Demon, Guardian, The Fallen, Oh My mates! Esmerelda's Story

Chapter One

Chapter One- 17 year old Esmerelda’s POV

“I’m afraid there isn’t anything more we can do. Her condition will likely be permanent. I don’t know what spell she used, and because of that, the curse is likely to be permanent.” The doctor spoke.

A quiet sob rang out in the room. My grandmother couldn’t hold in her sorrow knowing that her baby was in a permanent coma unless we could figure out how to reverse whatever spell it was my mother was working on.

My fathers were beside themselves with grief. Their mate. Their reason for breathing was in a coma. My father Ethan had fallen to his knees clutching one of my mother’s hands while my father Alexi held the other as tears silently trailed down his handsome face. No sound could be heard from his lips, but we all knew that he was screaming inside his mind. My dad Ethan may have been my mother’s true mate, but daddy Alexi and my mother have a different soul deep connection. They were true mates too, I wouldn’t exactly say they were different, but they weren’t exactly the same either. Mother tried to explain it to me before, but I was too young to really care at the time.

I kept thinking back to her accident in the laboratory. She had the knowledge of Hecate and all the spells and the framework of those spells. So how in the world did she mess it up this badly? Did someone tamper with something in her laboratory? I had so many questions and not enough answers. I looked towards my brothers.

My twin brothers Dimitri and Ares looked at me and we all nodded in silent agreement. We were going to figure out who did this to our mother, and we were going to make sure whoever did it pays with their lives. No one messes with our mother and gets away with it.

I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Esmerelda Marie and I am the daughter of Beth and Ethan and Alexi the Queen and Kings of Lycans and werewolves. I am part of a triplet set being the only girl. My twins are Dimitri and Ares. We are seventeen years old. We will be eighteen in a few weeks. I also have younger brothers, ten years old, who are also twins, Nico and Marty. My youngest sibling is my only sister and her name is Sierra. She is only five.

I felt a large warm hand on my shoulder and looked up to see my grandfather Lupus giving me that look he always does when he knows I am up to no good. He leant down and whispered softly, “You and your brothers will stay well away from your mother’s laboratory. Let the adults handle it. They are after you Esme. Don’t go walking into their hands, or your mother being like this,” He pointed to my mother, “was for nothing.”

I stared at him long and hard for a moment, I was about to open my mouth to speak when the air felt like it was charged with magic around me. I knew what that meant. A portal was opening and soon everyone in my family was outside my mother’s hospital room. I shrugged off Grandpa Lupus’ hand and ignored all the sad faces that had just appeared and walked into my mother’s room.

I slowly walked up to Daddy Alexi and gently tugged on his sleeve like I used to when I was just a little girl. His eyes snapped to me and when our eyes met the tears I had been desperately holding back started to fall relentlessly from my eyes. Daddy Alexi pulled me into his arms and I could feel his chest shake as he let his tears fall more freely too. I don’t know how long we stood that way, but Daddy Alexi was the first to pull away. He wiped my face as my tears had finally stopped, and gave a kiss to my forehead when he said, “You are your mother’s daughter. Don’t you ever forget that, Esmerelda.” Then just for my ears alone he sent in a mindlink ‘I know you and your brothers are already wanting to look into this. I won’t stop you because if anyone can figure it out it would be you Izzy. All I ask is that you are careful and you keep me and Ethan updated. However, you will NOT go into her laboratory until after the initial investigations are thoroughly exhausted. Is that understood?’

My mind was racing for a moment. I couldn’t believe that Daddy was giving me permission to look into what happened to mom. He had faith in us, that we could protect ourselves. It hurt my heart a little bit to think that Grandpa Lupus didn’t have that same faith in us. In me. I shook my head to get those thoughts out of my mind and replied back, “I understand Daddy. I promise I won’t forget.”

Daddy nodded his head as he understood I was replying to both things he had said to me. I then turned to my other father Ethan. I walked to him and went straight into his arms. He held me there and breathed me in as if I were a lifeline. “You remind me so much of your mother. Please stay safe baby girl. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you too.” He choked out and started to sob.

My heart broke. I had never seen my fathers look so broken and devastated. That is the power of the matebond. I don’t know if it is a blessing or a curse to be honest. I have been told all my life that the matebond is sacred and that no one will love you more than your mate will. They are supposed to instantly love you and want to be with you always. It doesn’t always work out that way though.

My Grandma Piper is proof of that. Her first mate was a real piece of crap. He caused her to miscarry eight times! Eight! He knew why she lost the pups, but he still blamed her for it all. It was stories like that that made me second guess if the matebond is really that sacred. I mean if it were, then why do so many creatures reject their Goddess given mates? Would I be lucky like my mother and find my mate and he loves me unconditionally, or will I be like my Grandma Piper and be rejected, broken, and humiliated.

I shook myself out of those thoughts. I still had another couple of weeks before I had to worry about that. Right now my mother and her condition was more important than my fear of finding my mate. I spent a few more minutes with my dads before I left the room and tried to escape the hallway with all of my family quickly and without notice. I thought I was in the clear when I managed to get around the corner without anyone looking my way or saying anything. I was totally wrong on all accounts.

I turned the corner as I was watching the others listening to the doctors again and ran straight into a solid hard chest, and bounced backwards almost hitting the ground until strong arms caught me. I looked up into the eyes of my Grandfather Roman. He gave me a small concerned smile.

“Where are you running off too in such a hurry Izzy?” Grandpa Roman asked in that way that was light, but also stated the seriousness of his inquiry.

“I’m sorry Grampy. I just couldn’t be around everyone right now. I can’t just stand around and do nothing. I need to figure out what happened. Mom is too good at her magic to mess up with something as serious as this. There has to be more to it all. I just know it in my gut.” I cry out in both frustration and hurt.

His face softens some more as he brings me in for a fierce hug. One thing about my Grampy is that his hugs are both shattering and healing. They somehow break down every bit of my walls so that all my grief and pain comes to the surface and escapes. Which is what is happening right now.

Every single negative thing that has been on my mind and plaguing my thoughts comes to the surface and comes out in tears streaming like a torrent down my cheeks. I cling to Grampy with all my might. Fearing that I am squeezing him too tightly, but not willing enough to loosen my hold. I stay there in his arms and feel lighter as my tears slow down to a slow trickle and ultimately stop.

I loosen my hold automatically as I feel more relaxed and composed. My heart doesn’t hurt nearly as much and I can think more rationally. I took a deep breath and looked up to my Grampy and noticed that he looked haggard. I tried to think back to when I bumped into him and how he looked then compared to now and I was stunned. He looks worse now after comforting me.

“Grampy, what's wrong? You look pale. You were just fine a minute ago. Did I…did I do something? Was it my magic again?” I started to freak out. Ever since I turned thirteen my magic has been all over the place. Not really in a bad way, usually just extra flares here and there when my emotions are high.

He quickly shook his head and smiled at me. His features smoothed out and his color returned to his face. It was as if I had been hallucinating before. He looked perfectly fine. “I’m fine Izzy. I’ve told you before that your magic has never harmed anyone or anything before. Your magic gets the better of you sometimes because you fear it. It is a part of you sweetheart. Embrace it. Don’t fear it. Come. I think I need your support to see your mother. Can you help keep me from losing my temper?” He winked at me and I gave him a small smile.

It was our inside joke. Usually he is pretty good at keeping his temper in check. However, one time when I was little, I think maybe four or five, I was walking with my mother and my brothers when I heard my Grampy yelling behind a closed door. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew my Grampy was angry and he would be mad at himself if he said something mean to anyone. So I let go of my mother’s hand and marched right into that room with my hands on my little hips. I startled the people in the room who were all members of my family. I walked up to Grampy and said, “I’ll hold your hand while you talk so I can help you not lose your temper.” Well I think I said temperature, but I definitely meant temper.

Everyone in the room had laughed except for Grampy. He looked at me with an unreadable expression. After a few moments of pause his lips lifted into a smile and he picked me up and said, “Thanks princess. I needed that.” Kissed me on the cheek and sat me back down so I could hold his hand, and I did the whole meeting and not once did Grampy lose his temper again. Ever since we have used it to tease one another.

I walked hand in hand with Grampy as we walked back around the corner to where the mass of people, also known as my family, were waiting. They all parted letting us through. Grandma Piper gave me a sad smile and nodded at me as she winked. She wasn’t bothered that Grampy wasn’t escorting her in or ignoring her. She knew how our bond was and she nurtured it. I am named after his first beloved after all.

We walked hand in hand right past everyone else. Even my younger siblings who were clinging to our Grandma Martha and Grandpa Aruthur. He led us straight into the room and my eyes instantly clouded with unshed tears. As I was walking with Grampy a feeling swept over me and a pull formed. I walked ahead as if in a trance. My body is moving without me telling it to. Almost as if Harmonia had taken control.

I feel my hand moving as I lay it on my mother’s forehead and feel magic coming into me from her. My mind is racing, feeling the panic that I was stealing my mother’s magic when she needed it the most. Before I could panic too much I felt and heard a soft whisper. It was coming from my magic. It felt as if it were rejoicing. Feeling almost whole again. What in hell is going on?

As soon as I have control of my body again I jerk my hand away and step back. I look around everyone in the room and see the concerned looks on their faces. I swear I could see a bit of fear in my father Ethan’s eyes before it is masked. “Esmerelda what did you just do?” Daddy Alexi asked.

I turned to him to answer when I stopped as soon as I saw the anger and suspicion in his eyes. I took a step back on instinct. He took quick strides and grabbed my wrist in an almost painful grasp. I whimpered slightly at the pain. I tried to use my other hand to remove Daddy’s, but my eyes clouded over and a vision appeared in my mind.