’Oh, jeez. Grandma,’ Jayden thought as his eyes met a woman who looked no older than her early forties, three cat-like whiskers flanking both sides of her face and a perfect blend of yellow and red shoulder-length hair.
"My baby!" she exclaimed, pulling Jayden into a tight but comfortable hug, her heartbeat pounding in his ears. "What took you so long?... Did you get lost?... Have you eaten?... You must be tired..."
"I’m fine, Grandma... I’m fine." Jayden pulled out, cheeks flushed red and his head bowed to the ground.
"Look at those tired eyes," she punched his shoulders with the smile of a mother on her face. "Come on in. You must eat and go to bed immediately—we can talk later." She grabbed his hands, yanking him forward with strength not of her age.
"Eat," Jayden whispered like it was one forbidden word. Although there was a time when he craved food, now he felt as if he had a phobia of it.
"Sit, sit. Let me get you something to eat," Grandma pressed, hopping to the kitchen with her slim yellow tail swaying behind her.
Her tiger beast had not only given her strength and agility but had also slowed her physical ageing.
"I never knew she lived here," Jayden muttered as he looked around the building, although the weight of sleep in his eyes, backed by the darkness, didn’t allow him to see too much.
"Don’t call me," the dragon immediately snapped, anger lancing in its tone.
"Have it your way," Jayden purred
"Here you go. Eat up, and there’s more," his grandma chorused as she returned from the kitchen with a tray of steaming white rice crowned with turkey.
"Thanks, Mum. Can I have this in bed?"
"Ohh, my baby boy must be tired. Hope Daddy didn’t go too hard on you." She muttered, rubbing his jet-black hair in random patterns. "Sure, let me show you to your room." She directed him through the house to a private room.
"Make yourself at home, dear," she smiled, opening the door as Jayden walked in. The most update n0vels are published on novel[f]ire.net
"If you ever need anything, just call me darling!"
Jayden turned and faked a yawn. "The only thing I need is sleep. Can you do me a favour and not come in until I’m out?"
"Hmmm." Grandma hesitated, but she agreed anyway, wishing him a happy rest since it was already morning.
Jayden waited a little, ensuring she had gone—knowing fully well how picky his grandma could be. Exhaling a sharp breath, he dropped the tray of rice to one corner of the room, then retreated to the bed.
"Guess I’ll leave this food until I have more space in my tummy," he teased as he secured a comfortable spot on the bed.
"Hey. Are you that greedy?" Draco hissed with a spark of anger.
"Well, you said I shouldn’t call your name—now you’re just being girlish," Jayden purred, pleased to his satisfaction.
"Unfuse with me, you brat," Draco demanded impatiently.
"As you wish," Jayden smirked as he focused within himself. The act of moving core position had begun to feel familiar, but this time, Jayden didn’t push his core—he pulled it, and so did Draco.
The very act of unfusing their bonds but not breaking their contracts. When both golden cores spiked away, Alpha animated just beside Jayden. Long-bodied, no horns or wings yet, but a tail enough to mark him as a dragon.
Without hesitation, he dashed toward the food like a puppy receiving its gift for being a good boy.
Not like he needed food to survive; this was just him acting like a pastry enthusiast.
Dragons’ life span depends on the amount of mana contained in their body, so the more crystals they absorb, the higher their level, and the longer their lifespan.
"Have fun," Jayden smirked as he lay tight on the bed, sleep claiming his eyes. "Once I’m awake, we have a lot to do."
It was Saturday morning, and just one more day left before a new university semester would begin—the very one he had signed to resume.
What awaited in the gates of the university was unknown for now, but Jayden hadn’t just been eating and sleeping—he had also been planning.
Jayden woke up two hours later, as sleeping past 6am was never his training, only to find Draco coiled around and sleeping in his body.
"Hey, buddy. Wake up," Jayden tapped him as he stood up from the bed.
"Why so quick?" Draco murmured with one eye open, spying on Jayden.
"There’s something we need to do," Jayden picked Draco by his hand and placed him on his back, as if Draco were some backpack.
"What’s so important?"
"Why ask me when we share the same memories? Fuse with me—we’re going out." Jayden declared as he opened the door, and at the same time, he collaborated with Draco, becoming one body.
"So you’re really serious with this fifth element stuff," the dragon purred up in his mind.
"It was never a joke," Jayden whispered as he secured his clear path to the door that led outside.
"Let’s just hope we see a good one and quick," he muttered as he paced away from the house with only the knowledge of what he was searching for and no idea of his environment.
After many minutes of searching, comparing, testing, and carving stones—Jayden finally found the perfect match he needed.
A stone the same colour and size as the humiliation egg lay on the ground just in front of him.
"Even the weight is perfect," Jayden smiled, lifting the grey polished stone from the ground.
"With this, I can keep the egg-man status, and no one will even think I’m bonded to a dragon. Since dragon mana patterns flow the same as humans, all I have to do is suppress my aura, there would be no clues until wings start developing after reaching S-rankings."
"How about the wind crystals we need to activate our core?"
Jayden took a deep breath as he turned to quickly retreat home, stone—or rather reborn egg—cradled in his armpit.
"I hope the ATM has enough to buy us the hundred we need for activation, self-searching for crystals might raise suspicion, but I still have other plans to make up for that."
"What? Planning on making yourself another name?"
Jayden pushed open the door to Grandma’s house, only to see Jessica—his mother—already seated with a worried gaze etched across her face.
"Mom," Jayden called, baffled.
"Baby!" she exclaimed, rushing at him with a hug and tears crawling out of her eyes. "Don’t worry," she whispered with a sob, holding him tight like the very clothes that hugged her skin, hands rubbing his messy hair. "It will all be fine. Mummy’s here."
Jayden rested within her soft bosom, water bubbling in his eyes. For the first time, he had seen his tough military mother cry—acting as a catalyst to stir up his emotions. But...
"Baby!" Draco mocked in his head, giggling like he saw a man claiming to have breasts.
Jayden didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of tears falling down his face.
"Don’t worry, baby. The universities aren’t everything—beast or no beast, you’ve got me, and I’ll make sure you get the best future—"
"No—" Jayden cut in, pulling out of her firm hug. "I will go to the university, finish well and graduate. And what did Dad call it? Propal beast? I’ll show him his wide-eared falcon is nothing but a speck of dust."
"Jayden..." she whispered with more tears crawling out as she saw how confident he spoke, yet the egg was still tucked in his arm, almostost like an impossible dream in her sight.
"School starts tomorrow—don’t tell me you’ll be like Dad and not get me the resources I need," Jayden snapped, confidence etched across his face.
"Ohhh, mummy’s boy," Draco teased with a sly grin.
’Shut up,’ Jayden prompted in sharp thoughts.
"I didn’t train my daughter to be like that," Grandma’s subtle voice cut through the tension from behind as she placed a hand on Jessica’s shoulder.
"In fact, we were planning on taking you to ’Shop Adventures’ and getting you all the stuff you need. Weren’t we, Jessica?"
Jayden’s mom wiped her eyes with her feather-clothed hand, pushing a smile as her black bald eagle wings rose high as if to emphasise the swell of her emotions.
Surely, Jude wouldn’t have married a wife any lower than him in rankings. Even during marriage, they were tagged the lover birds due to their similarities in beast and ability. Looking from a brighter angle, Jayden was following the lineage of wind ability—the only difference was that he would surpass his garbage father. All it would take was time.
"The car is ready," Jessica giggled while waving the keys in the air.
"Sure, Mum. I’ll just take my bath and we can leave," he smiled, running into his room and heading straight for the bathroom, while Jessica and Grandma’s eyes trailed behind him and his egg with a smile.
Minutes later, Jayden rushed out of the house, refreshed, the egg well-polished and tucked securely beneath his arm.
"Shall we?" he grinned, hopping into the sleek BMW X7 where Mom and Grandma were already waiting.
"Of course," Jessica smiled faintly as she fired the engine.
Their destination was the popular beast emporium, "Beast Adventures". Inside, they picked up books, snacks, and basic supplies. But when Jayden asked about beast materials, Jessica’s face turned pale, her eyes glistening as though tears might break free, looking at her child in pity. Still, with the love of a mother, she purchased everything he had requested without hesitation.