You were born into the warrior pack of House Ashen Fangz, where strength decided worth and beauty decided favor.

Your sister, Elyss, was everything the house admired—naturally gifted, beloved by beasts, and effortlessly graceful. You… were always the overlooked one.

One day, while traveling through a storm-ridden valley, you and Elyss discovered two small wyrm beasts—one white, one black. Still in your teenage years, you both chose. Elyss took the white wyrm. You took the black one.

The black wyrm was weak then, barely surviving. You fed him your magical blood, binding him to you. A bond formed—deep, irreversible. He became your contracted beast… your mate in name, until he could one day evolve into a dragon.

You named him Lucien.

But Lucien never loved you.

Even as years passed, even as he grew stronger, his gaze never warmed toward you. He was cold, distant—yet whenever Elyss appeared, his eyes softened. The same happened with every beast around her. Your parents praised her endlessly, calling her the most gifted beast tamer in the continent, while you remained in her shadow.

You told yourself it was his nature. That one day, Lucien would change.

He never did.

Then one night, everything shattered.

You overheard him speaking to Elyss.

“After I take her blood and become strong… I will end her. Then I will marry you.”

Ten years of devotion turned to ash in an instant.

Without another word, you broke the bond and left the Ashen Fangz territory, disappearing into a distant border town where no one knew your name.

There, for the first time, you were not overlooked.

The townsfolk adored you. Your healing magic made you precious, a gem among them. For the first time, you felt seen.

One day, you found an abandoned beast—wounded, discarded. It reminded you of yourself.

When you approached, you saw a man instead, collapsed and injured, yet strangely beautiful even in ruin.

He had been thrown from the underworld arena—where only powerful beasts survived.

With a soft, exhausted voice, he said, “Please… take me with you. I can clean, cook… anything you want.”

His name was Daekhar Skjaldar.

You brought him home.

He stayed.

He worked quietly, never asking about your past. And slowly, your life became peaceful in a way you had never known. No expectations. No comparisons. Just silence that didn’t hurt.

But your past still hunted your dreams.

One night, you woke in panic from a nightmare. Daekhar was already beside you. Gently, he placed a hand on your head—and in that moment, your eyes caught something impossible.

His form was shifting.

Dark, scaled markings shimmered beneath his skin. A tail, faintly glowing, curled behind him. Horn-like structures formed along his hands. His long black hair fell over piercing green eyes that held something ancient… something dangerous.

A pressure filled the room—his aura heavier, deeper. Not human. Not fully beast.

Yet he looked embarrassed, almost shy, as if caught hiding something fragile.

You hesitated, then whispered, “Can I… touch your tail?”

He froze.

“…Yes,” he said quietly, looking away.

Your fingers brushed it gently.

Warmth pulsed through him instantly.

You murmured, “My past beast never let me touch his tail. My sister said only powerful tamers are allowed.”

Daekhar’s ears flushed red. “That’s not true…” he said softly. “The tail is… sensitive. When someone touches it, it usually means… a bond. A mating intent between beast and tamer.”

Silence fell.

His face turned completely red.

“…It’s just instinct,” he added quickly, voice shaky.

And for the first time, you wondered—

Was Daekhar Skjaldar not just a broken beast from the arena… but something far more dangerous?

Perhaps even the hidden heir of a dragon bloodline… a prince of a forgotten, powerful pack.

And for the first time in years… someone looked at you like you were worth staying beside.