Bryce Quinlan has a sexual encounter with a lion shifter at the White Raven, a club located in an ancient temple space.
After their tryst, she refuses his invitation to dance, stating she has a business meeting. The lion man mistakes her for a prostitute.
She meets a new client, Maximus Tertian, a wealthy vampyr, at the VIP section of the club and closes a deal for an onyx bust of a long-dead vampyr lord. Maximus also mistakes her for a prostitute and tries to assert his authority over her.
Ruhn Danaan, Bryce's half-brother, appears at the club and saves her from Maximus's advances. In the chapter, we learn that Ruhn is technically Bryce's half-brother, not her cousin as most people think.
Ruhn warns Bryce that their father, the "Autumn King", wants her to stay out of trouble in the lead-up to a major summit meeting. He emphasizes that their father is nervous about the event.
Bryce's brother walks her home and makes sure she is safe. Bryce lives in a penthouse apartment, five levels above the building's lobby.
Bryce is frustrated with someone named Ruhn, who is waiting and watching her from the street below.
Ruhn is aggressive and possessive, always forcing his way through, and she is not in the mood for conflict with him that night.
She turns on the panel of lights in her room, revealing her pristine white furniture and pale wood floors.
Bryce's living situation, which is beyond her income range, was paid for by someone named Danika through a will, causing her further irritation.
Bryce has a pet, Syrinx, whom she considers to be another possessive and aggressive individual.
Sighing, she takes off her heels and unhooked her bra, before releasing Syrinx from his cage.