Captured Princess

Family Barbecue Dinner

Because of Shanaia’s completion of her training with the deadly ballet, as well as Crane and Seb with their training, their uncles held a barbecue dinner to celebrate it.

They held their mini family barbecue dinner in the house’s outdoor kitchen by the pool. Their uncles were the ones grilling while their wives were making the side dishes and other food. Their uncles’ young children would play around and Seb being a child himself played with them. Crane on the other hand was telling their grandfather about what he and his father were working in his laboratory.

Shanaia watched all of them while she stirred the salad sauce.

“I think that sauce is ready,”

Shanaia turned to her side and saw her uncle Stephen’s wife, Carmen. She smiled and handed her the bowl of sauce.

“You know, aside from being an excellent warrior you should also learn how to be a homemaker,”

Seve’s wife, Elle spoke. Shanaia looked at her with her eyebrows knotted.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Shan, a few years from now you will be meeting your mate. And when that happens, you will get married and start a family with him,” Carmen said as she mixed the sauce with the salad.

Shanaia narrowed her eyes on her.

“You are not giving me that talk, are you?” she asked and the ladies giggled.

“Oh, Shanaia. You are so young and pure,” Elle said.

“Young yes, but pure? I doubt that. I have much blood in my hands to fill the pool,” Shanaia replied.

“They don’t mean that,”

Enola said as she joined them. Shanaia looked at her and then she immediately lowered her gaze. Somehow, Shanaia felt guilty about what happened to her cousins.

“What the ladies are trying to say is that even if you have your own career you want to pursue, you have to know how to manage a household. Clean, cook, and serve your spouse,” Enola said.

“Serve?”

“Well, not like a servant silly,” Elle said, giggling.

“It’s just some small and simple tasks that you can do to provide comfort to your mate or husband, like prepare his clothes or stuff, make him coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner,” Emily said.

“That’s why it’s a must that you know how to cook,” Carmen added.

“And also, you have to be always ready to listen to them. Not just with their problems but even as simple as how their day went,”

Elle said and the other ladies nodded.

“And most importantly…” Enola paused as she made Shanaia look at her.

“When you have a child, make sure to pay attention to them and be there for them as they grow. Before teaching them about what they should be in the community, teach them to be good people first.” She continued.

Shanaia looked at her intently.

“I’m sorry that I fought with Samara. I’m sorry that because of that, Samara and Stella were sent away,” Shanaia said and Enola shook her head.

“You shouldn’t apologize, Shanaia,” Carmen said.

“But –“

“Carmen is right, you don’t have to apologize,” Enola told Shanaia.

“My children and their friends made a mistake. A kind of mistake that escalated to the point that we had to make a decision of giving out that intense punishment,”

What Enola said made Shanaia even more guilty. But as if Enola knew what she was thinking, she shook her head as if saying not to think that way.

Enola then put her hand on Shanaia’s shoulder.

“When you become a mother, don’t do what I did. I was so focused on my own career as an educator to other people that I forgot to educate my own daughters. I didn’t even know how other’s wrong perspectives influenced them negatively to the point their minds were corrupted that I can only hope that wherever they are now, their kind of mindset will be fixed,” she told her.

Shanaia heaved a deep sigh and looked at Enola.

“I understand what you mean, Aunt Enola. But please, just let me apologize because I made the mistake of engaging in a physical fight with Samara instead of talking to her or coming to you. I hope that we can reconcile in the future,” Shanaia said and Enola gave her a small smile.

“I would really like for you and your siblings will create a relationship with your cousins here.” She replied.

Shanaia smiled.

“I really hope so,”

Then their attention turned towards the pool when they heard a loud splash. They saw Seve and Styx wrestling in the pool while their brothers laughed at them. While the boys enjoyed and their waves of laughter echoed around, their wives on the other hand had their arms over their chests with a scowl on their faces.

When all the food was cooked and served, they all gathered around a long oak table and ate. Everyone enjoyed the food they prepared together and also conversed happily as a family.

After they ate, the ladies took the kids inside to get them ready for bed while the men cleaned up. Shanaia on the other hand was joined by her grandfather by the lounging chairs and watching the stars-filled night sky.

Samael offered Shanaia a bottle of beer which surprised her.

“What? I know kids your age have already started drinking. I know what happens to high school parties Shanaia,” he said and Shanaia smiled as they clinked their bottles before chugging the bottles’ contents.

“The perk of being like us is that this thing doesn’t have any effect on us, just that it tastes like boiled socks,”

Shanaia spat the beer she was drinking, making Samael laugh out loud. Shanaia then looked at her grandfather with wide eyes.

“Grandpa!”

Samael laughed so hard that he had to wipe the tears from the corner of his eyes. In the end, Shanaia also joined her grandfather in fits of laughter. And when they finally stopped laughing, they took a sip of their beer and looked at the stars.

“Do you have any plans for your future?” Samael asked.

Shanaia shrugged and then Samael looked at her.

“What does that mean?” he asked.

“It means I have no plans yet,” she answered.

“Why?”

Shanaia looked at her hand holding her beer.

“I am the eldest child of my parents but at the same time I am a girl.”

Samael furrowed his eyebrows at what she said.

“Yes, I know that,” he said and Shanaia sighed.

“I mean, I am the eldest so I should take over as Alpha after Dad retired, but I am also a girl. I will meet my mate and he could be someone from a different place, and if he is an Alpha or whatever, I will have to relocate. Also, unlike my brothers, I haven’t had any Lycan presence in me. So, maybe I am not really destined to be the Alpha. Then what should I do, what role should I take?” Shanaia expressed her thoughts and her grandfather listened to her closely.

“You have such deep and adult problems. I was just asking what career you are planning to pursue. But expressing your thoughts like that is good.”

Her grandfather said making Shanaia’s shoulder sag and let out an audible sigh.

“Careers… Do you have to ask me that, Grandpa? Of course, I want to be a doctor like my parents. But…”

She paused.

“I like that, that’s a very noble profession. But why is there a but?” he asked.

“But I don’t have the same healing ability as my dad. Unlike Crane and probably Seb too. I feel like I am different from them.”

Samael sighed.

“Shanaia, of course, you are different from them. They are not you and you are not them. So, what if you don’t have a gift of healing like your brothers? Your mom doesn’t have them too, but that didn’t make her any less of a brilliant doctor,” he told her and Shanaia looked at him.

She contemplated what her grandfather said and she realized he had a point.

“You think I’d be as good as Mom?” she asked.

“I know you can achieve great things because you are special. And what if you don’t have a Lycan yet, everyone is different. And maybe you will have a cat instead. Remember you are someone who was born from a cat and a dog. As bizarre as that, you are unique in your own way.” Samael paused and then he reached out to pat her hand.

“Remember that you are special. You have your own uniqueness and power in you and you will be great. I just know it,”

Shanaia smiled at what her grandfather said.

“Thanks for believing in me, Grandpa.” She said and Samael smiled at her.

“Just remember that Grandpa is always here, as well as your uncles. Your family here will always be here for you. We are behind you, always ready to push you forward, cheer for you, and even scold you if you need scolding,”

Shanaia nodded while sporting a shy smile.

“Thanks again, Grandpa.”

She said and Samael waved her off.

“Just don’t forget to visit this old man from time to time,” he told her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be your regular visitor,”

Samael smiled and then they clinked their bottles again and chugged down its contents. They drank there and soon, they were joined by the others and chatted.