Rise of the Lich Sentinel (D'Vaire, Book 5)

Swamped with guilt over nearly every decision he’s made in his life, Arch Lich Chander Daray spends his time escaping into books and focusing his energy on leading the Order of Necromancia. The last thing on his mind is finding his other half. In pursuit of freedom for the sentinels, Gavrael and Gedeon D’Vaire ask him for help, and Chander is happy to oblige. When their leader is summoned to begin the process of bringing the sentinels into the Council of Sorcery and Shifters, Chander is horrified to discover they are mates.

From the moment of Lich Sentinel Alaric’s resurrection, he has been spellbound to care for the sentinels. Hunger burns and exhaustion runs deep, but Alaric is forced to put his sentinels first, involuntarily setting his own needs aside. When he meets his mate, Alaric is helpless to do anything more than make occasional short visits in the name of sentinel welfare. Intrigued by the necromancer with the tired pewter eyes, for the first time Alaric questions why he is trapped in the sentinel compound, devoid of choices.

With no desire to openly defy Fate, Chander offers to seal their matebond, and Alaric jumps at the chance. His spell is discovered and Chander breaks him free but, rejecting any belief in the idea that he deserves happiness, he continues to avoid their connection. Determined to sway Chander, Alaric refuses to be pushed aside, though loving a man who fears his own inadequacies comes with a price. The odds are heavily stacked against the two, yet neither man appears capable of simply walking away. But is that enough to save them from heartbreak?​​