A week after getting Misery back, Lowe enjoys a quiet, happy domestic moment with her as they hang one of his drawings in Ana’s room. Misery keeps making jokes about him being sentenced to a lifetime with her, and Lowe, though mock-exasperated, is delighted by her ease and presence. While Misery and Serena had gone out to frame his sketch, Lowe had moved Misery’s boxes into the room beside his and accepted that she now simply belongs with him as his mate.

As they work, Lowe reflects on how completely Misery has changed his life. He had not thought himself lonely before, but now her love and their bond feel precious and overwhelming, and he cannot imagine giving that up. Misery notices his reaction as always, and their intimate moment deepens when Lowe holds her from behind and quietly basks in the closeness they now share.

The moment ends when Ana arrives. Misery eagerly goes downstairs, and Lowe follows, only to find that Ana is more interested in showing Misery and Serena the new carrier Koen bought for Sparkles than in greeting him. Lowe takes this in with amused affection and then steps outside to thank Koen for bringing Ana back.

Koen tells Lowe that he now owes him even more, partly because Emery has been causing trouble in the family group chat. Lowe invites him inside and offers to explain the chaos of the past ten days. But the second Koen crosses the threshold, he freezes and shows signs of an intense Were reaction, as though he is on the verge of shifting.

Lowe follows Koen’s gaze and realizes that Koen is staring at Serena, who is crouched on the floor with Sparkles. Koen, shaken and caught off guard, blurts out that he is in serious trouble. Lowe immediately understands what has happened: Koen has recognized Serena as his mate, creating a major new complication just as Lowe and Misery have settled into their own future.