My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56 A Huge Catch

Elias rushed to the first trap before anyone else and seized the rim, too excited to hold back any longer Taylor splashed into the stream right after him and grabbed on to help.

The trap barely moved.

Both of them immediately looked down.

It was stuffed full of fish.

The rain-swollen current had clearly driven fish down from farther upstream, and the trap had caught them in a dense, writhing mass-no wonder it had felt so heavy. Most of the fish were large, too, not the tiny kind.

The sight instantly lifted everyone’s spirits.

Quincy and Jaden went to deal with the trap hidden

other two from the quieter water near the bend. Long the grass, while Matthew and Yael hauled up the

stayed dry on the bank and directed the work

All four traps had produced a rich catch. Each one was packed, almost spilling over.

Yael stared in amazement. “This is almost unfair. You leave it sitting in the water, and the fish just throw themselves inside.”

Zachary tipped one basket over and dumped out its contents. Along with the fish, a heap of shrimp tumble out, followed by several crabs.

Taylor and Jaden crouched by the bank, fascinated as the fish and shrimp flopped and scattered over the ground. Then they went to help empty the remaining traps.

A moment later, two long brown bodies suddenly slapped down near Zachary’s feet.

He jerked so hard he nearly leaped backward.

Matthew caught him by the shoulders from behind and steadied him. “They are not snakes.”

Jaden ran over at once and kicked the slippery creatures away.

Zachary looked again, still tense. Only then did he realize they were loaches.

He pressed a hand against his chest and let out a slow breath. The blood gradually returned to his face.

After separating the fish from the shrimp, they stayed by the stream to gut and clean the portion they intended to cook that evening. Everything else would be returned in a basin of water and kept alive for another day or two.

By the time they returned, they had reached the part Yael loved most: making a fire and preparing the me

The sun had already dipped low, and the western sky burned red beneath the evening clouds.

It was perfect weather for cooking outside.

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Chapter 56 A Huge Catch

Zachary decided to set up a simple stove in front of the cave. Matthew and Yael immediately began putting it together.

Taylor and Jaden went off to gather thin branches for skewers. Quincy and Elias took charge of the mea and vegetables. Zachary sat nearby with a stone bowl in his lap, grinding roasted chilies into powder with a stone pestle.

The marinated meat was threaded onto skewers and laid over the flames. Once the surface began to color. they brushed on a little oil and scattered salt and chili powder over it. Before long, the smell of roasting meat spread through the air.

Zachary only had to demonstrate once. After that, everyone caught on quickly and started preparing their

own skewers.

Yael, in particular, had no intention of being restrained about his share. He built himself a ridiculous skewer so oversized that it looked more like an entire roast jammed onto a stick.

The cubs loved this kind of work. They attacked it with enthusiasm, happily threading mushrooms, greens, shrimp, and fish onto their skewers.

Quincy and Elias managed the grilling, while Matthew and Yael took on the harder job of opening the freshwater clams.

Once the clam meat was removed, Zachary scrubbed it repeatedly with salt to remove any grit. After that, he boiled it briefly, fished it out, and sliced it into thin strips.

He heated oil in a pot, then added wild onion and ginger once it was hot enough. After squeezing the excess moisture from the clam meat, he tossed it into the chilies and stir-fried everything over high heat. At the very end, he added just enough salt and a handful of chopped perilla.

The finished dish came out tender and springy, with a bright freshness under the heat of the chili and the fragrance of the herbs.

Even the people who had never cared for clams before were won over after the first bite. The muddy taste they remembered had disappeared completely. The more they chewed, the better it became.

The perilla they had gathered that morning also turned out to be a success. The moment everyone tried wrapping barbecue in fresh leaves, they approved.

Elias looked honestly shocked. “I never knew uncooked leaves could taste this good.”

“Yeah!” Taylor’s cheeks were bulging with food, yet he still managed to join in.

Yael also skewered the loaches and roasted them over the fire. Since they had very few bones, he handed one to Jaden and one to Taylor. The two cubs ate with obvious delight.

The crabs, however, had been ignored at first. They looked too odd, and no one believed there was much meat in them, so they had been shoved aside.

When Zachary finally found a moment to spare, he tossed them into a pot and boiled them.

The moment the cooked river crabs came out, they attracted everyone’s attention.

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Chapter 56 A Huge Catch

Taylor immediately dragged Jaden closer. “They changed color!”

Yact prodded one with a finger. “We can eat these, too?”

Elias picked up a crab and turned it over several times, completely at a loss. “How do you even start with this?”

Zachary picked one up and demonstrated. “Like this. These parts cannot be eaten, and neither can this bit here. Everything else is fine.”

Then he added, “The yellow part is the best.”

After cleaning one properly, Zachary split it in two and gave half to Jaden and half to Taylor.

Taylor bit into his piece right away, and his eyes widened on the spot.

Jaden sniffed first, then copied him and took a bite.

The roe was rich, soft, and sweet, while the meat was delicate yet firm, with a flavor unlike that of the fish and shrimp they had already eaten.

Jaden licked his lips and looked like he wanted more. “Sire, this is really delicious.”

The instant Yael heard that, he grabbed one for himself. “Then, I have to try it.”

Elias reacted no less strongly than Taylor had. “Wow.”

Quincy smiled as he ate. “It really is excellent.”

Zachary opened another crab, kept one half for himself, and passed the other to Matthew.

Therians had strong, sharp teeth, enough to crush shell and meat together without effort.

Even so, after noticing how carefully Zachary ate, Matthew slowed down as well. He followed Zachary’s example, chewing more deliberately and actually taking the time to enjoy the flavor.

The smell of barbecue drifted outward on the evening wind.

The nearby therians caught it almost at once with their keen senses. Before long, mouths were watering all around, and everyone was wondering the same thing: What has Zachary made this time?

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