Triton's Oath - His Hybrid Princess

26 - Stay away from my mate!

Triton

I stand at the edge of the Grand Hall, my eyes narrowed, and my fists clenched. My usually stoic demeanor is marred by a hint of fury that seems to pulse with each beat of my heart. My thoughts are racing, a tempest of anger and betrayal swirling through my mind. My sister, Rhodos, just told me what Lariya said to my Ava. I can barely contain the rage swirling inside!

I understand now Ava’s possessive behavior earlier. Not that I mind my mate being possessive of me. But no one had the right to say anything to upset her! Oh, I am not going to stand for this!

I should never have touched Lariya all those years ago. I should have known she would not give up in her quest to have me claim her. Lariya is a beautiful female with hair as dark as the ocean depths and eyes as cold as a winter’s storm. The daughter of my father’s hand and a woman who does not take No for an answer. If my father ever found out I had bedded down with Lariya more than once, he would gut me like a fish.

“Brother, please calm down.”

I shake my head at Rhodos. “I will not calm down! That bitc.h had no right to even speak to Ava. What must my mate think of me?” I’m not really asking that question; it was rhetorical. However, Rhodos answers.

“Ava thinks the world of you, Triton. She wasn’t rattled by anything Lariya said. In fact, Ava laughed in her face. She was adamant that you loved one another and nothing else mattered. Not the past because it was just that, the past. All that matters to Ava is the future you both have in front of you.”

I nod. Good, I’m glad Ava wasn’t fooled by Lariya. However, it doesn’t stop the guilt I feel for being with other women. I know that makes no sense when I am thousands of years old. I never imagined I would be gifted a mate, never mind one as young as Ava. My mate has the maturity of one much older than she, and I love her for it. However, it won’t stop me from wringing Lariya’s neck!

Talk of the devil.

Lariya walks into the Grand Hall, a smile on her face. Our eyes meet, and Lariya’s smile freezes on her lips as she reads the wrath in my gaze. She knows she’s been found out. I can hear her heart hammering in her chest as she takes a step back, her hand fluttering to her throat as if she could already feel the weight of my grip.

With a swiftness that belies my size, I close the distance between us. My hand shoots out, and before Lariya can react, I have her pinned to the wall. The strength of my grip is unyielding, and I know Lariya can feel the power of the sea coiling in my muscles, ready to snap her in two.

“Why, Lariya?” I growl, my voice a thunderclap in the quiet room. “Why would you seek out my mate and say such things about me?”

Her eyes grow wide with fear as she realizes the gravity of her mistake. “She came… running to you?” She gasps out as if in disbelief.

I sneer. “That is not of your concern. I asked you a question. Now, answer it!”

“I... I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” She stutters, her voice strained by the pressure on her throat. “I only wanted her to see you for who you really are.”

“And who is that?” My eyes flash with a fury that could boil the ocean. “A liar? A cheat? Tell me, is that what you believe?”

Lariya’s pupils dilate as she struggles for breath. “N-no,” She gasps. “But I thought if she knew... if she doubted... maybe she would leave you.”

My grip tightens, and Lariya’s legs begin to tremble. “So, you would have me suffer for your own selfish desires?” I spit. “You can’t have me, so no one can? Is that it?”

Lariya has never made any secret of the fact she wants me for her own. After my betrothed turned out to be a lying bitc.h, after she left me, heartbroken due to her death, Lariya was there to comfort me. I took her to my bed, and for months, she was all I cared about – well, her body, at least. There was never any connection there for me after se.x, and that’s all it ever was, se.x. But for Lariya, it meant falling in love when I expressly told her not to do something so stupid.

Falling in love with a man like me would only lead her to heartache. For too many years, I was lost inside myself. Lariya believed she could make me love her, and we would one day rule the oceans together.

She was deluded, and once I caught wind of her love for me, I ended things. I could not give her what she wanted, and I no longer wanted to deal with her. I should have realized she wouldn’t let it go, especially when Ava arrived.

Lariya’s eyes fill with tears, and she nods frantically. “I love you, Triton,” She chokes out. “I always have. I just wanted you to want me again. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You’re pathetic! How many times must I tell you that I don’t want you, Lariya? I do not love you and never will! Ava is my mate, soon-to-be my wife. She is the only female I will ever love, and it’s time you got that through your thick skull!”

Tears fall from Lariya’s eyes. I don’t care how upset she is; the woman brought this upon herself. Sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind. I cannot have Lariya coming after Ava. My mate is innocent, and Ava deserves my love and respect. By having past flings, throwing our affairs in her face is not respect, and I will kill anyone who dares upset her. No exceptions!

I stare at Lariya for a long moment, the anger in my eyes slowly being replaced by something akin to disgust.

“If you ever go near Ava again,” I warn, my voice low and deadly, “I will make you wish your father had never sired you. You will feel the full wrath of the sea, and it will not be swift or kind.

“I will not tolerate you or anyone else accosting my mate and telling her such vile things. Ava is all that matters to me, now and always. Do I make myself understood?”

Lariya nods as Rhodos takes my arm. “Brother, she gets it. Please let her go.”

I snarl at Lariya before slowly releasing her. She crumples to the floor, coughing and clutching her throat.

“Stay away from my mate. This is your only warning.”

As I turn to leave, Lariya’s sobs echo through the Grand Hall. Perhaps I was too harsh, but it’s the only way I know to get through to her. No one in the universe means more to me than Ava. I don’t care about the feelings of others, only my mate.

‘Triton? Where are you?’ My mate calls for me. I hear her sweet voice inside my head.

‘Ava? Are you okay? Is something wrong?’

‘I need to see you. We need to talk about something important, and it cannot wait.’

It takes me next to no time to locate my mate. She’s standing outside the drawing room, set up for guests.

“Ava!” She turns in time for me to wrap my arms around her and kiss her head. She giggles as I pull away. “What is it?”

“I found out how my locket got into Lyasus’ cave.”

“I thought Philip put it there?”

Ava shakes her head. “I need you to listen to what I have to say without interrupting. Can you do that for me?”

I would do anything for this woman.

I smile while stroking her cheek and nod.

“Okay. So, we knew someone must have helped Philip because there was no way he could have gotten into that cave without being eaten. So, it turns out that someone did see Philip heading toward Harrington Castle. Philip lied to this person, pretending he had my locket as some kind of game we were playing.

“Anyway, the person didn’t believe Philip’s lies. They snatched the locket from him, ran to Lyasus’ cave, and threw it inside. They did so because they knew Philip wouldn’t be able to get it back, and then they could call me and tell me where my locket was.

“The only problem with that is Philip attacked the person and left them for dead. When they came around, they had lost their memories and didn’t regain them back until recently.”

I nod, listening intently to every word my mate speaks. What she just said made a lot of sense. Clearly, the person who took the locket from Philip meant only to hide it so Philip couldn’t retrieve it and use it against Ava.

“As soon as the person remembered, they told their parents everything. They’ve also been terrified ever since that you’ll be angry and kill them.”

I furrow my brow. “Why would I kill the person if they meant only to help you?”

“I don’t know,” Ava whispers. It seems that she does know but won’t say.

It seems my reputation precedes me. It does not matter what I do in this life or the next; no one will ever believe I am more than the rumors.

“Triton,” Ava takes my hands and kisses my knuckles. “I know you won’t hurt them. I know because you are a good man – the man I love with all that I am. I know your heart.”

I smile because as long as Ava believes in me, I don’t care about anyone else.

I sigh. “Do you know who this person is?”

“I do. My cousin, AJ.”

“Who is that?” I don’t recall hearing that name before.

“Aidan Junior, son of the Vampire King and Queen. AJ is Aidan and Esme’s eldest son.”

“How old?”

“Ten.”

Ten years old?

And people feared I would kill him?

Am I really so awful people would believe I could murder a child?

One who technically did nothing wrong?

“Triton, listen to me.” Ava leans on her tiptoes to grab my face, forcing me to look at her. “I know you feel hurt by this, but it’s just taking my family a little time to get over what happened with Aurora and Ivy. I want you to know that I am going to make damn sure this shi.t stops right now. I will not have anyone making you feel like this. You’re my Merman, and you are my life. I love you. You know that, don’t you?”

I nod. “I love you, too, Ava. Why can you leave the past where it is, but no one else can? I have never killed an innocent child, Ava. I would not do something so awful.”

“I know you wouldn’t. I believe in you one million percent.” I smile and kiss her plush lips. “My cousins are inside. Will you come to speak to AJ? I’m so proud of him for what he tried to do for me, Triton. He’s just ten years old, yet he stood up to a much older man, all for me.”

I tuck her hair behind her ear. “Anyone who stands up for you is a man in my eyes, regardless of age.”

Ava kisses me again, and I smile against her mouth. She then takes my hand and leads me into the room beside her. Vampire King Aidan Harrington, his wife Esme, and their two sons stand from their seats. Instantly, I can tell which child is AJ. He is the image of his father.

“Triton,” Aidan tips his head. His wife holds onto her sons for dear life. For the first time in my life, I do not like the fear I see on that woman’s face. She is afraid for her child, and I am the reason for it.

Will it always be this way?

“Aidan,” I reply. I look at AJ. “Ava tells me you stood up to Philip in a bid to protect her. Is that true?”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

“You took the locket and hid it in a place Philip wouldn’t be able to retrieve it and then were hurt?”

“Yes, sir.”

I crouch down because I don’t want to intimidate the boy. I’m an incredibly tall man compared to a ten-year-old.

“Do you know that Ava is the most important person in my life, AJ?”

He nods. “Yes. She’s my favorite cousin, and I just wanted to protect her. I didn’t mean to forget what happened. I wanted to tell her about the locket right away. I promise.”

“Is that why you believe I would hurt you? Because you couldn’t remember immediately?”

Again, he nods.

I sigh because I do not want that reputation! Having others fear me is natural when it comes to being a God. But I don’t want the children in Ava’s family to be scared of me. That is not right!

“Do you want to know what I think?” Another nod. “I think you are the bravest young man I have ever met.” His eyes widen as he stands straighter, seemingly less afraid. “What you did for Ava was nothing short of heroic. You did what most men ten times your age would fear to do. You are brave, AJ, and you will be a wonderful King when the time comes.”

His parents look at me with wide eyes. Clearly, they were not expecting this reaction. I can sense Ava smiling beside me, and her aura screams, ‘I told you so!’

I hold my hand out to AJ, who smiles and takes it, and we shake like men.

“You have nothing to fear, AJ. Anyone who would do what you did to protect my mate never needs to fear me.”

AJ laughs. “I will always protect Ava.”

“Good man.” I tap his shoulder and get to my feet.

Ava runs into my arms. ‘You are the most amazing man I have ever known!’ She yells inside my head. ‘I am so proud of you, Triton. I didn’t think I could love you more, but I was wrong.’

I smile and kiss her head. ‘I love you, too.’

‘My Lord, more of Ava’s family have arrived.’

‘Thank you, Caius.’

This should be fun!