Before she can fulfill the pact to marry her childhood friend, Zemirah's worst nightmare comes to pass. She is Given to a Lykarthian warrior. Descended from berserkers, he is one of the fiercest creatures ever to walk the Earth, and the embodiment of everything she fears. But, she is not the only one disturbed by their coming marriage. Gavril is content with the duty he serves as one of Odinn's blessed warriors. He has no need or want of a bride, but he cannot refuse a gift from a Patriarch. Though fear of his kind comes hand in hand with the respect of the empires, seeing the terror in his future bride's eyes cuts Gavril deeply. In a time when the new Oracle is coming into power, battles between the Kamalyens and the Lykarthians are on the rise. With missions continually drawing him away from his new bride, will Gavril's responsibility as a protector of mankind get in the way of their budding relationship, or will they triumph over their obstacles and learn to live with the life chosen for them?