THIRD PERSON POV
Claw's eyes narrowed as he watched the scene unfold before him. His desire to attack Adam and Joy was uncomfortable, but something held him back.
It was as if an unseen force was restraining him, an aura from someone very powerful. It was none other than Astrid, the petite native girl with a hood on her head. For the first time in 25 years, Claw felt fear, not just at the hands of anyone but at the hands of a mere woman.
He felt perplexed about the next step to take, wondering if he should dive into danger headfirst or quit while he was ahead.
Before he could make up his mind, Joy had exited the scene, leaving only Adam and Astrid. Claw's fearful gaze was fixed on Astrid, all the while trying to figure out what exactly she was. Astrid turned to Adam, removing her hood and revealing a tumble of straight silver hair and a heart-shaped face. Claw's eyes widened as he took in her beauty, his heart skipping a beat this time not because of fear but because she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen.
He felt a pang of longing, a sense of emptiness that he had never experienced before. Astrid's bright silver eyes sparkled with warmth as she smiled at Adam, and Claw felt his heart ache with desire. He wished he could have a chance with Astrid, but he knew the truth – he was a monster, and Astrid would never want someone like him.
"Adam, we have a problem," Astrid said with urgency. "We've got word of an attack on Flavin. Claw and his men are on a rampage." "What? Why are you just telling me?" Adam's doubts prompted him to pick up his sword with a determined look on his face.
"Joy's pregnant. I didn't want her to come with us..." Astrid explained, but before she could finish, Eren, an arrogant handsome werewolf prince, cut in. "And you were avoiding going with me, right, little demon?" he asked in a condescending tone.
"Eren, I don't want any trouble," Astrid said, her face laced with nonchalance. "Besides, shouldn't you be on your way to Flavin?" "We should, but unfortunately, some men thought it would be necessary to carry a troll like you with us to scare off evil spirits," Eren lied, his true intention being to see Astrid's face before leaving and probably discourage her.
His words angered Claw to his limits. "You wouldn't talk to my betrothed like that..." Adam objected. "Silence, human, this is between supernaturals," Eren voiced authoritatively.
Astrid, instead of being furious as expected, burst into laughter. "What's funny, wretch?" "The fact that you consider yourself a supernatural is laughable. You're useless, Eren. All you have is a pretty face. You don't have a wolf, you can't fight, and you can't even wield a sword. If there's something you're supernatural at, it's being a supernatural loser..." Astrid said, her demeanor turning to one of hate.
"I will not be insulted by a mistake born of a traitorous werewolf and a lowly vampire," Eren said, his body trembling with rage. It was no news that he was good for nothing, but for Astrid to say it, he felt horrible, especially since he had had feelings for her for the longest time.
But how was Astrid supposed to know how he felt? He had never once told her, lacking the confidence, so all he could do was be mean to her, and still, she saw how much he loved her.
"That's it, I'm not going with you guys. Scare away your evil spirits by yourselves," Astrid said, her tone venomous, sending chills down Claw and Eren's spines. "Whatever, we don't need you," Eren declared, walking out with a smile spreading across his face, thinking that at least now his Astrid would be safe.
As Eren walked out, Claw made a mental note to add him to his kill list.
"Are you okay, Astrid?" Adam asked, concern engraved on his face. Astrid turned to Adam and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. Can you go grab me some water?" she asked, and he obliged with a nod.
As Adam walked away, Claw emerged from his hiding spot, his eyes fixed on her retreating back.
But Astrid was no fool, and she had sensed his presence, which was why she had sent Adam away.
She spun around, her bow raised, and Claw found himself staring down the shaft of an arrow.
"Who are you?" Astrid demanded, her voice firm. "Answer quickly, because the next one is going into your skull"
Claw's heart skipped a beat as he gazed into Astrid's eyes in the. He was in love, and he knew it. But how could he explain that to her?.
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