He shook his head once more. They had played as children, but from the moment they separated them by gender, Viraj had little to do with Ryan save for polite mingling under supervision.
Gaspard hesitated as he spoke cautiously. “And you’ve notchangedany at all? Over the years?”
Viraj shook his head. One word he pushed through their minds.Hijada.
Gaspard nodded as he took his gloves off. “But you identify as a Drake?”
That threw Viraj’s spiraling thoughts into a screeching halt.Yes!
“And would you mind if I spoke to your mates?” Gaspard raised a brow and earned a miserable sigh from Viraj.
Feel free to do so in private.
Gaspard nodded once and cleaned up, giving Bastien a stern glance as they gestured for him to stay still. “I’m recommending an experimental injection. A subdermal of an isolate from nestblossom. It’s a polar compound, so I’ll give it in your dragon form. It will burn quite a bit, but there’s nothing for it. I’ll speak to your mates after, while you recover. Bastien is going to channel some energy into your pineal glands and adrenal glands, see if he can boost function.”
Gaspard and Bastien approached one another, glancing between their notebooks as they wrote things in silence. Grim expressions twisted into something hard and confusing, but Viraj found himself flinching as Gaspard drew a large syringe from his bag, and he refused to watch the rest, holding deathly still; the prick and burn signaled it was over.
“Try to rest. It should feel better within the hour. And we’ll be leaving in two days, so no worries if you start feeling any side effects.” Bastien patted Viraj’s head and channeled his magic with a sharp tingle.
“I’m going to speak with his mates.” Gaspard smiled wanly and gave Bastien a short nod before leaving with a clipped pace.
What is wrong with me?Viraj focused and pushed the words through.
“Hereditary hormonal insufficiency. Nothing to worry. I think. Let me work.” Bastien forced a smile over his face as Viraj’s insides burned and tingled, every scale on his body rippling with intensity.
Will it fix me?
“Once we have a baseline, we can figure out what to do next. Personally, after spring is over, I’d like to get some X-rays and an ultrasound to be certain.” Bastien worked his magic, and Viraj imagined a world where he wanted a Dette in his nest, where they invited a fourth, and he could finally feel right.
Chapter Two
Teige
The wee spriggans had the true energy that came with being Stoor or Loch. And in their shifted form, it became very apparent that little Faolan was a true Stoor, despite being of Loch blood. His mane of fur along his spines flowed like the old ones, vicious forms calling back to a tale of dragons with wolf spirits.
All Loch and Stoor were truly Irish, no Scottish dragons in existence anymore, all bearing different names, but that little one could resurge an entire clan were he to find the right mate.
The little ones, shifted and tumbling, chased roosters about with feckless glee, their home-raised flock, a long history originating from the orneriest cockerel they’d ever witnessed. Not since his youth in the northlands had he seen such horrid fowl, but Viraj had somehow gotten a flock of the males to brood and raise male chicks that people brought along, creating the most homosexual bunch of chickens on earth. They mounted one another far more often than not.
Honestly? Mood.
But if one or two got eaten playing with the pups? None would be the wiser.
Especially not when one strutted up and pecked viciously at Gatlin’s leg before trying to fornicate with his shoe. Nonconsensually.
After what seemed like a long while, Gaspard strutted back, face a mask of professionalism, Bastien no longer at his side. “Boys?”
Every one them looked up at once save for Ryan. The little prince he was, now a king, held no notion that Gaspard would call himboy.
“Aye?” Gatlin said as he kicked a rooster off his foot while it made a hideous squawk of coitus interruptus.
Also, mood. Poor lad. Didn’t even let him finish.
Gaspard pointed to Teige and Gatlin with a stern glance, his face somewhat cold as he did so. Teige feared they wouldn’t like the news they received, so they followed, leaving Ryan and the pups to play happily, even if he gave them disdainful glances.
As they strode away from the area, they made their way to the sunroom on the back of the Silverton estate, watching over the gardens and chicken coops with halfhearted interest. Ordinarily, it brought joy, but Gaspard’s sullen mood only brought a leaden severity to the situation.
“Tell me, boys. Have either of you been with a Dette before?” Gaspard folded his hands and waited patiently while Teige and Gatlin shook their heads.
