Meryn reels from the revelation that Crown Prince Killian is Lee, her former lover who concealed his royal identity. She struggles to contain her rage and heartbreak, recognizing that if anyone discovers their connection, the consequences could be dire. She forces herself not to look at him, even as fury and betrayal consume her.

King Cyril descends to the arena floor with his entourage and inspects the Rawbonds like livestock, groping and appraising them. When he reaches Meryn, he lifts a lock of her hair with interest. Alpha Stark intervenes, suggesting the recruits demonstrate their resolve. As Killian passes Meryn, he covertly presses a note into her hand, which she hides in her sleeve. She notices Stark staring at her with murderous intent and fears he may have seen the exchange.

The king draws the Diren Blæd and slams it into the ground, commanding the Rawbonds to find and kill the weakest recruit. The sword's power drives the direwolves into a maddened bloodlust beyond their riders' control. A young, small Kryptos boy falls from his wolf and breaks bones, drawing the predators' attention. When Meryn instinctively shouts "No," the wolves turn on her instead, identifying her as the true outsider and weakest link.

Just as Jonah and his wolf lunge to attack, Anassa charges in and body-slams the attackers away. The massive direwolf stands over Meryn, growling possessively, and the other wolves judge her too formidable to challenge. They back down and redirect their aggression toward the injured Kryptos boy. His wolf is overpowered, and the pack tears the boy apart in a gruesome spectacle while the crowd cheers. Even the boy's own wolf, freed from Anassa's grip, delivers the killing bite before dying from the severed bond.

Meryn realizes the arena's ground divots are blood drains—proof this slaughter is routine. She also concludes that Stark orchestrated this event specifically hoping the wolves would choose her as the victim. The king lifts the Diren Blæd again, calming the wolves and ending the Presentation. On the march back to the dorms, Meryn reads Killian's note in private: "East garden at midnight. Please, kitten." Torn between rage at his betrayal and desperate need for answers, she stares at her blood-spattered reflection, utterly alone—Anassa's mental wall still firmly in place and no one she can trust with the truth.