An arranged marriage

Alanna felt sick to her stomach hearing the news her father had just given her. Marry someone she didn't know? It wasn't even someone of good reputation but Mr Justin who was known for his vile and debauched way of life!

"Father, please!" she begged her father as she knelt before him, holding his legs and shaking it to get his approval.

"Alanna do not make me repeat myself! You will not marry a man of such low status and bring him to my house! Such people are a burden on my neck!" Though Alanna's father stayed collected, it was obvious he was very furious.

"But Ethan is a very hardworking and business-oriented person, Dad. I promise you if you get him a good job or give him one of our companies, he'd use it to good advantage-" her last statement didn't come to an end as her father yelled at her, startling her which made her pull her hands away from his legs.

"Alanna! One more word from you and I will make sure I teach you a good lesson. You would not speak of that man in my house ever again! Do you hear me?!" his eyes which were just a dark shady color a second ago suddenly turned red, indicating exactly what her father was.

A Vampire...

Alanna stared at her father's eyes in shock and trepidation, wondering what had come over the man.

It had been years since her father last stared at her like this and this sudden annoyance she noticed coming from him made it obvious to her that her father was dead serious.

"Father..." her voice came out as a whisper as she couldn't believe her father was willing to marry her off to someone she didn't love all in the name of power.

Power...

Influence...

Greed...yes! Greed was the perfect word for this. Her father who she thought loved her more than anything had made it clear to her that he loved power more than he loved her.

Seeing the scared and shocked look on his daughter's face, Mr. Vales' red eyes lowered down to their usual dark colour. The way he had learned to hide it for so many years so the humans didn't know his secret of being a forbidden creature.

"Go back to your room now, Alanna. Your introduction ceremony is set for tomorrow and you will be meeting Justin Flores for the first time." he spoke calmly to his daughter again like he had not just yelled at her and seeing her passive expression, he added, "And do not dare try to run away because I have made sure to keep the security extremely tight in your room. I have also changed the passcode of the doors so if you think you can run away or elope with that useless boyfriend of yours then you are just wistful.

I have gotten everything set for tomorrow and your stylist should do a great job making you look presentable before Justin at the introduction. All you have to do is make the job easier for her or you know what will happen" Her father gave her a usual look he plastered on his face when he was planning any mischief.

He picked his newspaper up again and began reading it, the least bit worried about how his daughter currently felt.

He wasn't going to trade power for a stupid lover his daughter was dying for. Not when he was on the verge of hitting a jackpot, he thought to himself as he held the newspaper to cover his face when in truth, he was not reading it.

Alanna stared at her father unable to comprehend what was going on. Her heart sank as she tried to think about all her father had said.

No...no...this wasn't happening right now! There was no way she would marry that man. Never... No one in their right mind would even think of marrying such a man who always had bad news all around him.

She had heard enough about Justin and from the way her father kept trying to persuade her to marry him she knew he was also a vampire like him. That was why he didn't even want to consider Ethan. Because Ethan wasn't a vampire, it ruled him completely from the list of suitors for her!

Oh God, what would she do? She couldn't marry Justin. She would find a way-

"Casper!" her father's calling of someone's name pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked at him, surprised before turning around in the direction of the Casper her father had called.

She saw Casper walk forward with his buff body to where she was and without him needing to be told, he picked Alanna roughly from the ground.

"What??!! No! Let go of me! I'd go to my room myself! I didn't disagree, did I, father?" she protested and struggled as she looked at her father questioningly.

"It is for the best, my dear. I know you are still scheming something in that head of yours so I want to make sure you don't ruin my plans," he said to her with a smile that sent chills down Alanna's spine.

He looked at the security guard he called and ordered, "Lock her in her room and make sure to lock them all the way I intended. Also put some men there to guard it properly. The introduction must hold tomorrow," he said the last sentence in a matter-of-fact tone, more to himself than the guard.

The man nodded and held the girl in his arms intact before taking her up the stairs of the luxurious house he stood in.

Alanna kicked, screamed, shouted, slapped and even begged but her actions turned on deaf ears.

She knew there was no way she could ever leave this house ever again unless, of course, she was married to Justin.

Mr. Vales, her father would take no chances and she was sure of that.

"No..." she screamed muffled when the man finally pushed her into her room and before she could react, he closed it with a loud bang, and then she heard something beep successfully. The passcode to her room had changed as her father said.

She ran to the door, banging, pressing and kicking even though she knew it could never open that way.

Her face drained of blood as she looked hopelessly at the door, tears finally dropping from her eyes.

It didn't matter now. She knew she would have to get married to that man her father wanted. She knew she wouldn't get the chance to see Ethan ever again! Not when her father was still alive and he had collected her phone including all other electronic gadgets from her, meaning she had no means of communication.

She left the door area and looked around, her heart thumping loudly in her chest from all the struggling and shouting she did.

She heaved a deep sigh of frustration, running her hands through her blonde hair as she tried to think.

Her head now hurt and she climbed her bed in tears, covering herself with the blanket till it reached her neck.

Tears streamed down her eyes as she thought of what her life would be like without Ethan but someone else who was a vampire like her family. Someone she felt nothing for!

The type of life they lived was not like the one she lived because fortunately for her, she turned to be a human after she was born, like her mother, unlike the rest of her siblings.

It made her live her life without the precautions a vampire's family lived with, knowing she had nothing to worry about and her nonchalant way of life was what made her fall for a human who wasn't aware of her father's type.

She somehow was already aware it would end up like this but thought since her father loved her deeply, he would listen to her pleas but now that reality dawned on her, she knew it didn't work that way.

She would have to marry Justin Flores.