Mate

Koen Alexander is one of the novel’s primary characters. He is Serena’s love interest and the male romantic lead of the novel. He is 36 years old in the narrative present and the Alpha of the Northwest Were pack. He assumed this leadership position when he was 15 years old, and Constantine’s Favored cult attacked the Northwest. Constantine destroyed his parents (the former pack leaders), leading to division amongst the Weres. Koen stepped up because he wanted to protect his people from Constantine and to ensure their longevity.

Koen is a strong, steely, and respectable character. He takes his position as Alpha seriously, even when it means putting the pack above his own needs. Although controlled and stoic, Koen is just and considerate of others, which engenders his people’s trust and respect, marking him as a powerful and successful leader. He has been able to maintain his Alpha position because he has treated his people fairly and has always been faithful to them. His status begins to change, however, when he discovers that Serena is his mate. He informs the Northwest pack because he wants them to stay away from Serena, but the revelation breeds discontent, fear, and anxiety in the pack, whose members sense how their relationship will shift the pack’s dynamic. They worry that Koen will break the celibacy covenant, sleep with Serena, fall in love, and abandon the Northwest. They start to doubt Koen when he is around Serena, suddenly convinced that he is susceptible to her.

Koen falls in love with Serena but remains loyal to the Northwest. He is a faithful and devoted character who takes his responsibilities to others seriously. He is kind, tender, and loyal to Serena, too; he prioritizes her needs and stays by her side. He does everything in his power to protect her from harm and to get her the best care she needs. However, he denies his affection for her for many months. Koen is afraid of his love for Serena because he does not want to lose his Alpha position or endanger his people. At the same time, he is afraid that his leadership position will rob him of a happy future with Serena.

Koen is a static character whose wisdom, respectfulness, and care in all arenas offer him a contented future. Although he does help Serena through her Heat, he does not abandon the pack. He reassumes his position of authority and works with the Assembly to eradicate the covenant. He is therefore able to remain Alpha while starting a relationship and future with Serena.

Misery is a secondary character and Serena’s best friend. In the novel’s prequel, Bride, Misery is the protagonist and first-person narrator, but her character assumes a more peripheral role in the context of Serena’s narrative. She is a Vampyre who was used as Collateral throughout her childhood. The Vampyres forced Misery “to live among Humans, to be killed if the Vampyres violated the rules of the ceasefire between the two species” (24). Serena was assigned as her companion during this time. She was allegedly selected at random from a group of orphaned Human children. Serena grew up believing she was merely meant to keep Misery company amidst her social isolation.

Although the originating circumstances of Misery and Serena’s friendship were fraught, they developed an indelible bond. They remain close as adults and feel so connected to one another that they refer to each other as sisters. Throughout the novel, however, Misery and Serena find themselves circumstantially separated. Misery is now mated and living with the Were Lowe and raising his little sister Ana. Serena is living with Koen and trying to hide from the Vampyres, Humans, and the Favored who seek her demise. Serena still loves Misery, but she withdraws from their relationship, afraid of compromising her best friend’s seemingly idyllic life. She does not tell Misery she is sick, does not reveal that she has less than six months to live, does not share information about her Heat, and conceals her true feelings about Koen, too. This withholding is rather a symptom of insecurity than mistrust.

Misery is a static character who offers support to Serena, even when she seems unwilling to accept it. She also offers a model for Serena of a successful romantic relationship and reaches out to Serena to heal their relationship at the novel’s end. After Serena’s near-death encounter with Irene and the Favored, Misery confronts her best friend about being more honest and open. She reminds Serena of all they have been through and the importance of their relationship. Her bluntness and earnestness in this scene of dialogue at the novel’s close emphasize how vital the friendship between the women is to survival. Serena accepts Misery’s critiques of her behavior because she values her opinion and wants her in her life.

Irene is one of the novel’s antagonists. She is a lead member of the Favored cult, and Serena makes her acquaintance when the Favored kidnap her. Initially, Irene appeals to Serena’s emotions, offering her old family photos from when Serena was a baby and telling her stories about her parents (Fiona and Constantine). She wants Serena to feel a connection with the Favored so she might join their cause and fight against the Northwest Were pack.

However, when Irene’s initial efforts fail, she quickly turns hostile, threatening to kill Serena and “turn [her] into a martyr” (410), revealing the true reasons behind her overtures of friendship. With the help of Koen and the Northwest, Serena ultimately ambushes and defeats Irene and the Favored. She does not kill Irene, but she does risk her life to protect Koen from Irene. Irene’s character poses a threat to Serena’s safety throughout the novel and creates obstacles within her and Koen’s relationship. Her attempts to destroy Koen and the Northwest pack also create an undertone of violence and danger throughout the narrative.

Constantine is a minor character and another antagonist, although he is dead in the narrative present. Koen killed him during the Harrowing, but he remains a constant topic of conversation throughout the novel. He was married to Irene, with whom he had Serena. This key facet of Serena’s personal history is not revealed until later in the novel—and significantly contributes to Serena’s journey of Finding Identity and Belonging Through Connection. Learning that the fear-mongering and power-hungry leader of the Favored was her father upturns Serena’s sense of self: If she came from a bloodthirsty master manipulator, she cannot imagine what she is capable of.

Constantine’s character also creates conflict because the Were characters live in the shadow of his violent legacy. Constantine attacked and destroyed much of the Northwest pack during the Harrowing, an incident that colors their relationships, politics, and culture in the present day. They are determined to protect their community because of this traumatic history and are careful to avoid repeat situations in the future.