Maria’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious, her hand fiddling with the edge of her sleeve as though debating whether to continue. She cleared her throat softly before speaking.
"Ms. Kaya," she began carefully, "I wanted to ask... do you feel anything unusual? Any strange sensations in your body since last night?"
Kaya blinked at her, taken aback. At first she wanted to shake her head—say no, insist she was fine—but then she rembered. That faint, nagging heat that had been sitting in her chest since morning. Not painful, but not normal either. A dull, warm throb that ca and went like an ember hidden under ash.
Her brows furrowed. She raised a hand slowly and tapped her chest, right above her heart. "Now that you ntion it... there is sothing. It’s been there all morning. A kind of... warmth. Just here."
The room shifted. The laughter and teasing that had filled the air earlier faded, replaced with a heavy silence. The other won glanced at each other with knowing eyes, but it was Maria whose face reddened as she fumbled for words.
"Normally, if that juice is normal, it wouldn’t cause any harm," Maria said, her voice dropping low, almost reluctant. "But if soone with a... weaker beast power drinks it, then they might... well..."
Kaya narrowed her eyes at her hesitation. The tone alone was enough to put her on edge, like a soldier hearing the prelude to bad news. "Maria," she said, her voice cutting sharper than intended, "don’t circle around it. If you have sothing to say, say it."
Maria swallowed hard. For a mont she didn’t et Kaya’s eyes, her gaze falling instead on the floor as though ashad. Finally, she drew a breath and whispered, "You see... for those who are weaker, the drink can... stir sothing inside them. It can make them... feel aroused."
The words landed like a thunderclap.
Kaya froze, her entire body stiffening, eyes widening as though she had just been struck. "Wait," she said, her voice louder than she intended, disbelief lacing every syllable, "what did you just say?"
Maria flinched but pushed on, her cheeks burning. "It... it makes them restless. They feel an urge to be with their mate. Sotis all the ti. That dull warmth you ntioned... that’s the beginning."
Kaya raised a hand instantly, as if to halt her from saying more. "Stop. Don’t even—" she exhaled sharply, her lips tightening, "We already... you know, last night. I’m not offended, I get it. But... wait—" she blinked, her mind spinning faster than her words, "so you an that drink, that juice you all gave , had this property? That it’s the reason I was—like that last night?"
Maria nodded, her face a mixture of guilt and unease.
Kaya’s stomach twisted. Her hands curled into fists as the weight of it sank in. "Then why the hell," she snapped, her voice trembling between fury and panic, "did you even give it to ?!"
Maria’s eyes widened. She imdiately raised her palms, shaking her head in defense. "We didn’t know! Kaya, listen—everyone in the tribe drinks it. It’s harmless to us. We’re wolves. Even Veer—he’s a vulture, strong-blooded. It doesn’t affect us that way. We never imagined it would be different for you. But the way you reacted..." Maria hesitated, her voice dropping to almost a whisper, "we think it ans your bloodline... is weaker."
The words hit Kaya harder than any slap. Her breath caught in her throat.
Weaker.
That word rang in her ears like a curse.
Her head spun as mories from last night surged back—her lack of control, the way her body had betrayed her, the humiliating vulnerability she had shown. A hot flush of sha spread over her skin.
She staggered to her feet, glaring down at Maria with a raw, breaking edge to her voice. "So you’re telling this isn’t just... last night? That this will keep happening? That my body will—will be like this all the ti?!"
Maria’s face paled at her tone. She quickly shook her head, her hands raised again. "No, no, it’s not permanent. It won’t always be like this. The effect... it weakens day by day. The heat will fade, little by little, until it’s gone completely. But for a few days..." she trailed off, lowering her gaze, "...you’ll still feel it."
Kaya staggered back a step, her hands finding her temples. A suffocating dread coiled around her chest.
.
.
.
The won scattered like startled deer, not daring to linger a second longer. Kaya stayed behind, frozen in her room, staring at the floor as silence wrapped around her.
Her thoughts raced. Okay... so what? she told herself. She was a grown woman, not so shy little girl. Things like this shouldn’t matter. But the soldier in her—the one drilled with discipline, order, and self-control—couldn’t let it slide so easily. The idea that her body could betray her like this left her with a mix of sha and frustration.
She sighed, pressing a hand against her chest. Great. Just great. I train half my life for discipline, and now this...
Still, Kaya wasn’t the type to wallow. With a deep breath, she pulled herself together and went out to help the other won with their daily tasks. Sure, a few of them gave her teasing glances, so even threw a sly comnt her way, but she forced herself to stay calm, to act normal. And for the most part, she managed.
But when night ca and dinner was over, it hit her again. The warmth in her chest spread fast, burning through her veins like soone had poured boiling water onto frozen ground. Her breath caught as the heat consud her, fierce and uncontrollable, as though her whole body had suddenly been set on fire.
Kaya’s eyes grew hazy, her vision almost misted over, and without aning to, they locked onto Veer. He was at the corner, lazily putting dishes away, every movent slow—deliberate.
That sly curve tugging at his lips gave him away.
he knew the drink’s effect was crawling back through her veins.
But Veer, fox that he was, didn’t rush. He moved with unhurried precision, almost mocking her, as though he wanted her to break first. His sly smile carried the weight of the morning’s mory, and he seed intent on dragging her into it again—this ti, on her own accord.
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