"Don't Mess With My Dragon Mommy!" is an exciting short drama that blends fantasy, romance, and family dynamics. A powerful dragon mommy and her devoted family protect what matters most against all odds. Watch the full episode to experience the magical journey filled with love, dragons, and fierce determination. This drama is perfect for fans of magical creatures and family adventures.
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#DontMessWithMyDragonMommy #ShortDrama #ShortMovie #ShortFilm #FantasyDrama #DragonStory #FamilyDrama #MagicalAdventure #LoveStory #FullEpisode #DragonMommy #FierceProtection #FamilyLove
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The day we were supposed to complete our blood bonding ceremony, my mate Rylan had the clan
00:05sentinels drag me out of the sacred hall. He walked in with his childhood sweetheart instead.
00:11Lila's baby needs a father on paper. Once we divorce, I'll marry you.
00:16Everyone thought I'd swallow my pride and wait another month. After all, I'd already waited
00:21seven years. But that night, I accepted my family's arranged alliance and left the abyssal
00:27reach entirely. I disappeared from Rylan's world completely. Three years later, I returned
00:32to Abyss Reach with my mate for a clan ancestral rite. My mate had a work emergency, so he had
00:38his people to collect me. At the border crossing, I walked out and froze. That person was Rylan,
00:45my ex. The arrival clearing. I spotted a scout holding a marker carved with my name, my formal
00:51alliance name, Hela, and walked over. Rylan was holding it. He had Lyra with him, plus
00:57a few of his clansmen, all craning their necks toward the tree line.
01:02Hey, isn't that Rylan's obsessed ex? Isn't that Evara?
01:05Rylan looks surprised to see me. He covered it fast.
01:09Told you she'd come crawling back.
01:12Evara vanished without a trace. Now she sees Rylan is in a higher rank. She probably cries
01:17herself to sleep every night. Evara, if you're gonna fake a random run-in, why show up like
01:23this? Couldn't you at least put on some makeup? Without Rylan, you can't even buy a nice outfit.
01:30Look pathetic. It was true. I used to make myself perfect every time I knew I'd be near Rylan.
01:37Sharpest claws, finest scales on display. Best version of me. Not anymore. No point. Because
01:44I'm carrying, and my mate refused to let me be uncomfortable. He had this soft traveling wrap,
01:50custom tailored for me. Listening to them mock me, it suddenly clicked. They only knew my alliance
01:56name. They had no idea the one they were here to collect was me.
02:00Evara, hey, it's good you're back. Rylan's been asking after me for years.
02:04Yeah, our son is entering the young training cohort soon. Now I'm in charge of the drop-off.
02:07He was still so incredibly arrogant, but I wasn't that naive girl anymore. I didn't want to
02:13waste another second on them. I was just about to tell them exactly who I was. I am...
02:18Please don't blame Rylan. He's just trying to take care of you. You disappeared for three
02:22years. Who knows what kind of shady stuff you had to do to survive. Don't worry. Caring for my son
02:28is a respectable role. No one will look down at you. Rylan caught my expression and thought
02:33I was jealous. Something flickered in his eyes. All right, Evara, drop the attitude.
02:38You clearly can't survive out there, so stop throwing tantrums, take care of the kid, and learn
02:43your place. Damn, Evara, look how good Rylan is to you. He's given you free room and board.
02:50Isn't babysitting better than whatever trashy life you're living now?
02:53Hurry up and say thank you. Don't worry, dear. If my son acts up, I'll handle him myself.
03:00You won't be mistreated. Why would she be mistreated? She ran away over a tiny little
03:05misunderstanding. If she hit rock bottom out in the wilds, a little humility is good for her.
03:11My heart actually skipped a beat. Three years had passed, and he still thought it was a small
03:15matter to dump me and married Lyra? The Rylan who used to love me was truly gone. He wasn't the
03:21young warrior who'd carried me, wounded, across three territory borders in the dead of a moonless
03:27night. But whatever. It was all in the past. None of it mattered anymore. Besides, I was about
03:33to carry my second patchling anyway. I looked at Rylan calmly and said,
03:37Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go. Silence fell over the clearing. Then someone left.
03:43Pick you up? Please, read it carefully. We are here for Hala. Do you even know who that
03:51is? Hela is the mate-bonded consort of the Frostridge line. She is blood-bonded to Lord Kale.
03:58Kale is a living legend. The coldest dragon alive in the field, but completely devoted to his wife.
04:05Rumor has it he refused all alliances for years. Just waiting for Hala. Everyone knows the rule,
04:12if you want Kale's favor, go through Hela. She is his entire world. Listening to them gossip about my
04:19marriage, I couldn't help it. A genuine happy smile spread across my face. We had been married for
04:26three years. Kale's reputation as a fiercely devoted husband had spread everywhere. To claim Hela as his,
04:33Kale went to the ancient exchange and paid down a legendary artifact, the Eternal Fang Bracelet,
04:38just to give to Hela. She's the most envied female in every territory.
04:48That bracelet! That's it! It's a pretty good fake. Which a lowborn Klansman bought you that? Buying you a cheap
04:56imitation. Absolute trash. Wow! It really is high quality for a fake. Way better than the replica I
05:05had made. But I'd never actually wear mine in public. These outer territory imbucations though,
05:11the craftsmanship is something else. The weight actually feels real.
05:17Or what, Evora? Are you gonna tell us you're Hela? Are you Lord Kale's bonded mate?
05:25Of course they did. It was absurd to them. Kale was a living legend across all territories. Cold. Absolute.
05:34Untouchable. And three years ago, I was just the girl Rylan had left standing outside the sacred hall.
05:41There was no version of reality where those two things connected.
05:47Just give it to me, Evora. I'll pay double whatever you traded for. Give it back. Kale gave me that.
05:57Shut your mouth!
05:59Rylan looked furious.
06:01Evora, do you have any idea what you're saying? You think you can just casually invoke Lord Kiel's name?
06:08Are you trying to get me killed? His clansmen piled on immediately.
06:12Do you know how hard we fought for this pickup assignment? Get on a trine for this pickup of
06:16season. Kale absorbed Rylan's clan faction last season. Our entire livelihood depends on him now.
06:20Are you two trying to ruin Rylan entirely? I wiped the blood from my lip, slowly turned back to Rylan.
06:27Whatever he saw in my eyes made him flinch. Lyra caught it. She stepped forward and pointed a claw at
06:33my face.
06:35You ungrateful snake. Rylan offered you a place and you throw it back at him? I know you're still
06:39bitter about the past, trying to sabotage his standing out of petty spite. That's sick.
06:44Hearing her say that, it felt exactly like three years ago. No matter what I did, Lyra would twist it,
06:51feed her poisonous version of the story to Rylan. In the early days, he used to defend me. By the
06:57end,
06:57he always took her side, just like now. Jealous Shrik. For old time's sake, I'll let this go.
07:07Take these, get yourself proper clothes. If you really don't want to tend Lyra's hatchling,
07:12I'll find you something tolerable next season. Don't worry, ever since Kale absorbed us,
07:16this kind of thing cost me nothing. No, thank you. I don't take things from strangers.
07:28Not three steps out, Rylan grabbed my arm. You won't take what I'm offering?
07:35What does that mean I'm a stranger to you? I kept walking and said evenly,
07:40We dissolved our bond. Better not to stay tangled in each other's lives. Others might get the wrong
07:48impression. I was thinking of Kale, who had a very particular dislike of misunderstandings.
07:54My faction is hosting a tribute feast for Kale in three days. I was going to bring you,
07:58show you something real, but you'd need to present yourself properly. You can't embarrass me.
08:03I'm fine, but thank you.
08:06Fine, I'll take Lyra.
08:08I won't let you down.
08:09I didn't look back. Hope you're still this confident in three days.
08:13Fresh air. I stood there for a moment, breathing it in. The nausea faded.
08:19My mind flashed back to three years ago. My family had arranged an alliance overseas.
08:25I'd gone to Rylan for the first seven years together. I wanted to seal our bond before the journey,
08:31force the decision. He agreed. But at the Sacred Hall, it wasn't just Rylan waiting.
08:38Her hatchling needs to be registered under my bloodline. I'll dissolve her bond claim in a
08:43month. Then I'll bond with you. This is just about hatchling. I watched him take her inside.
08:49That was the last thing I needed to see. I crossed the border that night. Met Kale. Bonded with him
08:55a month later. Had our son the year after. Now I was carrying it again. And the only reason I
09:01was even
09:01back in the Reach was to attend a clan ancestral rite with Kale. Honestly, if it wasn't for the
09:07rite, I never would have set foot back here. And I definitely wouldn't have run into Rylan.
09:12Three days later, I painted on a light adornment, threw on comfortable traveling leathers, and made
09:18my way to the feast grounds alone. The second Rylan saw me enter the clearing, his eyes lit up. A
09:24smug
09:24smirk spread across his face. You said you weren't coming, but here you are. Listen, if you want me
09:31back, you need to at least present yourself properly to match my standing. I walked past him without a
09:36word. Evara, I'm talking to you. Our circle is here. Where do you think you're going? I pulled free and
09:42said simply, That's your circle. Mine is up there. He followed my gaze to the head circle, the raised
09:49dais reserved for lords and their bonded mates. His face went pale. Lyra spotted my bracelet from across
09:55the ground. Evara, how did she get in here? She's here to cause chaos. How dare she wear that pendant
10:01tonight? Of all nights, tonight is the first time Kale is bringing his bonded mate out publicly. Is she
10:08trying to humiliate Hela? She slipped past the sentinels. She's trying to make us look disloyal
10:14in front of Lord Kale. Rylan, is this female with you? Rylan straightened. No. Take that bracelet off and
10:22get out. I looked at her with a faint smile. You sure you want me to leave? Lyra realized others
10:28were
10:29watching. Her eyes went vicious. Stop acting like you're something. Take it off now. She lunged forward
10:36to rip it from my wrist. I swatted her claw away and stepped back. Someone behind me tripped me. I
10:42hit
10:42the ground hard. Lyra stepped on my arm and ripped the bracelet off my wrist. Treating this like it's
10:48something sacred? Trash. My wrist was bleeding but I just sat there staring at the bracelet lying
10:55broken on the ground. Pick her up and throw her out. A few sentinels moved toward me. They reached for
11:02my arms. Stop. I struggled. I am Kale's. Lyra struck me across the face before I could finish. Are you
11:09going to start spreading rumors that your Lord Kale's kept female? You wish. She struck me again.
11:19When I came back to the reach, I hadn't planned to make a scene. It had felt beneath me. But
11:24now,
11:25she had made it worth it. Rylan crouched down in front of me, reached for my wrist. I pulled back
11:32instinctively. Are you done throwing your fit? Huh? You show up wearing the bracelet, dressed down on
11:39purpose. You wanted me jealous. Just say it and I'll give you what you want. I laughed, short, sharp.
11:47Rylan, you're finished. He frowned, opened his mouth, and then the clearing went dead silent. Guests began to
11:57straighten themselves, drifting toward the entrance path. Kale is here. Behave yourself.
12:07Lyra and I have dissolved our bond, by the way. I stared at him. I was cradling my nearly broken
12:13wrist, looking at the mail in front of me, thinking, how did I spend seven years on this person? What
12:20did
12:20his dissolution have to do with me? At that exact moment, Kale walked in with our son in his arms.
12:27Once they reached the feast grounds, our son squirmed and climbed down. He hit the stone path,
12:33all soft cheeks and small clawed boots. And every eye in the clearing went straight to him.
12:40His guardian scrambled after him. Rylan hadn't noticed who the cub was yet.
12:45If you stop being jealous of Lyra, I'll forgive you for disappearing three years. I'll give you another
12:50chance. Carry my hatchling. A real one. Ours. Just come back and tend to my son. I'll get rid of
12:58Lyra.
12:58I didn't say a single word to him. I just looked past him into the crowd, trying to catch Kale's
13:04and
13:05our son's eyes. Then it happened. Kale followed the cub's small, clumsy steps, straight to where I was.
13:12The second my son saw me, something broke open in his face. He threw himself into my arms.
13:23Why is there so much blood? One word. Mom.
13:30Every dragon in that clearing turned from the cub to me. The ones who have watched me get knocked
13:34around without doing a thing. All of them, staring. My son's warmth in my arms washed away
13:40everything that had been pressing down on me. I crouched down to his level.
13:44I cupped his cheek. He took my hand. The cuffs. They see something hurting someone they love and
13:50they just fall apart. Who did this to you? Protecting you is mom's job too.
14:01Before I could say anything more, the air in the clearing changed. A heavy, suffocating stillness
14:06washed over the crowd. Kale was walking toward us. That quiet, controlled walk that made the air around
14:12and moved different. Dragons moved aside without knowing why. I felt him before I saw him. I picked
14:18up our son and turned around. The blood on my wrist looked stark against his white wrap. Our son looked
14:23up at Kale immediately. Father, someone hurt mother. We have to make them pay.
14:31Kale stepped forward and very carefully lifted my arm. His face was unreadable, but his voice was quiet.
14:37Pavara, what happened? I'm right here, but you're already hurt. I can't take my eyes off you.
14:45Whoever did this?
14:57Looking at this cold, absolute lord turn into a fiercely protective mate made my heart ache. He was
15:03always like this. A mosquito bite, a bruise from sleep. Even just eating half a portion,
15:09he'd be beside himself with worry. The feast hall's ambient light was low and dim, but our son felt
15:16something hard beneath his boot. Father, isn't this the bracelet you gave mother? Kale took it from
15:22him, turned it over, saw the engraving. Then I looked at the shards scattered across the ground and at my
15:28wrist. The nearest stone pillar cracked in his grip. He drew me gently into the light. Bring every torch to
15:33the ground over here. When our eyes met, his pupils narrowed slightly. What happened to your face?
15:40They actually dared to do this to you? I softened my voice. I'm fine, Kale.
15:48Ivera, I am your mate. You never have to swallow this kind of treatment alone.
15:54Our son pressed close. No one gets to hurt mother! Honestly, I could have handled Rylan and Lyra myself,
16:01but perhaps it was pregnancy. Or perhaps it was just finally feeling safe. My voice cracked. All the
16:09weight I'd been holding for three days broke open. You weren't here, and they all came at me.
16:16The feast grounds had gone dead silent. Rylan's scouts from the border crossing were somewhere in that
16:22clearing, shaking hard enough that they needed the standing stones to hold themselves up. They didn't
16:27expect it either. The female they'd spent three days calling Rylan's lovesick cast-off was Lord Kale's
16:34bonded mate. Every single one of them was now looking for a way to disappear into the tree line.
16:40But then Lyra's companion, a female named Vessa who had arrived late, strutted out from the crowd.
16:48Evara, where did you find these two? Their performance is impressive. Do you want Lyra to
16:53get them placed with a traveling troop? Not that you could afford the placement fee.
16:57Vessa threw her head back and laughed at her own words. Usually half the clearing would laugh with her,
17:02but this time, the entire grounds just stared at her like she had lost her mind. Vessa noticed the dead
17:09silence. She doubled down. She turned to Kale and smirked.
17:14You're actually quite striking. If you ever want to leave her, I wouldn't mind taking care of you.
17:21My mouth twitched. She was propositioning my mate in front of me. Vessa finally registered
17:27the clearing's energy. She drifted toward Lyra for backup. Lyra wanted nothing to do with her.
17:33Before Vessa could even speak, Lyra spun around and struck her viciously across the face.
17:39Vessa, are you insane? You just insulted Lord Kale and his bonded mate. Do you want to be banished?
17:52How far is Hela? I just told her mate I'd take care of him.
18:01Oh no! Then someone near the back of the clearing made a sound. Heads turned.
18:07Vessa had lost control of herself entirely. Her shift reflex had misfired in the most primal,
18:14humiliating way a dragon can in public. Scales broke out down one side of her neck and arm in a
18:21panicked,
18:22involuntary half-shift. The kind that happened to hatchlings who couldn't control their fear responses.
18:28Kale's jaw tightened slightly. A sentinel materialized and quietly escorted her from the grounds.
18:34Lyra and Rylan went scarlet. The guests looked at them the way you look at those who have shamed
18:39themselves past the point of recovery. Meanwhile, a healer Kale had summoned was tending to my wrist
18:45nearby. I hissed. Kale and our son both turned with the same expression. Can you perhaps be a little
18:51more careful? The healer's hands started trembling. I shot them both a look. He's helping me. Stop.
18:58They immediately turned identical wounded expressions on me. Father and son, same face, same pout.
19:06Okay. I know. I'm sorry. Keep going. I told the healer. He visibly relaxed. When he finished, he turned to
19:16Kale.
19:17My lord, your mate is perfectly fine. The unborn is safe. The wrist is the worst of it.
19:24I will source the best remedies available and do everything possible to ensure no scarring.
19:29Kale said nothing. I knew exactly what that silence meant. It was the one that came before
19:35something irreversible. Standing in the crowd, Rylan looked terrified. But underneath the panic,
19:42he burned with something else. Jealousy. Watching how close Kale stayed beside me,
19:48his old possessiveness was peaking. But the survival of his faction was on the line,
19:53so he had to bite it down. Kale stood beside me and surveyed the clearing with the kind of stillness
19:58that
19:59made everyone in it feel like they'd already been found guilty of something. He looked almost cold,
20:05almost lethal. I actually found it a little endearing, especially with our son standing
20:11right beside him like a tiny, furious mirror image. I want to know exactly what happened.
20:18Everything. If you speak now, perhaps you survive this. If I have to find it out myself,
20:25every single one of you goes down with it. It was a naked threat. These dragons had clawed for the
20:32chance to attend this feast. None of them wanted to burn for Rylan's sake. Rylan panicked. He stepped
20:38forward. Lord Kale. There's been a misunderstanding. As Ivara's, as her former bonded partner, I was
20:48simply reconnecting with her. Things got out of hand. He unexpectedly said former bonded partner with
20:55a particular emphasis. God blessed him. Such an idiot. The worst possible moment for it. He actually
21:02thought I had spent three years keeping myself for him, waiting for him to snap his fingers so I could
21:08come running back. He completely missed the murderous stillness crossing Kale's face. I heard the stone
21:14goblet in Kale's hand crack. Rylan kept going. You likely know she was quite devoted to me before the
21:21disavolition. Reconnecting after years apart, it's natural that emotions would... The goblet shattered
21:29in Kale's grip. Stone fragments fell. Blood ran down his fingers. I pushed Rylan out of my focus
21:36and reached for Kale's hand. Stop. Stop trying to put yourself between us. You had your chance and you
21:44threw it away. Don't flatter yourself. I have loved exactly one person my entire life, and it is you.
21:52Everyone here can hear me say it. I grabbed a clean wrap and frantically began binding Kale's
21:58bleeding hand. Rylan looked genuinely hurt. Evora, I know you're bitter, but Lyra and I have dissolved
22:05our bond. Her hatchling is ready to call you mother. You only bonded with Kale to wound me.
22:12I understand. I'm not angry. Just come back. Whatever he can give you, I'll work twice as hard
22:18to match it. Just return and tend to my son. If you don't want Leia, I'll make her disappear.
22:25I honestly could not believe what I was hearing. Kale's blood was smearing onto my wraps,
22:31but as I urgently pressed the binding to his palm, he suddenly let out a low, genuine laugh.
22:37I looked up at him, furious. Why are you laughing? Kale reached over with his uninjured hand and quietly
22:43rested it on top of my head. Evora, you just said I'm the one you love most. Our son made
22:50a face and
22:51looked away. His cold, fearsome father was currently acting like a lovesick hatchling, all because I'd
22:58defended him. The entire feast grounds went still. Half the guests were in shock. The other half were
23:03dying of quiet envy. The whispers spread through the crowd like fire through dry grass.
23:08The rumors are real. He is completely diverted to his mate.
23:14Rylan stood there, his knuckles white with humiliation. But our son wasn't finished. He looked
23:18Rylan up and down with open disdain. Cub tender? My mother is the most protected one in our den.
23:25You think you deserve her? Mother only carries two cubs. Me and my sister.
23:32You really think your unacknowledged hatchie gets to call her mother? I know all about you.
23:41You're the one who broke my mother's heart. You're not as impressive as my father. Not as strong. Not as
23:48well formed. He tilted his head, studying Rylan with the kind of cold disdain that was entirely
23:54too familiar on that small face. And you smell like someone who peaked too early and never recovered.
24:00It's making my eyes water. Is your hatchling gonna grow up leeching off others, just like you?
24:06The guests surrounding us erupted. They couldn't help it. Rylan bit his lip hard enough to draw blood,
24:12shaking with shame. Everyone in that clearing knew the truth. He had coasted for years on Lyra's
24:18family resources. It was not a secret. Hearing all of this, Lyra had completely lost her grip on
24:25rational thought. Her hatchling was the most important thing in the world to her.
24:31The most exceptional cub alive. And this female was going to replace her.
24:36Rylan had essentially said so himself. Lyra grabbed a bone-handled knife from the nearest table.
24:42You little wretch! I'll kill you!
24:45I didn't think. I let go of Kale's hand and threw myself entirely over our son.
24:50A blinding, searing pain ripped through my back. The color drained from my face.
24:56I didn't finish the sentence. Everything went black. I collapsed to the stone. The last thing
25:02I saw before I lost consciousness was our son's face, white with panic. I wanted to tell him not
25:08to cry. I didn't get the chance. I woke to the sharp smell of healer's den. Dried herbs, warm stone
25:15walls. I stared at the ceiling for a moment, disoriented. My best friend Sorin was in the
25:20chair beside me. The second she saw my eyes open, she grabbed my hands.
25:25Oh, thank the ancient fires! You're awake! If you had stayed under any longer, your mate and your son
25:31were going to tear this entire territory apart.
25:35What?
25:35She was definitely exaggerating.
25:39Sorin caught the look immediately.
25:41I reached for my stomach on instinct.
25:43You're both fine. The healer said it was shock and pain. That's why you went under. The unborn
25:48is completely safe. That Lyra is something else. Going after a cub with a blade.
25:55My chest tightened.
25:57My son! Kale! Are they-
25:59Both fine. Physically, completely fine. Slow down. Drink.
26:05Sorin handed me a cup of broth.
26:09I drank. The tightness eased a little.
26:14You didn't need to throw yourself in front of him. There were six sentinels in that clearing.
26:18Dre was never going to get touched.
26:21That's Dre.
26:22I know, I know. He's your whole heart. That terrifying little creature. He doesn't need protecting. He's more
26:28dangerous than most full-grown warriors.
26:30I smiled despite myself.
26:32Where are they?
26:33Sorin's eyes lit up.
26:35Getting revenge? I wanted to come along, but your mate and your son are genuinely terrifying when
26:41they operate together, so I volunteered to stay with you instead.
26:44She settled in and began.
26:46When I arrived, you were already under. From what I pieced together from the witnesses still standing,
26:52your son watched you collapse and went completely still for about two seconds.
26:55Then he picked up the knife Lyra had dropped and drove it straight through her hand.
26:59Into the stone beneath.
27:02A cub. I don't know where he gets that guy's strength.
27:06Kale found out about the strike at the border crossing three days ago, and the bracelet,
27:10and everything they said to you. He had his sentinels hold Rylan down, and they dealt with
27:15the hand he used to hit you. I closed my eyes briefly. Lyra's face received the same treatment.
27:20And then Kale had a chest of gemstones brought into the clearing, all the shards from your broken
27:25bracelet, and he told Lyra that since she loved taking things that belonged to you so much, she had to
27:30swallow them.
27:35You know what Kale said?
27:42You love taking what is hers. So here, I am giving you everything you wanted. The stones, and the mail.
27:49She refused at first. So Kale had her hatchling brought in. Then she did it. She swallowed a
27:55great many shards. They worked her over until she was barely conscious. Then Kale had her drop beyond
28:00the outer borders. Swallowed shards. Face first. Every dragon who stood around watching you get
28:06hurt, every single one of them carries a mark on their wrists now, just for doing nothing.
28:09If you weren't my closest companion, I'd probably have one too. I gave her a flat look.
28:14The clan records were updated, but the only news that spread was about Rylan's faction being absorbed
28:17and dissolved. Every allied group in that clearing with border exposure, Kale absorbed it. Some were
28:22disbanded entirely. Some are still bleeding out. Raelynn was supposed to go the same way as Lyra.
28:29But Lyra stopped it. Threw herself in front of the sentinel's bottom time to run.
28:35I think she made a deal with him. It wasn't hard to figure out. The hatchling. When a mother is
28:40running out of time, the one thing she'll trade everything for is her child's safety. Rylan
28:45must have promised her something about the boy. Lyra had swallowed shards and stones for the chance that
28:50her son would be alright. Kale was precise, and he was cold. But every time I so much as bruised
28:55my arm,
28:56he acted like he personally failed. He was brutal because he was afraid. Not of losing power,
29:01of losing me. And Dre, my sweet, sharp, slightly terrifying cub, had been shaped by that same love.
29:08I had been trying to counterbalance it, clearly still working on it.
29:19His face was still swollen. He'd managed to find a decent cloak, the one I'd given him years ago. The
29:26one he'd told me was plain and unworthy of his rank. I stayed where I was. Last time I'd moved
29:32too fast,
29:32it had cost me. He seemed to read that. I'm not going to hurt you. I just needed to...
29:40What?
29:43I still love you. His voice broke on it. Every time I think about you,
29:47him, I can't breathe. I know it's too late. I know what I did. But I can't just...
29:53Raylan, you were with another female while we were still bonded. You let me humiliate myself. You
29:59abandoned me and destroyed me. And then tonight, when you had the chance to do literally anything
30:05else, you stood in front of my mate and told him I was devoted to you? You've had seven years
30:10and
30:11three more to figure out what you want. What you want keeps shifting based on what you can reach.
30:15That's not love.
30:16Raylan's jaw worked. He wanted to argue.
30:19I was always your contingency. And you were never mine. Not really. He looked at me for a long time.
30:25Then he looked at the cloak. You gave me this for the winter solstice. I told you it was plain.
30:32I know.
30:35I kept it. I didn't say anything. He left quietly. Kale came in with his hand newly wrapped. Dre right
30:42behind him. They both stopped when they saw I was awake. Then they were both in front of me at
30:46the same
30:47time. Ivara. Kale's voice was unsteady. You're up. Are you... does anything hurt? Do you need...
30:53Father, she was fine two minutes before you got here. She was talking and everything. Kale ignored him.
31:00Are you okay? Tell me you're okay. I'm okay. You say that every time. Because it keeps being true.
31:06Dre tucked himself under my arm, spoke very quietly. Mom, are you upset that father raised his voice at me?
31:13Did he raise his voice at you? I am fine. He didn't yell, Dre said very firmly. Kale.
31:23He was scared. We both were. He wasn't really yelling. He was just... loud.
31:30I kissed the top of his head. Protecting you is also my job. I'm not sorry.
31:39I know. I know. I know, Mom.
31:45Soren eventually took Dre to find food and it was just the two of us. Kale sat by the bedside,
31:51not quite touching, like he was still afraid something would break if he moved too fast. He
31:56wanted to look at my wrist. I let him. I'll do better. He said.
32:02You won't be alone like that again. Kale, this wasn't your fault. You were alone and you got hurt.
32:09I was in a clearing full of dragons and I got hurt. That's not the same thing as being alone.
32:14He looked
32:14up. I'm not made of glass. I'm also not leaving. You understand that? I'm here. I chose this.
32:23You chose it because your family arranged the alliance. I chose to stay. Every single day for
32:29three years, I chose to stay. That's not an arrangement. That's me. He didn't answer,
32:35but something in his face shifted. I thought about the hidden chamber behind the clan tapestry,
32:40his quiet, years-long devotion that he'd never once spoken aloud. The young, unblooded dragon eating alone
32:47at the edge of the training grounds every day. The young, unblooded dragon eating alone at the edge of
32:52the training grounds every day. While I stuffed a pouch of resource tokens into his pack and told him
32:58he was my honorary younger clansman. He'd loved me before he knew what to do with it. Before I even
33:04knew
33:04his name. I reached over and took his uninjured hand. You want to know what I was thinking? Every time
33:11things
33:12got hard and someone told me I'd bonded with the wrong dragon, he waited. But they'd never seen
33:17you bring me whomp stones when the cold fever took me. Or stay awake beside me through three
33:22full nights because I was homesick and couldn't sleep. Or look at me the way you look at me when
33:28you think I'm not watching. They were comparing you to whoever they assumed you were. I know who you
33:34actually are. Kale didn't show weakness easily. He was showing it now.
33:39I don't need you to be fearless. I just need you to stop assuming I'll leave.
33:45I'm not going anywhere. He brought my hand up and held it against his face. Didn't speak. Didn't
33:51need to. They kept me in the healer's den two extra days. The morning they finally let me return to
33:57our
33:57den, I walked back through the entrance and stopped in front of the bonding tapestry. We were both so young
34:04in it. I lifted the tapestry. And I found the wall behind it. Image after image after image. Etched in
34:13the old way. Dragon memory stone.
34:19Me at 19. Me at 16. Me at 14 in a clan corridor. He'd loved me across a decade before
34:29I'd ever
34:30said his name. I heard the den entrance behind me. Kale froze in the corridor.
34:41Evira, I can explain. You noticed me first.
34:45I gave you resource tokens at the training grounds because I thought you couldn't afford to eat.
34:51I told you that you were my honorary younger clansman and I never even asked your name.
34:58I didn't know it was you until I found these. I'm a little upset it took us this long.
35:06Think about all the time we wasted.
35:09You're not... Upset about the stones? No.
35:12I'm glad. I'm glad you kept looking. Kale crossed the den in four strides and pulled me in before I
35:18could
35:18say anything else. I never thought you'd say that. I know. That's the problem. You've been waiting for
35:25me to leave since the day I arrived. I'm not leaving. I've told you. I'll keep telling you.
35:31For how long? I thought about it. As long as it takes for you to actually believe me.
35:38Dre appeared in the den entrance. Took one look at us and silently backed away. Kale held on a little
35:44tighter. Outside, the ancient forests of the abyssal reach kept moving. Wind through the canopy. The
35:52distant sound of wings. The slow pulse of a territory that had stood for 10,000 years. And I stayed
36:00exactly where I was.
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