Sara sat with Emily huddled in the house's living room, wary of the daylit destruction outside. Her daughter had questions Sara couldn't begin to answer about the smashed walls and scorched yard.
"Something scary came in the night, but it's gone now," was all Sara could manage. Emily clung to her doll, eyes wide.
Luke remained unconscious, tucked out of sight in what was left of the garage. Sara desperately wanted to get him medical help, but feared exposing his unbelievable condition.
Who could possibly treat wounds sustained in dragon form while battling a magical entity? The secret world Sara now found herself part of seemed to preclude outside aid.
As dusk neared, Luke finally stirred, emitting a low groan. Sara helped him sit up, supporting his weight. His breathing was labored and eyes glazed with pain.
"Let me get you inside where it's safer," Sara urged. Luke shook his head vaguely.
"No...it will return...have to protect you both..." he rasped. Before Sara could respond, Luke's body began morphing back into dragon form. Sara stepped back in awe as the hulking, mythical beast emerged where her husband had been.
The transformation appeared excruciating for Luke's injured state. But he hauled himself upright on trembling limbs, clearly intent on keeping watch.
Sara wracked her brain for any way to ease his suffering. An idea struck her. "Wait here," she told Luke's towering draconic head. He blinked slowly in response.
Sara hurried to the damaged kitchen, rifling through drawers until she found lighter fluid and an old barbecue lighter. She rushed back outside just as dusk settled fully.
Approaching Luke cautiously, she held up the items. "This may help you heal," she said hopefully. She flicked the lighter experimentally, creating a small flame.
Luke's eyes seemed to brighten with understanding. He extended a clenched claw towards her. Heart pounding, Sara touched the tiny flame to his scaly palm.
Luke opened his fist, drawing the fire into it until a glowing orb hovered above his palm. Sara watched in awe as he slowly moved the flame over his wounded body. She could almost feel the energy radiating into him.
When the fire finally died out, Luke seemed improved - breathing deeper, eyes clearer. He craned his neck towards Sara and made a rumbling sound she chose to interpret as gratitude.
Over the following days, they settled into an unlikely routine. By day, Luke kept vigil outside in dragon form while Sara tended to practical matters. By night, he would revert to human state to speak with her and rest.
Emily gradually overcame her shock, even starting to take delight in their "pet" dragon. Sara was simply grateful to see Luke's strength and spirits gradually returning as his remarkable powers healed his wounds.
They had survived the physical crisis, but an emotional reckoning still lay ahead. Sara nurtured the fragile hope that their bonds could somehow withstand this collision between worlds that had torn apart their lives.
But first, Luke owed her the truth - about who or what he was, what he had shielded them from, and what forces still threatened their family. The time for secrets between them had reached its end.
Once Luke was fully healed and restored, their broken foundations could be mended, built anew on honesty and trust this time. Sara steeled herself for the challenging conversations ahead while caring for the husband and child she loved, whatever fantastical forms their lives might take.
As Luke's strength returned, Sara prepared herself emotionally for the difficult but necessary conversations ahead. The gentle, thoughtful man she knew still resided within this mythical creature. But shadows obscured their past now more than ever. Only total candor could illuminate the path forward.
When Luke was able to hold his human form for hours at a time, Sara asked Emily to spend the night at a friend's house so she and Luke could speak privately. Though anxious, she knew launching their relationship anew required unflinching accountability from both sides.
That night, after tucking Emily in with hugs and reassurances, Sara found Luke waiting solemnly at the kitchen table. She steeled her resolve and sat down.
"I suppose we have much to discuss," Luke began heavily.
"I barely know where to start," Sara admitted. "I guess...what are you? What have you been keeping from me all this time?"
Luke closed his eyes. "I am one of the last dragons left in this realm. We have guarded humanity since the dawn of time. But most have now faded away or gone into hiding."
Sara shakily took this in. "And the creature who attacked?"
"Otherworldly beings seeking magical relics we dragons protect. Had I revealed this threat, it would have endangered you." Luke looked pained.
"I thought concealing my true nature was the only way to keep you and Emily safe. But I see now the deception did more harm."
Sara reached for his hand. "I wish you had trusted me with the truth from the start. But we're talking now. That's what matters."
Luke nodded, blinking back emotion. "You are taking this far better than I imagined. I will answer anything you ask. No more secrets."
Sara spent the next hours probing gently to understand Luke's origins, duties as Guardian, and the dangers posed by the mysterious intruders. His candid responses granted clarity but also highlighted how much she had been asked to accept on faith alone.
Exhausted, they finally paused. "Whatever comes next, we face it together," Sara said resolutely. Luke drew her into an embrace.
"You have given me courage I did not know I possessed," he whispered. "My past is riddled with failures of trust. But I vow here and now - no more doubt between us."
Sara clung tightly to him, allowing herself to feel hope. Their love had weathered fire and stars. Now they would build anew, forged by honesty.
In the days that followed, Luke included Sara in his mystical practices that kept dark forces at bay. He gave her a voice in decisions impacting them all. No longer did he shelter her; instead they shared the burden of protecting their family against threats both earthly and supernatural.
One cool evening as purple dusk settled over their yard, Sara watched tiny Emily giggling and weaving flower garlands around Luke's massive claws as he lounged in dragon form. Her husband's gentle rumbling purr mingled with their daughter's laughter.
Gratitude washed over Sara for the blessings that still flourished from even the most fractured soil. Theirs was no ordinary family. But then, no love worth having ever was.