I was thrilled because of his response, so I ate all the soup and tonics at once before responding. "I'll do anything as long as I can do it; just please keep it a secret," I pleaded. Lowell suddenly knelt to the ground as he bowed down—I was surprised. Why did he suddenly do that? What's happening? My heart started to flutter as I suddenly got nervous about the words Lowell was about to say. "It doesn't matter if you give me a favor similar to Dillon's, but I still want to be by your side; can you also accept me as your guardian?" He replied, begging as he kneeled in front of me. "There are other beautiful females out there; what's more is that I am still too young, and it will be unfair for the both of us to be bound by a forced relationship," I said defensively while panicking due to his words. "I... won't force you; I never intended to do so; don't worry, I'm willing to wait until you can accept me, but I won't give up easily; for me, there's only you and no one else," he str

When I awoke, Dillon was setting the table for breakfast. "Are you awake?" he asked, abruptly turning to face me. I couldn't respond because I was reminded of my father, who would greet me in the morning and invite me to breakfast before we started working on the tasks at hand. "Let's start with breakfast," he said sweetly and softly. Tears welled up in my eyes, causing Dillon to panic out of confusion. "Did you have a nightmare?" He asked then rattled, "Water... water... drink some water," attempting to keep his voice down despite his panic. He handed me the water with trembling hands, almost spilling it on the blanket. Gurion was still soundly sleeping by my side since it was far too early, and a hatchling usually takes a nap almost all the time. I sat down carefully and started drinking the water to soothe myself before returning the cup to Dillon. He was about to return to the table when I mistakenly grabbed his tail, remembering how he had fled without saying anything the p

"Can I talk to you in private?" he asked. "There is something I need to tell you regarding Lindie." I asked Dillon to leave and bring Gurion after eating so my brother and I could talk in private. He agreed, so after I fed Gurion and Dillon finished his food, he left the room with Gurion to give me and my brother some privacy. "I'm sorry, Ari. I failed you as your older brother. I know Lindie was too harsh on you. I knew it all. However, I couldn't do anything." he said as he held my hand, trembling as he tried to control his emotion. "I really did try my best to convince her and to stop her from bullying you, but her jealousy had the best of her since she was spoiled too much," he explained. It was true. Lindie had been the center of attention for most of the tribesmen since she was young because she was favored by everyone. Her beauty was unparalleled, even when she was just a hatchling. I, on the other hand, hid from the eyes of the masses to prevent any unnecessary circumstances

Dillon's haircut went so well that even if I don't wear my mask, it would be hard for others to know my gender. "I never knew I'd look handsome if I were a male," I said as I looked at the mirror. "You are too beautiful, Ari; even if you were a real male, I would still fall for your beauty, because I really did," Dillon mumbled in a low voice, making me unable to hear the last words he said. "What did you say?" I ask in confusion. "Never mind," he said briefly, refusing to answer. Gurion asked, "Iz it weawy mommy [Is it really mommy]?" as if he couldn't recognize me after the haircut. "Done with the haircut?" my brother asked as he approached us while carrying Gurion in his arms. "Gurion was looking for you this whole time, and he was throwing tantrums already with the elders, so I brought him here to calm him down." "Yes—does it look convincing?" I asked while transforming into my passive-aggressive form. "Hmmm, I'm not sure; you still look like a female to me," he answered fr

The night was cold, so brother Orson snuggled up with me and Gurion while he was in his beast form to keep us warm as Dillon lay down in front of us. The warmth of their bodies calmed my distressed heart as I slipped into my dream and closed my eyes. I felt as if I didn't dream, but I was sure I slept early. I saw Dillon and Lowell swap places as Lowell took his turn to rest for the rest of the night. They didn't notice me, and my head felt like it was floating. I tried to speak but couldn't. I was confused. It felt the same as when I was younger in my previous life. I always had realistic nightmares wherein I couldn't move or speak. The anxiety was overwhelming me, but I couldn't move or scream to get the attention of others. It must be just a dream, though it feels terrifyingly realistic. I can feel a cold mist of cloud-like shadow slowly crawling from my foot and going up to my legs. I felt disgusted and terrified at the same time. "I finally found you; we can finally be one,"