Viraj nodded once. “I understand.”
Gatlin squeezed his shoulder and turned to look, presumably, where Teige was. He gave the lout a kick.
“Gah! Fuck. M’up!” Teige sat up and glanced around with wide eyes.
“Vivi may need surgery for the eggs to come out safely, and if things go south, they may have to cull one or two.” Gatlin’s voice cracked as he spoke the low whisper.
Teige let loose what sounded like a strangled whimper. “We’ll make this right for you, Vivi.”
“It’s already right.” Viraj held a hand to his belly. “I will mourn the loss if I need to, but we’ll have the pups we wanted. I promise.”
Viraj’s dragon spoke, a surly rumble that tickled the inside of his head.We will have many pups. There are no tears for eggs that were not meant to be, only time for them to be born again.
Viraj blinked a few tears away.I do not wish to lose pups. Not like this.
A pup that never hatches only waits in line to hatch again. Do not mourn them.
But Viraj would.
“And what if any are born Hijada?” Viraj dared to rest a hand on his belly. “Or a freak like me.”
“There won’t be Hijada. You’re not breeding Vritra to Vritra.” Gaspard shook his head. “It’s a product of inbreeding so many generations back. That’s why Vritra born outside of the main houses aren’t regarded ashigh Vritra.”
“That’s the first thing they taught us when we got our education,” Ryan said, sticking his tongue out. “Welcome to the Dette club, Viraj. You’ll now be a member of our council, I suppose.”
“What happens to Viraj’s council votes? They’ll want to go back and retally things that were close…” Teige rubbed at his face and huffed.
“According to my medical notes, he was a Drake at that time.” Gaspard smirked. “But unfortunately, some people might argue. Sile will put his foot down, if I know him.”
Ryan pulled out his phone and began typing away. “I’m telling Shui to put pressure on him. We’ll make this go away. A happy Dette makes for a happy Drake.”
Viraj gave a nod and a hoarse thanks. “I suppose I need to go home and rest, now.”
“Frikka will be there tomorrow morning. Bright and whatever he considers early.” Gaspard smiled and Viraj tucked his shirt into place. It was going to be a long four and a half weeks.
Chapter Fourteen
Teige
The next morning, sometime after breakfast and a morning snuggle, Frikka let himself into the house without announcement. Teige saw him first, glancing about with feigned interest. After all, it was not too long ago he’d rented the place from them. Teige had been in the breakfast nook reading on his phone, so Frikka hadn’t gotten far into the house.
“I still have a key.” He dangled a silvery key on his finger with a little twirl before dropping down into a seat across from him. “Keeping it for now so you can call me if anything goes wrong.”
Teige nodded. Frikka having a key wouldn’t have changed much, anyway. The Dette could get into Fort Knox with a paperclip and a condom if he wanted.
Teige took a final sip of his coffee and waved for Frikka to follow him.
They traversed the house to the garage, where the entrance to the cellar lay. They descended the stone steps and made it into their less-than-impressive nest where Viraj lay curled among blankets, Gatlin on his phone nearby.
When they approached the nest, Gatlin shook Viraj awake, smiling as their mate sat up with a soft smile and a stretch. “Morning, Frikka.”
“Good morning, Dette! How do you feel?” Frikka sidled down next to him, his posture graceful and intentional. In peaceful moments like those, it was easy to remember he was a jarl’s son, a thoroughbred Dette from a powerful family. Easy to forget he was a menace to society and a killer of Drakes.
“I should say I feel terrible, tired, achy, miserable.” Viraj broke off with a yawn and stretched. “But a part of me is so happy. I can’t imagine what life will be like with pups.”
Frikka scooted closer, totally unfazed by being in another Dette’s nest.
Something unspoken passed between them as Frikka reached out and Viraj lifted his long shirt. Careful hands, slender and elegant, cupped the sides of Viraj’s belly, spanned the surface, fingertips prodding ever so gently.
