. Keep some extra lube around.” Frikka yawned on the other end, and his voice grew quiet. “What do you intend to do if you cannot have pups? Will they have objections?”
“No.” Viraj sighed. “I’m all they want.”
“Ever had two knots at once?” Frikka’s tone grew a littlethirstyon the other end. Maybe hewasin heat. The clarity was still disturbing, though.
“Yes,” Viraj said quickly, cutting himself off before saying that the act wasparticularlysatisfying.
“Neat. You can always fuck one of them if you need to.” Frikka purred as his tone deepened.
Viraj remained silent for a long moment before responding. “I’m not… I’m not really big enough to.”
“Some Dettes are, some Dettes aren’t. There’s a reason why we sayhung like a Dette.” Frikka sighed. “What’s a shame is, if you are small and love to fuck Drakes!”
“I don’t really have an inclination to. It bothers me, my size, but it’s never been a priority to.” Viraj reached toward his groin and palmed his burgeoning erection, mind still focused on his mates, their fat cocks, the lust they shared, the nest they made.
“Eh, as long as you can shoot the ropes on their face, it’s good.” Frikka had a way of making everyone feel better, awkward but better.
“I’ll bear that in mind.” Viraj stared at the floor and checked his phone’s battery. The numbers were dwindling.
“But remember this, Viraj. A Dette is a dragon. A Drake is a dragon. Hijada are dragons—even if you mutilate them.” The serious tone in Frikka’s voice gave Viraj pause. “Just because you lay blank eggs or bear young does not make you less. Drakes need us. We don’t need them. No Dette will be incomplete without furthering some asshole’s legacy. And any Drake will be happy to spend a heat with an omega, even if they fuck off after. We can have babies and never bother them again.”
It was a solid point. Dettes could self-service and be happy. Drakes… They were desperate to fuck and be fucked. Viraj twisted his lips. “Any advice for if I really want to have pups?”
“Your desire to have pups often plays a part. If the nest is good, the Dette is calm, and they really want pups, they make more pups.” Frikka groaned and yawned, a tense moment buried in his exhaustion before he huffed. “And like I knowthings, I know your phone is about to lose the battery, so go to your Drakes and get f—”
Viraj’s call dropped. He still had 3 percent left, and his brow furrowed. “He hung up… His timing was off.”
As Viraj thumbed his phone, thinking about resting a little, a wave of desire flushed through him in a rolling cloud of heat that seemed to permeate his blood. He needed to call Teige and Gatlin… Panic settled in as he realized he had 3 percent left.
Maybe Frikka’s timing wasn’t off at all.
Chapter Eight
Teige
Viraj had left in a storm of tears and anxiety, but their bond said he didn’t go too far. It wasn’t uncommon for him to sleep off fitful moods in the mines. He was prone to sadness and isolation, but they’d discovered his dragon rather enjoyed figuring out his own moods. Space was a healer, too.
