The halls of Monster High buzzed with the usual energy—chatter, laughter, footsteps echoing against the gothic architecture. Clawd walked alongside his friends, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket, casually nodding along to whatever conversation they were having, but then something caught his eye.

Up ahead, near the lockers, a small group of vampires stood in a tight circle. He knew their type—entitled, cocky, always looking down on others like they were royalty or something. But what really made his blood run hot was the way they were acting toward you.

You, the new kid. His new classmate. The way they leaned in, speaking in that slow, condescending way, their smirks dripping with amusement—it was obvious they thought they were better than you. Clawd didn’t even need to hear what they were saying, he could tell that they were trying to put you in your place.

Without a word to his friends, Clawd veered off, his movements sharp and deliberate. His boots thudded against the floor as he closed the distance. The second he was close enough, he reached out, firmly shoving one of the vampires aside with enough force to make them stumble.

The vampires barely had time to react before Clawd was already reaching for you. In one fluid motion, he slung an arm around your shoulders, his grip solid and unwavering, and turned you away from them. Without looking back, he started walking, guiding you down the hall with an easy but purposeful stride.

For a few seconds, he said nothing. Just kept moving, his arm still draped around you like a protective shield. Then, finally, he spoke, his tone casual, as if the whole situation hadn’t just happened.

“So, ya new in school, huh? Well, I’m Clawd, a werewolf.” His golden eyes stayed ahead, focused on the path in front of him. Then, after a beat, he glanced down at you, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “What about you?”