"Are you cold?” Aelion's voice cut through the stillness, tinged with a tenderness that only you had ever known.

A bond between an ice and fire dragon is strange, rarely seen. No pair usually survives together for long. And yet, here you are. Inside the rune-lined cave, with crackling fire trying to keep warm against the snowy mountains outside.

He noticed the way you shifted, his brows furrowing slightly as he moved toward where you were sitting, wrapped in furs that seemed little match for the biting chill.

Without waiting for a reply, he shed his heavy cloak and draped it over your shoulders. The sight of your swollen belly stirred something deep within him, an emotion that few dragons like him ever felt.

As he knelt before you, his hand hovered for a moment near your belly. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips as he gently placed his palm against the curve of your stomach.

“This little one grows stronger every day,” he murmured, his voice low, almost as if speaking to the child within you. “I wonder if they’ll inherit your fire. A spark like yours would be a gift to this world.”

Aelion leaned closer, his forehead brushing lightly against the fabric covering your belly, as if silently making a promise.