Into Beastworld

Chapter 7

Ava Pov

A mix of shock and disbelief swept over me as Harvey dropped the bombshell after pulling me to the side. "What?" I exclaimed in a loud whisper. I didn't know why I even bothered to whisper; I was pretty sure he could hear us.

"Since when does a gift initiate a mate bond?" I questioned. I didn't know all the customs, but surely, I didn't overlook such an important one.

" It's the claw. It is more than just a physical token; it symbolizes an intimate connection and a profound commitment between soon-to-be mates. By offering it to you, he's expressing a willingness to share the essence of his being, signifying that his body and soul are yours for any use. Though this practice is commonly seen in birds, the depth of meaning remains consistent" " Harvey explained sounding like a walking encyclopedia

The shedded snake skin, I added silently in my head. Bai Qingqing's situation with Curtis makes more sense now. "A big giant toenail is how I accepted my second mate. How great," I sarcastically mused to myself.

It's unrealistic, crazy, impulsive, and manipulative. But you know what? I love it. He doesn't even know me; we're practically strangers, yet he has already made such a commitment. It's both romantic and absurd in the best way possible. Earth men stand no chance here; they have to date you for several years to even get a marriage proposal and sometimes they don't even offer that. (#me-ignoring-red flags)

"It's a claw," the person we were 'discreetly' discussing stepped forward. He was so sly when he slid the 'claw' in so perfectly, it made you think nothing of it. I initially thought it was just a regular knife, but, you know, their version. I feel a bit dumb now in the face of enlightenment.

I turned away from Harvey and Nova to hand him back his claw. Tightly holding on to my fruit.

"No, I don't want it. It's yours," the person said, shaking his head rapidly, with his hands in the air, backing up. The confident demeanor he had earlier was gone, replaced with visible nervousness. I know it's mine but it's heavy ....... Not really I just don't have strength. I'm weak plus I don't necessarily need it right now, I thought.

"Well, I don't want it either," I stated firmly, holding out the items toward him. Despite my insistence, he shook his head rapidly, maintaining a nervous demeanor.

As I approached with his claw, he started backing away, increasing his pace with each step. I think he thinks I'm trying to reject him; I promise I'm not, but his reaction is so funny that I continue to feed into his delusions.

The situation quickly turned into an unexpected pursuit, with me chasing after him as he tried to put distance between us. Realistically, I was lagging so far behind that I wouldn't be able to catch up, but Nova's laughter gave me motivation to go faster. We looked like two big kids playing tag.

Laughter bubbled up from within me as I continued to playfully chase after him. When was the last time I felt such unburdened joy and freedom? the last time I let responsibilities fade away and lived in the moment?

The continuous stress and survival mode had left me on edge, always defensive, and caught in a cycle of anger and sadness. This was needed.

After a few minutes, or more like 30 seconds, I stopped chasing him, out of breath. Panting, I'm really not physically active, "Fine, I give up," I called out to him.

At the same time, Harvey reprimanded me and my new mate, "Ava, no more running. You will hurt yourself. You're not fully healed, and you shouldn't persuade her," he said, addressing Wolf. who despite his youth, has already obtained two stripes, indicating significant potential.