Hiccups point of view
The kiss faded, leaving only warmth between us.
I let out a long breath, shoulders loosening as the last of the rage slipped from my chest. "Sorry," I muttered, brushing my thumb along Luna's cheek. "That... outburst was long overdue."
Luna didn't answer at first—just smirked like a queen watching her kingdom bow.
I sighed again. "You look like you just won a war."
She turned with that same victorious sway in her hips.
So I punished her.
A sharp smack against the curve of her ass echoed in the clearing.
Luna gasped—but not in shock.
She moaned.
I blinked—then laughed. "I was aiming for a shriek, but I guess that works too, my love."
She pouted over her shoulder, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Unfair. You'll regret that tonight."
I chuckled low in my throat. "We can't do that, my love," I said, emphasizing the word. "We have a hatchling. I'd rather not traumatize her more than Berk already has... especially not by catching us doing that."
Luna snorted but didn't argue. She knew I was right. And besides—there were other matters.
When I turned back to Astrid, I caught the color in her face.
Blushing. Still.
That look—one part arousal, one part envy—made me sigh.
She had followed us out here with eyes full of old longing and new confusion. And now?
Now she looked like she wanted to trade places with Luna.
I watched her for a long moment, weighing the options in my mind.
She was young—yes—but skilled. She had potential. In my last life, Astrid had proven herself again and again. Loyal. Fierce. A tactician. She and Stormfly became nearly inseparable.
And here?
She was already bonding with her.
That connection wasn't just coincidence. It was useful.
I ran a clawed hand back through my hair, the metal scraping lightly against my scalp.
"Fine," I said at last, voice hardening. "One chance. One very small chance."
Astrid straightened like she'd just been blessed.
"You want my forgiveness?" I continued. "You want to stand beside me? Then prove it."
Her eyes lit up.
"I'll do anything," she said breathlessly. "Whatever you and Luna desire."
That last part made Luna blink. Her expression shifted—not angry. But confused.
She tilted her head just slightly.
Possessive women don't share. Not easily. And Astrid? She reeked of obsession.
So why include her?
I stepped forward. "You'll be our eyes inside Berk. A spy."
Astrid's breath caught.
"You'll return. Feed them a story. Say you made a plan to betray me. That you wormed your way close to me to gather intel. Their narrow little minds will swallow that whole."
She nodded eagerly. "Yes—yes, I can do that."
"You'll answer to me," I said, voice like iron. "To both of us. One lie, one misstep..."
My claws clicked.
"...and I'll let Luna have you."
Astrid shivered. "Understood."
I watched her closely, measuring every twitch of her body.
She reminded me of something.
A girl from a world long gone.
Princess Renner, from that anime I once enjoyed—before all this.
Sweet on the outside. Rotten on the inside. A monster who burned her whole family just to grasp the throne. All for the sake of one person.
Maybe Astrid could be the same.
All it would take was one clean break from her past.
Kill her father. Sever the leash.
And then, maybe...
I'd have another loyal monster to call my own.
Astrid's Point of View
I was floating.
No—soaring.
Hiccup had given me a chance. Me.
He had looked into my soul, seen everything I'd been forced to bury, and still... he gave me one chance to be by his side. To serve him. To be useful. Needed. His.
My chest ached with a twisted kind of joy.
Even now, the memory of his arms wrapped around Luna made my heart pound. They were perfect together. Terrifying. Royal. He was the storm and she was the thunder beside him.
And when he punished her—playfully, but full of dominance—
That sound she made—
I clenched my fists, heat crawling up my neck.
Gods, she sounded...
Beautiful.
The way her body arched against him. The way her voice dipped low in a moan.
My eyes had followed her lips before I could stop myself.
No. No no no.
I shook my head violently, as if I could slap the thoughts away.
He's yours. Not hers. You'll share if you must, but only because you have to. Only because he chose her first.
But he had seen me.
And that was enough.
For now.
—
By the time I reached Berk, the sun had slipped behind the clouds, casting the village in gray light.
Perfect.
I found Gobber where I knew he'd be—by the forge, hands blackened with soot, eyes dull with worry. He looked up the moment I stepped close.
"Astrid?" he asked, blinking. "Where've you—"
"I have something to report," I cut him off, voice as calm as I could manage. "It worked."
He frowned. "What?"
"The plan," I said coolly. "I got close to Hiccup. Gained his trust. He thinks I'm loyal now."
I let the words slide from my lips exactly as Hiccup instructed.
"I've seen how he fights. How he thinks. He's dangerous—more than we ever guessed. But now he believes I'm one of them."
Gobber paled. "You mean—he trusts you?"
I nodded. "Fully."
The old man took a breath, visibly relieved. "Thank Thor..."
Fools.
All of them.
They swallowed the lie whole, just like my beloved said they would.
He knew them.
He understood them.
And now I would feed them what he wanted—until the time was right to burn it all down.
As I walked away from the forge, I didn't feel guilt.
I felt fire.
Because I would prove myself.
To him.
To Luna.
To the gods, if I had to.
I will kill my father, I swore silently. I will sever every tie I have to this village. And I will do it for you.
For the boy they called worthless.
For the man they should have never made into a monster.