Astrid’s POV
My heart hammered against my chest. “I should've stayed home. I shouldn’t have come out!”
The bear looked up at me, and then, in my absolute horror, it placed one massive paw against the tree.
I shook my head, trying to refuse the reality unfolding before me.
Then it started climbing.
My chest tightened as I watched its claws dig into the bark.
I had made a terrible mistake coming here, and the consequences might be my life.
Crack.
A twig snapped, catching my attention. Through my rapidly beating chest, I looked up.
Escan stood a few steps away, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and concern. I froze.
He tapped his right leg twice with his hand.
The bear paused. A low growl left its throat as it climbed down and approached the royal advisor.
My fi
