Page 28 of Delinquent Dette (Empty Nests #7)

Frikka

Sten lounged in the backyard, Smoke and Ashes snoozing happily on his flank, little claws dug into his scales. He didn’t seem to mind—such a tolerant and lovely Drake he never deserved.

Torfi sat beside him, patting the rump of one of Jasper’s fussy little pups. They were clingy, and rightfully so. It was a toss-up, whether it was because of their circumstances at laying or from Jasper’s mollycoddling. Frikka’s Dette father didn’t seem to mind, though.

Andre, the pup that had chosen Torfi’s lap, yawned and fussed when he stopped patting on him, spurring the male to pat him some more. “Their tummies are very sensitive.”

“Stressed eggs.” Frikka nodded as he reached over his shoulder to pat the head of a resting little Drake. Petre wriggled happily, fattening up much faster than his Dette siblings.

Torfi wasn’t much for continuing to apologize, but Fjallarr was.

Frikka had grudgingly allowed him to come see his grandpups, as he’d never met any of the others before adulthood.

It was a small obligation to make sure Fjallarr was kept in the loop on Ashes.

With his bicolored coat, he’d be a very sought-after Dette among the Nidhogg clan.

Any Drake that took him, if so he chose, would be given status that of a clan head.

Cinder, fortunately, didn’t have any more dreams of the volur nature.

No ill tidings called to him in his dreams—or at least ones he told about.

Fjallarr had been gracious enough to see to Cinder’s training too, despite him being a Dior in coloring—and likely dead set on claiming Niko—the Nidhogg wanted to foster and track his gift.

Fjallarr, for the day, had chosen Smoke and Cal to play with, running around the yard and nipping at them playfully in a way he’d never done with Frikka as a pup.

It was a step in the right direction if he was being genuine.

Frikka would have to watch him, though. No older Drakes were trustworthy.

Jasper didn’t think so, either, as he sat on the fountain’s edge in his skin and watched.

The doorbell rang, but they’d left it unlocked. People came and went as they pleased, after all.

Ryan and Gaspard showed up, Felix, Colborn, Karl, and Laurant in tow, also with a slew of children happily racing about in their human forms. They were generally mild-mannered little ones, but being on Nielsen territory entitled them to certain freedoms, like Leo said, the freedom to be the batshit and off of walls . Happy pups were tired pups.

They brought folding chairs with them, popping them up around where Frikka and Torfi sat. The little ones bowled over Sten like ants on watermelon, earning a slew of laughter and the startled bark of a tiny pup not yet ready to play as hard as his cousins.

Ryan laid a hand on Frikka’s shoulder, his deeply reddish-brown skin sun warmed and gleaming. “How are you, Frikka?”

“Good. Always good these days.” Frikka laughed.

“Good to hear. You know what I want to talk to you about?” Ryan elbowed him and Frikka gave him his full attention.

“The Dette council?”

“Absolutely.” Ryan grinned.

“I’ll pass. Maybe someday. I’m happy to run some errands, help save some Dettes, and be there, but I’m no better than the broken Drakes. I am prejudiced.” Frikka stared at his Drake father, the happiness he held muting a little.

“Worth a try.” Ryan shrugged and leaned back. “Hallr was on his way last I heard. He’s got the Slang dignitaries with him.”

“Political.” Frikka snorted.

As stated, Hallr rolled in a few minutes later, folder in one hand, phone in the other as two Slang Drakes followed him.

Jasper rose from his seat and strode across the garden, arms crossed. Hallr handed Jasper one of two folders in his hand. “These are the results. The pups are all from one father.”

Hallr gestured toward the two Drakes. “This is Josef and Adrian. Josef is the clan head for Saxony. And this is his son, Adrian—the father of those three pups.”

Adrian, for his part, stared out at the pups indifferently, arms crossed as his father took a deep breath. “I’ve only just come to find out a week ago that my son gallivanted off with a Dette he had no business being around and ran a heat with them.”

“The Dette was from a copper rank family, first heat, hadn’t finished his schooling. Adrian was the same age as him and kids do stupid shit.” Hallr stared at the young Drake with utter disappointment.

“He wasn’t from a high family. I do not understand why this is a big deal.” Adrian gestured out. “They’ve adopted the pups. All is well.”

“There’s a dead Dette on your hands, boy. Why did he feel the need to run away after you knocked him up?” Frikka picked at his teeth as he cut his gaze toward the brazen Drakeling.

“He said he did not have his blanks, and the pups were my responsibility. I told him it was his duty to take care of them . Obviously, he did not.” Adrian winced when his father smacked him across the back of his head, sending chestnut curls astray.

“That is a Dette that I had to pay his family for. He died . Whether he took care of the eggs or not wouldn’t have changed that. Those pups are your responsibility, son . Those are my grandchildren.” Josef seethed, and the boy rolled his eyes.

“You’ve only been so caring about the Dettes since Uncle Florentin—” He made a rude gesture, pantomiming strangulation.

Oh right. The toaster… Frikka bit back a laugh but kept his face neutral. “He only did that after he got caught molesting his own son in the same way you got caught with a clutch. Is that a family habit of yours, sending innocent Dettes to the wastes for getting inconveniently gravid?”

Both Adrian and Josef had the good sense to look ashamed.

“What do you want me to do? Raise them? I’ll hire a nanny and—” Adrian waved his hand in defeat.

“No. Those pups have been adopted by Jasper Nielsen. They will be raised in the new world under new law. But you will provide for them,” Josef said.

His breath came out in a low hiss as he reached forward to grab his son by the shoulder, squeezing far too tightly. “You’re twenty-three, are you not?”

Adrian nodded jerkily.

“Good. That means I still have control of your finances. We’re going to build three nice little hoards. High copper—” Josef started, but Adrian nearly shrieked in protest.

“Silver, then. Three silver fortunes. And for the next twenty-five years, you will give 30 percent of every penny you earn to their hoards.” Josef gripped the boy’s shoulder harder.

“You have shamed me. Had you only told me what you’d done, we could have seen to the Dette, had them cared for, the pups done well by, and you would have remained respected. ”

“Father!” Adrian’s voice cracked.

“Back to my car. Now. Not even the good sense to look at your own pups. See that little Drake there? On Frikka’s shoulder?” Josef gestured and Petre lifted his head, tilted it, and chirped. “That is your firstborn Drake son. That should be an heir to our family.”

“Then make him an heir! I didn’t ask for a clutch.” Adrian stormed off, doing as he was told.

Josef gave a swift bow of apology. “He doesn’t realize it yet, but he will be standing trial for the accidental slaughter of a Dette by negligence and will forfeit his status as my firstborn Drake son—heir to my status.”

Jasper and Frikka nodded sharply, but it was Jasper that spoke. “Have you any desire to see your grandchildren? Do you wish to know them?”

Josef stared at Petre then glanced toward Andre and Cal. “I would very much enjoy knowing my firstborn grandpups. I only regret it is under these circumstances. Please—if you need anything.”

Jasper held out his hand as Josef offered him a card. “Send me an email with their account numbers and I will transfer Adrian’s hoard. I’ll leave him enough to rebuild so he can continue to support them. And I am proud of how well you’ve seen to them. I heard it was touch and go.”

Jasper shrugged. “It was for everyone else, but they knew I was their new papa, and they have grown strong, grow stronger by the day.”

“I need to see to my son, but I’ll be by over the next few days to visit, if that’s okay?” Josef swallowed hard, fighting back true remorse in his eyes.

Jasper nodded and Josef left.

Gaspard and Hallr came walking by, staring at paperwork.

“So, we were looking at some of the Vritra Hijada, and it’s the damndest thing.

They are intersex but agendered. The ratio of their birth has gotten out of hand in the pure Vritra line.

One Drake to every three Dettes if they’re lucky and five Hijada to that. ”

Hallr stared at the paperwork, brow furrowed. “I wonder.”

“Hmm?” Gaspard glanced over as Hallr pulled up an article on sea turtle eggs.

“Happy Dettes make more Dettes… Do happy Dettes run warmer or something?” Hallr glanced toward Gaspard.

“That is a very interesting theory.” Gaspard frowned, thinking back as Hallr did the same. Pups were always particular about the position of their eggs, who liked warmth and cold.

“What does it mean?” Hallr glanced toward Gaspard and then back at his phone.

“It means we’re about to find a hell of a lot more Dettes, I tell you.” Gaspard snorted and walked off, yammering science stuff with Hallr.

Ryan snorted. “I knew a few Hijada in my day that had themselves castrated to keep from being labeled a Dette or Drake.”

It made sense as to why they had harems, and why other dragons had dens. Climates… “Jasper always did want to be closest to my belly. Kletter was hot and cold a lot, sometimes wanted me, others wanted to be with Hallr and Torsten.”

Ryan hummed and frowned. “By the way. Cinder is doing that weird seer shit, isn’t he?”

Frikka froze. “Why?”

“He just told me to call Viraj earlier. But specifically said to wait until this evening.” Ryan shrugged. “Hope it’s nothing bad. Maybe they found a Dette for their den?”

“Maybe.” Frikka shrugged. “Who knows?”