In the aftermath of the coyote attack, Controller Fletcher and other townsmen arrive, one carrying the injured boy Robbie. Rachel panics until assured that Betta, the town doctor, is coming. Wren and Tana assess Robbie’s wound; despite heavy bleeding, he is conscious and likely to need stitches. Rachel thanks Wren for the shot that saved Robbie, and Fletcher publicly praises Wren’s precise marksmanship, noting her bullet went through the predator’s eye.

Feeling exposed by the attention, Wren withdraws. Tana checks on her, then departs, while Jordan, the soldier from the inn, follows Wren to her motorcycle and marvels at her skill, stressing the difficulty and risk of the shot. Wren deflects, lies about visitors being unwelcome at her ranch, then distracts Jordan with a parting kiss before riding off, vowing to avoid entanglements with soldiers.

On the road, Wren links telepathically with Wolf, a long-time unseen friend she has known since childhood via mental connections. Their banter shifts to the burdens of lying to Primes about being Modified; Wolf admits occasional guilt but insists secrecy is necessary. Wren laments that lovers like Jordan will never truly know her, and Wolf counters that he knows her. She ends the link and heads home.

At the ranch, Uncle Jim confronts Wren about being late. Wren tells him about the shot; Jim is furious that she drew attention, reiterating his rule to stay unnoticed. They argue about risk and Wren’s limited Uprising experience, her unique ability to avoid detection in the city, and the danger of her unpredictable inciting power, recalling childhood training where she once compelled Jim to cut his palm. The tension cools as they discuss Jim’s upcoming trip to Ward T and exchange goodnights.

At dawn, Wren rides her mare Kelley to repair fences. Partway through, Jim links her with an urgent warning not to return: Command is at the house. Defying him, Wren takes a high-ground vantage point and sees two Command trucks at the ranch. An officer holds a gun to Jim’s forehead while four soldiers stand nearby; Jordan is among them. Jim tells Wren Command came “to watch you shoot,” making clear her public display drew them there.

From concealment, Wren debates using her rifle but realizes she cannot eliminate all five without Jim being killed. She links Jim again and asks what to do; he orders her to find Griff for protection. As the officer roughly handles Jim, Wren recognizes that the man knows Jim’s true identity. Jim confirms that they know he is Julian Ash. The soldiers throw Jim into a vehicle and drive away, leaving Wren hidden and devastated.