Roland

She heard his footsteps as her heart began to race, knowing instinctively that it wasn't Andrea. No they were far too heavy and large to be hers. She moved into the shadows, knowing that wouldn't do any good but needing the protective feeling it gave her. 

As usual there was a smarmy grin on his face as he sauntered towards her, his teeth gleaming a bright white in the darkness. She eyed him warily. Most girls, she suspected, would believe Roland to be a handsome man but to her he was repugnant. His black hair was nice enough but his skin was dark and tanned, a small scar on his cheek, his eyes a dark brown that seemed to pierce right through you. He was tall, easily overtowering Serenity who seemed like a fragile porcelain doll in comparison, her skin so white it was almost transparent from her time spent locked away in the attic. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he raked his gaze over her, his eyes darkening with lust as she shuddered in repulsion. 

This was the man her captor Alpha Damon insisted she married, his son no less. It was repugnant to her but she had little choice in the matter. Running away would do no good, it had been tried before and she had failed. The punishments had gotten even more severe with time. As it was she was seventeen and the legal age for marriage in this state was eighteen. Soon she would be forced to marry a man, one who was a few years older than her, against her will, her whole body trembling at the sheer thought of it. 

"Serenity" he growled lowly in his throat and she caught her breath, seeing the look in his eyes and feeling a sense of despair wash over her. Ever since he'd learnt they were to be married he'd began to feel entitled to coming to see her, among other things that were not enjoyable to her in the slightest. She cringed at his foul breath as he stopped mere inches from her. 

"I've missed you" he exhaled and she merely raised an eyebrow, disbelievingly at him. She hadn't missed him in the slightest, had been glad it had been a few days since he'd decided to visit her. 

His hand reached out and grabbed hers and she fought the urge to yank it away from him, knowing to do so would anger him and would merely result in a punishing slap. 

"You're so beautiful" he murmured, his eyes piercing right into hers as she held herself perfectly still "so stunning. Not much longer now and we'll be married" he said with a wide grin "if it wasn't for father, I would have sampled you long ago" he hissed and she flinched, knowing that if Alpha Damon hadn't stepped in and demanded he stop, Roland most likely would have forced her to do the unthinkeable ages ago. She supposed she should thank god for small mercies. 

"Ah well" he exclaimed triumphantly "plenty of time for that once we're married" he grinned and she fought back the bile rising in her throat. She was eighteen in a month's time and while most girl's looked forward to their birthdays and the gaining of their wolf, she didn't. Because the day after she finally became a full fledged adult shifter and had her first shift, would be the day she was forced to marry this coward. 

"I hate you" she spat out and he flexed his hand as she cowered, waiting for the inevitable hit or strike. To her surprise it didn't happen. He merely looked at her with amusement. 

"You can hate me all you want" he smirked "I don't care. All I care about is getting to have you once you turn eighteen. Father won't be able to step in once we're married you know" he added and she sucked in a breath. She knew her luck wouldn't hold after that and she despaired that not once had any of her escape attempts been successful. 

"I still have a month" she whispered "before that happens Roland. I'm not marrying you because I choose to. Why don't you choose someone else to marry or wait for your real mate" she pleaded, feeling his hand suddenly grip her chin tightly. 

"Because" he snorted, eyes dancing with delight "no one in this pack is as beautiful as you are my dear" he complimented her. "Besides, you are more important than you might think" he added cryptically as she frowned at that statement. She had no idea what he meant by that. Could barely even remember her mother, let alone her father. Alpha Damon and Roland had never told her the reason for her captivitiy and after years of begging and pleading to be told, Serenity had been forced to give up. Whatever the reason was, they were certainly keeping it close to their chest. 

"Why can't you just let me go" she asked thickly "I've never done anything to you or Alpha Damon" she said softly and he let go of her, looking off into the distance as though pondering something to say. 

"It's not what you did" he muttered under his breath "but what your mother did and what having you means to the pack and to me."

She frowned. "Roland, what do you mean? My mother never did anything to either of you, she wouldn't have. Why do you need me so bad you're willing to keep me locked away in this attic until we're married?"

He didn't answer, instead peering at her intently, he grasped her chin and kissed her, pressing his disgusting lips against hers as she squirmed, refusing to grant his tongue access and he pushed harder before finally pulling away. She felt nauseas. "Well I'll leave you alone for now Serenity" he said smoothly, revelling in her bruised lips and the contempt in her eyes "and I'll come visit you again tomorrow for another kiss from my soon to be wife" he mocked and she watched him go, her heart sinking. Serenity looked around the room she had called home for the last few years and flung herself onto her bed, curling up into a small ball and crying hysterically. She couldn't marry Roland, she hated him, but what choice was she going to have if she couldn't manage to escape before it was too late?