The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 292: Yam! I got to eat yams

I practically hummed as I followed my trio of husbands back toward the center of the camp. The tension from Talia’s little meltdown had evaporated for me the second I tasted victory, though I could still feel the lingering stares of the crowd.

They weren’t just staring because of the drama, though. They were staring at us. A wolf king, a silver-scaled serpent, and a snow tiger beast warrior, all circling around one female who had just publicly claimed them with nothing more than a few pecks on the cheek and a sassy attitude.

"Seriously," I said, looking at the three of them. "The way you guys are looking at me, anyone would think I just handed you the moon instead of a kiss."

Noah laughed, the sound deep and finally relaxed. "In this kingdom, Little Tiger, what you just did is a lot more rare than the moon."

So, it’s usually the men doing the flaunting and not the females, right? The females feel so entitled that they expect their males to do everything for them.

They don’t even try to act possessive cause they know their mate can’t leave them. Spoiled and unapologetic at their own fault.

It makes sense that they all looked at me in such bewilderment.

Well, there’s plenty more where that came from so they could just stay tuned.

We reached the large central fire where the sheep tribe was already huddled. The smell of roasting tubers and seasoned meat filled the air, making my stomach do a literal somersault.

Yam! I was going to eat yams.

It’s been forever, honestly, and the memory of it makes my mouth salivate.

Then, someone called out to me,

"Ms. Arinya!" Robin called out, standing up. Then, his eyes fell on the basket of cubs in Fenric’s hand. "The little ones are awake."

As if on cue, a chorus of tiny, hungry yips erupted from the basket. I looked at them with a scowl. Can’t they let me have breakfast first? I was sure they had no problem when I was asleep a few minutes ago.

I blame Talia for this.

Phina was already trying to climb over the edge, her little nose twitching frantically but Raiden pushed her aside, wagging his cute tail as he watched the spectacle in front of them.

It was Lyra who later pawed the faces of both of them that won in the ’Who stands taller’ challenge.

"Duty calls," I sighed, though I couldn’t hide the smile. I scooped up the basket and sat down on a thick log between Fenric and Damar.

Fenric didn’t say a word, just handed me a wooden bowl filled with thick, hearty stew and a side of flatbread.

Ah, so this is the civilization they have here.

Bread... I missed it.

Though it doesn’t look all that great compared to the one from memory, it was still bread made from flour. It seems like the sheep people have a variety of culinary skills. Since they can’t eat meat, they settle for vegetables.

But since having only vegetables daily can be bland, they tested a lot of things.

I’d say the ones with the civilization were the sheep tribe. They had the wool, the sewing skills, and the food.

Usually, predator beasts don’t even consider these things but I’m different. With a taste bud from a future they’ve never seen, there’s no way I’d pass on this.

"Eat first. I’ll hold Raiden so you have a free hand." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"You’re a lifesaver, Fenric," I muttered, taking a massive, ungraceful bite of the bread.

Hm, it’s hard, but it’s still bread. That dryness at the roof of my mouth... I’ve missed it so much.

And then I took a spoonful of the white paste stew. The yams had been mashed smoothly and seasoned with spices. It felt great. I could probably feed the cubs this yam paste if there wasn’t this much seasoning. Maybe I should try it for them later.

I took a bite and floated in the clouds, humming to the satisfaction I felt.

No one can understand my pain. As someone who has eaten all varieties of meals before, just having one bland meat soup or barbecue jerky all year round was no different from torture.

"Thank you," I said, practically tearing up as I licked the spoon.

Robin looked at me, unsure why I was moved to tears but he bowed his head and said,

"I’m thankful you like it so much. Just let me know if you need more."

I nodded and continued eating.

As I ate, I looked around at the sheep. They were watching me with those big, adoring eyes again. It wasn’t just gratitude for saving them anymore; it was something deeper.

After seeing me stand up to Talia—a (probably) high-ranking female of the wolf tribe—they looked like they had found their North Star.

So, am I going to be called a North Star next? Haha.

"You know," I said, swallowing a mouthful of stew and looking at Noah, who was leaning against a nearby tree. "The sheep can’t just live in tents forever. And they definitely can’t go back to Oakhaven while it’s still in that shape."

Noah’s expression softened. "I’ve already thought of that. We’ll rebuild it. Since it’s the closest to their protectors, the mer folks, it’s the only place they can reside."

Hm, I guess that’s true.

"Ah, speaking of mer folks, any word from them yet?" I asked but Noah shook his head.

"I sent scouts to take a look but even Jael wasn’t at the surface. I think they’ve become far more cautious after the incident."

It makes sense. Their entire race was nearly wiped out. It’ll make so much sense if they test land dwellers like a threat from now on.

Still, they should show a little appreciation to the ones who saved them. My Damar risked his life for them, you know. Just going MIA after getting cured is not cool.

I finished my bowl in record time and leaned back, finally feeling the ’gentle’ side of the morning Noah had talked about. My cubs were settled, my stomach was full, and my husbands were within arm’s reach.

But as I looked toward the distance, I couldn’t help but wonder one thing.

"Noah," I said, my voice dropping an octave so the sheep wouldn’t hear. "About those other females..." He flinched. "...how many are we talking about exactly? Just so I know how many chairs to bring to the inevitable ’we hate Arinya’ meeting."

Noah winced, his awkward smile returning. "A few. But none of them are like you."

"Duh," I snorted, leaning my head on Damar’s shoulder as he pulled me closer with his tail. "None of them has my choreography, dummy. And they’re too dumb to even come near my level, so I even feel insulted for getting compared with them."

He laughed awkwardly.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the warmth of the sun hit my face. I knew the drama wasn’t over. In fact, with the way Talia had stomped off, the real battle for the West Way was probably just moving from the battlefield to the tea room.

’Bring it on, ladies,’ I thought, drifting into a light, satisfied doze. ’I’ve got a serpent, a wolf, and a warrior on my side. Your move.’