"She's a threat," his father declared, voice heavy and final.
But before the echo could settle, another voice sliced through the tension—silken, sharp, and unsettlingly amused.
"Threat?"
The air shifted.
Wings beat once in the sky above, and a figure descended with eerie grace—half-man, half-beast. Human form, yes, but with broad wings still spread behind him, feathers dark and sharp against the fading light.
It was Veer.
He landed softly, too softly for someone so large—like the ground itself bent to him. He stood tall, proud, and disturbingly calm as his feet touched the stone. His head tilted, and his glowing amber eyes swept across the gathering before settling—unflinching—on his father.
"Did you just call my sweetheart a threat… Dad?"
Silence swallowed the crowd.
The tribe stared. Shocked. Speechless.
It wasn't just Veer's tone—it was him.
His entire presence had changed.
