Bride

Misery is devastated. Eventually Mick picks her up, and instead of taking her home, he injects her with something. As she passes out, he says he’s sorry.

Misery recognizes Serena’s method of shaking her awake before she fully regains consciousness. She is in a room with Serena, who has been there over three months, though Serena doesn’t know where “there” is. Misery assumes Mick is secretly working for Emery and that they are in Were territory. Misery catches Serena up on her marriage and how Serena’s story might have led to her kidnapping. Serena talks Misery into trying to put one of the guards under her thrall. The guard is furious. When he reaches for her, Serena grabs his hand and dislocates his finger, threatening to do more until he lets them out. He does and they lock him in only to find they are in The Nest. Misery is confused why Were guards are in Vampyre territory. Vania finds them.

Vania and her guards take them to Misery’s father, Henry. Mick is standing behind him, looking ashamed. When Misery asks Mick why he betrayed Lowe, Mick says Henry has his son hostage. Henry insults Misery for not seeing the bigger picture, and asks if she knows why he didn’t kill Serena. He reveals that Serena is half Were, half Human; to monitor the situation, he had her housed with Misery.

Serena confesses that she is half Were to Misery, though she didn’t suspect this until recently in her life. She began looking for her parents and found Thomas Jalakas, who himself had become interested in finding Serena. Davenport was thralled into thinking Jalakas needed to die, and Emery and her Loyalists were good cover for Henry trying to take Ana. Henry says creatures like Serena and Ana are dangerous; despite neither being able to shift, they may become symbols of unity between two factions who could unite against the Vampyres.

Lowe, in handcuffs, is brought in by guards and Owen. Misery is horrified and confused by her brother’s actions. Henry says Misery’s usefulness continues as he now knows how to get Ana from Lowe. He’s heard there’s no greater pain than losing a mate. He already tried to break Lowe by poisoning Misery, but she survived. Serena speaks to Misery in their made-up language, saying that Henry is wrong, that she can indeed shift. Misery tells Lowe he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her and that the worry Ana has will resolve by the time she’s in her twenties. Lowe understands her cryptic words, hinting at Serena’s abilities. Owen takes Lowe’s restraints off as he and Serena shift and begin to rip into the Vampyres in the room.

Misery can’t get over what happens to Weres’ clothing when they change. The Weres tease her about how she hadn’t realized how destroyed they’d get. Owen takes her aside and makes sure she’s okay. He had called Lowe an hour after they’d left because they got footage of Mick breaking into Serena’s apartment. Owen was impressed by how fierce and upset he was. Everything that’s just transpired was Lowe’s plan to rescue her.

Lowe is waiting in a room with a blindfolded and tied Henry. Henry says he regrets nothing. Owen says he intends to undo Henry’s entire legacy. Misery declines final words and is surprised when Owen and Lowe suggest she try to take her father’s place on the Counsel. They tell her they don’t want to assume Owen is the successor just because his father did. She declines and asks about Mick and his son. They are looking for Mick’s son and haven’t decided about Mick yet. Ana is safe. Misery wants to ask if she really is Lowe’s mate, but can’t in front of Owen. Lowe asks what she wants them to do with her father, and she says she doesn’t care and doesn’t need to know what they decide.

She and Serena talk about why Serena didn’t tell her she suspected that she was part Were and how, when Serena was alone the last few months, she was able to explore and practice shifting. They make up.

Misery hasn’t seen Lowe except in passing for three days. She is spending all her time with Serena, who is struggling to come to terms with her newfound identity. Misery goes to ask Lowe if Serena can spend time with the Weres. She finds he’s gone. Owen tells her the Counsel is going to vote on Collaterals, and that Misery and Gabi will probably not be asked to serve any longer. He asks if Misery wants to live with Lowe. Misery asks if Lowe has asked about her. Owen is disdainful. Misery steals his keys and drives herself and Serena to Were territory. She drops Serena with Juno, who is helping Serena transition.

Misery goes to Lowe’s house. He seems happy to see her, but she is cautious, asking if she’s trespassing. She asks if she really does live there, and he says it’s her home. She asks him why he lied and told her she didn’t matter. She wants to know if she’s really his mate. He says he doesn’t want her to make decisions based on what he feels. All he needs is for her to be happy.

She objects that he hasn’t taken into consideration that she may reciprocate his feelings. She says she’s in love with him. If he doesn’t actually love her, she’s going to live there anyway, be in Ana’s life, and live by the lake because she likes the pack. Lowe interrupts her by saying he observed the windows of The Nest and will be changing the windows of his house so that she can exist better there. Misery declares that they may not be made for each other, but she is going to choose him anyway. He calls her his mate and she tells him she loves him. Misery insists that Lowe not stop this time when they have sex. He’s worried he’ll hurt her but, she reminds him that she rips his skin when she bites and that it feels good to him. Maybe it will be the same. They make love and he knots inside her. Instead of hurting, it feels good and they both climax. Misery is ecstatic that they are physically compatible, and says she likes Were sex. Lowe corrects her that it’s mate sex.

She wakes up later with Lowe stroking her. He is impressed with how she responded to him, and she revels in the new feeling of belonging and owning. She asks if it will be weird that he will never have a true Were experience of love, and he says no. They talk about where he’ll execute the special mate bite on her so that people will see it when she puts her hair up. She asks if he wants her to bite him. He says yes. She bites him and they have sex again in the shower.

Lowe and Misery are decorating Ana’s room. He is enjoying the emotions he feels for Misery, and she picks up on his heart beating faster. He wasn’t unhappy before, but now he is truly happy. Ana arrives with Koen. When Koen walks in and sees Serena, he goes still. Lowe understands he is Serena’s father.