After Giving Birth, All My Beast Ex-Husbands Suddenly Want Me Back

Chapter 172: Strange, isn’t it?

Lina bit down hard on her lower lip.

So what if they were?

A bunch of blind, foolish males—that’s what they were.

Unwilling to accept it, she snatched the cake from one of her mates and strode toward Odian.

"You there," she said, lifting her chin with practiced grace, "I brought a new delicacy—something you’ve surely never tasted before. Would you like to try it?"

In Lina’s mind, the cake must be exceedingly rare. The female who had handed it over earlier had looked reluctant, almost unwilling to part with it.

If even females found it hard to obtain, then males surely had never tasted it.

And now, she was graciously offering it to them.

Something rare. Something delicious. They would be moved. Grateful. Drawn to her.

Even if it cost her a little reluctance, it would be worth it.

She would win over these arrogant males.

Behind her, Peppy pressed a hand to her forehead, utterly mortified.

Odian’s men stared at Lina as if she were out of her mind. Was something wrong with this female’s head?

Bringing such a poorly made cake to curry favor with a priest—a mated one, no less.

"Get out." Odian’s voice was cold as frost.

At such close range, Lina found him even more breathtaking.

Only now did she notice—two of the most striking males among them were already bonded. And the one before her—the one she favored most—was among them.

His aloof, ethereal presence had captivated her at first glance.

But she had heard of certain forbidden arts—dark witchcraft that could suppress the backlash of a mating bond.

The cost was steep, but if she wanted something badly enough—what did it matter if he was already bound?

Her gaze flicked to the others—Kith, Finch, and the rest.

Each one was exceptional.

One carried noble dominance, another a gentle elegance, another a dangerously alluring charm...

Every single one stirred her interest.

Due to her growing fascination with Odian, Lina’s tolerance soared. She ignored his cold rejection entirely.

Instead, she stepped closer, offering the cake again with a bright smile.

"Try it, please. It’s truly delicious, I promise."

"Ridan." Odian’s gaze turned glacial. "Throw her out this instant."

"Yes, my lord." Ridan nodded and stepped forward.

Lina immediately retreated, her expression shifting. "What are you doing? How can you be so rude to a female?"

She shot Odian an indignant glare, her voice rising. "Do you know who I am? I’m a noble female. Treat me like this, and you’ll regret it!"

She had favored him the most—offered him the first taste.

And yet, he dared to reject her so bluntly.

Her mates tensed, ready to act.

But Lina lifted a hand, stopping them.

Not yet. She wasn’t ready to escalate things. Instead, she turned, intending to approach Aviel.

But Ridan stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"If you don’t leave now," he said flatly, "don’t blame me for what happens next."

Lina lifted her chin, defiant. "And who are you to stop me? Where I go has nothing to do with you."

Lina gestured sharply, signaling her mates to block Ridan too. Seizing the moment, she slipped past them and hurried to Aviel’s side.

"You there," she said, lifting the cake again with a soft, coaxing smile, "the food I’m offering is truly delicious and rare. I’d like you to try it."

Her gaze flicked deliberately toward Aviel, her voice rising just enough to carry.

"I’m a noble female. If you choose to follow me, I can take you to live in the city. You won’t have to remain in this barren, desolate wilderness."

Since that one had refused to appreciate her, she would simply choose another—and make him regret it.

Aviel stared at her, utterly speechless, annoyance flashing across his face.

"Viann," he said coldly, "help Ridan throw her farther away."

With that, he turned and strode off toward the bathing area.

He had no intention of getting entangled with any other female—especially now, when Nina was still angry with him.

Viann and Ridan moved in to force Lina out, but her mates rushed forward to shield her.

"Teach them a lesson," Lina ordered, retreating behind her protectors.

Her mates were all seventh-rank males—more than enough, she believed, to crush these so-called wilderness brutes.

She had tried to be polite.

But since they didn’t know their place, she wouldn’t hold back.

Her mates launched their attack.

Ridan and Viann only sneered, stepping forward to meet them head-on.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Bodies slammed into the ground with brutal force. In mere moments, the fight was over.

Lina’s carefully chosen warriors lay utterly defeated.

Ridan and Viann turned their eyes toward her.

Lina’s face instantly drained of color. She was mortified.

With a startled cry, she dropped the cake and spun on her heel, fleeing in a panic, her retreat as graceless as it was swift.

Peppy hurried after her—there was no way she intended to stay and be caught in the aftermath.

One by one, Lina’s battered mates struggled to their feet, staggering after her in panic.

"Tch. That weak, and they still dared to cause trouble?" Viann scoffed, unimpressed.

"Exactly. Waste of time," Ridan agreed, smirking victoriously.

With the disturbance handled, they returned to packing as if nothing had happened.

Lina didn’t slow down until the stone house had long vanished from sight.

She bent over, gasping for breath, her chest heaving.

"What kind of background do those males have?" she muttered, shaken. "How are they so strong?"

"I... I don’t know," Peppy admitted.

Lina turned back toward the distant direction of Nina’s dwelling, a flicker of fear mingling with unwilling ambition in her eyes.

If even their subordinates were this powerful, then those males themselves must be far more formidable.

And if she could somehow win them over... Wouldn’t that make her far safer in the wilderness?

She turned to Peppy, eyes flickering. "Can you tell me more about them?"

Peppy blinked, caught off guard. "There’s not much to tell," she said hesitantly. "They came to the tribe not long ago... following an ugly female."

"An ugly female?"

Lina frowned, confusion creasing her brow.

"Yes," Peppy said, nodding eagerly. "A very ugly female. I don’t know what’s wrong with those males—crowding around someone like her. The ones who’ve already bonded? They’re all her mates."

Her words dripped with deliberate malice.

She, too, had seen Nina after her transformation—had seen how radiant she had become—but she refused to accept it. Instead, she clung stubbornly to the image of Nina as she once was, twisting reality to soothe her own resentment.

"Such handsome males... bonded to an ugly female?" Lina frowned, utterly unable to comprehend it.

"Strange, isn’t it?" Peppy added, leaning into the lie. "I think so too. Maybe she used some kind of underhanded, shameless trick. A witchcraft, perhaps."

"That’s very likely." A smile flickered in Lina’s eyes.

If the other party was truly just an ugly female, then winning those males over—even the bonded ones—wouldn’t be difficult at all.

By then, Lina’s injured mates had caught up, moving stiffly.

She glanced at them, her voice low but sharp with disdain. "Useless. You couldn’t even defeat a bunch of backwater brutes."

Though she spoke quietly, their keen hearing caught every word.

A chill settled in their hearts.

Yet none of them argued.

They had been defeated—plain and simple.

Lowering their heads, they followed silently behind her.

***

Meanwhile, on Nina’s side, after visiting Aina and the others, she had gone to bid farewell to Chief Karo.

"Female Nina... are you truly leaving the tribe?" Karo asked, reluctant to let her go. "Is there something about the tribe that dissatisfied you?"

"No, not at all," Nina replied gently. "It’s just that I have matters of my own to attend to."

Karo sighed, though he didn’t press further.

"In that case... I won’t keep you." His tone was tinged with regret.

He took out several blue crystal cores and held them out to her.

"You’ve helped this tribe greatly. Please accept these as a token of our gratitude."

The crystals had been obtained from a few unfortunate fools the day before—now, they found a far more deserving owner.

Nina shook her head. "No, really, there’s no need. I haven’t done that much. You’ve already thanked me before."

Karo insisted, pressing the crystals into her hands.

"You saved our people. You taught us how to cook, how to recognize new foods... If anything, I worry this isn’t enough."

Seeing his firm resolve, Nina finally relented. "Alright... thank you, Chief Karo."

She paused, then added softly, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now."

"Of course." Karo smiled warmly. "Female Nina, I wish you a safe journey."

"Thank you." Nina looked down at the little ones in her arms.

"Say goodbye to Grandpa Karo."

The children waved their tiny paws.

"Goodbye, Grandpa Karo!"

"Goodbye."

Karo walked to the doorway, watching them leave with a fond smile.

With the children in her arms, Nina turned and made her way back to the stone house.