Bryce finds her first-aid kit and joins Hunt in tending to a badly injured Ithan on her coffee table. As Bryce and Hunt assess his broken ribs, broken arm, and facial injuries, Hunt bluntly demands to know why Ithan came. Ithan explains that he did not choose Bryce’s apartment himself; Perry, his pack’s Omega, sent him there after Sabine, Amelie, and the rest of the pack beat him and threw him out.

Ithan says the attack happened because a reporter asked him about the spring attack on the city, and the resulting article included his defense of Bryce and criticism of Sabine. Because wolves are not supposed to publicly attack their own, Sabine retaliated. Bryce is disturbed by how far Sabine went, and despite the bitterness between them, Bryce insists that Ithan stay the night because he is too hurt to leave and might still be in danger.

Bryce then calls her parents and lies smoothly to get them out of the city earlier, arranging to meet them at their hotel at six in the morning. After the call, the three argue over sleeping arrangements. Bryce refuses to let Ithan bleed on her white couch, so she puts him in her bed and leaves Hunt to sleep elsewhere, which sparks intense private jealousy in Hunt.

Alone, Hunt fixates on Ithan sharing Bryce’s room and admits to himself that he is more rattled by Ithan than by Cormac’s claim on Bryce. Hunt looks up the article and sees that Sabine dismissed Bryce as a fame-seeking party girl, while Ithan publicly credited Bryce with saving the city and called her a hero. Hunt then exchanges messages with Isaiah about the newly appointed governor, Celestina, who will arrive the next evening, adding another layer of looming uncertainty.

In Bryce’s room, Bryce and Ithan have their first calm, honest conversation in a long time. Ithan reveals that Danika had once keyed him to Bryce’s apartment locks, and Bryce confirms that Danika served as her Anchor during the Drop. Bryce also tells Ithan that Danika said Connor and the Pack of Devils held off the Reapers to save her. Ithan responds that Connor loved Bryce deeply and believed she was his mate, a revelation that sharpens Bryce’s grief as the two quietly acknowledge how much time and trust they wasted.