Marked By The Demon Lycan King

Eleven

ARIA

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"Father has arranged your marriage to the Lycan king Cullen of the Zivando's household and I'm only here to tell you that" Adria broke down the news to her as she struggled to assimilate what she had just said.

She stood frozen and rooted to the spot. Fear, panic and disbelief in flashed through her eyes at that very instant. She had expected Adria to apologize for what she had said to her earlier but what she didn't expect was her sister to come up all the way to their chambers to feed her this piece of crap.

"Are you being stupid right now? You think this is funny?"

"And why would I suddenly want to act funny or joke around?" She questioned deliberately "You think it's fun for me to break down this news to you right now?"

She tried to find anything that would give away the fact that her sister was messing with her but there was none. It really was the truth.

"No!" She yelled "There is no way..." The rest of her words caught up in the air as she stormed out of their chambers and made her way towards the courtroom with Adria trailing behind her. They approached the door only to be stopped by two guards who had refused to let her in.

"Let me in...NOW!" Aria yelled in a high pitched voice when the guards positioned at the entrance of the throne room had denied her access from venturing inside to see their father.

"I'm afraid that we cannot do that my lady." One of the guards spoke up "Your father had strictly asked us to keep any unwanted visitors outside because he does not want to be disturbed."

"Unwanted?" Her lips curled in anger and her eyes flared up instantly "Did you just refer to me as an unwanted visitor?"

"Forgive me my lady but we cannot go against the Alpha king. If you wish to see him then it's best that you come back later when he'll be in a better mood to attend to you."

Aria scoffed in disbelief. She couldn't believe her ears. Is this what she had been reduced to? Is she now a common slave in the palace to be denied access to see her own birth father? Was this some type of joke because if it was, then she wasn't finding it funny to say the least.

"I will give you one last chance to open up this door otherwise, today will be the very last day that you breathe your last. If I don't get to talk to my father today, I will make sure that none of you gets to speak to your families either and no, I do not bluff." Her voice threatened and shooked them with fear. Her face was devoid of all emotion as she stood there waiting for their next action.

"Would you rather I carry out my threat or will you do the needful and open up this door?" She asked coldly. She watched them swallow and look amongst themselves before they finally stepped aside.

One of the guards quickly proceeded to open the door and she stormed Inside. Her hands holding onto her gown to prevent it from brushing the ground as she walked.

She spotted her father giving orders to one of the guards and she hurriedly approached him. If this was his idea of a punishment, then he picked this wrong one. She simply cannot accept this alliance. She refuses to.

"Get this letter to the Lycan king Cullen and make sure you let him know that I sent it to him." Her father instructed the guard and he quickly dashed out of the throne room after bowing his head in respect.

"Father..." Aria beckoned to her father who was focused on his scroll. She knew that he had seen her but had simply pretended not to.

"Why are you here Aria? I never sent for you." His voice sounded harsh and not inviting. Was he upset to see her? " And I had specifically asked the guards not to let anyone—"

"Anyone or is it just me?" She directed the question to him and he slowly suspended what he was doing and raised up his gaze to meet hers.

"There is no other person in this palace who would come to see your if it's not me or Adria. So does that command apply to everyone or just me?"

"I am your father Aria so you should speak to me with respect." His voice took on a higher tone but she remained unmoved. She wouldn't take a single step until he had listened to her.

"Are you sure that you are my father? Are you sure that I am not just an Omega or a lowlife slave that you had taken in after my mother's death." She continued.

"Silence!" He flared up feeling insulted.

"No father. I refuse to be silent." She fired back with the same intensity as before "Why would you accept to get me married off to that man? Why on earth would you pick me?"

"So what do you want me to do? Play catch the tail with a grown up woman who has refused to get matured and think like an adult?" He yelled at her. His voice echoed throughout the four corners of the throne room.

"What exactly do you want from me Aria?"

"I want you to call off this engagement damnit!" She shouted at him "I don't want to get married to Alpha Cullen. Can't you tell that I don't want this marriage? I'm your child. Can't you see through me to realize how much I'm hurt by this decision of yours father?"

A smile flickered on his lips as he picked up the scroll that he had discarded minutes ago "I understand your frustrations my darling daughter but the deal has already been made and I cannot go back on my word. You are to marry the Lycan king Cullen and my decision on that matter is final so I'd suggest that you prepare your body and soul for this alliance." He concluded with an air of finality.

"Please don't do this father. This isn't what I want. I will not be happy with him" Aria's lips quivered and warm tears trickled down her cheeks.

"We do not marry for happiness my dear." He gave her with a solemn look "We marry for wealth, prosperity and fame. Cullen is capable of taking care of you for many years to come so you'll actually be better off getting married to him."

She shook her head negatively "I won't father. He's not my mate. For crying out loud, he's not the one for me." She cried out as she tried to make him see reason.

"Mate..." He trailed off and his eyes danced in the sun "Funny how you should say that word my dear daughter. Should I let you in on a secret?"

He asked but when she didn't respond, he rose up from his throne like chair and took regal steps towards her. He stopped halfway so that there was a little space in front of them.

He raised up his hands and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "When you slept with all of those men, were they actually your mate to begin with?"

Her eyes flew open at his words. She couldn't believe that her father was well aware of her sexccapedes.

"You should be lucky that I have chosen this man for you and if you refuse then consider yourself dead to me."

You don't even sound remorseful?"

"Why should I feel remorse on such a happy occasion? My daughter would be getting married soon. Isn't that something worth celebrating?" He gave her the look "You should be celebrating your engagement as well.

"You are the worst father!" She blurted out with a sad laugh "I hate you so much!"

He turned to look at her with brazen eyes "What did you just say?"

"You heard me loud and clear father."

"Guards!" He screamed out and the door immediately bursts open.

"Escort the lady back to her chambers and make sure that she isn't given any permission to leave until I approve it." He ordered.

"You cannot do this Father." They held her hands and began to drag her out of the throne room to the confinement of her chambers.

Aria couldn't believe it. How is it possible that her father would agree to such stupid alliance. She was barely twenty five and had her whole life ahead of her.

Was it that he didn't care about her feelings? Why would he agree to marry her off to someone like Cullen? Someone that she hasn't met? Someone that was known to be a tyrant and a ruthless leader?

What would people say? She never had any plans of getting married and even if she did, it most definitely won't be Cullen so why would he try to sell her off as a property to align both packs.

Damn!

If only her mother were alive. Would she have agreed to this nonsense? Wouldn't she had put up a fight?

Angered, she smashed the vase on the ground and it broke into a million pieces. Ever since she heard the news of her marriage, she hadn't been able to contain her anger and disapproval. And to think that her father had been so stubborn that he had completely shut her out and had refused to listen to anything she had to say.

If only she had the option of running away but she couldn't because she knew what her father was capable of. He would break through the walls of the earth to find her if he had to so running away was sadly not an option.

She can't and won't get married to him. There's no way in hell that she would agree to such. She would have to find a way out of this mess and quickly if she had no.

Her chain of thoughts were interrupted by the creaking sound that came from her door. She darted her eyes towards the direction of the sound only to see a Adria carefully trying to make her way through the broken glass.

"What are you doing here!" She grumbled. The ardent lines of anger popped out of her forehead as she stared at her sister who had just interrupted her privacy.

"I...I heard crashing sounds. Are you okay?" Adria asked worriedly.

How could she be okay? The news of her marriage had left her in shambles.

"What do you think?" She countered "Do you think I'm okay?"

Adria shook her head sympathetically "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask that."

She muttered incoherent words under her breath and made her way towards her bed.

"Aria." Her sister called out suddenly and rushed to meet her "Your hand is bleeding." She pointed out to her fingers dripping blood. Aria had been so caught up in her frustrations that she didn't even notice that her hand was injured. Just how far would her father go to ruin her life? How much is she going to pay to walk through this path that he had set her on.

"I will clean it up for you" Adria announced and proceeded to pick up a clean cloth and herbs from her table. She wiped the blood and applied the herbs. It stung but she endured through the pain. Besides, it wasn't as worse compared to what she was going through at that moment.