Eli Winters is warned by a man that returning to their camp means certain death, as two knights have reported him for conspiring with dragons. The man confronts Eli about their recent intimate encounter, revealing they share an unbreakable, magical life-bond as dragon mates. Eli resists, insisting he wants to be an equal Dragon Knight, not a possession. The conflict escalates when Eli threatens the man with a blade, but the man, recalling Eli's past compassion, is certain he won't follow through.