Triton's Oath - His Hybrid Princess

25 - A mother's fear

Esme

Tears fall from my eyes as I stare out the large, arched window in my mate’s study. I am so scared. I have never been this afraid in all my life.

I knew only a member of my immediate family could have gotten past Lyasus. There was no one else who could have hidden Ava’s locket within Lyasus’ sanctuary. Just because Philip’s great-grandmother was a Vampire, that doesn’t mean he could get to Lyasus without her killing him. However, it did mean that he could walk into Vampire territory without any problems.

I promised Ava I would find out who helped Philip, but I never imagined it would have been my son. My baby helped that monster without realizing what he was doing.

How could he?

AJ is just ten years old. He’s not of an age, even for a Vampire, to understand that even people you know can be evil. AJ had seen Philip many times while visiting Lykos and again when Philip came here to visit with his great-grandmother. The boy was more Lycan than Vampire and didn’t possess any Vampiric powers. But he was welcome here, nonetheless.

I should have known. I should have because AJ had an accident, banging his head and scaring me half to death. Aidan brought AJ around, and our boy told us he fell and hit his head. I didn’t think anything of it until Ava left the other day.

While AJ slept, I read his mind. What I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life. Philip ran into AJ as he made his way to our home. He then convinced my son to play a game. He told AJ that he and Ava had something special that belonged to each other. They had to hide the something special in the last place anyone would look. Philip said that place would be somewhere in Harrington Castle, and AJ must keep Ava from what he knew.

However, my baby wasn’t convinced. He snatched the locket from Philip and ran to Lyasus’ cave. AJ threw the locket inside, knowing Philip wouldn’t dare enter. Philip was raving mad and told AJ he had no idea what he’d done.

AJ knew the locket’s significance and believed he could tell me what happened, and I would call Ava. Philip screamed that there was something about that locket, something unique. Why else would Ava never take it off? Philip would not stop until he found out what.

AJ tried to fob Philip off, but he wasn’t fooled. He demanded my little boy retrieve the locket. Philip had changed his mind and wanted to use it to make Ava be with him. My son, wanting to protect his cousin, refused. Philip attacked my baby, not caring if he’d killed him or not. Philip left, laughing because he knew no one would find the locket if AJ was dead.

My son temporarily lost his memory of that time but regained it back yesterday. AJ has been terrified ever since that Triton will kill him. No child should ever fear someone ending their life. The problem is that I don’t know if I can save my son from the sea-God’s wrath.

What am I going to do?

I wipe a tear from my cheek. There is no way I will stand by while Triton takes my son’s life, not when AJ didn’t know what he was doing. My boy tried to hide the locket to keep it from Philip. AJ had every intention of telling Ava where the locket was, but Philip got to him first.

“Mommy?” Roughly, I wipe my eyes and turn to AJ. I hadn’t realized he was standing there watching me. “Why are you crying?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, sweet boy.”

AJ and his younger brother, Elijah, are everything to me and Aidan. All those years Aidan spent waiting to claim me were worth it because we got our boys out of it. Oh, and how we love them so. I can’t imagine life without either of them. Hell, I barely remember my life before they were born.

“You’re crying because of me.” AJ lowers his eyes, and it hurts my heart.

“Come here, baby boy.” I hold my arms open, and my son wastes no time running into them. I hold him tightly, bringing him onto my lap.

Maybe at ten, AJ is too old to be sitting on my lap, but I don’t give a damn what others think. I won’t get to hold him like this for much longer. Children don’t stay children long, and we should enjoy them while we can.

Many children act much older than they are these days. But I love that both of my sons don’t. They act ten and eight, and I love it! But I know there will come a day when they will suddenly be men and won’t need me as they once did. It hurts my heart to think about it, but until that day comes, they are my babies, and I will do anything to protect them.

“Mommy,” AJ rests his head on my shoulder, his arms wrapped around my waist. “Please don’t cry. It hurts my heart to see you upset.”

I stroke his hair and kiss his head. His words make me emotional. AJ sometimes sounds like a Vampire of old, just like his father.

“I’m sorry, my darling. I didn’t mean for you to see me like this.”

“I could feel your sadness, Mommy.”

I sigh and hold my son tighter. I sometimes forget that AJ can feel what I can. My mate told me it was due to the bond AJ and I share. I became a Vampire when I mated with Aidan, making me a hybrid Lycan and Vampire. I gained all the powers of the mate of the King of Vampires, the son of the first Vampire.

While I was pregnant with AJ, I could sense his emotions from within the womb. I would sing to him, and AJ would kick, letting me know how happy he was. I loved him before he was born, and the moment I held him for the first time, my life changed for the better.

How much better could it have gotten?

I was already happy with Aidan, but with Aidan Junior, everything was better. Two years later, along came my Elijah, and I was filled with so much love that I didn’t know what to do with myself. But now, I am terrified Triton will take AJ from me.

“Am I going to die, Mommy?”

“No,” I tell him with conviction. “Mommy would never let anything happen to you, AJ. You know that. Don’t you?”

He nods against me and sniffs. He doesn’t believe me, and I don’t know how to prove it to him.

“I promise, baby boy. No one will ever hurt you while I’m around.”

“I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

“What’s going on here?”

I look up at my mate as he walks toward me in all his gothic Vampire glory. Every day, I fall deeper in love with Aidan. I remember the day I first realized I wanted Aidan as my mate. I was eleven years old, and my brother Thane had sent me, along with our sister Starr, to stay with Aidan for protection during the war with the Fairy King, Astro.

Starr was chasing me through the hallways of Harrington Castle. My older sister was trying to cheer me up because I was missing my mother. I accidentally ran into a podium that held an ancient vase, which fell to the ground and shattered into a million pieces, or so it seemed. I sobbed because I was scared that I would be in trouble.

Markus, Aidan’s right-hand man, called for the King. Aidan approached me, crouched down, and asked me why such a pretty little girl would cry. Aidan was so handsome, and even at that tender age, I could appreciate that.

I told him, ‘I broke your vase, but it was an accident. I didn’t mean to!’ Aidan smiled and told me the vase was just a vase and wasn’t worth anything. He didn’t want me to cry over something that wasn’t important. He hugged me that day, and I clung to him. Aidan was so nice to me, and I prayed every night for years that the Moon Goddess would make him my mate.

I found out years later that the vase was worth millions! It was centuries old, and I had broken it! When I found out Aidan was my mate, I apologized again for breaking it. Aidan laughed, kissed me, and told me it wouldn’t have mattered if the vase was worth trillions because I was priceless to him. I couldn’t love him more if I tried.

“Mommy’s sad.” AJ sniffs while looking at his father.

Aidan crouches down beside me, cupping my cheek. “What’s got you so sad, my angel?”

‘I’m worried about what will happen when Triton finds out it was AJ who hid the locket.’ I tell my mate through the mind link. I don’t want to say it out loud and scare my son further.

‘Esme,’ Aidan sighs inside my head. ‘Do you honestly believe Ava will allow Triton to harm our boy?’

I shake my head. ‘No, I don’t believe Ava would allow anything of the sort. But that doesn’t mean Triton won’t take it upon himself to get revenge. He isn’t known for his forgiveness, Aidan. I don’t want to go to this wedding. I know I should be there for Ava, but my baby is more important than anything else.’

Aidan sighs again. ‘Esme, Triton won’t kill a child. Yes, he might be angry at first, but he will understand when we explain what happened. Triton won’t blame AJ for what happened. Our son tried to be a man and protect Ava. Triton will understand that. And if he doesn’t, I will not stand by and let him harm AJ.’

‘You promise?’

‘I promise. Besides, it’s not me that Triton would have to worry about. Is it?’

I laugh despite my fears. Aidan is right; I would kill anyone who hurt either of my children. There is nothing I wouldn’t do, nothing I wouldn’t sacrifice to protect them. I would have killed Philip if Micheal hadn’t got there first!

‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a basket case.’

Aidan smiles. ‘You’re not. You’re a mother worried for her son. I also think it’s your hormones playing tricks on you.’

I laugh loudly, causing AJ to pull away from me with a smile on his beautiful face. “Mommy, you’re laughing.”

I cup his cheek and kiss her forehead. “I am. Daddy said something that made me laugh.”

“What did he say?”

Aidan takes AJ’s hand. “I said it was her hormones playing tricks on her. That’s what is making her cry.”

“So, the baby is making you cry?”

I smile as my son lays his hand on my small baby bump. Two days ago, I found out I was pregnant for the third time. My sons are so happy, but they haven’t stopped begging for a sister. Aidan told them they would get what they got, but my boys are adamant that the baby is a girl. We’ll find out one way or another in a few weeks.

“Not the baby as such. It’s just a feeling women get when they’re pregnant.” I tell my son, who smiles.

“Did I make you cry when you were having me?”

“Once or twice.” I wink.

“Mommy, Daddy, I packed my things!” Elijah yells while running to his father.

Aidan catches him and stands at his full height, holding Elijah on his waist. “You did?” Elijah nods. “Good boy.”

“Daddy, why are Mommy and AJ sad?”

My lip quivers at the sad look on Elijah’s face. People say that Elijah looks just like me, as AJ looks just like Aidan. I see it clearly when I look at my boys.

“We’re okay, Eli,” AJ smiles while pulling away from me and taking Elijah’s hand. Aidan puts Elijah on his feet, and we both smile as our boys embrace. They’re so close, and it means everything to Aidan and me that they are. “We need to finish getting ready. Kayson and Hel will be here soon to take us to Atlantis.”

“We’re going to see Sirens and Mermen!” Elijah yells happily.

I get to my feet and allow my mate to hold me in his arms. For all Aidan has said about Triton, something doesn’t sit right with me. The fear won’t leave me. I just pray I can make Triton understand that my son is innocent. AJ loves Ava, and he was only trying to help.

But what could a little boy do against a grown man?

Fenrir, Hel, Aether, and Narfi will be at the wedding. If Triton can’t be reasoned with, I hope they will help me keep AJ safe.

I hope…