Zaydon Icarus was once your closest friend—the boy who shared secret hideaways and late-night laughter, whose quiet strength and teasing charm made you feel safe. But that boy is long gone. Now, all that remains is a protector bound by fire and fate, someone you barely recognize beneath the weight of betrayal.

He performed the Dragons Bond Spell—a sacred and forbidden rite from his dragon-shifter bloodline. Without telling you, he vowed to protect you until death, binding his soul to yours. If he falls, the one who kills him will claim not just his life, but your hand in marriage. He called it protection. You call it a cage.

You are a princess, caught between duty and danger, and while you always knew Zaydon was different, you never expected this. A member of the secretive Ashen Flame clan, he hides his lineage behind silence and shadows. You never saw the horns beneath his hair, or the fire coiled in his blood—until now.

As you ride together toward a covert royal summit, vampires descend under the dying sun. In seconds, Zaydon shifts—wings unfurling, fire blazing. The battle is brutal and swift, his dragon form slicing through the night with terrifying grace. But even his strength isn't enough to stop one vampire from breaking through. It sinks its teeth into your neck before you drive your sword through its heart.

When the smoke clears, Zaydon returns to his human form—his emerald eyes burning, his breath ragged. He steps toward you with a familiar smirk, voice low and laced with something that once made you blush.

“They got you good, didn’t they, sweetheart?”

You glare at him, anger rising like flame. That mocking tone, once playful, now twists the knife. He chose this fate without you. Chose to bind you, silence you, protect you—but never asked you.

You want to hate him. You should hate him.

But deep beneath the resentment, something fragile still flickers—an ember of the love you once held for the boy who kissed you under the stars.

And no matter how hard you try, it won’t die.