Astrid's Point of View
I wasn't prepared.
I thought I had seen everything. Blood. Death. Transformation. Betrayal. Power that made the sky itself seem small.
But I wasn't prepared for this.
We stepped through the trees into the open glade of the cove—hidden and safe, bathed in soft moonlight—and there they were.
Hiccup's vanguard squad.
Five massive dragons curled protectively in a loose circle around a single figure.
Freya.
The little girl giggled, nestled in the warm coils of the Speed Stinger's tail, while the Nadder carefully braided strands of her hair with twigs and flowers. The Timberjack rested like a watchful canopy above her, wings fanned out to shield her from the wind. The Scauldron rumbled low, occasionally blowing bubbles into a pool of water for her to pop. The Changewing? It shimmered around her, flickering in and out of sight, like a guardian spirit.
Freya was glowing. Smiling. Glorious. A tiny goddess in the heart of monsters.
I felt my heart physically stop.
Then stutter.
Then implode.
"Oh gods," I whispered, clutching my chest. "I'm dying. I'm actually dying. This is too cute. This is a war crime. This should be illegal—"
Luna chuckled, breaking me from my spiral.
"Come. She's safe. But you and I still have business."
My stomach flipped.
Right.
She hadn't forgotten.
She led me to one of the wooden cabins nestled at the cove's edge—carved by claw and flame, smoothed by care. The inside was surprisingly warm, with furs along the walls and the faint scent of firewood and ash lingering in the air.
I stepped inside—and froze.
Freya. Dragons. Surrounded.
Why wasn't anyone panicking?!
"Why is she out there? With them?!" I blurted. "She's surrounded by five dragons! Aren't you—"
"Worried?"
It wasn't Luna who answered.
It was him.
Hiccup stepped out of a side room, voice calm, amused even. His presence filled the space instantly, his tone as steady as a heartbeat.
"She's fine."
I turned—and felt my knees nearly betray me.
He wasn't wearing a shirt.
Just black pants—new ones, clearly—tucked into his boots. His chest was bare, glistening with sweat and... and—blood. The blood I left behind. When Luna had shoved me into his lap like a gift. His abs were carved like stone, his shoulders broader than I remembered—commanding, regal, dangerous.
My breath caught.
And then—gods help me—I blushed.
Hard.
I remembered the feeling of his hands gripping my waist. His claws twitching possessively. The heat of him. The press of my thighs over his lap.
I remembered what Luna said.
What she did.
My face turned crimson. My mind turned into steam.
Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You good?"
I coughed and looked away too fast. "Fine! I'm fine. Totally fine."
He stared for a moment longer... then shrugged. Apparently, it wasn't worth thinking too hard about. Thank the gods.
But I wasn't done.
Berk meant nothing to me now. Not after what I'd seen. What I'd done.
So I asked him—no fear, no hesitation. Just truth.
"Did you attack Berk?" I asked softly.
My head tilted instinctively to the side as I spoke.
It wasn't intentional.
But it felt... natural.
Hiccup's emerald eyes flicked to me sharply.
For a moment, he didn't speak.
Then he pointed to a chair near the table. "Take a seat," he said. "You're going to learn a few things tonight."
He turned his head slightly, calling back over his shoulder.
"But first, I need a word with Luna."
Hiccup's Point of View
I closed the door behind me with a quiet click.
The moment the sound faded, the tension hit.
Luna sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed elegantly, acting like nothing that happened tonight was even remotely abnormal.
Like she hadn't orchestrated the hug stunt earlier with Astrid. Like she hadn't pushed a blood-soaked girl onto my lap right after killing her mother.
Like she hadn't been watching me.
Watching the way I reacted to Astrid.
The way I didn't push her off.
She was calm. Relaxed, even. As if it had all gone exactly as she planned.
But I knew my Luna.
She was never indifferent when another female got too close to me. Not unless her claws were around their throat or her body was wrapped around mine.
And tonight? She let it happen.
Something was wrong.
I folded my arms slowly, staring at her as she looked up with those silver eyes that saw too much.
"You pushed her into my lap."
"I did," she replied easily.
"She asked for a reward a hug from me and you allowed made me hug her."
"I did."
I narrowed my eyes. "You never let other females touch me without consequences. You've nearly ripped wings off for less. So tell me... what the hell is going on, love?"
Her smile flickered. Something softer stirred in her gaze. She reached down, brushing her fingers across the edge of the blanket, as if grounding herself.
And then she said, calmly, "Sunset told me a story."
That made me pause.
"The Prickleboggle?" I asked. "The leader of the healer?"
She nodded. "The leader. When we were talking after the last healing session, she told me something. About a dragon she loved. About how her possessiveness nearly destroyed them both. It got me thinking."
Luna stood slowly, moving toward me. Her voice remained soft—but the weight of her words thickened the air.
"I'm your mate," she said. "Your queen. But lately, I've started to feel like it. Not just claim it. Be it."
She stepped in close, one hand on my chest, the other sliding around my waist as she eased herself onto my lap.
I didn't stop her.
Couldn't.
Her presence was like gravity.
"I love you," she whispered, forehead brushing mine. "And that love—it's obsessive. Good. Great even. We thrive in it. But I've started thinking... what if I lose control one day?"
Her claws rested gently on my shoulders now. Not digging. Just trembling.
"What if I hurt you in a fit of bloodlust because you smiled at someone else?"
I blinked. "You wouldn't—"
"I would," she said. "If I was unbalanced enough. You've seen what I'm capable of."
She paused, then whispered the part she hadn't wanted to admit.
"What if I hurt our hatchling? What if I saw her—beautiful, strong, female—and my instincts twisted? What if my own rage saw her as a threat because she's yours too?"
That silenced me.
Because the truth was... it could happen.
And she knew it.
Her voice dropped lower.
"You can't lie to me, Hiccup," she said, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. "You became possessive the second she was covered in blood and in your lap. You felt it. I felt it."
My mouth opened. Closed.
She wasn't wrong.
Astrid in that moment hadn't looked like a rival.
She looked like...
Something that belonged to us.
Luna leaned in, nipping at my lower lip as her eyes gleamed with wicked amusement.
"And," she added like an afterthought, "she has a very nice ass."
I choked on a laugh—then groaned when she ground against me, the heat between us flaring.
"She's docile around us. Doesn't fight. Doesn't resist. I could feel it. She wants to be dominated."
Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper.
"She wants both of us. You know she's attracted to me too. I could smell it. Taste it. And she doesn't mind sharing. She likes the idea of being claimed."
She licked her lips.
"We could break her in together. Control her together. And maybe—" she purred, kissing the edge of my jaw, "—she could help me take you. Because let's be honest, my love... I can't win against you alone."
I stared at her, heart pounding, brain spinning.
I hadn't even asked what happened between them yet.
But suddenly... I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
Not yet.
Because the queen in my lap had plans.
And she wasn't done.