CHAPTER 160: CHAPTER-160.

Kaya walked a few steps ahead at first, her arms folded tightly across her chest. The man followed silently beside her, their footsteps crunching softly against the dry path, the air quiet except for the rustle of leaves in the distance.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Kaya finally broke the silence, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"You said you wanted to talk. Then talk."

He spoke, his voice steady but low. "My brother... I mean, Veer—he’s wild. Sometimes does idiotic things. Sometimes just plain reckless. But..."

Kaya cut in, her tone sharp. "I’m not here to hear your brother’s praise story. So just shut up and tell me what you want."

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he shook his head slowly. "No. I’m not telling you how great he is. I’m telling you he’s not the type to follow anyone, especially not a woman. He’s always done whatever he wanted—never cared for anyone’s opinions. Not even mine."

He paused, eyes locking with hers.

"But with you... he did. He changed—how he dressed, how he spoke. Everything. For you. Even now, he didn’t come here to fight you. If you looked closely... he didn’t even try to hurt you. But he—he’s covered in wounds. Ones he could’ve easily avoided. But he didn’t... because if he had, you might’ve gotten hurt."

He looked down for a breath before continuing. "I’m not here to beg you on his behalf. I’m not here to tell you he’s a good person—he’s not. But I’ll say this. I don’t know what you felt for him, but when I saw you two fight... I knew your feelings were different."

A heavier silence settled between them.

"My brother really cares for you," he said, quietly. "The day you were sick—because of your period—he fought a specific Bheriya beast just to bring you the skin and meat... for your comfort."

Kaya’s expression remained unreadable. Her voice was flat as she replied, "I didn’t tell him to do that."

He smiled faintly, voice low.

"I know. And... I’m not saying any of this is your fault."

At that, Kaya’s eyes narrowed. Her voice stayed calm, but sharp.

"Don’t you even dare."

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he looked right at her, then chuckled quietly—like he wasn’t laughing at her, but at something only he understood.

"You know... you remind me of him. Sometimes, the way you talk, your expression... it’s just like him."

He stepped forward, slowly.

"Back then, he’d always talk about you. And I’d wonder—what kind of girl could make him fall like that? We’ve had plenty of women around him. Strong, skilled, beautiful. Some tried to win him over. But him? He only looked at you. A woman from an unknown tribe."

His gaze softened.

"Now I see it. I see what he saw."

He paused, standing just close enough that his voice dropped to a quieter tone.

"I won’t ask you to forgive him. Or believe him. Or even treat him kindly."

He looked down at her, eyes meeting hers, his voice a little steadier.

"But please... don’t treat him like he’s a monster."

With that, he took a step back. His wings spread out, broad and silent, catching the light for just a moment before his form shifted fully. Then he flew—his vulture form lifting into the sky, disappearing quickly.

Kaya blinked. Once. Twice. Then her eye twitched, lips parting slightly.

"What the hell..." she muttered.

After Veer left that day, he didn’t come back. Not that night. Not the next morning. And not for the days that followed.

Kaya had asked the others about the meat, the herbs, the hide—about whether what he brought was even safe. Surprisingly, the answer was yes. The herbs were rare, and the meat was fresh, powerful. All of it was good for the blood, for strength. Veer hadn’t lied.

So of course, Kaya took it. She wasn’t a fool. When something that valuable is handed to you for free, you don’t toss it away just because the giver is a little too much to handle.

Still, days passed. One after the other. Ten of them, to be exact. Ten days without a single glimpse of Veer or the others. The tension that lingered in the air after their confrontation slowly thinned, replaced by the dull silence of routine.

And then came the tenth day—the day the lion tribe was supposed to arrive.

Unlike the fox tribe, who always came with lazy footsteps in the warm breath of afternoon, the lions came with the morning wind. They walked like they’d started before the sun even touched the horizon. Determined, steady, like they had no time to waste.

Kaya had a small neem stick in her mouth, chewing on it as she walked, brushing her teeth the way she usually did in the morning. Her steps were lazy, slow... until she suddenly spotted a group of people approaching.

Not just people—lions. Mostly lion men.

Kaya immediately froze. Her hand instinctively went toward her gun. But just before she could pull it out, her eyes landed on someone sitting tall on the lion at the front.

Abaya.

Kaya blinked in surprise. Her hand dropped from her gun, and instead, she stepped forward.

The neem stick was still dangling from the side of her mouth—she had just started brushing and couldn’t throw it away just yet. With a small frown, she spit out a bit of foamy saliva mixed with tiny neem bits, pulled the stick from her mouth, and said, "You guys are early."

Abaya hopped down from the lion, grinning wide as she walked toward Kaya. "Of course! How could we be late?"

Then, without waiting for another word, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around Kaya in a warm, sisterly hug—like they were old friends meeting after ages.

Kaya, who wasn’t really used to hugs—or any kind of touch, honestly—stood there stiffly for a second. But then, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Awkwardly, she patted Abaya’s back and gently pulled away.

"Um... hello," she said, her voice a little unsure but soft.