- 2 days ago
My ATM Boyfriend SM
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00My boyfriend pays me $300,000 per month.
00:02When his phone flashed, I'm pregnant, no tears.
00:04Should I work as a nanny for her?
00:06I never check his phone.
00:07I never ask where he goes.
00:09If I see him with another girl, I run faster than him.
00:12Because this is a deal.
00:13He was completely shocked.
00:15But he shouldn't have been.
00:16Because this is exactly how we met.
00:19That night, I came out of the library, picked up the keys I had dropped,
00:22and just as I stood up to leave, I heard someone calling me.
00:24Put out your hand.
00:28Be my girlfriend.
00:31$300,000 a month.
00:33Yes or no?
00:34$300,000 free money.
00:36Why not take it, babe?
00:38Good girl.
00:39See that?
00:40$300,000 is nothing to me.
00:42But I'd rather throw it away than give it to you.
00:44You're not worth it.
00:46I didn't even blink.
00:47The $300,000 was basically mine.
00:49Oh, what if my boyfriend's ex said a few nasty things?
00:52Bragging much?
00:53Any card can have $300,000?
00:54Then mine must have $100 million.
00:55Poor loser pretending to be rich.
00:56Only one thought.
00:57What if my boyfriend is actually broke?
00:58Did I just call him honey for nothing?
01:02Bank account number.
01:04I rattled it off immediately.
01:06He tapped his screen a few times.
01:08Instantly my phone pinged.
01:10Lucas S transferred you $300,000.
01:12See that?
01:13What are you standing there for?
01:16Keep up.
01:17I quickly jobbed after him.
01:21Coming, babe.
01:31I was about to tell him I was heading to my part-time job.
01:34But on second thought, the money was already in my account.
01:36I quickly changed my story.
01:37Going back to my dorm.
01:38All right.
01:39Then head back.
01:40There's $600,000 on the card.
01:41With the $300,000 I just sent you, you're my girlfriend for the next three months.
01:44Any problem with that?
01:46Nope.
01:50Your number.
01:52All right.
01:52I'll call you if I need you.
01:53I'm out.
02:06I'm out.
02:07$300,083.02.
02:10Right then, I genuinely felt, God, I freaking love my life.
02:15Back in my dorm, the very first thing I did was quit my part-time job.
02:18I hopped on Google and searched, how to tell if I'm being scammed.
02:21I went through result after result without finding a single scam like this.
02:25Closing the browser, I checked my balance one more time.
02:28Staring at the bank card in my hand, it suddenly hit me.
02:30He didn't give me the pin.
02:31I checked his Instagram profile.
02:33Black profile pic.
02:34Just the letter L.
02:35Barely any post.
02:36Should I text him first?
02:37I was a little torn.
02:39After hesitating for what felt like forever, I swallowed my pride and shot him a text.
02:43Hey, babe.
02:43Half an hour later, he finally replied.
02:45What?
02:46I texted back in a split second.
02:48So, you kind of forgot to give me the pin for the bank card.
02:50Another half hour passed.
02:52He sent back a string of numbers.
02:55080223.
02:55Right after that came a four-second voice memo.
02:58That's my birthday.
02:59Remember it.
02:59There will be a pop quiz.
03:01I almost replied, remember it?
03:02I'll carve it into my DNA.
03:04I thought better of it and deleted it.
03:05Just replied, got it.
03:06And added a cat emoji I'd never used in my life.
03:08He didn't text back.
03:09I waited until the campus was quiet.
03:11I sprinted to a campus ATM just to make sure the $600,000 was real.
03:16Only then did I head back to my dorm.
03:18Completely satisfied.
03:19I took a shower and crashed the second my head hit the pillow.
03:22I dreamed I'd moved into 157 in Manhattan.
03:25I was neighbors with a Wall Street big shot.
03:27I was happily listening to him spill tea on a famous pop star.
03:30Suddenly, a piercing ringtone shattered the dream.
03:34What?
03:37You're already asleep?
03:39What do you think?
03:42You dare snap at me?
03:44I snapped wide awake.
03:45Oh crap, my ATM.
03:48Honey, I wasn't snapping at you.
03:50Good night to me before bed.
03:51Honestly, I've been single for years and was never in the habit of saying good night.
03:54But I couldn't admit that.
03:55So I made up an excuse.
03:56I was going to, but I accidentally fell asleep.
03:59You do know you're my girlfriend, right?
04:01I know.
04:02Remember, whatever other boyfriends get, I want too.
04:04Whatever they don't get, I want even more.
04:05Otherwise, don't even think about renewing the contract.
04:07Got it.
04:08I'll remember for sure.
04:09But, um, let me just be clear up front.
04:11Dating is fine.
04:12Sleeping together is not.
04:14Don't worry.
04:14Your boyfriend's not interested in one night stands.
04:16Waspruja Fluxio.
04:17You're a cupid.
04:17You have class tomorrow, right?
04:18When I get downstairs, I expect to see you and breakfast waiting for me.
04:21Okay, honey.
04:26Next morning, I dressed up, grabbed breakfast, and waited downstairs from his dorm.
04:29New problem.
04:30I'm face blind.
04:31Yesterday, I was too focused on the balance, bank card, Porsche, and that hot girl to remember
04:35my ATM's face.
04:36All I recall, all black, black diamond stud in left ear.
04:39Five minutes later, a guy walked out of the dorm.
04:41He was in all black with a black stud in his left ear.
04:44I instantly flashed my best customer service smile and walked right up to him.
04:48Good morning, babe.
04:49The guy falls on the spot.
04:51The guys around him started teasing him.
04:53Damn, Caleb.
04:54Since when do you have a girlfriend?
04:55In our department?
04:55You actually landed the ice lady?
04:57Caleb?
04:58Wasn't his name Lucas?
04:59Sorry, my girlfriend's still half asleep.
05:01He's got the wrong guy.
05:02Your babe is over here, girlfriend.
05:05My heart sank crap.
05:06Was I about to lose my ATM?
05:08Once we were a good distance away, he let me go.
05:10He took his time lighting a cigarette.
05:12Do I look like him?
05:13He stood with his back to the sun.
05:15I only came up to his chest.
05:16He had narrow, slightly upturned eyes, a straight nose, a sharp jawline, and thin lips.
05:21A puff of white smoke left his mouth, making him look dangerous and magnetic.
05:24Caleb had almost the same build, but Caleb's features were softer.
05:27The corners of his eyes sloped downward, which made him look gentler.
05:30Not at all.
05:31Then how did you mix us up?
05:32I stood right next to you for 40 minutes, and then you called someone else babe.
05:3540 minutes?
05:36I never saw you come down.
05:38I didn't stay here last night.
05:39I came back just for you.
05:41I stood there for 40 minutes, and my girlfriend still didn't recognize me.
05:45Then she called some other guy babe to my face.
05:47Looked like the money just wasn't enough.
05:49It's enough.
05:50It's enough.
05:50When I get back, I'll have your face permanently etched into my brain.
05:54I won't get it wrong again.
05:56The corner of his mouth ticked up in pure amusement.
05:58Didn't they call you the Ice Queen?
06:00Since when did you become such a good actress?
06:02I immediately set the record straight.
06:04If that's what you like, babe, I can be whoever you want.
06:09I'll forgive you this time.
06:11Your customer service is top tier.
06:13Got classes this morning?
06:15Thank you, boss.
06:16No classes this morning.
06:17Boss?
06:18My bad.
06:19Babe.
06:19If you're free, come with me to my morning lecture.
06:21If you randomly call someone else babe again, I'm docking your pay.
06:23Got it.
06:24I followed him obediently.
06:25For $300,000, sitting through a lecture was nothing.
06:27Hell, I'd even go bungee jumping with him.
06:33Don't be mad at me.
06:34If I hadn't shown you, you never would have let yourself move on.
06:37I'm not mad at you.
06:39I'm just too sensitive.
06:45The summer I turned 18, Ronan, is this your first night?
06:50Of course.
06:51All these years, you've always been the only one by my side.
06:55Just when I thought my unrecorded love was over, and I was about to start a sweet romance
07:00with Ronan, the truth hit me like a slap in the face.
07:03I never would have guessed her boobs were this big.
07:06I never would have guessed her boobs were this big.
07:16They must feel amazing to touch.
07:19I'm trying to get with Scarlet, but she'd think I was too inexperienced, so I used Leela
07:22to get some practice in first.
07:24Classic Ronan.
07:25Even Lylee was just a warm-up for him.
07:27Everyone knows how hard it is to get into her pants.
07:29So what does that make her, like a practice doll?
07:31Relax.
07:31She got something out of it, too.
07:33I mean, Leela's cute and all, but compared to Scarlet, yeah, no contest.
07:38Honestly, she seemed like she was enjoying herself.
07:40Who knew the bookworm was that freaky under all those cardigans?
07:44She's been chasing him for years.
07:45Technically, she got what she wanted.
07:47If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I never could have believed that the guy was
07:51the same one who had held me like I was something precious.
07:54Just last night, turns out, you don't actually need to love someone to do that with them.
07:58We weren't really prepared for your first time.
08:01I'll go buy you some morning after pill first thing tomorrow morning.
08:06Girls need to protect their bodies.
08:08I promise I'll be prepared next time.
08:19My crew's got a party tonight, and it'd be awkward to bring you.
08:22Also, pick up a morning after pill yourself.
08:24I'm busy today.
08:25Don't forget to take it.
08:26Good girl.
08:31Ever since we were eight, I trailed after him like a shadow, and that had been ten years
08:36of my life.
08:37I even gave up physics, which I loved, and chose art.
08:40Just so I could apply to the same university as him.
08:43But now, it all seems like a ridiculous joke.
08:46I should have seen the light long ago.
08:51Hello, Lila?
08:51Mrs. Taylor, I'd like to change the colleges I'm applying to.
09:14Scarlet is the captain of the school's volleyball team.
09:17She's never short of admirers, and just like Ronan, is a real star on campus.
09:43I really don't have much in common with them.
09:54Honey, I'm on vacation in Florida.
09:56The beaches here are amazing.
09:57You really have to come check them out.
10:00Good.
10:01Have fun, then.
10:04Lila?
10:04Your voice sounds a little off.
10:06Have you been crying?
10:07Uh, no.
10:08I might have a cold.
10:10Where's that bastard?
10:11Why didn't he take good care of you?
10:13Has anything new happened between you two since you slept together?
10:16Marnie, actually, I- Ronan and I-
10:23Sorry, Marnie.
10:24I- I have to run.
10:26I'll get back to you later.
10:28I'm allergic to pollen, and Ronan has never seemed to care.
10:31Could it be that-
10:33Why is it that I only get the things other people don't want?
10:38Lila, I've been knocking on your door for ages.
10:40Why haven't you replied to my my message?
10:44Sorry, I- I'm not feeling well today, so I'd like to rest early.
10:47What are you talking about?
10:49Marnie even called me specifically!
11:02Why do I always feel so inferior around him?
11:05But he wasn't like this before.
11:08We practically grew up together.
11:10The balcony off my bedroom was our hangout spot.
11:13Hi!
11:14Ronan loved sharing things with me.
11:18He would leave the toys I couldn't bring myself to buy
11:21on the balcony as a surprise for me.
11:23And then, there were the desserts his mom made.
11:27A ticket...
11:30to my idol's concert.
11:32I always thought our feelings were mutual.
11:34I never imagined it was just a one-sided affair.
11:43You sure?
11:44Are you really want to change your application?
11:46I remember you planned to go to college in the same city as Ronan.
11:49I knew I had found a wolf who remembered nothing.
11:51He was handsome.
11:52Alara, what are you doing?
11:53You saved your life, so you should repay me with your body.
11:57I only need one pup.
11:58After that, I'll let you go.
12:00The rope snapped.
12:01He grabbed my waist and flipped me beneath-
12:03Everyone in Oak Hollow knew I had found a wolf who remembered nothing.
12:06He was handsome, obedient, and strangely easy to trust.
12:10After I healed his wounds, soon, I had his pup.
12:12For more than a year, we lived like true mates.
12:15One day, he suddenly said,
12:17I had to return to the Central Territory.
12:19I cannot take you with me.
12:20When did you remember?
12:21Half a year ago.
12:23The night you gave birth, my memories returned.
12:25My whole body froze.
12:27I am leaving today.
12:30These coins are enough for you and the pup to leave well.
12:33That is only right.
12:34I had known this day would come.
12:35But after more than a year together, I had still grown attached.
12:38He used to hold me and call me sweetheart.
12:40He was nothing like the cold man before me now.
12:43Do you want a bond, Shevring Rit?
12:44No need.
12:45Sure, there was no need.
12:46Our vows had never been recorded in the pack registry.
12:49I had only used a piece of white cloth as my veil.
12:52To the pack, it had never counted.
12:54I'm leaving.
12:54I watched him stand and turn away.
12:57Outside, Lucian shifted into wolf form and vanished into the forest.
13:01He leapt so quickly that he hadn't even given our pup a proper name.
13:08The cottage was still full of his old things.
13:10I looked at them and felt my chest twist with pain.
13:13This was the ending I had wanted.
13:15I shouldn't have cried.
13:16I had seen how cruel pack life could be to weak Omegas.
13:20Everyone said taking a mate was an Omega's second life.
13:22But I had already been unlucky enough to be born low.
13:25If I chose the wrong male, I would be ruined for life.
13:28I would rather die than spend my life under a cruel mate.
13:32The unmated males in Okalo had started watching me like prey.
13:35When I was trapped and desperate, I found Lucian.
13:39That was when an idea came to me.
13:41A pup of my own.
13:42I coaxed him into making vows with me before the moon goddess.
13:45And just as I wanted, I became pregnant.
13:47But I knew Lucian wasn't an ordinary wolf.
13:50His silver-white fur showed his strong bloodline.
13:53So if he had shown even a little sadness or reluctance, I would have smiled and sent him away.
13:58That would have proved our year together wasn't all fake.
14:00But he didn't.
14:01After Lucian left, I couldn't sleep.
14:03Every night, I stared at the roof beams and thought about this same thing.
14:07If he had recovered half a year ago, why did he keep living with me as my mate?
14:10If he didn't love me, why did he still share my bed?
14:13And if he loved me, why did he abandon us the moment he remembered?
14:17Maybe this was just how males were.
14:19They enjoyed what was offered.
14:20And when it was time to leave, they felt no pain.
14:23Then we are even.
14:24I looked at my sleeping pup.
14:25I used him for a pup, and he used me for pleasure.
14:28That should have been fair.
14:30But my heart still hurt.
14:31Lucian hadn't left quietly.
14:33The warriors who came for him had drawn every eye in Okalo.
14:37For days, villagers kept coming to ask about him.
14:39So the broken wolf you found was from a powerful family?
14:42He must have gone back to report that he was alive.
14:44Elara, why didn't your mate take you with him?
14:46Did he abandon you?
14:47That can't be.
14:48She gave him a pup.
14:49Maybe he will take her to the Central Territory later.
14:52Even if you can't be claimed as his mate,
14:54becoming his breeder would still be better than staying here.
14:57My body went cold.
14:58That was the life I feared most.
15:00I would rather raise my pup alone than become someone's breeder.
15:03Then I remembered his silver-white fur.
15:05A bad feeling grew inside me.
15:07What if he came back for the pup?
15:08What if he forced me into his estate as a nameless breeder?
15:11I imagined being locked in an Omega Wing with no place beside him.
15:15I imagined bowing to a proper she-wolf from a stronger bloodline.
15:18Worst of all, I imagined my pup being taken from my arms.
15:21He might never be allowed to call me Mom.
15:25Elara, what is wrong?
15:27It is so hot.
15:28Why are you shaking?
15:29I didn't answer.
15:30My eyes fell on the old map hanging on the wall.
15:32The mountains and rivers on it stretched far beyond Okalo.
15:36The world outside looked so large and free.
15:40I should leave.
15:41To be safe, my pup and I had to die.
15:44Only if Lucian believed we were dead would he stop looking.
15:46He taught me how to hunt, how to hide my human scent during the full moon.
15:50And when I got my first period, he'd awkwardly gone red in the ears while buying pads for me in
15:55the human town.
15:56He was 18 that year.
15:57I was 13, back then, apart starting from that day.
16:02Kale, I want you.
16:05Selena, I'm your uncle.
16:07Uncle, mark me.
16:09Please, I love you.
16:11For six months, every single night, that wolf was my uncle Kale.
16:15Say it.
16:16Say you love me, Kale.
16:18Tell me you love me too.
16:19Kale was the guy I'd liked since I was little.
16:21In real life, I had to hide my feelings for him.
16:23I drowned in that forbidden pleasure.
16:25But that night, the hymn in my dream turned super savage like he wanted me dead.
16:29I snapped awake, gasping for air.
16:31Just a dream again.
16:32I had been having these taboo dreams for six months now.
16:35Maybe it was time for them to end.
16:36If he ever found out the truth, he would absolutely hate me.
16:41The next day was the real blood moon night.
16:43The old alpha told me to bring Kale some packed documents.
16:46I got to Kale's door.
16:47It was unlocked.
16:48But I didn't expect that when I opened the door, I'd be walking right into last night's nightmare.
16:52Kale was on the ground, eyes blood red.
16:54His silver white wolf shadow was thrashing wildly on the wall.
16:57His shirt was ripped open.
16:59His collarbone and chest were covered in scratches, all from himself.
17:02The smell of shadow potion was in the air, spicy.
17:04It stung my nose.
17:06Shadow potion was the most intense drug out there.
17:08It was a banned substance in the werewolf world.
17:10Anyone who took it would completely lose their mind,
17:12leaving with nothing but pure, primal lust.
17:16Selina.
17:20Take off your clothes, now.
17:22You are my uncle.
17:23I say now.
17:25His eyes were savage and dangerous.
17:27His hands gripped my waist so hard that I cried out.
17:29He panted heavily right by my ear, his voice hoarse and barely audible.
17:33Why is it you?
17:35Why is it always you?
17:37I didn't know what he was asking.
17:38The next morning, he woke up beside me.
17:40The effects of the shadow potion had faded,
17:42but he could still smell the faint scent lingering in the air.
17:48You're disgusting.
17:53You drugged me, didn't you?
17:55You threw yourself at me on purpose, right?
17:57I didn't-
17:58Don't you dare think just because we slept together, I'd ever want you.
18:04Put your clothes on.
18:07I'm telling my father about this.
18:09Just wait.
18:16The old alpha found out everything.
18:18He made us get married, but I didn't expect it to end like this.
18:21On our wedding night, he threw me into the underground arena.
18:24This bitch.
18:25I was slammed hard onto the ground.
18:27It's all yours tonight.
18:30One, two, three, more and more wolves lunged at me.
18:34I fought back with everything I had, but there were too many of them.
18:39Then I saw Kale.
18:41He was sitting beside Leora in the best seat in the arena, looking down at me with a cold
18:44smirk.
18:45I sank into utter despair, then spotted the wine barrels nearby.
18:48I used every last bit of strength.
18:49I had to break free and kicked over a few barrels.
18:52Then I grabbed the torch that was mounted behind me.
18:54Then they swallowed the entire arena.
18:56I thought I was going to die, but-
19:00When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn to the day before the blood moon.
19:04I was reborn.
19:14Eighteen years ago, old alpha found me abandoned in a snowstorm.
19:17He said it was the moon goddess's will, so I grew up in the werewolf territory.
19:21My foster uncle Kale was the strongest warrior in the silver moon pack.
19:25He taught me how to hunt, how to hide my human scent during the full moon.
19:29And when I got my first period, he'd awkwardly gone red in the ears while buying pads for
19:33me in the human town.
19:34He was eighteen that year.
19:35I was thirteen.
19:36Back then, I still didn't know what it meant for my heart to race.
19:39Later, I found out, and I couldn't hide it anymore.
19:42His name filled every page of my diary.
19:44Later, on the diary was found by my most trusted friend at school, Leora.
19:48Everything began to fall apart starting from that day.
19:53Kale, I want you.
19:55Selina, I'm your uncle.
19:57Aren't you ashamed of writing this stuff?
19:59We're not blood related.
20:00That still makes me your elder.
20:05That same night, she became his girlfriend.
20:08I cried for a whole month.
20:12I hated how weak I was in my past life.
20:14I hated that I loved such a disgusting man.
20:17But in this life, I am done crying.
20:18Never again.
20:19I let go of the curtains and calmed myself down.
20:22Selene, your revenge starts right now.
20:24I went downstairs.
20:25The old alpha was waiting in his study, just like before.
20:28Selina, take these files to Kale.
20:30He looked at me as he handed over the papers.
20:32You look pale.
20:34I'm fine, Grandpa.
20:35I cried all my tears in my past life.
20:37In this life, I just wanted to watch them fall into their own trap.
20:40I holding the document and pushed the door open.
20:46Selina, unbutton your clothes.
20:51Laura will be here soon to help you.
20:54She's your best cure.
20:55I didn't expect him to freeze when he heard that.
21:00I'm begging you!
21:01I'm begging you!
21:02Save her!
21:03Save her!
21:04Save my Elena!
21:06Kyle, in the next life, let's not find each other again.
21:11Alpha Kale returned from crushing a rogue pack in the Western Territories, bringing another Omega home with him.
21:16The Nightfang estate gates opened.
21:18I knelt at the front as his Luna, my knees pressed against the stone.
21:22You're the Luna?
21:23Helena?
21:24I didn't raise my head.
21:25I saw the hem of her dress and the silver bell around her ankle.
21:28Kale reached toward me.
21:29I thought he was going to help me up.
21:30He pulled the moonstone necklace from around my neck and tossed it to her.
21:33That necklace was my mother's heirloom, whatever.
21:36His riding crop lifted my chin.
21:38I met his eyes.
21:39He stared at me.
21:40Not crying?
21:41His mouth curved.
21:42Not causing a scene?
21:44I shook my head.
21:47My father and brother were locked in prison.
21:49Whether they lived or died depended on him.
21:51His hand dropped to the top of my head.
21:53He patted it, like patting an obedient dog.
21:55Good girl.
21:56This is what Kale Nightfoot's mate should look like.
21:58Years ago at the Northern Territory camp, he stood in front of me, exactly like this, covered in blood, eyes
22:03burning.
22:04I, Kale Nightfang, will make you my mate.
22:07He pressed a wolf fang into my palm.
22:10This fang is my claim token.
22:12I wore that fang for four years, against my skin, until I stopped feeling it.
22:16The first night Kale returned to the estate, I was expected to wait for him in his room.
22:20That was the rule.
22:21He finally came, held my chin and looked at me.
22:24I forced a smile.
22:26He shoved my face away.
22:28That smile looks worse than crying.
22:29He turned and walked to the west wing.
22:31A silver bell rang through the night.
22:33The woman cried hard.
22:34I'd heard she already had someone in her own pack.
22:37Now she'd been given to the night fang pack to seal a truce.
22:40Of course she didn't want this.
22:41The next morning, he ordered me to come to weave a floating cradle from magic and wheel the egg into
22:45the garden every night to bathe in moonlight.
22:48Supposedly, lunar exposure accelerates growth in large beastkin eggs.
22:52I don't know what species pebble is, but it can't hurt to try.
22:56Every night after that, I shift into beast form, sing the old nesting song of the avian clans, and tuck
23:01the egg against my chest.
23:02Wings folded tight around it.
23:04Warm.
23:04Biggest beast tin in my family.
23:06A love bird.
23:07My fiancé, a phoenix that gave me an iron egg to get out of our bonding contract.
23:11He said if I could hatch it, he'd go through with the bonding ceremony.
23:15Pressured by my family, I slept aside that egg every night.
23:19Poured everything I had into it.
23:20Later, when he came crawling back to reinstate the bond, a pair of obsidian black dragon wings curled around me
23:26like a cage.
23:28Reinstating the bond?
23:29I'm afraid you're too late.
23:31Your betrothed is mine now.
23:34On my fledgling day, Renmarth surprises me with a dinner invitation.
23:40The only reason his family signed a bonding contract with mine is because our mothers were old friends.
23:47Our bonding ceremony, I'd like to push it back.
24:13Reynard opens his spacial pouch.
24:19And places an egg in my hands.
24:21Avians are natural nesters, aren't they?
24:23Consider it playing to your strengths.
24:26If you manage to hatch it, I might even put your name in my next paper.
24:30He's handed her a rock and called it a test.
24:34Avians are natural nesters, aren't they?
24:36Should be easy for her.
24:37He's an arch-magister and an apex phoenix.
24:41The Whitefills were the ones reaching above their station.
24:47Fine.
24:48But there's something I haven't told any of them.
24:51I am one of the rarest things in all of Astrmore.
24:54A soul mender.
24:56I take the egg home.
24:58My stepfather assumes I'm desperate to marry Reynard.
25:00So desperate, I'd accept an impossible task.
25:02Rink, just put your heart into it.
25:03Reynard will come around.
25:04Their words slide off me.
25:06Water over feathers.
25:07Not a trace left behind.
25:08I turn and walk to my room.
25:09Why would I want a preeming phoenix to be moved by me?
25:12But this egg is different.
25:14I curl up in my nest, teasing it with wisps of soul energy.
25:17I only took the egg for one reason.
25:18Hatch whatever's inside and shove it in Reynard's face.
25:21And if a hatchling comes, I can claim it as my own child.
25:23Astr flows from my core, wrapping the shell like a hot spring.
25:27Golden light soaks through.
25:28Gentle.
25:29Dense.
25:29Remnault mentioned the Academy's healers tried everything.
25:31Not a flicker of response.
25:33But right now, in my arms, the egg shifts.
25:35Trying to come out already?
25:36What should I call you?
25:37As if it heard me, the egg goes perfectly still.
25:39Quiet.
25:40Obedient.
25:40Better behaved than any male I've ever met.
25:42I think for a long time.
25:44Then, Pebble.
25:46It rolls away, actively trying to escape.
25:48I grab it.
25:49I pull it close.
25:50Nuzzle my downy wings against the shell.
25:52Listen, Pebble.
25:53I'm gonna raise you right.
25:54And in return, you're gonna look after me when I'm old and gray.
25:57Deal?
25:58Pebble stops moving.
25:59Playing dead.
26:00The next morning, I wake to find Pebble pressed right against my heart.
26:04I didn't move it there.
26:05For a quart, we eat together.
26:06Sleep together.
26:07I even go to an Averyan elder for advice on hatching.
26:09You haven't even laid your own eggs, girl.
26:11What makes you think you can hatch someone else's?
26:13I ignore him.
26:14I weave a floating cradle from magic and wheel the egg into the garden every night to bathe
26:19in moonlight.
26:20Supposedly, lunar exposure accelerates growth in large beastkin eggs.
26:24I don't know what species Pebble is, but it can't hurt to try.
26:28Every night after that, I shift into beast form, sing the old nesting song of the avian
26:32clans, and tuck the egg against my chest.
26:34Wings folded tight around it.
26:36Warm.
26:37Safe.
26:37That night, the servants are buzzing.
26:39Crown Prince Daemon, missing for half a week, has been recovered by the Imperial Guard.
26:42Battered.
26:43Covered in wounds.
26:44But conscious.
26:44However, the one who went into the Voidlands with them, Commander Castor Solaris, is still
26:48missing.
26:48Caspar is the youngest commander in the Empire's history.
26:51Almost nothing is known about him.
26:52Only that he's Daemon's sworn brother.
26:53No one knows the true nature of House Silneris.
26:55No one knows his past.
26:56The speculation runs wild.
26:57An ancient lineage.
26:58Immeasurable power.
26:59Some whisper that Silneris is a surname belonging to a species long extinct.
27:02The moment the servants mention Caspar's disappearance, the egg in my arms lurges.
27:06Violent.
27:06Frantic.
27:07I assume it's just the usual movement.
27:08But after I fall asleep, on that shell, hard as iron for weeks, a hairline crack appears.
27:12The next day, I'm walking with Pebble in my arms when I run into Renard and his colleagues
27:16from the Arcane Academy.
27:17A flock of sparrows would hold a more dignified assembly.
27:19Renard?
27:20Is this your weak little fianciess?
27:22Utterly foolish.
27:23She's actually trying to incubate a rock.
27:24Renard, how did you get her so wrapped around your talon?
27:27I walk past them without a glance.
27:29Wyn, I didn't realize you were this... devoted.
27:33It's almost touching.
27:33Move.
27:34Wyn, how about this?
27:35I can see you've been working hard.
27:36If that egg shows even a single crack, I'll agree to the ceremony.
27:39Are you deaf?
27:40Back off!
27:41Know your place, Wyn!
27:42You are bound to me!
27:44Lord Whitmore has clearly been far too limiant.
27:46That's the only explanation for your manners.
27:47He opens his mouth to continue.
27:49A carriage bearing the royal crest descends from the sky.
27:51Slow, silent, unmistakable.
27:53The onlookers exchange glances.
27:55Someone whistles.
27:56Renard, that's gotta be for you, right?
27:58Did the crown notice your research project?
28:00Go say hello!
28:01Maybe they'll invite you to the ceremony!
28:02The crown does move fast.
28:04He strides forward, ready to greet them with his most practiced charm.
28:07Two attendants in Imperial livery step out.
28:09Walk right past him.
28:10Renard freezes.
28:11They stop in front of me.
28:13Bow.
28:13Lady Wyn, Crown Prince Daemon requests your presence.
28:16I'm brought to a private sitting room.
28:18The moment I push open the door and see Crown Prince Daemon, something clicks into place.
28:22Silver white hair cropped short.
28:23He lounges on the sofa like he owns gravity itself.
28:25Lady Wyn, forgive the sudden summons.
28:28I just have one question.
28:29You can sense soul energy, can't you?
28:31I go still.
28:32I've kept this secret my entire life.
28:34No one has ever found out.
28:35Female beastkin who can sense and soothe soul energy are impossibly rare.
28:39A gentle blade.
28:40But every known soul mender has been claimed, conscripted into the military or locked away in the Crown's healing corps.
28:44None of them went willingly.
28:45I've spent years being careful.
28:47Never showing anything that sets me apart from an ordinary lovebird.
28:49And yet, here I am.
28:50Don't look so alarmed.
28:51I'm not here to conscript you.
28:52I just need a favor.
28:53His tone is cold, but his manners are impeccable.
28:56What do you need, your highness?
28:57I want you to examine me.
28:58Everyone in the palace is lying to me.
29:00The healers, the council, my own attendants.
29:02You're a soul mender, and you don't belong to the court.
29:04I trust you.
29:04Wind catches the curtain.
29:05A dry rustle.
29:06Daemon says nothing more.
29:08I know the story.
29:14He and Castor went deep into the Voidlands, and vanished.
29:20Weeks later, he reappeared.
29:23The rumors say he's living on borrowed time.
29:26I place both hands on the crown of his head.
29:28Soul energy flows into his body.
29:30This body is stranger than I expected.
29:33It should be broken beyond repair.
29:34And yet, there's a stubborn, impossible vitality humming through it.
29:38Straight answer.
29:39How long?
29:40About a year.
29:42His attendants stepped in with Renobard earlier.
29:45Your highness, it's not entirely hopeless.
29:48Humans.
29:49Human blood, or bonding with a human as a mate.
29:53The pure aura in their life force, it might be enough.
29:57Everyone knows humans are the stuff of legend.
30:00You could count the ones in all of Atremor on one hand.
30:04But Daemon, he laughs.
30:06So that's what it was.
30:07Fate, then.
30:08I chalk it up to a dying man finding his one thread of hope.
30:11Then, pebble thrashes inside my satchel.
30:14I pull the egg out.
30:15Wait.
30:16That egg-
30:17Captain gathered every unmated nail and told me and sister to choose.
30:22Nail shifters are ranked A, B, or C.
30:27My sister Lyra chose the clan's only a rank wolf shifter.
30:30She bore him five litters.
30:32Every single one B rank.
30:34He raged to cast her out.
30:35Tore the bond like it was nothing.
30:38And me.
30:39I chose a B rank snake shifter.
30:41One litter.
30:41Ten cubs.
30:42Every single one.
30:46The whole clan named me the sacred daughter.
30:50My mate inherited the chieftain's seat.
30:55Lyra couldn't stand it.
30:56She poisoned all ten of my children.
30:58Then she pushed me off a cliff.
31:02When I opened my eyes again, we were back, back to the day of choosing.
31:05I came back to myself just as Lyra pressed her body against the snake shifter's side.
31:09Chieftain.
31:11I choose boss.
31:12She said it and then she looked at me.
31:14The kind that said I've already won.
31:16I understood she'd been reborn too.
31:18But this time, I absolutely won't let her control everything.
31:24Male shifters are born ranked S, A, B, or C.
31:27The higher the rank, the more valuable the males.
31:29C rank males were everywhere.
31:30B rank was considered a prize.
31:32A rank was rare enough to cause a stir.
31:33As for S rank, even the elderly chieftain had never seen one.
31:37Females in the beastlands were fewer than males.
31:39Their social standing was higher, which standing on the children they bore.
31:42The higher the rank of your cubs, the higher you climbed.
31:45In our last life, Lyra had wanted to be the top female in the clan.
31:49She'd gone straight for the only a rank wolf shifter without blinking.
31:54She'd told me to choose Voss, the snake shifter.
31:56Snakes have two, you know.
31:58But they lay eggs.
32:00Hatching eggs is so much easier than live birth.
32:02I'd listened.
32:03I'd chosen Voss.
32:05Well pregnant quickly, one clutched ten cubs, every single one a rank.
32:10This clan had existed for over a century.
32:12Among clans, they'd never had more than five a rank shifters total.
32:15The chieftain declared Voss a successor on the spot.
32:26Lyra had conceived around the same time I had.
32:28She gave birth to a B rank cub.
32:31Then another.
32:33Then another five pregnancies total.
32:35Nothing above B, nothing below C.
32:38She decided the problem was the wolf's bloodline.
32:40One night she crept into Voss.
32:42Voss threw her out of bed.
32:45Then called the entire clan to witness his innocence before dawn.
32:49The wolf shifter found out.
32:52He dissolved their bond and drove her out along with her children.
32:55Within a month, Lyra's cubs had all starved.
32:57She offered.
32:58They wouldn't bond with her.
32:59When Lyra was close to starving, I'd brought her back to mine.
33:02Given her meat for my own stores.
33:06She repaid me by destroying me.
33:11The chieftain nodded at me now, signaling it was my turn to choose.
33:14I scanned the remaining males.
33:16Then I pointed at the wolf shifter.
33:19I'd like to choose.
33:20A crack split the air.
33:21A hand connected with my face.
33:26The female who hit me belonged to Drac.
33:28The black tiger shifter.
33:29She demanded to know how I dared steal her male.
33:31I have nothing going on with Drac.
33:33Still denying it.
33:34I found this on my bed.
33:36That's your fur, isn't it?
33:39My shifted form was a white rabbit.
33:41The fur on the ground was rabbit fur.
33:44But that proved nothing.
33:46I wasn't the only rabbit in this clan.
33:48I opened my mouth to say exactly that.
33:50Lyra stepped forward.
33:51Her eyes went wide and shocked.
33:55Oh, sister.
33:58That night I saw you walking with Drac.
34:00I had no idea that's what you were doing.
34:04How could you go after a bonded male?
34:11Don't worry, your highness.
34:13I'll help you.
34:20Every time I was in danger, he was there for me.
34:22I thought he was the one.
34:25I thought he was the one.
34:29That night I was in danger, he was the one.
34:31You
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