Three weeks into her alpha training with Stark, Meryn has grown significantly stronger both mentally and physically. During their daily sparring session, she notices for the first time that Stark is flagging. She mirrors his slowed pace to feign her own exhaustion, then seizes an opening—sweeping his legs and pressing her knee against his throat. Stark is beaten. In the aftermath, a brief, charged moment passes between them when he strokes his thumb on her knee, sending sparks through her body. He quickly recovers, pulling her off balance, but concedes the win. He dismisses her abruptly, refusing her offered hand.

Meryn returns to her room elated, where Killian is waiting. Angered by her bruises, Killian tends to her wounds with healing tinctures, continuing their established ritual. The tender care and lingering adrenaline from training ignite desire between them. Meryn asks Anassa for privacy, and the direwolf erects a mental wall. Meryn and Killian have an intense, passionate sexual encounter, both vying playfully for dominance.

Afterward, as they lie together, Meryn's thoughts return to her recurring vision of a metal object glinting in the arena drain. She casually asks Killian about what lies beneath the Rawbond arena. He mentions it's likely just a drainage system and admits the castle holds secrets even he doesn't know. This strikes Meryn as suspicious—the crown prince should know his own castle—and she grows more certain that King Cyril is hiding things from his son.

After Killian leaves, Meryn seeks out Venna, eventually finding her in a secluded greenhouse courtyard where Venna has been teaching sign language to other Kryptos Rawbonds. Meryn confides her suspicion that the king is hiding important things about the castle and asks Venna to use her Kryptos surveillance skills to investigate. Venna confirms she's already noticed anomalies—servants moving at odd hours, locked doors, unexplained sounds.

Before they can discuss further, a castle messenger interrupts with an urgent letter from the front. It's from Egith, and its final line shakes Meryn: "We may have located the missing children."