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

Chapter 196: Might stay single forever

Only when there were no flame beasts left in pursuit did Setan finally allow himself to relax, the tight tension in his body easing at last.

He landed at the mouth of a cave.

Looking down, he suddenly realized something. Even though they had long escaped danger... he was still holding Nina tightly in his arms.

So tightly that he could clearly feel the soft curves of her body, the warmth of her skin.

The color rushed back to his face all at once. His heartbeat spiked. Startled by his own reaction, he abruptly pushed her away.

Caught completely off guard, Nina lost her balance and fell hard onto the ground.

"Ouch..." she mumbled as she rubbed the small of her back.

The children immediately glared at Setan with anger.

How dare he push Mama!

What a terrible male!

Setan froze, then hurried forward, flustered, clutching the edge of his clothes.

"I—I’m sorry... I..." He didn’t mean to do that. He didn’t even know what had come over him.

Mimi puffed out her cheeks, indignant. "Why aren’t you helping Mama up?!"

"Oh—right!" Setan instinctively reached out, but his fingers trembled.

Then he stopped.

He glanced around, spotted a branch nearby, picked it up... and awkwardly extended it toward Nina.

Nina was speechless.

The children were baffled.

The lion warriors who had just arrived were shocked.

They all stared at the scene, stunned.

Then collectively sighed toward the sky.

Their city lord... might really stay single forever.

Nina let out a half-laugh, half-sigh.

She ignored the branch and got up on her own.

How generous of him,

she thought dryly, he carried me all the way here, but now he’s acting like I’m sick and contagious. The lion warriors quickly stepped in.

"Little female, are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

"I’m fine," Nina said.

They immediately spread a soft hide over a rock at the cave entrance.

"Please sit and rest. We’ll clean up the cave."

"Thank you." Nina sat down and began preparing milk for the children.

Setan stood nearby, fidgeting. He wanted to explain, but didn’t know how. So he just stood there, picking at his fingers, sneaking awkward glances at her.

Finally, he gathered the courage to speak. "Are you... hungry? I can roast some meat for you."

"Thank you, but no," Nina replied calmly.

He looked at the bottle in her hands. "Then... should I help prepare the children’s food?"

He didn’t even know what it was called—only that it looked like the milk the children drank.

"No need," Nina said coolly. After the way he had just acted, she had no intention of troubling him.

"...Alright." Setan lowered his head, a trace of disappointment flickering across his face.

He knew he had messed up. But he didn’t understand what was wrong with him.

Whenever he got close to her, something strange stirred inside him.

Unfamiliar.

Unsettling.

Completely out of his control.

Nina’s gaze drifted toward the direction of the flame beast territory.

I wonder how Odian and Sal are doing...

***

Meanwhile, after a long, grueling battle, Odian’s group finally finished off the flame beasts and began pursuing Nina’s trail.

On Sal’s side, after luring the beasts toward Drago’s group, they too were surrounded and forced to fight their way out.

Drago, seeing the swarm of flame beasts closing in, was furious.

Nina... she doesn’t care whether I live or die.

To think she had deliberately drawn the beasts toward him. What a witch!

Without hesitation, he took out a spirit crystal, intending to end the battle quickly.

But not far away, three high-level flame beasts suddenly stirred.

They had sensed something... something that excited them.

All at once, they charged toward Drago.

He was instantly surrounded. The beasts’ eyes locked onto the crystal in his hand, launching relentless attacks toward it.

Under the barrage, Drago faltered. In a moment of carelessness, the crystal was knocked from his grasp, flying off to the side.

He tried to retrieve it, but the flame beasts blocked his way.

Not far away, Sal caught sight of it.

Something had fallen.

Without hesitation, he darted forward, grabbed it, and ran.

It didn’t matter what it was, but he knew he had to take it.

The beasts around him were mostly low-level, and he had already cleared many of them.

In just a few moments, he was gone without a trace.

Drago was furious. He tried to chase after Sal, but more flame beasts blocked his path.

Meanwhile, the three high-level flame beasts had already turned and pursued Sal.

He ran with everything he had, not stopping until he had escaped far beyond the territory. Only then did the flame beasts finally give up the chase.

By the time Drago arrived, not only had he failed to catch Sal, but he was also surrounded by enraged flame beasts and forced to flee in another direction.

***

On Aron’s side, they were dealing with Ilan.

The swarm of flame beasts killed Hilan, but his son managed to escape.

Aron and the others didn’t pursue him. Instead, they turned back to regroup with Nina.

***

After waiting in the cave for a while, Odian and Finch were the first to arrive.

"Nina, are you alright? Are you hurt?" they asked at the same time, voices filled with concern.

When they had followed her trail, they had seen clear signs of a fierce battle and rushed over at full speed.

"I’m fine," Nina said, turning in place with a small smile. "See? Not even a scratch."

Only then did they finally relax.

"Nina, have you eaten?" Odian then asked.

"Not yet," she shook her head.

"I’ll make something for you right away." He immediately got to work, with Finch helping beside him.

Setan watched them briefly, then lowered his gaze, a faint loneliness settling over him.

Not long after Nina finished eating, Sal and the others arrived as well. Soon after, Aron’s group caught up.

Since it was already late, they decided to camp in the cave for the night.

As night fell, Ridan returned from patrol, excitement written all over his face.

"Lady Nina, I found several hot pools not far from here. Would you like to go for a soak?"

"Hot pools?" Nina’s eyes lit up. Hot springs?

"Of course—take me there."

After a day of fighting, she was sore and sweaty. A soak sounded perfect.

Ridan led the way.

Under the moonlight, Nina saw several steaming pools below, mist curling gently into the air.

One large pool was split into two by scattered rocks, while a few smaller ones lay farther off.

Odian brought Nina to the larger pool. Kith and the others stayed nearby, while the remaining males tactfully moved to the smaller pools in the distance.

Nina took one side with the children and her three mates. Kith and the others, though reluctant, occupied the other side.

After soaking for a while, Nina had Odian and Mino take the children back first, while Sal stayed with her a bit longer.

Sal took out something he had picked up earlier.

"Nina, this is what Drago dropped today. I grabbed it."

Nina examined it carefully.

It looked almost identical to the green crystal she had bonded with—except this one was red.

The spirit pearl and spirit crystal at her neck flickered in response:

Master, bond with it.

Without hesitation, Nina did exactly that.

But as soon as the bond formed, a strange sensation crept over her.

Hunger.

Heat.

Something restless rising within her.

"Wait here," Sal said. "I’ll go get you something to eat."

He quickly left, not fearing anything as Kith and the others were still nearby.

But the moment he was gone, Nina’s body grew hotter. Her breath hitched softly as an unfamiliar heat surged through her.

On the other side of the rocks, Kith and the others immediately noticed that something was off.

"Nina? Are you alright?"

They couldn’t see her, blocked by the stone divider—but without her permission, they didn’t dare cross over.

Before she could answer, several thick vines shot out, wrapping around them.

Splash! Splash!

One by one, the males were pulled straight into Nina’s side of the pool!