Marked By The Demon Lycan King

Three

CULLEN

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Cullen walked through the hallways as he made his way to Lady Natalia's chambers.

He took steady and unhurried strides that only spells grace. He was a ruler and an alpha after all.

He entered her chambers after being let in by the guards who were positioned at the door.

"My lord" she spoke up with a hoarse voice and bowed her head the minute he graced her with his presence. Her voice was weak and fragile.

"Save your strength My lady" he told her softly but his facial features were still the same.

Natalia looked tired and her skin had turned pale.

"How are you feeling now?"

"I would've been dead meat if I was a mere mortal" she gave a sad smile "The wolf is keeping me strong but I know that she too is tired. I can feel how agitated and weak she had become inside me"

Cullen could tell just by looking at her that she is almost on the verge of death. It is only a matter of time now. Her scent has changed completely. He can only smell death which meant that her life-force was gradually fading.

"I am honored that you have graced me with your presence in my last days. I will forever be grateful to you." she coughed and he signalled a maid to tend to her.

"We did not marry under the proper circumstances Lady Natalia and we both know that you are not my mate as well but you are my wife by tradition so it's only befitting" he responds. Eyes staring intently at her.

She gave a low chuckle "Thank you"

"I'll make sure that the royal physician checks up on you regularly..."

"That won't be necessary my lord." She interrupted sharply "Can I ask you for a favor instead?"

There was a brief pause. And then "You may"

"I want to see the fields one last time. Would you go for a stroll with me on the fields" she requests, hoping that he gives her a positive reply and not turn her down.

She shouldn't have asked the king for such a favour but she is already dying. What does she have to lose anyways?

"As you wish my lady"

A small smile played on her lips "I would get ready and meet you outside"

He exits her bedroom and she orders her maid to grant her one final wish of making her beautiful again for the last time.

Her maid dresses her up in a long flowing silk and styled her hair. They also applied minimal makeup and helped her with her shoes.

"Now I look like someone who'll die happily today." she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall before joining Cullen outside.

Celyn who saw the lady and the Alpha king taking a walk together for afar, crunched her face as she grumbled in anger.

"The flowers are looking beautiful this time of the season" Natalia says with a deep smile on her smile. That sad smile are saying a lot of things that her mouth cannot say

Cullen's face tightens "Indeed they are"

He doesn't want to be out here but he has no other choice than to honour Natalia's wish. He knows that she might give up soon because he can smell the scent of death around her.

Cullen also doesn't like these flowers one bit. Ixora's were his mother's favourite plant. His step mother had told him different stories about his mother and how she loved to pick and tend to them when she was alive. Looking at them, reminded him of her as he tried to picture what she would look like in his head.

He doesn't even know her but at least he has a frame in his bedroom to remember her by.

Hurtful eyes turned to look at the Alpha king whose face was devoid of any emotions whatsoever "I am sorry my lord. I am sorry that I couldn't produce an heir for you."

Cullen was taken aback by the statement. He wasn't expecting that sort of outburst from her.

"I do not want you to feel sorry for me Natalia." He spoke after minutes of silence "It is not your fault. I do not need a child neither do I desire one. If I wanted to father an heir then I would've done so a long time ago but I am simply uninterested. That decision is entirely mine and has nothing to do with you." he adds.

Lady Natalia looked at the face of the man that has walked through flames and a fiery furnace. He is bruised, broken and battered.

When she first got married to him, she thought that he was arrogant and filled with pride but Cullen is far from it. He has a kind heart but his past is hindering him from becoming a happy man. She has heard stories about what he went through as a child. She knew how much he has suffered and the reason why he despises women. She knows the anger behind every frown. He rarely smiles. He doesn't laugh and he doesn't socialize. The only friend that he has is Alpha Degar and sometimes she wonders how they ended up becoming friends because he also lashes out on him as well.

Although they haven't been intimate since the she arrived at the Zivando's household. He never touched her, not once. He only sleeps with one person and that is Celyn because she is his slave and he can do whatever he wants with her.

Not that she was complaining but she just wants him to find happiness. She wants him to experience love. Even though it is not with her. Her heart bleeds for him each time she sees him but not out of love, it is only because she cares for him. They were friends after all.

"Is that why you never touched me?"

"That is essentially why I never wanted to get married to you in the first place Natalia. I didn't want you wishing or hoping for things that will never be." he blurts out coldly.

"I will pray to the goddess on your behalf Cullen. That one day, you'll find a reason to smile" she gave him a faux smile before her legs gave way but Cullen caught her before she made any contact to the ground.

"Call the physician!" He yelled at the guards who has been standing watch a few metres away from them.

"Do not bother my Lord." She took in a sharp breath "I have lived long enough. The physician cannot save me now. I am happy that I got to see the fields for the last time with you and I am eternally.... grateful that I am going to die in the arms of a good man like you. Thank you, for everything." She whispers.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and snapped shut.

"Come to the fields Moira" He said in a deep voice and Moira who heard his command from the kitchen, stopped what she was doing and ran out to meet him at the fields.

Due to the fact that the king has both the werewolf and cougar animal, he also has the ability to communicate telepathically. Not all werewolves can do that. It depends on how strong and powerful you are and he was of a different breed.

"My lord" she inhaled sadly as she watched the lady cradled in the alpha's arms.

"She is gone" he responds as if reading her thoughts.

She helped the guards pick her up as Cullen trailed behind them. Soon after, the emergency bell was runged, forcing Cullen to make a summon howl alerting the land of the death of the Alpha's king first wife.

He was a good leader and so many people sympathized with him while some grooved in the delight of the fact that she died without producing an heir.

Cullen honored Natalia's death with a swift funeral and grieved her personally. He never requested for the services of his slave for almost a week and that action embittered and angered Celyn to the core.

Three weeks after the Lady Natalia's death, Cullen organized a meeting with the other members of the council. They had a lot of business to discuss with him and he being their leader had to be present so that he would listen to what each of them had to say.

He arrived at the meeting and took to his throne like chair at the very head of the table.

He sat down and they started the meeting.

"My lord, we received a message from Velez from the non-changeling world. The wine produce from the vegetation isn't reaching the labour market and if it goes on like this then things would get worse and we would loose a lot of sale" Alpha Degar spoke up on behalf of the other council members.

They were always too scared to speak up to him. Be it in a meeting or function so they always nominated Degar to do the talking since he was the king's closet friend and trusted adviser.

"What do you propose My lord?" Degar asked staring at Cullen with intent. The King was lost in thoughts as he tried to find a possible solution to the brooding problem.

Degar could tell from the veins popping out from his neck that he was upset. He owns the vegetation and the fruits from it are sold to different companies for different purposes. Over the years, they have made massive sales and created a name for themselves in the human world. He has the largest vegetarian in California and so everyone knows how successful he is. The sales made from the Vegetation has been used in sustaining his people ever since the great battle that tore and destroyed his land. They have been able to handle things and coexist with humans in secrecy through that business so it's only befitting that he is upset with Velez.

"How is it possible that Velez is giving me a preview of what is going on only when it has escalated to a huge problem now?" He said with a crunched face. "I've always told him to keep me updated when something is wrong so that we can tackle the problem as soon as it occurs" Cullen's fist were clenched as he spoke and his eyes squinted in annoyance.

This is why no one speaks up to him. He is always furious and one tiny mistake sets him off. Velez should be lucky wherever he is that he wasn't present at the meeting otherwise, his head wouldn't have been a part of his body as at this moment.

"I am deeply sorry my lord" Degar bowed his head In slight apology. "What do you propose that we do next?" Degar repeats as he watched Cullen with solemn eyes.

Cullen huffed as he tried to get his anger under control.

facing the council once again, he spoke "I will be leaving for the non-changeling world myself in a weeks time. I will handle the issue myself and get back home as soon as possible."

"But my Lord" It was Alpha Lorenzo of the cougar clan that spoke. "Isn't it dangerous? You are our leader and I do not think it is wise that you go by yourself. You can always send someone as a representative" he suggested and the other members conceded.

"He is right my lord." Another spoke too.

"Should in case the matter spirals out of control, my people would suffer and I wouldn't be of good help by just leading them. We have been able to accomplish greatness due to the success of that business and besides my arrival would only make things faster and easier for everyone so I will go. It is undisputed" He explained and no one pushed the matter further.

"With that settled" he went on "Alpha Degar is coming with me so please make the necessary arrangements and Alfonso will fill in for me till I get back." He dismissed the meeting and stood up as he took regal strides out the courtroom.

The other members dispersed after the meeting as they made their way to their own clan in high hopes that their leader comes back, with good news.

Alfonso who was the Beta of the pack and had been listening to the conversation all these while, stretched his lips into a full smirk. If only he knew what he had planned out for him. For all that is worth, who knows, the king might not be coming back home alive.