Triton's Oath - His Hybrid Princess

4 - I must be dead

Ava

“Wakey, wakey, doggie.” A slap to my face forces my eyes open with a groan.

I look around the dank room, seeing nothing familiar, until I look up and see my arms are tied above my head. I take a shuddering breath when I notice that I’m standing on a small box, barely big enough for both feet.

Who the hell would hook me up like a dead pig!?

I try not to panic because if I do and I fall, my arms will rip out of their sockets. I call for my Lycan and Dragon, but they don’t answer, meaning this man did something to block them, and I’m stuck with the monster who kidnapped me.

“There you are!” He smiles wide, and I sneer at him.

What the hell did he think?

That I’d be pleased to see him?

That I would be happy to be tied up like this?

He sighs. “I see you have no manners. Oh, well.”

The punch to my stomach was so unexpected and so forceful that it took my breath away. My ribs break on impact. My feet slip from the box, my left shoulder pops from the socket, and blood spurts from my mouth. I can’t even scream through the pain I’m feeling because I can’t breathe!

I wish I could lift my leg and kick the bastard in the balls. But all I can do is bend my right leg and lift it enough to pull it toward my stomach, trying to relieve the agony.

What did I do to deserve this?

Who the hell did I piss off so badly that people would want to hurt me the way Philip, Yolanda, and now this man is doing?

The giant of a man grabs my waist in his big hands and forces me to stand on the box. Tears of agony fall from my eyes as I take slow, shallow breaths.

“Now, let’s talk. But,” He holds up a finger. “Try not to piss me off again, or you won’t survive what I’ll do to you next. Do you understand?”

What I understand is this man is a piece of motherfuckin.g shi.t! He’s a spineless cun.t who attacks women to make himself feel good. His dic.k is probably so small he couldn’t get a woman the conventional way, so he kidnaps them to get his rocks off!

I pray to the Moon Goddess, Mighty Fenrir, and even Grandpa Leviathan that this man doesn’t rape me. I won’t survive another sexua.l assault. I would fight this man with all I am, but he’s far too powerful and would overpower me instantly. That’s why I’ll do what he wants – for now, at least.

“Yes,” I whisper while trying to breathe through parched lips. I’m sweating profusely because of the pain I’m in, and I feel like I’m going to vomit.

“Good.” He smiles. “Good. I bet you’re wondering why you’re here. Well, let me tell you. You’re here to repay a debt.”

Repay a debt?

This guy, who still hasn’t given me his name, is mental! I’ve never seen him before in my life. I don’t owe him any debt!

“Many moons ago, someone fucke.d me over, and you’re the one who must pay the price. I had planned to kill you and send the bastard your head in a box.”

I whimper because I don’t want to die. Sure, I’ve been through some shi.t over the past few days. But that doesn’t mean I want to die because of it.

“However,” He steps closer, and I try not to cringe. “I have decided on a better way to get back at him.”

Him?

Who the fuc.k is this lunatic talking about!?

I flinch when he slides a finger down my cheek. “I’m going to make you, my wife.”

Like fuc.k he will! I will never marry this man, no matter what he does to me. He can’t force me to say ‘I do’ unless it’s one of his powers. Even then, it won’t be consensual.

I close my eyes as he leans in and sniffs my neck. My aching, bruised stomach turns over in disgust.

“I’m going to enjoy ruining Triton’s little mate.”

Am I already dead?

Because this man must really be insane if he thinks I’m Triton’s mate. I don’t even know Triton!

He puts his hand on my waist and squeezes, and I gasp. “Ouch! Please don’t. It hurts so much.”

He chuckles darkly and groans while sniffing my neck again. “The pain you feel right now is nothing to what you will feel should you defy me. You’re not going to defy me. Are you?”

I shake my head erratically. I’ll tell him whatever he wants to hear as long as he doesn’t hurt me again, and only for that reason. The damage he caused me with one punch is bad enough. I’m sure a man his size could kill me with a flick of his finger. I’m not healing because I can’t feel my Lycan or Dragon. As I’m not suicida.l, this is what I must do to survive.

“You’re going to behave when I introduce you to my parents. You will act as though you love me. If you fuc.k up just once, I will kill you where you stand. Is that understood?”

Again, I nod. I’ll act the part he wants me to play. All the while, I’ll be plotting my escape and revenge. There is no way I will ever give up. My family will be looking for me by now. Grandpa Leviathan will find me; I just have to hold on until he does.

But I will admit that I am so confused. Whatever this man’s reasons for doing what he’s doing to me don’t make sense.

How does he think he would ever get away with it?

My family will never give up looking for me. And unless this man somehow poisons my mind into believing I love him and want to be with him, I will never stay once they find me. The moment Leviathan shows up, I will run to him and ask him to get me the hell out of here. Also, I’ll stand back and watch Leviathan kill this bastard!

“Good.” I cringe when he kisses my cheek, which makes him laugh. “Don’t worry, little one. You will learn to love my touches. And if you don’t? Bad luck.”

I feel sick. There is nothing I can do in this position to save myself. The man, whose name I still don’t know, moves away from me just as another huge man flashes into the room. This man is taller than the man who kidnapped me, and he’s blond, not dark-haired. The blond’s eyes widen upon looking at me.

He turns to my kidnapper. “What the hell are you playing at?!”

“Preparing my bride.”

“Bride? Have you lost your mind!? Ares, you cannot do this!”

Ares?

The man who kidnapped me is Ares?

As in the God of War?

Okay, wow…

I didn’t recognize him. I’ve heard stories about Ares, but I don’t recall ever seeing him before. However, my mind is screaming that I have seen him somewhere before. I heard stories about him, especially what he did to Ivy all those years ago, but nothing more. Whatever, it doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is surviving and getting out of here.

“I am doing this, Apollo!” Ares yells.

My head spins, and I vomit up blood without warning. Apollo rushes over, snaps his fingers, and my arms drop from the binds. My body instantly sags, and I’m scared I’ll fall to the ground. But Apollo catches me. Pain ricochets through my body, and I pass out.

****

My senses begin to return, but I force myself not to move or make a sound. I don’t want to alert Ares that I’m awake. I just want a moment’s peace. I’m no longer in pain, and my ribs feel healed, which means Apollo helped me. I’m also lying on a soft bed, which I assume Apollo put me on.

“Leviathan will kill you for this, Ares.”

“I’m not scared of Leviathan.” Ares huffs.

“No?” Apollo mocks. “And what about Triton? What do you think he’ll do when he finds out you have his mate?”

Why do they keep mentioning Triton?

I mean, Triton, as in Poseidon’s son?

Why do they think I’m Triton’s mate?

I’m not his mate. I would have known, or someone would.

Wouldn’t they?

Then again, how could they?

From what I heard, Triton has been locked away in his underwater palace for years. There has been no way for him to get out.

So, what are these fools talking about?

“He’s not going to find out, and even if he does, it will be too late. So, keep your mouth shut, Apollo.”

“Ares,” Apollo sighs. “How in any Realm do you think you’ll get away with this?”

“Easy. That girl over there is going to convince Zeus that she loves me. Then, he’ll force Selene to break Ava’s bond with Triton.”

“You don’t think Triton will have something to say about that? He will come here for Ava, Ares, and you know that.”

“I do.” Ares laughs. “Oh, I do. But it will be too late. Ava will be marked and mated by me. Losing his mate will be my ultimate revenge for what Triton did to me.”

“You’re insane! You don’t even want the girl. Why would you take such pleasure in hurting her?”

“Because I can.”

I wonder if I am actually dead. Maybe I slipped on the boulder at the beach and banged my head. Perhaps the tide came in and swept me out to sea, and I drowned. I was daydreaming about the Merman from my dream, and that’s why I’m hearing the name Triton.

Damn, this is not how I imagined my death.

Stuck in purgatory with Ares?

Even in death, I get the short straw!

The bed dips, and my heart hammers. “I know you’re awake.” Ares chuckles. “Open your eyes, Ava.”

I swallow hard and force my eyes open. Ares stares at me, and I cringe when he reaches out to touch my face. This angers him, and he grabs my face in his hand and leans down.

“That will have to be rectified. We cannot have my father thinking my bride is scared of me. Now, can we?”

“No,” I whisper. “But what does it matter if I’m already dead?” I hiss, finding my voice and looking him dead in the eye.

He snorts before laughing loudly. “Stupid bitc.h! You’re not dead. Though you soon will be if you don’t behave. Let’s get your training underway!”

So, I’m not dead. But I am stuck with this lunatic. I don’t understand what all of this is about, but I’ll play along enough to keep myself alive. I won’t let him touch me sexuall.y, and I hope I can convince Zeus to help me because there is no way I will be what this man wants me to be. Ares will soon learn that I am not the girl to mess with!