The Protagonist's Unique Identity and Perilous Role

Key Insight

The protagonist, Misery, received her unique name from the Vampyre council rather than her parents, a decision she personally found 'fitting, since I did kill my mother.' From age eight, she served for a decade as the 'Collateral,' a Vampyre raised among Humans after being formally announced to the role at six. This position made her a target for 'several assassination attempts by anti-Vampyre extremist groups,' with two incidents nearly fatal and leaving her with physical scars, highlighting the inherent danger of her designated purpose.

Her current marriage to Moreland, a Were Alpha, is a politically motivated 'sham,' described as 'the most dangerous thing' for someone in her situation, offering 'nothing to gain and no obvious reason' but necessary due to external political factors. Though Moreland perceives her scent as unpleasant, like 'rotten eggs' or 'sewers,' she finds his blood 'nice. Engulfing. Healthy and earthy and a bit rough.' She asserts her agency, stating she willingly consented and is not being forced, yet Moreland contends she 'truly belong nowhere,' as Vampyres only claim her for gain, living among Humans required a fake identity, and she is not a Were, making her existence perpetually unmoored.

The protagonist's life is under constant, immediate threat, exemplified when a Human waiter, an anti-Vampyre extremist, attempts to fatally stab her in the throat during her wedding. Moreland intervenes instantly, wrapping his palm around the knife blade, sustaining an injury with 'green blood trickling down his forearm' to save her life. This dramatic, life-saving act underscores her precarious existence and the volatile nature of her circumstances, despite her insistence on having a carefully planned strategy.