The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts-Chapter 583: Are you calling me fat?

Winter was fast approaching.

The air carried a faint bite in the mornings now, and the wind from the northern ridge had begun to whistle through the valley in sharper breaths.

Leaves rustled. Birds flew lower. Even the beasts in the forest moved differently, storing fat and strengthening their dens.

The males of the village grew busier each day.

Some prepared tools.

Some reinforced homes.

Some dug new storage pits.

And many...far too many...lined up eagerly for the most important task:

The winter hunt.

Because once the snow fell thick and the rivers froze, hunting would become dangerous, nearly impossible. Whatever they stocked now would determine whether they lived comfortably... or miserably.

Isabella had known this.

But she did not expect the entire village to move like a giant, muscular swarm the moment the sun rose.

Cyrus approached her first, tying his long hair back. His movements were calm and practiced, but his pink eyes kept checking her belly every few seconds.

"You stay home today," he said gently. "We will bring back enough meat. Do not worry."

Behind him, Osiris flexed his arms as if he were posing for the sun. "Do not worry, Isabella. I will catch the biggest prey. Bigger than Cyrus. Bigger than Kian. Bigger than everyone."

Zyran scoffed. "Your brain is small. Your catch will also be small."

Osiris pointed at him. "That is not how hunting works!"

Kian, of course, said nothing.

He simply tightened the straps on his spear and stood off to the side, tall and cold like the statue of a war god.

The other males gathered nearby, all waiting to follow their king.

Isabella ate a dried fruit slowly as she watched them.

Zyran stretching dramatically.

Osiris sharpening his blade too loudly just to get her attention.

Cyrus looking at her every ten seconds to make sure she was breathing.

Kian glancing her way then pretending he wasn’t.

They were ridiculous.

She took another bite.

Ridiculously cute.

...

"I’m coming with you."

The men froze.

Every. Single. One.

48 pairs of ears twitched.

Cyrus blinked. "You are what?"

Isabella stood, brushing dust from her dress. "I said I’m coming. It is just hunting. Not giving birth."

Zyran gasped loudly. "Isabella! If you go, I cannot concentrate! My heart will beat too fast!"

Osiris muttered, "Your heart beats too fast when you chew food."

Zyran stepped on his foot.

Osiris yelped.

Kian’s jaw tightened. "You cannot go."

Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Kian stared at her belly.

Isabella stared back.

Zyran dramatically threw himself forward. "Isabella, you are pregnant. Pregnant females do not hunt! They sit. They eat. They glow. They do not run after animals bigger than me!"

Cyrus nodded quickly. "It would be safer to remain in the village. I will bring you whatever you want. Rabbit. Deer. Wild boar. Fruit. Honey. Even fish. Anything."

"Anything?" she repeated with a slow smile.

Cyrus immediately regretted his life.

"Yes," he whispered.

Osiris stepped closer, whispering urgently, "Isabella, if you go with us, the entire hunt will be chaos. All these beasts will start competing in front of you. It will be embarrassing."

Zyran jabbed his elbow into Osiris’s ribs. "We do not compete."

Osiris raised an eyebrow. "You literally showed Isabella your muscles this morning."

"That was stretching!"

"You were flexing."

"It was stretching!"

Kian finally snapped. "Enough."

Silence fell.

Even birds stopped chirping.

He turned to Isabella, voice low. "Hunting is dangerous. The forest is not like the village. I cannot protect you and lead at the same time."

That irritated her.

She crossed her arms. "I did not ask you to protect me."

Kian frowned. "I will protect you anyway."

Isabella’s heart stuttered.

She immediately looked away.

Osiris seized the moment. "Me too! I will protect you with my life..."

Zyran smacked the back of his head. "Shut up. Your protection is a hazard."

Osiris tried to punch him.

Zyran dodged.

Osiris lunged.

Zyran ran behind Cyrus.

Cyrus sighed at his life choices.

Meanwhile, Isabella was gathering a woven bag as if preparing for a picnic.

The males panicked.

Cyrus reached for her wrist gently. "Beloved, please. Just rest today. Your stomach is bigger than yesterday."

She glared at him. "Are you calling me fat?"

"No."

"Yes," Zyran said.

Osiris nodded. "Definitely bigger."

Kian shot both of them a murderous glare.

Zyran coughed. "I mean beautiful! Very beautiful. Beautifully big. Big in a beautiful way."

Isabella threw a nut at his face.

...

They tried stopping her.

They failed.

Because Isabella stood in front of the entire hunting party with her chin raised, one hand on her hip, and said:

"I am coming. If all of you act like fools, that is your problem."

The men exchanged looks.

Cyrus rubbed his temples.

Kian stared at the sky like he was asking the ancestors for patience.

Osiris looked strangely excited.

Zyran was already picking flowers to present to her.

Finally, Kian gave the command to move.

The hunting group descended into the forest, walking over fallen leaves and weaving between tall trees.

Birds scattered overhead. The forest air was cool and refreshing, filled with the scent of pine and damp earth.

Isabella walked behind Cyrus with casual confidence, occasionally stopping to poke at mushrooms or scold Glimora for trying to climb on a branch like a deranged squirrel.

The males kept circling around her like territorial wolves.

Cyrus walked beside her.

Zyran walked ahead of her.

Osiris walked behind her.

Kian walked at her other side.

Four giant beastmen forming a protective square around one pregnant woman.

Isabella sighed. "I am going to suffocate."

Cyrus cleared his throat. "We are only keeping you safe."

Zyran beamed proudly. "Yes. And also impressing you."

"Who asked you to impress me?" Isabella muttered.

Osiris raised his hand. "I am not impressing anyone. I just walk beautifully."

"You walk like a baby deer," Zyran said.

Osiris punched him.

Zyran tackled him.

They both rolled across the ground, kicking up leaves.

Kian stepped over them without emotion. "Idiots."

Isabella covered her face. "I regret coming."

...

Then the hunting began.

And Isabella regretted even more.

Because the males...

Lost their minds.

The moment Cyrus spotted a deer, he sprinted, speared it cleanly, and glanced back at Isabella like:

"Did you see that?"

Before she could praise him, Zyran jumped from a tree and tackled another deer with his bare hands.

"ISABELLA! LOOK AT ME! I AM AMAZING!"

Osiris leaped onto a wild boar, slid across its back dramatically, and stabbed it with a flourish like a performer on a stage.

He looked at Isabella expectantly.

She blinked. "...Good job?"

He nearly fainted from happiness.

Kian said nothing.

He simply raised his bow silently...

And shot two birds out of the air in one motion.

Osiris’s jaw dropped.

Zyran gaped.

Cyrus muttered something like, "Show off."

Isabella massaged her temples.

"This is stupid," she said.

But inside...

A tiny part of her thought...

They’re cute.

So stupid.

But cute.

...

Then she made a mistake.

A very big mistake.

She said:

"I want to try hunting too."

The forest froze.

Every male turned at the same time, eyes wide, like she had announced she wanted to jump into a volcano.

Cyrus: "You... want to what?"

Osiris: "No. No. Absolutely not."

Zyran: "Isabella, you cannot! You will break your ankles! And your back! And your stomach will fall out!"

Kian: "You are not hunting."

Isabella raised her chin. "Yes, I am."

Cyrus’s eyes widened in horror.

Zyran clutched his chest dramatically.

Osiris grabbed her sleeve, whispering frantically, "If you die, I will die. Please do not hunt."

Kian stepped forward, gaze dark and fierce.

He spoke in a voice that made the leaves tremble.

"Isabella.

Put. The spear. Down."

She didn’t.

They nearly fainted.

Isabella smirked.

"Relax. I’m not made of paper."

"You are pregnant!" three voices exploded at once.

Isabella blinked. "So?"

Cyrus covered his face. "I cannot do this..."

Osiris pointed at her belly. "There are babies in there!"

Zyran threw himself at her legs. "YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF OUR VILLAGE! PLEASE DO NOT DIE IN FRONT OF ME!"

Kian stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear.

"If you take one more step with that spear...

I will carry you home."

Isabella: "..."

Kian: "Try me."

She tightened her grip on the spear.

He narrowed his eyes.

The males leaned in, holding their breath.

Isabella inhaled.

Raised her chin.

And said...

"Watch me."

...

The forest erupted.

Cyrus dropped his weapon.

Osiris screamed.

Zyran ran in circles.

Kian stepped forward like a storm breaking loose.

And Isabella...

Smiled.