Veer exhaled slowly. "How the hell did I end up falling for you?" he murmured under his breath. "This weak little woman who acts like a tigress…"
But even as he said it, he was already pulling the hide tighter around her, tucking it in securely. His wings folded closer, letting not even a thread of cold slip in. The fire crackled beside them, casting a soft amber glow on their faces, and Veer kept one hand on her forehead, checking her temperature every now and then. He didn't sleep. Not even for a moment. Every flicker in her breath, every shift in her body, he noticed.
The night passed in silence, save for the crackle of firewood and the occasional rustle of wind outside. Kaya didn't stir.
And then morning came.
A soft light filtered through the gaps in the cave roof, spilling over the two figures curled close together. Veer blinked blearily, his eyes red with sleeplessness. He looked down just as Kaya stirred in his arms.
