A powerful full drama movie filled with love, secrets, and unexpected twists.
Follow a powerful story where relationships are tested, hidden truths are revealed, and lives change forever. From romantic moments to shocking surprises, this drama keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
Featuring stories about CEO, billionaire lifestyles, family connections, and life-changing decisions, this movie delivers strong emotions and unforgettable scenes.
Watch the full movie and discover what happens in the end.
New full drama movies uploaded regularly. Stay tuned for more captivating and trending stories.
#drama #fullmovie #lovestory #dramatic #billionaire #ceo #family #relationships #movie #story
Follow a powerful story where relationships are tested, hidden truths are revealed, and lives change forever. From romantic moments to shocking surprises, this drama keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
Featuring stories about CEO, billionaire lifestyles, family connections, and life-changing decisions, this movie delivers strong emotions and unforgettable scenes.
Watch the full movie and discover what happens in the end.
New full drama movies uploaded regularly. Stay tuned for more captivating and trending stories.
#drama #fullmovie #lovestory #dramatic #billionaire #ceo #family #relationships #movie #story
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:05Before father left to join the army, he made a promise.
00:11If I die on the battlefield, you can find another man to marry, like the hunter on the edge of
00:16the village.
00:16But that huntsman, Vance, had a crippled leg and a scar that split his face in two.
00:22One punch, they said, could drop a full-grown tiger.
00:25They also said he'd already beaten his first wife to death.
00:30Marrying Mama to him was the same as sending her to die.
00:34Three years later, word came that father was dead.
00:38Grandma and the village elders collected 20 silver coins from Vance.
00:42They sold Mama off.
00:43The news arrived on the day Mama was washing clothes by the river.
00:47Deep winter, the water was thick with floating ice, cold enough to cut bone.
00:52Grandma wouldn't allow her to use hot water.
00:55She said firewood was precious, not for a worthless brat who couldn't produce sons.
01:02I'd haul extra firewood down from the mountain, but it always went straight to Uncle Dale's fire pit.
01:09If Mama or I used so much as one extra stick, Grandma beat us and cursed us for three days
01:15straight.
01:18I tried to help with the washing.
01:20Mama waved me off.
01:22The river's cold, little one.
01:23Go play over there where the sun hits.
01:25It's warmer.
01:26In the dead of winter, midday sun was the only warmth we ever had.
01:31When the laundry was done and we walked home, Grandma and the village elders were already waiting.
01:37They'd been in such a rush, but not enough to walk down to the river and find us.
01:42You take this long, wandering off who knows where, worthless brat.
01:47Roy's barely gone and already your heart's drifting.
01:55The soldiers sent word.
01:57Roy's dead.
01:58You killed him.
01:59Every bit of bad luck he had started when he married you.
02:02He's gone now, so hurry up and remarry.
02:04Don't stay here dragging our family down.
02:06The bundle was small.
02:08Two of Mama's worn out dresses.
02:10Grandma didn't look like she was grieving her own son.
02:12She looked the same as always, like someone had told her the village dog had died.
02:17Mama said nothing.
02:18She just held my hand tighter.
02:23Grandma, can I bring my daughter with me?
02:25Mama wasn't crying much.
02:27She was only worried about me.
02:30See if the huntsman's willing to pay for her.
02:33A girl this size, sell her to a broker and you'd get ten silver easy.
02:39Mama's grip went tighter around my hand.
02:41We both knew.
02:42The moment she left, Grandma would sell me.
02:45She wouldn't keep me a single day longer than she had to.
02:50Mama shouldered her bundle and held my hand.
02:53Grandma and the village elders herded us to Vance's house.
02:56He was inside, sharpening a blade.
02:58The scraping sound never stopped.
03:00His bad leg jutted stiffly to one side.
03:02It couldn't bend.
03:03A scar ran from below his left eye all the way to the right corner of his mouth, like something
03:08had tried to split his face in half.
03:10I stepped behind Mama.
03:13Vance looked us over.
03:15You people forced this woman on me.
03:18Twenty silver is already too much.
03:20Don't push it further.
03:21He clearly hadn't wanted to take Mama, let alone me.
03:25Dead weight she'd dragged along.
03:26My Roy saved your life once.
03:28Now he's dead and we're delivering this woman straight to your door.
03:32You should be on your knees thanking us.
03:34She wants to bring the girl along as your daughter.
03:36You get a wife and a child all at once.
03:38I'm not asking for much.
03:40Another ten silver and we're done.
03:42Most families earned two or three silver in a year.
03:45Ten silver could buy a full acre of good farmland.
03:48I was not worth that much.
03:52People in the village said he was a silent man.
03:55But when he opened his eyes and looked at you, really looked, it could stop your heart cold.
04:01Grandma shoved Mama hard.
04:02Mama's thin frame nearly went down.
04:05Mr. Hart, my daughter eats very little.
04:08She can work.
04:09Please, could you give us somewhere to go?
04:12Vance finally looked at me.
04:14A long, unreadable frown.
04:16Mama tugged at my hand.
04:17I dropped to my knees beside her with a hand.
04:21Call him something.
04:23I stared up at Vance.
04:25At the scar.
04:26My lips shook.
04:27Papa.
04:28Vance went still.
04:30The scar looked even more ferocious when his face froze like that.
04:34Grandma's foot came with my back.
04:36Your real father's barely cold and you're already calling some stranger Papa.
04:41Worthless brat.
04:43Just like your harlot mother, heart already belongs to someone else.
04:47She kept kicking.
04:48I lay flat and didn't move.
04:50Didn't make a sound.
04:52That was how it worked.
04:53Stay still.
04:54Let her finish.
04:55And she'd stop.
04:56Mama tried to crawl to me.
04:58One of the village elders kicked her back.
05:00It was always like this in Roy's household.
05:03Mama couldn't save me.
05:04She couldn't save her side.
05:07Enough!
05:08Vance stood.
05:09He went inside.
05:10He came back and threw ten silver coins onto the ground.
05:14This girl is my child now.
05:17I looked up at Vance.
05:19Mama hadn't caught what he said.
05:21I had.
05:22Grandma grabbed the silver and turned to leave.
05:25Vance blocked her.
05:26He demanded a written contract.
05:28Grandma refused.
05:30Vance snatched the silver right back.
05:33No contract.
05:34No silver.
05:35In the end, with the village elders and the village head as witnesses, the contract was signed.
05:41Both Mama and I became part of Vance's household.
05:45Mama put down her bundle and started working immediately.
05:48If she stayed busy enough, maybe Vance would let me eat more.
05:52Maybe he wouldn't hit me.
05:54Vance's house was plain.
05:55Three main rooms.
05:56A hall in the center.
05:58A bedroom on each side.
05:59Only one bedroom had a bed.
06:01The other was empty.
06:03Mama led me to the woodshed.
06:05The firewood was stacked clean.
06:07The floor was tidy.
06:09Mama shifted some wood and found a board.
06:11She built me a rough bed out of it.
06:15Don't be afraid, little one.
06:21Mama, I'm not afraid.
06:23At Roy's house, it had always been the same.
06:26When father was home, he'd say I was in the way, always getting between him and Mama when they were
06:31trying for a son.
06:33He'd chase me to the woodshed.
06:35Roy's woodshed was filthier than this.
06:37Rats, snakes, frozen solid in winter, a furnace in summer.
06:42I'd survived all of it.
06:44Mama held me against her chest.
06:46Maybe once I give him a son, things will ease up.
06:49I said nothing.
06:51I'd long suspected father's cruelty toward Mama had nothing to do with sons.
06:56Mama, why did father want you to remarry Vance?
07:00Before he left, father had kept Mama on a tight leash, wouldn't let her leave the village, wouldn't let her
07:06look up when she passed a man.
07:08Grandma would curse her for it too, said she was out there tempting people.
07:13Mama's bitter laugh stayed locked in her throat.
07:18Because Vance was the only one who could pay that much.
07:23She didn't finish.
07:25She didn't need to.
07:26Father had sent Mama here to die.
07:30Father had been planning to sell Mama even before he left.
07:33He knew he wasn't coming back.
07:35He made sure Mama would have nowhere left to go.
07:38I'd worked this out some time ago.
07:40Not because I was clever.
07:42They'd been obvious about it.
07:43The whole village talked.
07:45Not long after we arrived, Vance came back carrying armfuls of thick wooden boards.
07:50He disappeared into the empty west bedroom.
07:53Steady hammering rang out, one blow after another.
07:57Mama stood outside the door.
07:58She wanted to ask where the food stores were so she could start dinner.
08:02But she didn't dare.
08:03After a while, Vance came back out.
08:06He saw us both still standing there.
08:08He frowned.
08:09Something you need?
08:10His voice was rough.
08:12I flinched and nearly stepped back.
08:14But we were alone here, Mama and me.
08:16If I stepped back, she'd be standing by herself.
08:20I held my ground.
08:21I took Mama's hand and stood beside her.
08:24Vance noticed.
08:25Something shifted in his brow.
08:27Mama asked carefully.
08:28I want to ask.
08:30It's nearly dinner time.
08:32If you get the grain out, I can cook.
08:34You've worked hard all day.
08:36You should eat.
08:37Vance frowned harder.
08:38He looked us up and down like we'd said something strange.
08:41Then he pointed at the kitchen.
08:43In there.
08:47The key.
08:49Vance's frown deepened.
08:51He walked over and kicked the kitchen door open.
08:54He looked back at us.
08:55I had the feeling he was asking with his eyes whether we were simple.
08:59No lock.
09:00No key.
09:02Roy's kitchen was always locked.
09:04The grain.
09:05The oil.
09:05The salt.
09:06The eggs.
09:07Everything in locked cabinets.
09:09Grandma would measure out exactly what was needed for each meal.
09:12Set it on the counter.
09:13Then stand there watching Mama cook.
09:15Drop a single grain of rice.
09:17Get a lecture that lasted half a day.
09:19She called us starving ghosts.
09:21Said we never worked.
09:23Only ate.
09:24She was afraid we'd steal food.
09:26Mama and I stepped into the kitchen.
09:28Grain.
09:28Oil.
09:29Salt.
09:29All of it just sitting out in the open.
09:32Mama stood there for a long moment.
09:34She glanced toward Vance.
09:36He'd already gone back out.
09:38She was almost afraid to touch anything.
09:40She was afraid she'd cook it long.
09:42And he'd come back angry.
09:44Beat her.
09:44Like Grandma.
09:45She was afraid of being accused of stealing.
09:49Eventually, Mama cooked.
09:51The food sat on the table.
09:53The two of us stood in the courtyard.
09:55Neither of us moved toward it.
09:57Vance came back carrying two large wicker baskets.
10:00He saw the food on the table.
10:01He saw us standing there.
10:03His frown deepened.
10:04He washed his hands.
10:05Sat down.
10:06Saw us still standing.
10:08He told us gruffly to sit.
10:09He scooped himself less than half a bowl of rice.
10:13Not enough food.
10:15Cook more tomorrow.
10:16He ate fast.
10:18Loud and efficient.
10:20Finished in minutes.
10:21But barely ate half of what was there.
10:23Done.
10:24He sat sharpening his wood cutting knife.
10:26Watching us eat.
10:27Mama hesitantly filled my bowl.
10:29We ate.
10:30Both keeping our eyes on him.
10:31I noticed it quickly.
10:33When I ate fast, he looked away.
10:35When I slowed down and tried to set my chopsticks down, he frowned.
10:38He was telling me to keep eating.
10:40Mama and I finished every last bite.
10:43Then we sat waiting to be scolded.
10:45Or hit.
10:46Vance put the knife down.
10:48Wash up and get some sleep.
10:50You've worked enough today.
10:53Mama hurried to heat the water.
10:55She waited for Vance to finish washing.
10:58Then, after a moment, washed her own face and hands and feet.
11:02It's the first day.
11:04If I'm clean, he'll find less to resent.
11:07She muttered it while she scrubbed, eyes dim.
11:10I used her leftover warm water.
11:12The heat spread up through my hands and feet all at once.
11:15So this was what it felt like to wash with hot water.
11:19No wonder Grandma and Uncle Dale always demanded extra buckets in winter.
11:23I went to the woodshed for the night.
11:25Mama stopped me at the door.
11:27Cover your ears.
11:29No matter what you hear tonight, don't come out.
11:32Pretend you heard nothing, you understand?
11:35I nodded hard.
11:36I knew.
11:37Once, when Father was hurting Mama, I'd run in crying and begged him to stop.
11:42He'd kicked me so hard I ached for half a year.
11:45This time I wouldn't make a sound.
11:47We both had to survive.
11:48Stay alive.
11:49And there was still hope.
11:50Even if I didn't yet know what that hope looked like.
11:55Then the woodshed door was kicked open.
11:58Vance stood in the doorway holding a lantern.
12:00Staring at me where I lay in the straw.
12:03I shrank back.
12:04Cold sweat poured down my neck.
12:06Once, Father had come home half drunk in the middle of the night and walked into the woodshed.
12:11He beat me nearly to death.
12:13He said I was a burden.
12:14My fault he had no son.
12:16My fault he lost money gambling.
12:18That night, Mama grabbed the woodcutting knife and told him she'd take his life.
12:22That was the only thing that saved me.
12:25Vance was stronger.
12:26Could he put me down in three kicks?
12:28But he wasn't drunk.
12:30He wasn't angry.
12:31He reached down and grabbed me under the arms like he was picking up a stray chick.
12:35He carried me into the west bedroom.
12:38Mama was already standing there quietly.
12:40The empty room wasn't empty anymore.
12:42A wide wooden bed stood against the wall.
12:45Worn, but tidy.
12:47Vance set me down.
12:48He turned and walked back to his own east bedroom.
12:51The door closed.
12:52Within minutes, his snoring came through the wall.
12:55Mama and I stared at each other.
12:58That night, we slept restlessly.
13:00But we slept warm.
13:02I burrowed into the quilt and said quietly,
13:04Mama, it's so warm.
13:07I had never been this warm in winter.
13:09Not once.
13:09And I'd eaten dinner.
13:11My stomach was full.
13:12This, I thought, was what being alive was actually supposed to feel like.
13:16Mama stroked my hair.
13:17Little one, you called him Papa today.
13:21Do it again tomorrow.
13:22Keep calling him that.
13:24Okay.
13:26Vance was already a better father than Roy had ever been.
13:29The meals got bigger after that.
13:31And slowly, Mama didn't dare increase the amount all at once.
13:34She added a little each day until she finally understood his appetite.
13:39He ate a great deal.
13:40Roughly as much as Mama and I put together.
13:42But he never once stopped us from eating.
13:45If we ate too little, he'd frown.
13:47He hunted.
13:48Large catches, he sold.
13:50Sometimes he'd bring back a rabbit or a wild chicken.
13:53And he'd have Mama stew it.
13:54He ate half.
13:56The rest went to us.
13:57I had eaten meat three times in my life before that.
14:00This was the fourth.
14:01It was so good.
14:02No wonder Grandma and Uncle Dale had always been so desperate for it.
14:07Mama saved the extra pieces for me.
14:09I ate without thinking, too happy to pace myself.
14:12That night, I woke in the dark with my stomach seizing up and cramped.
14:16I rolled across the bed in pain.
14:18Mama rubbed my belly.
14:20It didn't help.
14:21She ran outside and scraped ash from the bottom of the cooking pot, stirred it into water,
14:26and brought it to me.
14:27I took one sip and vomited everything up.
14:32Vance burst through the door.
14:33One look at me.
14:34He wrapped me in the quilt, hoisted me onto his shoulder, and ran.
14:37Mama stumbled after him.
14:39She didn't say a word.
14:40He ran all the way to the village doctor's house at the edge of the road and kicked the door
14:44in.
14:44The whole household lurched awake.
14:46They started to complain.
14:47Then they saw his face and went quiet.
14:49The doctor checked my pulse, then asked what I'd been eating.
14:53What did she eat?
14:54Ova-aid.
14:55Indigestion.
14:56Nell's been underfed all her life.
14:58Eat this much meat at once and her stomach can't manage it.
15:00She'll be fine.
15:02I'll give her something to bring it up.
15:03Keep her warm, light food for a few days, she'll recover.
15:06She gave me something.
15:08I vomited, loudly, and at length.
15:10The smell filled the whole room.
15:12The doctor's husband muttered from the corner.
15:14Never had good food her whole life.
15:16Body can't handle it when she finally does.
15:18Vance looked at him.
15:20One hard stare.
15:21He retreated to the back room.
15:23I was humiliated, getting sick from eating too much meat.
15:27Just like Grandma had always said, I was a bottomless pit with no sense.
15:33Vance carried me home over his shoulder.
15:35On the way back, he said gruffly,
15:38You've really never had meat before?
15:40I thought he was scolding me.
15:43This was only the fourth time before we only ever got a piece or two.
15:49Grandma had never let us have even the broth.
15:51He made a low sound.
15:53Eat more often enough, and this stops happening.
15:56I was wrapped too tight in the quilt and didn't quite catch it.
15:59The next few days, I could only drink porridge.
16:03Vance brought back millet.
16:04He brought back brown sugar.
16:06Millet and brown sugar were things only new mothers got after childbirth.
16:10A bowl or two, a little sweetness stirred in.
16:14I was getting a full bowl at every single meal.
16:17I was eating better than Mama had after giving birth to me.
16:21Vance watched me eat every morning until the color came back to my face.
16:26When it did, something in his own expression finally loosened.
16:31He fixed the village doctor's front gate as payment for the house call.
16:35Then he pulled the doctor back to check my pulse again.
16:39Only when she said I was fully recovered did he walk her out.
16:42He said he was going up the mountain to track a big animal.
16:45Might be gone several days.
16:47He told Mama to bake a stack of flatbreads for the road.
16:50Mama kneaded the dough with lard and mixed in brown sugar.
16:54The flatbreads came out golden and fragrant.
16:56She pressed into his hands the thick insoles and padded cap she'd sewn over the past few days.
17:02Vance took the flatbreads.
17:03He looked at the insoles and the cap.
17:05He looked up at Mama.
17:07Something in his eyes went soft.
17:08New year's coming.
17:10When I sell what I catch we'll go buy supplies.
17:13Think about what you want.
17:14Mama held my hand as we stood at the door to see him off.
17:18His figure moved away from us.
17:20Uneven but steady.
17:22I couldn't help shouting after him.
17:24Papa!
17:25Come home soon!
17:26Vance stopped.
17:27He didn't look back.
17:29He lifted a hand in our direction.
17:31Go inside.
17:32It's cold.
17:34We waited five days.
17:36He didn't come back.
17:37The cold deepened.
17:39On the fifth day snow began to fall.
17:42Mama watched the sky go dark.
17:44She looked at me.
17:45She pointed to the food stores and told me to mind myself.
17:48Cook my own meals if I got hungry.
17:51Mama's going to find him.
17:52I'll be back soon.
17:55Take care of yourself.
17:56She changed her clothes and strapped the woodcutting knife to her body.
18:00She found the oil lamp.
18:02I tucked a small sickle under my clothes and followed her out.
18:05Wherever you go, I go.
18:08We'll bring Papa home together.
18:10Vance was my Papa now.
18:11He was a better Papa than Roy had ever been.
18:14I was never going to have a different one.
18:17Mama let out a long ride.
18:18If something goes wrong out there, you standing alone in this house isn't any safer.
18:23All right?
18:24Together.
18:25We held hands and went up the mountain.
18:28We'd only ever been to the edges, gathering firewood.
18:31We almost never went deeper in.
18:33Wolves in there.
18:34Wild boars.
18:35Tigers.
18:36But with Mama beside me and the thought of Papa waiting somewhere in that cold, I wasn't
18:40afraid.
18:43The snow came down harder.
18:45It was barely past midday, but the sky had gone dark.
18:48Moving through the forest was difficult.
18:50Every step was uncertain.
18:52You'd break through a soft patch and sink to the knee.
18:55Mama pulled me out each time and prodded the ground ahead with a stick.
18:59We hadn't gone far when we heard heavy footsteps in the trees.
19:02Mama raised the wood cutting knife.
19:04I raised the sickle.
19:05We stared into the dark ahead, both terrified.
19:08If we were going to die out here, at least we'd die together.
19:11The footsteps came closer.
19:13A large figure emerged from between the trees.
19:15A tall man with a stiff, lopsided gait, dragging something massive behind him.
19:20A tiger.
19:22We stared.
19:23He stared back.
19:24I let go of Mama's hand and ran.
19:27I threw my arms around his leg and looked up.
19:30The tiger dropped from his grip and hit the snow.
19:33He looked down at me, then up at Mama.
19:35What are the two of you doing up here?
19:37He reached down and grabbed me under the arms, trying to lift me.
19:41His hands had nothing left.
19:43He couldn't manage it.
19:44I held onto his leg.
19:45He came to find you.
19:47You've been gone five days.
19:48The snow started.
19:49I was afraid.
19:54The last time she'd gone out searching for a man who hadn't come home, she'd told Roy
19:58she was worried he'd been hurt.
20:00He'd slapped her across the face, said she was cursing him, said her worrying was the
20:04reason all his bad luck found him.
20:06After that, she stopped saying she worried about Roy.
20:09She stopped worrying about Roy at all.
20:11Vance looked at her.
20:12The corner of his mouth moved.
20:14He wanted to smile.
20:15Years of not smiling seemed to have made him forget how.
20:19But he explained.
20:20This one was big.
20:21It took longer than I thought.
20:23Get the fire going.
20:24Start dinner.
20:25A tiger that size.
20:27He must have been dragging it for hours.
20:29He was running on empty.
20:31But he didn't ask for help.
20:33He would get it home himself.
20:34Mama stood watching him torn.
20:36She didn't dare disobey, but she wanted to help.
20:39I ran forward and grabbed one of the tiger's hind legs.
20:44Papa, we'll all go back together.
20:47I wasn't very strong.
20:49And touching that leg, even a dead leg, sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with
20:54the snow.
20:55The tiger was enormous.
20:56Dead as it was, it still looked vicious.
20:59Mama hesitated.
21:00Then she stepped up beside us.
21:04Vance's mouth twitched.
21:05He agreed.
21:09The three of us dragged the tiger back home.
21:11By the time we reached the village, the snow lay thick on the ground.
21:15The whole village was dark.
21:17The lanes empty.
21:18We made it inside at last.
21:20The tiger lay in the yard, half buried in white, still looking dangerous.
21:25I wasn't afraid of it anymore.
21:27I circled it a few times just to prove it, then ran back and pressed myself against Papa's leg.
21:33Papa's so strong, he killed a tiger all by himself.
21:37Vance was too exhausted to move, but he reached down and rested his hand on top of my head.
21:44His hand was huge and rough and heavy, but when it rested on my head, it was light, it was
21:50warm.
21:51Roy had large hands, too.
21:53They'd never been rough.
21:54He rarely did anything that required effort.
21:57He wasn't very strong either.
22:00Every time he'd pick to fight and come out worse, he'd curled up on the ground and hadn't even tried
22:05to fight back.
22:06But when he hit Mama and me, he hit hard.
22:09In this village, most men were like that.
22:12Hands that fell hard on their wives and children.
22:14I had always thought all fathers were the same.
22:17Turns out some of them were different.
22:22The next morning, before dawn, Vance fetched an ox cart.
22:26He woke us up, and we rode into town together to sell the tiger.
22:30In the county seat, he went straight to a large estate he clearly knew well.
22:34He called someone out.
22:35Fletcher!
22:35Fletcher came to the door.
22:37His face lit up when he saw Vance.
22:40The two men grabbed each other by the shoulders, talking like old friends.
22:43So Papa could be like this, animated, warm, full of words.
22:48Mama and I hung back, staring at the tall, heavy doors, the high threshold, the stone lions flanking the gate.
22:55We didn't dare step forward.
22:58Vance looked back at us and said something to Fletcher.
23:00Fletcher studied us, then reached into his coat and pulled out a small cloth pouch.
23:05Here, child.
23:07Take it.
23:07I didn't dare.
23:08He pressed it into my hands.
23:10Papa nodded.
23:11I took it.
23:16Thank you, Uncle Fletcher.
23:18Inside the pouch was a small piece of silver.
23:20I walked it over to Papa.
23:22Papa!
23:22And tucked it into his hands.
23:24For you.
23:24Fletcher blinked.
23:25Then he laughed, loud and warm.
23:27Well, old Vance, you've got yourself a devoted little girl.
23:31You're a lucky man.
23:33That one's for your Papa.
23:35This one's yours.
23:37Keep it.
23:37Fletcher bought the tiger and invited Vance to stay for drinks.
23:41Vance shook his head.
23:42Nothing at home.
23:43Need to stock up for New Year.
23:45Next time, then.
23:46And you'd better actually show up.
23:49The tiger had sold for a good sum.
23:52Vance walked us through the market.
23:53First, a wonton stall for breakfast.
23:56A big bowl each.
23:57Thin wrappers, fat filling.
23:59Floating in rich broth that steamed in the cold air.
24:01Mama was afraid to eat.
24:03But Vance had already paid.
24:05Wasting it was worse.
24:06She tried to give me her bowl.
24:08Vance stopped her.
24:08Children who overeat end up with stomach aches.
24:12Mama thought of my illness immediately.
24:13She stopped.
24:14After the wontons, her face had some color in it.
24:18Vance took us to buy pork, grain, flour, oil, dried spices for cooking.
24:23Then to the cloth shop.
24:24New quilts and padded coats.
24:26Mama waved her hands.
24:27The ones we have are perfectly fine.
24:29I said the same.
24:31When we'd first arrived, the quilts and padded clothes Vance gave us had been second hand.
24:36But they were clean and warm.
24:37That was already more than I'd ever had.
24:41Before, I had no silver.
24:43I bought used.
24:45Now I have silver.
24:47We buy new.
24:48In the end, they didn't buy ready made.
24:50They bought fabric and cotton batting.
24:52Mama still didn't want to spend too freely.
24:54I can sew.
24:55My hands are fast.
24:57Done before new year, I promise.
24:59She found a length of dark blue cloth and held it up beside Vance.
25:02This one suits you.
25:04It was the closest they'd ever stood.
25:06I was almost sure I saw Vance's face go red.
25:12His face went red and he looked happier.
25:14He lifted me up and set me on his shoulders so I could see all the way down the market
25:19road.
25:19I laughed so hard I could barely breathe.
25:21It was the highest I'd ever been.
25:23I could see everything.
25:25Mama walked carefully beside us, glancing again and again at his leg, afraid he'd tire himself out.
25:32Further along, Vance bought sesame candy and sugar figurines.
25:36He bought hair ribbons and flowers for Mama and me both.
25:40The stall woman smiled at them.
25:42Your wife and daughter are lovely.
25:44These flowers suit them perfectly.
25:45City made, you know?
25:46Vance and Mama both went red at exactly the same moment.
25:50On the way home, I sat in the ox cart holding my sugar figurine and refused to eat it.
25:55It was a general in full armor, fierce looking, just like Papa.
25:59We passed Roy's old house on the road through the village.
26:02Grandma was in the yard washing clothes, in hot water, so she'd always known about hot water.
26:08Uncle Dale sat slumped under the eaves doing nothing.
26:11They'd sold Mama and me for 30 silver.
26:14Dale still hadn't found himself a wife with that money.
26:16He just sat around and called it, waiting for a good match.
26:20Grandma looked up.
26:21Uncle Dale looked up.
26:23They stared at us, slack-jawed, and their faces turned ugly.
26:28Worthless brat.
26:29Haral it.
26:32The curse had barely left Grandma's mouth when a rock hit Uncle Dale square on the head.
26:37Who threw?
26:38Vance threw a second rock.
26:40It landed straight in Grandma's washtub and sent water splashing in all directions.
26:43These are my wife and daughter.
26:45Open your mouths against them again and you've got me to answer to.
26:48He stood at the gate in the fading light.
26:50Even with the bad leg, he was a wall.
26:53Grandma and Uncle Dale, bullies who ran at the first sign of real resistance, went completely silent.
26:59Mama's hand found mine.
27:00Her eyes had gone red.
27:02We rode on.
27:03When I looked back, I could still see the venom in their faces.
27:07Then I found my nerve.
27:08I raised my sugar figurine at them and made the ugliest face I could manage.
27:13I had a real Papa now.
27:15They couldn't touch us anymore.
27:19I lost my sugar figurine and my new hair ribbon.
27:22I was too ashamed to go home.
27:25I hovered near our gate, going back and forth, not able to make myself walk in.
27:31Papa came down from the mountain.
27:32He saw me, coat torn, face bleeding, covered in mud.
27:37He dropped his firewood, dropped the wild chickens he'd been carrying.
27:42Who did this?
27:43I'd never seen him this frightened.
27:45It scared me more than the beating.
27:47I started shaking.
27:49I'm sorry.
27:50I'm sorry.
27:51He crouched down.
27:52He wiped the mud off my face with his rough hands.
27:55His hands weren't steady.
27:57Tell Papa who did it.
28:00His voice steadied me.
28:02I told him everything, halting, stumbling over the words.
28:05With every sentence, his expression darkened.
28:08He took me inside and handed me to Mama.
28:11Then he picked up his walking stick and walked back out.
28:14Mama grabbed his arm.
28:15She shook her head.
28:17Papa thought about it.
28:18He picked up the thick wooden post that braced the door shut.
28:21That afternoon, the fathers of every boy who'd hit me got beaten.
28:25I won't hit a child.
28:26I'll hit you.
28:27One more incident and I'll break your legs.
28:32Every one of them was a grown, able-bodied man.
28:36Papa had one good leg.
28:38He chased them through the village anyway.
28:40One methodical blow at a time.
28:42Then Papa went to Roy's old house and beat Uncle Dale in front of the whole street.
28:47You people forced Ivy and this girl on me.
28:49I painted the silver.
28:50I signed the contract.
28:51They're mine.
28:52If I hear any more talk from your side of the village, Dale should stop walking alone after dark.
28:56Uncle Dale howled and promised over and over that it would never happen again.
29:02Anyone with something to say, say it to me directly.
29:05Not one person stepped forward.
29:08Several hurried to point out that Grandma's family had always treated Ivy and me badly.
29:13It's true.
29:14Ivy and little Nell are well off with you, old Vanch.
29:17You know how to take care of people.
29:18Those two are lucky they ended up with you.
29:21Papa walked home carrying the doorpost.
29:23He stopped in front of me and rested his hand on my head.
29:26He held my hand and walked me inside.
29:28In the lane, he said quietly,
29:31Who gave you that name anyway?
29:33Nell?
29:34It was Grandma's choice.
29:36Half the girls in the village had names like it.
29:38Nell, for invite a brother.
29:40Hope, for wish for a son.
29:42Bless, for pray he comes.
29:44Papa didn't like it.
29:45How about Clara from now on?
29:47Bright as the sun and moon, that's what Clara means.
29:49A name for someone with a future ahead of her.
29:54I was six years old and had my first real name.
29:56Clara.
29:57Clara Hart.
29:59A heart now?
30:00I told Mama, grinning.
30:02She laughed through red eyes, pressing the tears back.
30:05Papa said it twice, softly to himself.
30:08Clara Hart.
30:09Clara Hart.
30:10That night, Mama finished sewing the new quilts.
30:13She came to me with them folded in her arms.
30:16Clara, you're a big girl now.
30:19Time to sleep in your own room.
30:21Alright?
30:22Her own room.
30:23If I moved out, where would Mama sleep?
30:25I thought about it for one second.
30:27Yes.
30:27Mama, you and Papa should hurry up and have a little brother or sister for me.
30:32I'll take care of them.
30:34I meant it.
30:35A little brother or sister who had Papa.
30:37They'd be wonderful.
30:38I already wanted to meet them.
30:40The next morning, Papa woke me at dawn.
30:42Clara, yesterday, was Papa impressive?
30:45Very impressive.
30:46You can't rely on me your whole life.
30:48You need to protect yourself.
30:49Do you want to be as strong as Papa?
30:51Yes.
30:53I wanted to be strong enough to protect Papa and Mama, the future little ones,
30:58to hunt on the mountain and earn enough silver to take care of all of them.
31:02Papa was pleased.
31:03He pointed at the yard.
31:04Run 50 laps to start.
31:0650 laps.
31:07By the end, I could barely stand.
31:10He didn't let me stop.
31:11Mama watched with pained eyes.
31:13She said nothing.
31:15After running, came stances.
31:17And lifting the stone block, Papa had brought back from the mountain.
31:21It was just heavy enough that I could manage it on a good day.
31:24By evening, my hands and feet were covered in blisters.
31:28Train hard.
31:29Your Papa means it for your good.
31:31I know, Mama.
31:32I understood what Papa's care looked like.
31:34That night, Mama carried her new quilt into Papa's bedroom.
31:38They talked quietly for a while.
31:40The lamp went out.
31:41The night was noisy for a bit.
31:43I slept soundly in my new quilts anyway.
31:46The next day, Papa woke up late.
31:49I'd already run 30 laps around the yard by the time he appeared at the door.
31:53All day, he and Mama kept catching each other's eyes and looking away fast.
31:57Both of them red-faced.
31:59Both of them smiling at nothing.
32:01If you want to look, just look.
32:03Why the sneaking?
32:05Adults were very strange.
32:09After New Year, Papa bought several acres of good farmland with the tiger money.
32:14He farmed in the busy seasons and hunted in the quiet ones.
32:18He was teaching me how to track animals, how to read droppings and prints, which sounds meant danger.
32:24Taught me the knife and the bow.
32:25How to put a person down using as little force as possible.
32:29My strength was still limited.
32:30Progress was slow.
32:32The village gossiped.
32:34Most of it came from Roy's old household.
32:36That cripple got a wife and a daughter handed to him for nothing.
32:40Doesn't matter how smug Ivy acts.
32:42She still ended up with a cripple.
32:44Roy was twice as handsome.
32:46Roy had been handsome.
32:47Much good it had done anyone.
32:49He couldn't carry a load or plant a field.
32:51He was a farmer who refused to farm.
32:54His greatest skill was hitting the people who lived in his house.
32:59I glanced at Papa's leg.
33:01He noticed.
33:02He adjusted his gait and walked more carefully than before.
33:05Mama caught me looking.
33:07She smacked the back of my head the moment we were alone.
33:09Your Papa has been nothing but good to us, Clara.
33:12Don't you dare look at him the way this village does.
33:14Don't you dare.
33:15Mama.
33:16I want to study medicine.
33:18If I'm good enough someday, maybe I can fix Papa's leg.
33:21I didn't care about the limp.
33:22I didn't care about the scar.
33:24I just didn't want him to hurt on rainy days.
33:27I didn't want him working through the pain and never saying a word about it.
33:30Mama's expression shifted.
33:32She worried.
33:33Female apprentices were hard to place.
33:35Most healers wouldn't take them.
33:37But Papa had been standing just outside the door.
33:39He went quiet for two days.
33:41Then he took me back into town.
33:43To Fletcher at the large estate.
33:45Fletcher looked me over for a long moment.
33:48Medicine is hard work, Clara.
33:50An apprentice life is harder.
33:51Can you take it?
33:52I can.
33:53And when I've learned enough, I'll fix Papa's leg.
33:55Then I'll earn enough silver to take care of all of them.
33:57Papa and Mama and my little brothers and sisters.
34:00Brothers and sisters?
34:02Is there news already?
34:03Papa went scarlet and said it was far too early for that.
34:06Far too early.
34:09I moved into the county seat and began my apprenticeship at the clinic.
34:13I only asked to bring one thing from home.
34:16My stone lifting block for training.
34:18Mama couldn't make herself leave.
34:20She stood at the clinic door and wouldn't move.
34:23I waved her off.
34:25Mama, come back when I've made something of myself.
34:29She laughed despite herself.
34:32All right.
34:32Mama's waiting.
34:34The clinic's doctor was warm and patient with patience.
34:37With her apprentices, she was merciless.
34:40Too slow to learn.
34:41She scolded you.
34:42Made an error.
34:44She scolded you.
34:45Sometimes she hit.
34:47Some of the younger apprentices cried and went home within weeks.
34:50I wasn't troubled by any of it.
34:52She only ever struck the padded parts of the body.
34:55The force was calibrated.
34:56Sharp on impact.
34:58No lasting harm.
34:59Compared to Roy's household, this was nothing.
35:01And when the doctor scolded us, I recognized that look.
35:04It wasn't hatred.
35:06It was impatience born from caring.
35:08She also made sure we ate.
35:10Every meal, every day, without exception.
35:13She never once stinted on food or clothing.
35:17I could tell the difference between people who meant you harm and people who were hard on you for a
35:22reason.
35:22I kept lifting my stone block.
35:25I kept practicing the fighting forms Papa had taught me.
35:28My grip got stronger.
35:30When I started learning massage and manipulation from the doctor, I was already ahead of the others.
35:35I could feel exactly where the tension sat under the skin.
35:39I worked on her shoulders when she'd had a long day.
35:42She started looking less grim.
35:44Every two weeks, I went home.
35:46First thing.
35:46Papa's bad leg.
35:48He refused at first.
35:49Twisted around in his seat like I'd suggested something embarrassing.
35:52A few minutes in, his eyes went red.
35:55When he stood up afterward, he walked without catching himself on the door frame.
36:00Clara's got good.
36:02Learning fast.
36:03Mama asked me to teach her.
36:04When you're in the city, I can work on it for him.
36:06He pushes himself too hard.
36:07I walk them both through it side by side.
36:10When I'm not here, you can do it for each other.
36:13They both turned red at exactly the same time.
36:15Adults.
36:16Truly inexplicable.
36:25You can do it for them.
36:25You can do it for them.
36:27All right.
36:44All right.
44:09Relax.
47:00I could feel.
47:00I could feel a heartbeat, getting weaker, slower fading.
47:03My vision went black.
47:04I am sorry, baby.
47:06Mommy tried.
47:07A deafening wolf howl tore through the night.
47:09The entire blackwood territory shook.
47:11The protective wards flared violently across the walls, then shattered.
47:15A booming blast rocked the building.
47:18Centuries of blackwood enchantments.
47:20Destroyed in seconds.
47:21Moonlight flooded the room.
47:23In that silver light, stood a massive man in tactical combat gear.
47:29he ripped off his helmet battle scarred face cold silver eyes eyes that had witnessed countless
47:35massacres and never flinched but the moment they found me they turned bloodshot garrett
47:40my father's head better the man who caught me every time i fell learning to walk who shifted
47:45into wolf form and slept beside my bed when i was afraid of the dark who stood at the very
47:50back of
47:50my wedding silent jaw locked eyes red because he already knew he crossed the room in one stride
47:56and dropped to one knee the stone floor cracked under the impact princess i am late behind him
48:04stood 12 heavily armored warriors silver eyes weapons drawn the elite shadow fangard blackwood
48:09guards lay unconscious in the hall the omega attendants screamed this is blackwood territory
48:14who are you how did you get it garrett didn't look at her he was already lifting me off the
48:19cot one
48:20arm beneath my knees the other cradling my head as gently as if i were made of glass blackwood
48:27soon there won't be a blackwood the shadow fang warriors moved with terrifying efficiency
48:32from the moment the captain picked me up to the second i was loaded into an armored pack ambulance
48:36waiting just outside the borders barely four minutes had passed four minutes i had bled in
48:41that dungeon for hours begging for help and no one came shadow fang shattered the territory's
48:46defenses and extracted me in four minutes inside the medical transport emergency moonstone arrays
48:52flared to life bathing my body in pure silver light blood pressure critically low blood loss exceeds
48:57the lethal threshold by three times fetal distress is severe heart rate is under 60 and dropping we must
49:04perform an emergency c-section right now but her vitals can't handle surgery do it the captain's roar rattled the
49:10walls of the ambulance every medic flinched he gripped my hand his knuckles white veins bulging up his forearms
49:17i'll take full responsibility cut her open i squeezed his fingers back using the absolute last
49:22shred of my strength garrett garrett save the baby save the baby first garrett my father's head beater
49:32the man who had guarded me since the day i was born when i was learning to walk and fell
49:36he was the one
49:37who picked me up when i was terrified of the dark he shifted into his wolf form and slept beside
49:41my bed the
49:42entire night on the day i got married he stood at the very back of the crowd completely silent his
49:47eyes red now he was kneeling beside my stretcher his combat armor stained with blackwood blood his
49:52silver eyes completely bloodshot princess don't speak save your strength his voice trembled but
49:59he gritted out every word like a blood oath the alpha is on his way he'll be here soon you
50:04and the
50:05pup will be fine i swear it on my life before he could finish the moonstone array above the operating
50:10table violently flickered the vital sign monitors erupted into a shrill piercing uninterrupted screen
50:17cardiac arrest the luna's heart has stopped push the moonlight essence start the recitation ronins
50:25fetal heart rate is plummeting 70 50 30 scalpel now the medics shoved garrett out of the way he
50:32stumbled back into the corner of the ambulance clenching his fists so hard his claws tore through his
50:37own palms blood dripping onto the metal floor the surgeon sliced open my abdomen with a room carved
50:42scalpel silver energy flooded the incision forcibly cauterizing the bleeding they were draining the
50:47absolute limits of their healing stones just to keep my soul tethered to my body essence injected
50:52heartbeat is faint but back where's the pup found her extract pull her out the umbilical
50:59cate is wrapped around her neck damn it the wolfsbane choked off her oxygen in the womb for too long
51:03she's out she's out they pulled a baby from my womb but she didn't cry in the final second before
51:10the
51:10darkness swallowed me entirely i forced my eyes open my vision was a massive blur of blinding silver light
51:16but i saw it through the haze the doctor held a tiny blood covered infant in his hands she wasn't
51:23moving
51:23she wasn't breathing she didn't cry the voices faded faded into an abyss of static the last thing i heard
51:29was garrett a battle-hardened warrior in his 40s covered in 37 scars a man who had ripped the throats
51:35out of hundreds of rogues collapsing into the corner of the ambulance and silently weeping i woke up to the
51:41harsh smell of medical bleach mixed with the crisp ozone scent of moonstone crystals the princess is awake
51:47someone shouted in relief several faces crowded my vision familiar faces my father's personal elite
51:55guards uncles who had watched me grow up garrett stood closest to the bed his jaw was clenched so
52:00tight a muscle ticked in his cheek his eyes rimmed with red seeing me open my eyes his lips parted
52:06but
52:06no words came out he just gave me one stiff trembling nod a figure standing at the foot of my
52:14bed slowly
52:14turned around my father my father the current alpha of the shadow fang pack the absolute ruler of the
52:20oldest most lethal werewolf bloodline on the north american continent in the entire werewolf world his
52:26name alone made other alphas bow their heads in submission he was 54 his posture as straight as a
52:32spear i had never seen him slouch but right now his hair was completely white overnight he had gone totally
52:38gray he walked over and sat on the edge of my bed he took my hand in his his hands
52:43were massive
52:43calloused scarred from decades of war these hands had snapped the necks of his enemies and signed
52:48treaties that dictated the fates of millions of wolves right now they were shaking selena he choked
52:54on my name he bowed his head in my entire life i had never seen this man bow his head
52:59not when facing
53:00the interrogations of the seven alpha council not when executing traitors with his bare hands not even
53:06when he stood before my mother's grave for an entire night but now looking at me he bowed his head
53:12she's gone isn't she i looked at him and i knew the answer my father nodded a single scalding tear
53:21fell
53:21from his face onto the back of my hand the hemorrhage placental abtruction the wolf bait in her bloodstream
53:28she was deprived of oxygen for too long the doctors did everything the moonlight essence the healing
53:34stones the ancient bloodline resurrection rituals we couldn't bring her back the room fell dead silent the
53:41only sound was the low steady hum of the medical crystals i closed my eyes that tiny life that had
53:46lived inside me for nine months the pup that kicked my ribs the pup that made me run to the
53:51bathroom
53:52three times a night the little wolf who would instantly calm down the second i rubbed my belly
53:56and whispered mommy's here gone where is dominic my father lifted his head and wiped his face who
54:03had the blackwood pack by vivian's side she gave birth a boy pure blood alpha lineage the entire
54:10blackwood pack is throwing a massive celebration for their new heir they held the moonlight recognition
54:15ceremony the old alpha hosted it himself right before he died not a single person thought of you
54:21not a single person asked if you were dead or alive i laughed my chest heaved as a broken hysterical
54:27laugh tore out of my throat the mate bond was still pulsing faintly in my chest i could feel dominic's
54:33heartbeat steady joyful untroubled he was smiling he was celebrating his fated mate had nearly bled to
54:41death in a dungeon and his daughter was a corpse and he was celebrating good that's good my father
54:47tightened his grip on my hand selena come home with me blackwood pack doesn't deserve you
54:57dad i need you to do something for me anything perform a soul-severing ritual on me my father
55:04froze the soul-severing ritual one of the darkest most ancient forbidden arts of the shadowfang bloodline
55:10it artificially severed a mate bond forcing the other party to experience the exact physical sensation of
55:16their mate dying the stopping of the heart the shredding of the soul the permanent snapping of
55:21the bond to the person on the receiving end it felt exactly like their mate had perished you want
55:26him to think you're dead yes the soul-severing ritual took place on the obsidian altar deep within the
55:32shadowfang's ancestral lands midnight a new moon pitch black it was the only time we could deceive the moon
55:39goddess's gaze i lay on the cold stone surrounded by four of our oldest priests their chanting was deep
55:45guttural vibrating with the ancient lost tongue of the first wolves my chest sounded violently
55:51it was dominant's heartbeat eating inside me clear across a thousand miles the high priest pressed his
55:57palm against my sternum the runes flared blinding white and then an invisible silver spike was viciously
56:04ripped out of my heart the mate bond as a tether woven into the soul severing it felt like two
56:08deeply
56:09intertwined trees being violently ripped apart by their roots i clamped my teeth together refusing to
56:14scream in my mind's eye i saw glowing golden threads the physical manifestation of our bonds
56:19snapping one by one turning into ash when the final thread broke my chest went completely hollow
56:25a terrifying absent emptiness like someone had reached into my rib cage and carved out my heart
56:30leaving nothing but a gaping void the ritual was complete from this second onward and dominic's mind
56:36and soul i was dead meanwhile a thousand miles away in the heart of blackwood territory dominic stood proudly at
56:43the main altar accepting the congratulatory toasts from his pack members without warning
56:48it felt as if an invisible claw had just plunged into his chest and ripped it open the bond snapped
56:53he crashed to his knees his hands desperately clawed at his own chest his nails digging so deep into his
56:59own flesh that blood poured out over his shirt a primal guttural roar of pure agony exploded from
57:05his throat cassandra shoved through the panicked crowd dominic convulsed on the marble floor his
57:14claws scraping sickeningly against the stone selena she's dead the bond just broke she's dead cassandra's
57:23face drained of color for a split second but only a second brother calm down she was always going to
57:29get
57:29the fuck away from me dominic backhanded her so hard she went backward crashing violently into the
57:35altar pillars he scrambled to his feet stumbling and sprinting wildly out of the temple the dungeon
57:41was empty there was nothing left but a massive coagulated pool of blood and a soaked pile of straw
57:46and the rapidly fading scent of selene lingering in the damp air dominic stood frozen in the center of
57:52the blood pool he stood there for a very very long time long enough for cassandra to finally creep into
57:57the room and gingerly touch his arm brother you locked her in here i just told her to wait wait
58:09for
58:10what wait to die those were two lives my mate my pup cassandra took a step back but she was
58:18having a girl
58:20she was useless to the pack the sharp crack of flesh meeting flesh echoed through the dungeon cassandra's
58:26head whipped to the side a bright red handprint instantly welling up on her cheek she clutched
58:32her face staring at dominic in total disbelief dominic glared at her if i had been by her side
58:37she wouldn't have died if you hadn't taken all the medical supplies she wouldn't have died
58:43if i hadn't ordered them to inject her with wolf bait he couldn't finish the sentence because the
58:49subject of that sentence was precindling from start to finish he made every single decision cassandra was
58:55just the executioner the person who murdered selene and their child was him i spent the next few weeks
59:00recovering in the shadowfang estate my body healed agonizingly slowly the wolfsbane residue severely
59:05crippled my cellular regeneration and the pack doctor estimated it would take three months to
59:10completely purge it from my system but i wasn't in a hurry i had all the time in the world
59:14my father
59:15ate with me and walked with me every day treating me exactly like he did when i was a little
59:19girl he never
59:20brought up the blackwoods but i knew his intelligence network never stopped spinning shadowfang's eyes
59:26and ears were buried in every major pack in north america that was the terrifying power of an ancient
59:31bloodline every meeting every decision every hushed conversation the blackwoods had was transcribed
59:37and placed on my desk dominic had brought my corpse a flawlessly forged illusion created by the
59:43soul severing ritual back to the blackwood manor he didn't place the casket in the main hall it was
59:48shoved into a side morning room
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