CHAPTER 2
She put down her fork as she started to lose her appetite.
"Uh, Dad… Is this the announcement that you were talking about?" Kaiden was the first to open his mouth in the sudden silence.
"Yes, son. It is time for Kaisha to get back to school."
"But, Dad." She started to protest. "You know what happened to me." She didn't actually know where to start to argue about it.
"Dear, you'd been homeschooled for three years. I see how you improved in controlling your... mood swings."
She snorted at him, but he ignored it with a wave of his hand. She knew he meant the beast in her. Yes. She had gotten used to how to control her transformation when she wasn't furious. And in addition to that, she could pre-shift some parts only if she willed it. She could turn her hand into the beast's hand only so it would give her strength or just her feet to provide her speed and agility. But the easiest of all was the eyes. It could give her night vision. Kaiden had it too without having to transform anything. He was the lucky one for that.
"But, Dad, I don't want to go and face a lot of people. I…" She had developed social anxiety.
"Sweetie, it's okay." Margaret comforted her. "It's for the training also. How could you help me in the business if you won't face your fear first?"
"Mom's right, baby sis." Kaiden agreed and propped a hand on top of hers on the table.
She groaned. "Don't tell me you too."
"Don't let those animals ruin your life forever." He squeezed her hand.
"My princess, please give yourself a chance to live out there." Francis started to convince his only daughter. "And this family has never been a normal one ever since our ancestors. So don't ever think you'd be one. We are all special. That's what normal is to us."
She hated to think that they've got a point. They were all right.
"You wouldn't be alone, sweetie. Lira would be attending the school too. Her mom told me." Margaret added. She was referring to her former closest friend when she was still attending the academy.
She didn't need her. She doesn't plan to get back in their friendship. She would stand on her own. She had to because she had the support of her family. Beast or not. But regardless of anything, in this generation of their family, she was the beast. Yikes! Just good luck with her mood swings.
After a week…
Kaisha was at the breakfast table with her family. Her dad and father would be escorting her to the academy. Though she said that they didn't have to, they insisted.
After their breakfast and all their preparation, they all get inside an SUV. Her mom would be on her way to her restaurant, and the guys would help bring her suitcases to her dorm, and they said that they'd had to talk to the headmistress of the school. She didn't want to know what it was about because she already had the idea. It would be about her safety and influence if something happened to her. She didn't talk them out of it since she knew that it was no use.
"There'll be bodyguards for you standing by outside campus whenever you go out." Francis stated.
She didn't pay any attention to him as she looked outside the window. It had been long since she'd gone outside the mansion. Three years quickly passed by. She just noticed how the world changed. There were new establishments, houses, and any other buildings in the city.
They stopped at her mother's restaurant for a quick brunch. It was 1 hour away from the mansion, and the school was three hours away. She was nervous but a bit excited at the same time. She wondered what changed.
They made a stop at a nearby mall from her mother's restaurant to buy her school supplies. People looked at them as their family had a domineering presence even just in their posture. General Francis looked younger than his age of 52. Kaiden was 23. He finished college first before entering the military camp.
Their family had remarkable height. She was 5'9, and her father and brother were 6'3. Her mother was the only little one in the family. Margaret was 5'7.
Added to that was their outstanding appearance. They had red hair from their dad and green eyes from their mom.
"Baby sis, let's go shopping for your clothes." Kaiden urged her to stop at one of the expensive shops in the mall.
"No. Mom said that she had already brought clothes for me, and they had been delivered to my dorm." Yep. Her mother got everything ready for her in the school. She had sent someone to prepare her room.
"Don't you want to have something that you chose?"
"No, brother. And please, cut off the baby." She hissed at him.
"No can do, baby sis. You are always my baby." He smiled sheepishly at her and put an arm around her shoulder. He was always the sweet and loving brother that sometimes she felt guilty of being harsh to him.
They looked at their father, who was talking with someone on his phone. His face looked troubled.
Kaiden and Kaisha exchanged glances at one another.
After a minute, Francis approached them.
"Is something wrong, Dad?" Kaiden asked.
"The president wanted to have a meeting with me. I'm afraid I had to cancel my discussion with the headmistress. Kaiden, we had to go now. The president wanted to meet you as well."
Kaiden clicked his tongue, clearly not liking the situation. He wanted to be there with his sister when she finally got to step out of her shell.
"Can't we—"
"It's okay." She cut him off. She knew what he was about to say. He'd want to refuse the chance, but she didn't want that to happen. "I'll be fine, brother."
"Are you sure, my princess?" Francis hugged her. "We're sorry. Your mom would kill me for this."
"Oh, I hope she would." She joked.
"Please don't wish for it." Francis kissed her on the forehead.
She chuckled. Kaiden hugged her afterward and kissed her cheeks.
Her father talked to the bodyguards when they reached the car. They used the other one with the bodyguards. And she was in the SUV on the way to school.
It was such a long drive to the school that she fell asleep in her seat. The bodyguards were attentive to her in the backseat. They were just afraid of her father.