Triton's Oath - His Hybrid Princess

Ava “Come on! Stop dragging your feet!” I roll my eyes at Alice, one of my triplet counterparts. She’s been nagging me all week to join her and our other triplet sister, Alivia, for a party by the lake. They were having drinks with some friends and wanted me to join them. I’m not opposed to that; I enjoy hanging out with friends now and again. I don’t have many friends, but those close to my sisters treat me respectfully. The trouble is that Alice and Alivia will do what they always do – ignore their friends and fawn all over their mate. Yes, I said, mate, as in one. Carter is the Royal Delta’s son and never imagined he would be mated to a princess. So, you can imagine his shock when he got two mates – identical at that! Carter was a little confused that all three of us weren’t his mates. Actually, we all were. But then, I’ve always been the odd one of the three of us. Alice and Alivia are identical in every way, including their looks, height, dress sense, the sound of their voices, and even the way they talk. I’m shorter, don’t look much like them, don’t sound like them, and I don’t dress like them. Not that I want to share a mate with my sisters. I couldn’t imagine having se.x with the same man at the same time as my sisters. Though my sisters do just that. It’s weird to me, though it shouldn’t be. Alice and Alivia are not the only twins in our family with the same mate. Our second cousins Thorin and Tane have the same mate. But they’re men, and it seems stranger to have two women – sisters – with the same mate than it does when it’s two brothers. Why? Fucke.d if I know. I do feel left out, though. I’ve often wondered if the Moon Goddess forgot about me. All of my older siblings have mates. My younger four siblings aren’t old enough to have mates, but I am. What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I have a mate yet? It shouldn’t bother me so much. My dad was well over one hundred before he found my mother. Dad’s cousin, the Lycan King, was over one hundred and fifty before he found his mate! I bet that’s what will happen to me. Oh, well. It is what it is. My brother, Michael, says I should have fun while I’m young. By that, he means I should sleep around with random men. I could do that; it’s not like most Lycans wait to meet their mate when it could be decades before that happens. I’m pushing twenty-four, and it’s not like I’ll meet my mate anytime soon, if I even have one. But the fact is, I just don’t find anyone sexuall.y attractive enough to sleep with them. Maybe I’m just destined to be alone forever. Whatever. I am a strong, independent woman, and that is the way I will stay! “Hurry up, Ava!” Alice grumbles as we trudge through the trees. “You know Alivia and I don’t get much time away from the kids!” That’s another thing my triplet counterparts have that I don’t—children. They got pregnant at the same time and gave birth on the same day. Both had twins, a boy and a girl. I shi.t you not. Alice has Carter Junior because he popped out first, and Maria. Alivia has Jack and Mari. The kids are four now, and they are all identical in more ways than one. I don’t want children. I would be a useless mother. I don’t have a maternal bone in my body. Most of my older siblings have children, and though I love them all, I can’t be around them for long. “I’m coming! Keep your panties on!” I hiss. “Not likely.” My sister laughs. “Mom and Dad have the kids tonight. So, Alivia and I are going to…” “I don’t want to know!” I yell, cutting her off. I don’t want to know what Alice and Alivia have planned for their mate. My sisters might not be bothered about being naked together, watching each other get fucke.d, and probably joining in, but it bothers me! Alice laughs all the way to the lake. I don’t find her funny at all! I groan the moment my eyes land on Philip. Philip is handsome in his own right, intelligent, and funny. He has asked me out nonstop since I was seventeen, but I’ve always said No. It’s not that I don’t like Philip; I just don’t like him the way he wants me to. I’ve spurned his advances more times than I can count. Why can’t men take No for an answer? Sure, some women like it when a man doesn’t give up trying to date them. That’s because that woman is playing hard to get. But I don’t know how much clearer I can make that I. Am. Not. Interested! My friend, Yolanda, said I should be flattered. Having a man who wants you that much should make a girl feel special. But Philip’s persistence has never made me feel special. It actually gives me the ick. If I look at things objectively, Philip would make a good chosen mate. He has all the qualities of a good mate, and I’m sure he’ll be wonderful to her when he finds his destined mate. But he is just not for me. Besides, there are plenty of women out there for Philip, much better women than me. I won’t sit here and put myself down. I won’t pretend I’m a terrible person, ugly, and overweight because I’m not. I don’t claim to be the best-looking woman in the world because I’m not that either. But I am shorter than other Lycanesses. Hell, I’m even shorter than my five-two mother! Alice and Alivia are five-foot-ten, and even after two children each, they look like supermodels. Me? I’m five-foot and curvy. I have a slim waist, thick thighs, and a bubble butt. I don’t even have a handful of boobs, unlike my sisters, who have DDs! Five-foot? Really? For a Lycaness, that’s just embarrassing. Even more so because my Lycan is just as short. She looks like a pup compared to our family’s Lycans, who stand anywhere from eight to twelve feet. And my Dragon? Tiny compared to the colossal Dragons of my siblings. We’re both Royal Dragon and Lycan and are bigger in both species than any other Lycan or Dragon. I sometimes wonder if I was the crap left over from the conception of my sisters, the child that was never meant to be. After all, they are identical; they were born from the same sack, while I was born from a different sack. They got all the nourishment while I was born small and sickly, not meant to survive. However, I am a fighter. I always have been and always will be. “Hey, you,” Philip winks as Gianni, a friend from school, hands me a red plastic cup filled with beer. I smile in thanks and take a sip. I can taste the Kathien in the drink. We have to add Kathien or Wolfsbane or one or two other could-kill-you-if-you-take-too-many ingredients in order to get drunk. There’s not enough in this drink for that, but tipsy will do. There are a few of us here today. Twelve in total. We’re all friends in one way or another, though everyone here is more my sister’s friends than mine, apart from Yolanda, of course. The music is loud, and everyone is having fun. I keep my eyes off my sisters and their mate. Watching them fawning all over each other all night is not my thing. But everywhere I look, couples are kissing and canoodling. Only three of us aren’t mated. Me, Philip, and Yolanda. Yolanda is same-se.x orientated, and I sometimes wish Philip was too. It would stop him from coming after me all the time. Not that I believe I’m better than anyone else, because I don’t. But I am a Princess of Lycans and Dragons, the great-great-granddaughter of Leviathan. Yes, Philip’s father is a Lord, but that means nothing to me. We’re not living in the 1800s when the Lycan King would arrange marriages of unmated family members for political reasons. Women have minds of their own, and these days, that means something! It’s just a pity Philip didn’t get the memo. “Come and dance with us!” I roll my eyes at Alivia. “No, thank you.” She pouts but continues to drink and dance. I would never begrudge my sisters some fun; they don’t get to do this often. But I would rather be anywhere else right now. This isn’t my thing. I would rather be in my room reading. “Why are you over here by yourself?” I refrain from rolling my eyes at Philip. I have no choice but to look at him when he holds out a fresh drink to me. I finished my previous drink a while ago. I hadn’t picked up another one when I came and stood against this tree. Everyone else is in the lake, having childish fun. Goddess, I’m a miserable bitc.h! I don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, so I should just go home. “I got you a drink.” Philip urges because I haven’t taken it from him yet. “Thanks,” I mumble while taking it. “Why aren’t you in the lake with the others?” Philip shrugs. “Don’t feel like it. I’m going home after this drink.” Him and me both. I take a sip of my drink, then decide just to knock it back. The quicker I can leave, the better. The very idea of spending time with a man who can’t take No for an answer is beyond me. The problem is that as soon as I’m done, I don’t feel right. My head is buzzing, and everything around me is distorted. I can’t focus my vision, and I stagger, trying to hold myself up. I can’t feel my Lycan or Dragon, and they won’t answer me when I call them. I try calling my sisters through the mind link, but they don’t answer me either. “What’s going on?” I hear Yolanda speak, but when I look at her, she’s got four heads. I laugh because that is so funny! “How much have you had to drink?” “A lot.” Philip laughs when I fail to answer Yolanda’s question. “She added more Kathien to her drink.” Fuckin.g liar! I did no such thing! “I told her not to, but you know what Ava is like. I’ll take her home now.” “No,” Yolanda’s voice is starting to sound far away. “I’ll take her.” “It’s fine. I’m leaving now anyway. You stay and have fun.” I hum as my eyes roll. I fall against someone who lifts me in their arms. Why can’t I feel my body? Why can’t I open my eyes? The tips of my fingers and toes are tingling, and my arms are heavy. I can’t raise my head. I feel paralyzed! “It’s okay,” I hear someone whisper in my ear. “We’re going to take real good care of you, Ava.” What the hell is going on?