The war between Vampyres and Weres is about to end with a ceremonial marriage. The Vampyre bride, Misery Lark, reflects that she hasn’t met her husband yet. Her stylist dabs green tint on her pulse points, saying that Weres like it. Misery’s snarky brother Owen makes jokes about the Weres killing her, and she remembers how he used to promise to protect her when they were kids. Her father, Councilman Henry Lark, arrives and tells her to smile. Misery reasons that she’s been through this before (meaning that she’s been Collateral, which we learn more of later) and wishes her friend Serena hadn’t suddenly disappeared.

Misery’s groom is handsome, powerful, and has pale green eyes. He stares and exudes danger when he inhales her scent. The tension between them causes Misery to stumble. Lowe grabs and appears to want to kill her. The enticing smell of his blood overwhelms her as the crowd gets ready fight. He asks in her ear how she smells the way she does. After a tense moment, the ceremony proceeds.