_She needs a man to keep her alive in a world full of monsters. He'll do._ Ever since the world fell apart, I've been like a princess trapped in a tower, looking down at our chaotic new reality from an upstairs window and never allowed to risk the dangers outside. Then my father dies, and there's no one left to keep me safe from selfish, violent men no longer restrained by social boundaries. I need someone, and the leader of the local gang is my best choice. Rough and intimidating, he's no prince. But Levi agrees to keep me safe, and I do my best to keep him happy. Maybe I want more than a transactional relationship, but the world after Impact doesn't allow for romantic daydreams. Life is now a gritty fairy tale without a happily ever after.

She needs to escape her stepmother, and the only prince available is him. Ever since my father died and my sister left, I've been trapped in a life of drudgery with a stepfamily as wicked as the storybooks say. Life after the apocalypse offers few choices, and I only have three. I can stay and be miserable. I can die in the wilderness. Or I can marry him. Mason is the closest thing this village has to a prince. He's odd and antisocial and doesn't say a lot, but he's got a good home and a dependable income. Plus, he treats me better than my stepfamily. Neither one of us has any experience with relationships, but maybe we can muddle along together better than we have alone. If happy endings in this world are impossible, then this marriage of convenience will have to do.