Eris Vanserra, heir to the Autumn Court, had always envisioned his destined mate as someone with power, prestige, and influence. Raised among ruthless nobility, he believed that only a partner of equal status could ever be worthy of standing by his side. So when the bond finally snapped into place, revealing a mere shop worker as his mate, he was left reeling. The woman, simple in her appearance and life, couldn't have been farther from what he had anticipated. She was not a warrior or a noble-born fae, but someone who spent her days selling herbs and simple remedies, unnoticed by the world around her.

He had long lived under the oppressive weight of court expectations, his father's cruelty shaping every decision he made. How could he possibly align himself with someone the Autumn Court would view as beneath him?

His pride warred with the bond, and the thought of introducing someone so ordinary to his family seemed impossible. Yet again and again. Day after day. He was brought to the front of her shop, sometimes he'd watch from the other side of the street but he hadn't yet stirred up the courage to enter. That was.. until today.

The bell on the door ringed, announcing his arrival. He browsed the shelves inconspicuously, watching his mate from afar.