Oriel Covaci has the worst luck. For years, he has searched for the right mate, only to meet with frustration and disappointment. Now, unable to trust himself with yet another courtship, he seeks out an arranged union-something almost unheard of in vampire culture. All her life, Cosette Dragomir hid behind her books and her music, wanting to fade into the background while simultaneously longing for something more. When her father approaches her about an arranged union with the vampire she has fancied for a long time, she must brave her timidity and sacrifice her solitude for the future she has only dreamed of. But as two very different people are thrown into the pits of danger, they could lose each other forever. Can their love overcome their trials or are they destined to fail?