In the next few days, Cate successfully avoids uncomfortable conversations with Lachlan as she accompanies Ciara to spas during the day and to bars and clubs at night. Then, a week later, Cate joins the Gage family in the Avalon lobby to welcome the visiting fae courts for the calling of the banns that will precede Ciara’s wedding. The first to arrive is the Infernal Court, led by Ciara’s arrogant fiancé, Prince Bain, and his penumbra, MacAlister. The tension between Bain and Lachlan is immediately apparent, and Bain is dismissive of Cate for being a human. Next, the Astral Court arrives, led by the beautiful Crown Princess Aurora and her brother, Prince Sirius. Cate feels a pang of jealousy as she observes the warm rapport between Aurora and Lachlan.

The final delegation to arrive is the Hallow Court, represented by the twins, Oberon and Titania. While Titania flirts openly with Lachlan, her brother Oberon shows a clear interest in Cate, taking her hand and kissing it. Lachlan becomes possessive, intervening to call Cate his acquisition. He abruptly steers her away from the crowded lobby toward the elevators. Then, taking Cate to his private wing, Lachlan locks the door behind them.

Inside his private wing, Lachlan vents about the presence of the other royals. Cate realizes that he is stressed about the event and that he might have faked his jealousy over Oberon’s behavior as an excuse to leave the room. Lachlan says he dislikes all the other royals except Aurora, and Cate gets jealous. Lachlan cuts the conversation short by commanding Cate to be ready at midnight to attend an event called the Midnight Feast.

Later, while Cate is in her bathroom wearing only a towel, Lachlan enters unannounced. Before their interaction can escalate, Ciara bursts in and shoos her brother out. Ciara confesses her deep fear of having to sleep with Bain as part of their betrothal. She explains that the Midnight Feast is a ritual orgy held before the first calling of the banns, which is a formal three-week marriage announcement period.

Seeking to provoke a jealous reaction from Lachlan, Ciara convinces Cate to wear an extremely revealing dress. Ciara uses her magic to alter the garment so it fits Cate perfectly. Determined to defy Lachlan’s possessive claim on her, Cate agrees to wear it to the feast.

Cate and Ciara make a grand entrance at the Midnight Feast, which is held in one of the Avalon’s ballrooms. Cate’s sheer dress immediately draws the attention of both Oberon and Sirius. Lachlan appears at her side instantly, kissing her neck and refusing Oberon’s request to have Cate as an offering for the night’s festivities. He hands Cate a glass of ambrosia, a powerful fae intoxicant. Lachlan tells her that she is free to sleep with whomever she wishes to, and that he will make sure she is safe. He also promises her that no one will touch her without her consent, and if they do, he will kill them.

Then, Bain makes a formal announcement of his engagement to Ciara. Following his speech, nude human and fae offerings, painted in gold, are revealed, signaling the official start of the orgy. Lachlan is pulled away by Bain for a business discussion, and he instructs Shaw to keep an eye on Cate. Cate, however, encourages Shaw to pursue Titania when she notices Shaw’s interest in her. Cate then retreats to a quiet alcove, where she is soon joined by Oberon, and they bond over their shared discomfort at the orgy. Cate is intoxicated from the ambrosia and doesn’t mind when Oberon puts his hand around her waist. She confesses to him that she made a bargain with Lachlan to save her brother and tells Oberon that she will have to spend every night of her life with Lachlan. She says that Lachlan is doing all this to torture her, but Oberon seems thoughtful when he says that Lachlan probably has other plans. Just then, Lachlan returns.

Intoxicated by the ambrosia, Cate laughs at Lachlan’s obvious fury. She feels defiant and refuses to leave with him, insisting they dance. They engage in a sensual dance on the main floor, filled with heated and provocative talk. Suddenly, Lachlan ends the dance by throwing Cate over his shoulder and carrying her out of the ballroom.

He deposits her in his living room, where they have an explosive argument. Cate calls him a hypocrite for his possessiveness while participating in the feast. When she demands to know why he made their bargain, he cryptically tells her that he knows what she can truly offer him. He sees that she wants him to kiss her, but instead of closing the distance, he releases her and politely asks her to go to bed. Cate is confused but relieved and flees to her room.

The next morning, Ciara finds a hungover Cate in her bedroom and gives her a magical witch’s brew from the Infernal Court to cure her symptoms. Cate then finds a second dose of the remedy on her bathroom sink with a brief note from Lachlan, and she is touched by his thoughtfulness.

Ciara takes Cate on an extravagant shopping spree, where she encourages Cate to buy expensive lingerie. Refusing to be further indebted to Lachlan by using his money, Cate declines. Ciara buys the lingerie for her instead, insisting it is a gift between friends. While they shop, Ciara mentions how jealous Lachlan was upon seeing Cate with Oberon at the feast. Then, Lachlan himself appears at the store, claiming he is there to rescue Cate from more shopping. Ciara mischievously leaves them alone, and Lachlan takes Cate’s hand, stating that her afternoon now belongs to him.

Lachlan and Cate leave the shopping center in his Mercedes. He immediately terrifies her with his reckless driving through New Orleans; then, he slows the car, admitting he was only trying to scare her. During the drive, he reveals that he is 244 years old. They argue about the events of the previous night, and he pulls into a deserted alley, placing a gun in the car’s cupholder. He tells her that he prefers she get into trouble only when he is present to protect her, but Cate angrily rejects his protection.

As their argument intensifies, Lachlan’s human glamour slips, briefly revealing his feral fae nature as he warns her that if she continues to shut people out, she will die alone. Cate says that she would rather be in danger than have someone she cares about get hurt. Lachlan’s tattoos swirl briefly before he regains his composure, and they drive out of the city. He quietly mutters that even immortals can be hurt, leaving Cate to reflect on his vulnerability.

As they drive, Lachlan reveals that he arranged for Channing’s release from jail and found him a new job. Cate is unsettled by this news, feeling guilty for her own neglect of her foster brother while Lachlan didn’t forget about him.

They travel deep into the Louisiana bayou and meet Goemon, who is a member of the Wild Hunt—a group of fae mercenaries who enforce ancient fae laws. Lachlan explains that the Hunt executes fae who are fleeing the courts after committing crimes. He says that each royal heir and their penumbras have the power to mark someone as a criminal, after which members of the Wild Hunt will capture and kill them. He also explains that killing an heir or their penumbra is considered a violation of the natural order, and in this case, fae magic itself will mark out the killer for the Hunt.

Cate realizes that if she had succeeded in killing Lachlan, she would have been marked for execution. He then reveals that he knew of her plan to kill him and had removed the bullets from her gun beforehand. Insisting that she must learn to protect herself, he gives her a loaded pistol and guides her, his tattoos swirling, as she fires it at a target. Cate feels a rush of power with the gun in her hand but doesn’t want to acknowledge this.

She then thinks she knows what Lachlan wants from his bargain with her: He is training her to be his personal assassin so she can kill one of the fae from the other courts for him, since he can’t do it himself without being marked by the Hunt. She tells Lachlan her theory, demanding that he release her from the bargain since she has guessed what he wants from her. However, Lachlan denies this, saying he doesn’t need her to be a killer since he has many of those in his employ. He only wants her to be empowered to defend herself. He says his family needs to learn to protect themselves since he doesn’t want to lose anyone else. Unsettled by this revelation and upset that she still hasn’t figured out what Lachlan wants from her, Cate storms off to the car.