Page 26 of Delinquent Dette (Empty Nests #7)

Frikka

Frikka snoozed gently, shifted into his human form to make more room in the nest. Sten liked to come in often and snuggle the eggs in his scales, and even the Slang eggs were warming up to him somewhat, though it was more or less lukewarm. Still, they were improving by the day.

Quick steps trotted down the staircase, not Sten’s lumbering step but a more demure and shier step, like someone frightened of life—Jasper. “Papa?”

“I’m awake, little one. Come, lay with me.

” That was one thing Frikka loved about Jasper, his closeness to Frikka.

Peter, his other Dette son, was brazen, more Drakelike than Dette, and every bit as fiery as Frikka ever was, but for pleasure alone.

Jasper, all soft features, like Frikka if he’d never had a hard life, nestled in, his thicker curls falling over his forehead. “You need a haircut.”

Jasper huffed. Getting his hair cut required leaving the house, seeing people, and that was a feat not so easily accomplished by someone as timid as he was. “Can’t you do it for me, Papa?”

“I could. But one of Weston’s aunts is a hair stylist, and she would love to cut your hair for you.” Frikka pawed over his head, watching the pretty ringlets spring back into place. “And she’d do a much better job.”

Jasper huffed and rounded his shoulders, halting as he caught sight of the eggs. “Are those the Slang eggs?”

“It’s not like I can lay solid green ones.

” Frikka snorted and Jasper forgot all about snuggling with Frikka, far more eager to investigate his new brothers and the fostered eggs.

He was certain they’d find a family to take them.

So many couples wanted pups. Drake couples, in particular.

But the eggs hadn’t reacted well to the Drakes that volunteered for them.

Something interesting happened, though, when Jasper laid a hand on one. Every sign of distress the eggs had, every fear and worry they’d slowly overcome, seemed to melt away. Their little bonds, weakly tethered to Frikka by virtue of nest alone, cried out at once. Papa! Papa!

Three little voices found the words to celebrate and Jasper froze. “Oh. Oh no, little ones. I’m sorry. I’m not your papa.”

Still, the eggs, clueless as to what Jasper said, cried out for him to touch them. Me! Me! Me!

By instinct alone, Jasper reacted, a broken purr in his throat as he rapidly undressed and shifted.

Purring? Only a gravid or nesting Dette purred… Frikka stared at his Dette son and cleared his throat. “Jasper? I thought you had your blanks already this year.”

I did, Papa. Three of them. My heat was awful. But, no hiccup or anything. Jasper tucked the three Slang eggs and his two siblings into his side like a natural born nester. His brothers? Confused. Very confused eggs, but happy. The three Slang eggs? Blissfully happy.

“You were purring…” Frikka glanced from the eggs to Jasper. His sleek, pretty Dette son lowered his head with a shake.

I didn’t… Did I? I’ve never had—that—with a Drake…

Let alone my heat! Jasper shuddered. Frikka would have been convinced that Jasper’s egg was swapped with another if it weren’t for how similar they looked.

The child was practically asexual. But then again, that child was barely twenty-five years his junior.

“Well, the eggs seem to really love you. They’re happier than I’ve ever heard them.” Frikka reached out to touch their shells, and each one chirped and piped with thoughts of joy and bright colors. His own eggs had never been that happy.

I love them, too! I really hope they find the best home. Pretty little babies. I want a clutch of my own so bad, Papa. Jasper snuggled in, and his dragon’s eyes teared up.

Frikka glanced around and grabbed his phone before sending a quick text to Suyin. Jasper is over with the eggs. You should come see this.

A ping shot back a few minutes later. On my way.

Frikka sat and watched Jasper tend the eggs so dutifully, breathing warm air on each of them as a good Dette should have. All his nesting instincts kicked in hard. Babies! He rubbed his cheek along a shell, earning more piping laughter and joy through the bond. They’re so loud!

To Frikka, it was barely a chirp and whisper, but they made a bond with Jasper near instantly.

“Jasper. Do you have a nest in your new home?” Frikka cleared his throat and watched.

I… Please do not be sad. Jasper glanced away from Frikka. I’ve reconstructed the nesting room—after the… Jasper didn’t finish. It’d been a fine nest. So much death had happened there, but it seemed fitting that Jasper might find some comfort there.

It stung worse than it should have, and Frikka breathed through the pain in his heart. “I cannot help being sad, but Sten made a good nest. Be sure and reinforce everything…”

Jasper nodded. I completely redid it, so it doesn’t look anything like the old nest.

“Well, that’s good. Your father and I used to do the boning there, so I’d expect you to—”

Gross, Papa! Jasper snorted.

By the time they’d settled and Frikka gave his blessing for the nest, their minds seemed to be on the same page. Jasper stared at the eggs like they were his entire world.

“What’s up?” Suyin called from the top of the steps as he jogged down, earning a territorial snort from Jasper. “Oh. Oh!”

“See? I think Jasper is ready to be a papa, whether a Drake has haunted his nest or not.” Frikka laughed and Jasper snorted while doing his best to cover the eggs with his body.

Precious babies.

“Precious babies, yes. I still need to see them, Jasper. Please? If you can’t let me check them, I can’t see if they want you to be their papa.

” Whatever Suyin said seemed to snap something in Jasper’s mind and he pulled away, staring at the pups with wide-eyed joy.

His tail twitched ecstatically, and Suyin hopped into the nest, reached over to give each of them a gentle pat, and grinned wide, his face nearly split with joy. “Oh. Oh, Jasper.”

Jasper puffed up with pride, sticking his snoot up in the air a little, as if accepting the praise.

“Jasper, are you ready to be a papa? Do you have your stuff together well enough to take on three pups?” Suyin hesitated as Jasper shifted and searched for his pants, keeping near the eggs the entire time.

“I’m a silver. My house is still under construction—but there’ll be lots of Dettes there soon. Umm, I’m relatively certain I could. My work is all on the computer these days… Can I really adopt them?” Jasper bounced in place excitedly, his eyes wide.

“I think so. They’re responding amazingly to you. I think you’re the right pick. You don’t have a mate. Is that going to be a problem?” Suyin cleared his throat.

“No. Leo and Hallr can wrangle nine and Hallr is shit at minding pups.” Jasper huffed. “I can do right by three.” He gathered them into his lap near instinctively. his usual timidness gone, replaced by fierce protectiveness.

“I think Hallr does fine by the lizard army.” Frikka snorted. His grandchildren were quite the Nielsen horde.

“Yeah, well, they have so much help. It’s good he can afford it.” Jasper patted over the eggshells. “I can afford these three. Easily.”

“That’s good. Once we finish the paternity testing after they’re born, we’ll have an idea who needs to pay restitution to their papa and fund their hoards.

” Suyin gave Jasper a wicked grin. “And if no pater can be found, we’ll have them set up with a base fund from the Slang Conservatory.

They’ll start as mid-coppers but will be fine. ”

“I can really have them?” Jasper’s eyes lit up and his entire body tensed.

“I don’t think it’s our say. They’ve chosen you.” Frikka smiled. It was the first time he’d ever seen Jasper so excited. No new book, nor toy, nor interesting paint had ever stimulated him so. Jasper wanted to be a papa. Nothing more.

“What say you, babies? Do you want to be my babies? Do you want me to be your papa?” Jasper brightened even further as the eggs’ happiness faded from Frikka’s bond. It left a tender spot in his heart, sore almost. The two eggs of his seemed so lonely, such a small clutch. “Thank you. So much.”

Frikka waved him off. “You need to go out and get nesting supplies. You can either sit with the eggs while I shop for you, or I can call Leo to go take you shopping.”

Jasper frowned. “They need to stay safe in a nest, but I need to pick the things out. Papa, stay with them a little longer. I’ll get Peter and Leo.”

Frikka gave a half grin as Jasper kissed the eggs and nuzzled them. “Papa will be right back and we’ll go home to nest. Okay?”

Frikka was certain eggs didn’t understand speech, but they understood heart. Soon. The eggs knew what soon meant.

In a way, it made Frikka feel better. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the pups or was unwilling. But having five eggs in his nest made his dragon unbearably sad.

Frikka sighed as Jasper and Suyin left, eagerly chatting about giving him some hand-me-down nesting supplies.

It was better with just the two eggs. Frikka threw some names out, two that sounded right. Traditional names were a thing of the past. “Smoke and Ashes.”

And two little happy minds accepted them with glee.

Sten’s going to hate this. Frikka laughed.