CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER-154

The air was thick with an intoxicating scent—enchanting, magnetic, dangerously tempting. Their hearts pounded erratically, bodies tensing as if pulled by some invisible force. They wanted—no, needed—to breathe it in. Yet they were terrified to do so.

Because if they did... they weren’t sure they’d be able to stop.

Then, suddenly, Vayu stepped forward. His hand shot up to cover his nose as his eyes narrowed. He looked like he was holding back the tide with sheer will.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, his voice strained and laced with barely-contained frustration. "Can’t you just go inside and rest?"

His teeth were clenched, the muscles in his jaw twitching.

Kaya blinked, her brows rising ever so slightly. Her arms crossed slowly as her gaze locked onto his.

"Excuse me?" she replied, voice calm but laced with warning. Her tone wasn’t loud, but it struck like a whip.

Vayu’s eyes locked onto hers. His voice trembled, caught between irritation and restraint.

"Can’t you control your... your smell—" he paused abruptly, the word choking at the back of his throat. He exhaled sharply and looked away, as if biting his tongue.

"Just go back," he muttered.

This time, Kaya’s smile returned—but not the warm kind. No, this was that dangerous smile, the kind she wore when she was truly angry. The kind that curled at the edges with a quiet storm.

"What have you been covering your mouth for, huh?" she asked, her voice light but razor-edged. "Do snakes even have noses to smell anything?"

Vayu froze, clearly shocked. His tail twitched slightly behind him as if stung.

"Listen, you— We do have noses," he said quickly, defensive. "We just don’t have ears in this form. In our original form, we have both."

Kaya scoffed, tilting her head with mock sympathy.

"Oh, you pitiful snake," she said. "At least I have a body with parts that are actually useful."

Vayu took a sharp step forward, this time without covering his nose. His golden eyes burned with rage.

"What did you just say?" he growled.

But a second later, the scent hit him again like a crashing wave. He gagged, recoiled, and clutched his face.

"You—You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you? You—you shameless female!"

Kaya’s fury flared. Her hands clenched at her sides as she exhaled slowly, then opened her eyes—sharp, steady, furious.

"Shameless?" she repeated with a scoff. "At least I’m not the one slithering around naked after a bath like some half-brained serpent."

Vayu blinked. "Wait—When did I ever—?! ".

Kaya crossed her arms, eyes narrowed with a glint of wicked satisfaction.

"Oh, excuse me, sir," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you really want me to remind you of what you do after bathing? Hmm? Should I tell everyone that you shift back into your snake form before dressing, and then wriggle your way back here like it’s totally normal?"

Vayu looked like he might combust on the spot. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again—but no words came out.

"And don’t even get me started on your bath routine," Kaya continued, walking closer, tone lowering. "Two or three dramatic dives into water, shifting forms like some mystical water snake. For what? An hour-long ritual? And then, instead of drying and dressing like a decent person, you just slither out in your original form?"

She leaned in slightly, eyes blazing.

"Do you really want to say you didn’t do that?"

Vayu’s eyes widened as if he’d been slapped.

"Wait—why were you watching me take a bath naked?" he sputtered, pointing a trembling finger at her. "You—you were sneaking around! Watching me while I was bathing?! Shameless!"

Kaya let out a dry scoff, arms crossing.

"Oh, please," she said flatly. "There’s only one pond in this whole area, genius. And you just strutted right in to take a bath like you owned it."

She clicked her tongue and added, "I even thought about digging another well—just so I could drink water that wasn’t mixed with snake."

Vayu’s jaw dropped slightly. His expression twisted into a mix of indignation and disbelief. He pointed right back at her.

"Excuse me?! Who was it that insisted we build that huge tub to store water in the first place?" he shot back. "We’ve stored tons of clean water—enough to last us a month. But no, you still complain!"

Kaya’s laugh was sharp and sarcastic.

"Oh sure, tons of water," she said, "but what do you want me to do, huh? Should I just pretend it’s fine to drink water where you, a big, slippery, anaconda-sized snake, were splashing around like some jungle drama queen?"

At that, Vayu’s face twisted in confusion and outrage.

"Anaconda?" he repeated, brows furrowing. "Why are you repeating that word? What the hell is an anaconda?!"

Kaya tilted her head mockingly, a smug smile curling on her lips.

"Oh, don’t worry," she said sweetly. "Just imagine a snake that’s twice your size and three times more dramatic. That should do it."

The cold air had calmed the beastmen’s heat slightly, the flush on their faces fading just enough for them to breathe properly again. But now, a different kind of heat filled the space—tension.

The beastmen stood frozen, stunned, wide-eyed as they watched the scene unfold.

Never before had they seen anything like it.

When they had arrived, they’d only ever seen Kaya working—quietly, efficiently, fiercely. She was the one who chopped, carried, built, and tended to their wounds. They had seen her angry, yes, but never... like this.

And Vayu—calm, calculating, distant Vayu—was usually the last one to raise his voice. Especially at a female.

But now... he and Kaya were in a full-blown shouting match, toe to toe like warriors in a ring. Words flying. Tempers flaring. It was chaotic, loud, personal—and equal.

To the beastmen, it was a completely foreign sight. No one knew what to say. No one dared to interfere.

And on the other side of that chaos stood Vayu, his chest heaving as his temper flared. He couldn’t even think straight anymore.