Marked By The Demon Lycan King

Nineteen

ADRIA

.

He's Here! He's the one!

Those were the words that constantly escaped Adria's lips as she paced back and forth In the confinement of her chambers. She had never imagined that the same man who rescued her in the human world was her sister's betrothed.

Earlier, when she had escorted Aria to present her to her groom, she noticed that her wolf had gone off inside her. She felt the sudden pull, the ache, the need and the familiar longing of her wolf just like it had happened before but only this time, much more stronger than she had ever felt.

At first, she had wanted to wave it off as unimportant because she knew deep down that there was absolutely no way that he would be this close or even here in her pack but what she didn't know was that fate had another thing in store for her.

Aria was the soon to be bride of the man whom she had come to realize was her mate. She couldn't believe it when she saw that the Lycan king Cullen whom everyone talked about and worshipped, was her sister's suitor.

When she had caught them earlier arguing, she knew then that they were all in a big mess. Aria had denied flatly that she doesn't know him. How could she when he had accused the wrong twin? She was the one he had saved and not her sister.

As soon as she caught a glimpse of him, she excused herself and ran up to her chambers.

How on earth was she supposed to break this news to Aria or her father? How is she going to face them?

And if what she just saw was his character in person, then she also wanted nothing to do with him. He was just as ruthless as they had said. In fact, he was far more ruthless.

She was still lost in her thoughts when she heard a knock on her door. Perturbed, she silently approached it and slowly bolted it open to reveal a maid who was panting furiously.

"My lady Aria... She...s-she..." The maid stuttered, her hands pointing into outer space.

"She what?"

"Aria has run away." The maid broke down the news to her and she stared at her wide eyed.

"H-How is that even possible? How did she manage to escape without anyone seeing her?"

The maid gulped fearfully "The Lycan king had taken her for a walk in the garden but we were surprised to find out that she didn't come back to the celebration with him. Your father asked me to bring her from her chambers but when I had gone in search of her, I didn't find her." She explained in details "And what is worse, even most of her clothes are missing too"

"By the goddess!" Adria whispered in fright. Her heart had skipped a beat more than thrice In less than a second.

"Does father know about this? Is he aware?"

She shook her head "I'm yet to report back to him. I don't know how he would handle the news once I take it to him. Not to mention that the Lycan there is present as well as his council of elders. If they get the slightest hint of what had happened, we'll be doomed. Our reputation would be ruined and no one would ever take us seriously."

"We don't have to tell them about it then" Adria suggested "We just simply have to stall the marriage ritual and split up to find Aria before it's too late. She mustn't have gone far."

"Okay!"

And with that, they started a wild search. Adria went in search of her sister in all possible hiding places but she wasn't there. If they don't manage to find her on time then who knows what the Lycan king would do to her father and her pack. He might even go ahead to wipe them out of the Earth's surface.

She bumped into Declan who held her in place the minute he realized that she was restless.

"Adria, what's wrong?"

"It's Aria Declan, she.. she has run away and the marriage ritual is about to begin!" She announced, noting the panic that had reflected through his eyes.

"Have you searched for her in her chambers?"

She nodded in response "I have looked everywhere Declan. She took some clothing as well" Her voice cracked as she spoke "I cannot begin to imagine what father would go through if this marriage doesn't take place today. You have to find her Declan, please." She clasped her hands together.

"I will do everything in my power to find her but until then, do not panic and try to control your father so that word doesn't spread out okay?"

She sniffed "Okay!"

Declan rushed out with the rest of the sentinels that had come in with him. What was supposed to be a peaceful ceremony had turned into utter chaosm just where did Aria disappear to? Where on earth could she be?

"She ran out on you or did you say something to her?" Adria heard subtle but not so quiet voices from afar. Tracing the sound, she followed briskly yet quietly until she arrived at her mother's secluded garden. Peeking through the wall, she saw the Lycan king in a heated conversation with another man.

They were too engrossed to even notice her presence. She had wanted to leave and ignore them but how could she do that when they had mentioned her sister?

"What exactly did you say to her my lord?" She overheard the other man ask the Lycan king.

"I simply confronted her on why she kept on pretending not to recognize me. She was the same woman I rescued in the human world so it doesn't make any sense that she would try to deny knowing me!" He groaned in anger.

"The mating pull and the bond between us was evident so why was she acting differently but she had only lied to me in the face and threatened to call off the wedding."

Adria gasped. The Lycan king had no idea that they were twins. He couldn't tell them apart. Well, she never expected him to. They were identical for crying out loud. And he had also mentioned the mating pull between them, which only meant that he felt it as well.

All those times when she had ached for him, he had also ached for her as well. Their near meeting syndrome was the only reason why he couldn't tell them apart. He had only felt her presence but met her sister instead.

"So do you want to call of the wedding?"

"No!" Came his deep reply "I would have to pay her back for lying to me and insulting me and the only way to do that, is go through this marriage."

"After all.." He continued "It isn't as if I'm getting married to her because I love her. The council had only imposed this on me because i need a child. I wouldn't be going through all this if they hadn't insisted that I got married in the first place."

Adria's jaw dropped to the ground in shock. The turn of events and sudden revelation was alarming. Aria was right. The rumour about him were true. The only reason why he had wanted to get married was because he needed a baby breeder? How disappointing!

And to think that she had actually thought he was different because he had rescued her. He wasn't different at all. He was just like the rest of them.

She would definitely talk to her father to call of this marriage. He wasn't fit to get married to anyone. He was a tyrant, just exactly as they had labelled him to be.

Holding up her dress, she made her way upstairs to her chambers. Her brain refusing to process what she had just heard. His statement had set her off and vexed her completely. Just who exactly does he think he is to decide the fate of a woman?

He had no right to force a woman into marriage just so she could breed babies. Marriages were created by the goddess for a whole lot of reasons and not for selfish ones. And to think that he was her mate. He had even called her a foolish woman when he was the foolish man.

"Adria?"

Adria heard the stressed out voice of her father calling out to her. She snapped out of her thoughts when she found him in her chambers.

"Father!" She reached out to him almost immediately.

"Aria..." His voice came out hoarse "Your sister, where is she? The marriage ritual is about to begin but she's no where to be found. I've ran out of excuses to give to the Lycan king and his council of elders."

Just the mention of his name had her boiling in anger.

"I shouldn't be telling you this father but I have no choice." She bit her lips "Aria isn't in the pack. In fact, she has escaped. We're currently looking for her but so far, we can't find her."

He fell to his knees at the revelation.

"But the king—"

"Aria is right father. Cullen is not exactly the ideal type to get married to. He's only trying to get married because he needs a child. That was the reason he formed the alliance in the first place." She intentionally left out the part where she was supposed to tell him that he was her mate.

When her father didn't respond, she learns the shocking truth "You knew, didn't you? You knew and you agreed to it?"

"What was I supposed to do?" He yelled in his defense "The Lycan king isn't necessarily someone whom you can refuse. We might be an independent pack but he has more power and this alliance was supposed to help our people and build our pack again Adria."

"So what will you do now?" She questioned "Because it seems like your little plan has backfired."

"There is still a way Adria." He answered, shocking her "Please take your sister's place as the Lycan King's bride instead!" He dropped the bombshell while she struggled to understand what she had just heard.