[3 months later]

Myrena had gone to sleep in her usual form. She didn't often change into her dragon form beyond her own interest. That's why the warmth surrounding her didn't startle her, crediting it to be the bundles of blankets around her. It wasn't until she sneezed fire, burning her bed, that she woke up.

Myrena jumped to her forelegs furiously blowing out the fire burning her bed, doing more harm than good. The growing fire made her nervous and she called out to Smaug. While waiting for him, Myrena wished to turn back, but found herself stuck. That made her even more scared and she cried to Smaug.

The ground shook and the wall with the door to her room crashed in, letting a furious Smaug storm in. He whacked his tail against the wall, causing big solid debris to fall on and put out the fire.

"Smaug, help!" Myrena cried, still unable to turn back.

Smaug stood still, folding his wings behind to rest. "I just did."

"Not the fire! I can't shift. Sire me back, I'm stuck." She cried, laying her neck on the floor.

Smaug got up and lined his snout to his mate's.

"I don't suppose your mortal form would accommodate a dragon egg."

Myrena's eyes sparkled and she lifted her head, her joy beyond limit.

"Are... are you serious? Really!?" She pranced around him.

Smaug straightened himself, wings folded and head held proud. But his happiness was not equal his mate's.

"Yes, but I wouldn't celebrate it too much. The first egg is rarely ever fertile."

Myrena snarled at him. "How can you say that so heartlessly?"

"It seems you're heartful enough for the both of us." He commented and began to walk away.

"That may be so, but wouldn't even the magnificent Smaug mourn the loss of his child?" Myrena cornered him and spread her wings, refusing him exit.

Smaug huffed. "Only momentarily, if at all. But then I'd move on."

Myrena was stunned by his answer and Smaug took the opportunity to walk away.

"M... move on? To a better mate?" She began to lay her head again.

Smaug stopped.

"A mate who would give you a..."

"I'd move on, to another offspring." Smaug faced her again.

Myrena would have blushed in her human form. In her dragon form, she let out a sharp keening sound and rubbed her face down his neck. Smaug gave in and smiled, letting her nuzzle against him. The dying fire still sizzled across the room, making it warm, and the warmth around her made Myrena sleepy. She dragged her face down Smaug's body and wrapped her neck around her own settled body, caressing her snout against her stomach. Smaug let out a proud roar and nestled his own face against his mate's, wrapping his huge form protectively around his family, and fell asleep.

The next day on, Myrena continued to build the nest she had already unconsciously started. Her space was in a cave deep in a covered cliff, providing safety for their nest and still plenty space for Myrena to fly through. Smaug's own nest was on the cliff above, providing more security. Myrena would fly out to gather material for the nest, and Smaug even let her have a few pieces from his own so she wouldn't have to fly far.

In the early months, Mynena could fly out and get her own food, her instinct telling her to eat more for her growing egg. Smaug scoffed at her attempts to care for her child. His child. As the egg got heavier within her, things became more difficult for Myrena. She couldn't fly, and Smaug was resilient. She had to attack him with threats and frequent physical harm to send him out to get her food. It upset Myrena that Smaug barely acknowledged the pregnancy. After everything they had been through, what he had put her through, his behavior angered her. His indifference was nothing compared to what came next.

Five months after he'd told her she was pregnant, Myrena struggled and strained, but she laid her first egg. The excitement she felt of her achievement hushed any aches or pains she was feeling. Myrena pranced around the nest, fixing it around the egg to keep it snug and safe. Her biggest threat, unfortunately, was Smaug.

"You've gone insane!" She spat at him,  spanning her wings to block his path. "I won't let you harm our child!"

"There is no 'child'," Smaug countered. "It's an empty husk of an egg. The faster you move on from this one," he attempted to fire a torrent at the nest but failed, "the quicker we can move on to the next one!"

Myrena fired back. Literally. "If you harm this one, you will not get more!"

Smaug roared. "You are my sire! You serve me for one purpose only! If you -"

She out him off with a current of fire, amplified by the beating of her wings. "Get out!" She kept attacking until he fell out over the cliff, and had no choice but to fly away.

Myrena planned her last few hunts carefully, never too long to leave her nest unprotected. That was until once she came back to find Smaug rolling the egg over the cliff. She had come back just in time to catch it in her mouth, and flew away with it till Smaug was gone. That night, she wrapped herself around her egg and didn't plan to leave until her egg hatched. She refused Smaug's attempts at peace offerings until she could barely feel any energy left within her, but never left the nest.

It had been the hottest day of the season, and Myrena hadn't left the cave all day. Eventually, thirst got the better of her and she made her mind to go get water. She shifted into her mortal form in hopes of escaping Smaug's eye, and snuck down to the lake. Myrena could have almost drowned by the amount of water she took in. Being in dragon form had left her scaly and dry, not to mention that she never left her cave. With the cave back in her thoughts, Myrena quickly took a singular dip in the water and went back the way she'd come.

She didn't get back quick enough.

Myrena screamed as she saw her egg cracked and ran to it. Even the halved shell was big enough to be just under her hairline, and she couldn't see inside. Her cries and insults at him got Smaug's attention and he broke the cliff to make way for himself in the cave. As soon as the maroon dragon was in her space, Myrena shifted as well and started attacking him.

"How could you!?" She jabbed her wing ends at him, hoping to pierce him. "I've been hoveled up for months for your child, and the minute I step out you break it!"

She was charging at him through her rage, but eventually Smaug roared a torrent of fire at her, distracting her before he launched and pinned her down. "I haven't done anything to your egg! I have been asleep all morning. In case you haven't noticed, it has been hot as Har-" Smaug stopped midway and snapped his gaze to the cave. He left Myrena and soared up to her den, not paying attention as she was on his tail.

Smaug entered the cave rather gently, wiping out the rocky debris with his tail.

"Please! Stop!" Myrena cried, her voice barely coming out.

"Did you actually look inside before you made up your mind to attack me?" Smaug nudged at the upside down shell, his lightest effort causing a crack in it.

Myrena was curious-and hopeful- and civilly came up to stand beside him. Her human nature wanted to reach out and quickly peel off the shell, but Smaug stopped her when she tried to nose at it. She huffed at his behavior, wanting to cry that it wasn't fair he got to do it, but another crack diverted her attention. Myrena watched with immense interest as a little tail whacked at the shell from inside.

Myrena purred in joy and was even happier when she got a pur in return. Now the cracking got more eager, chipping away from the inside until only the top of it remained. The shellhead twisted about as if looking around confused. Myrena laughed and blew the top off, making the little orange reptile fall over.

It quickly got up to its feet and licked its long tongue over its face, cleaning. It opened its eyes and turned its face to try and get a look at the muzzle laying beside it. The little dragon purred again and took a step, but fell under the weight of its own wings. Myrena giggled and scooted her face closer to her son. The new dragon leaned its neck out and nuzzled his mother's much large maw.

"Still want to push him over a cliff?" Myrena asked, and Smaug finally leaned down to meet his kid.

"Hmm, that will happen when he's older," Smaug nuzzled his new born, then licked his mate's face as he reclined back up and let out a roar. His bellow was met with a cry, and Smaug and Myrena looked down to find a human baby crying on the den floor.

Joyfully, Myrena immediately shifted down to her human form and picked him up. She cradled him in her arms and hugged him to her naked chest. Smaug growled and shifted to join his family.