Bitten

Vanessa wakes on the floor of her newly decorated room after hearing screams from somewhere below. Feeling powerless to avenge Celeste, she’s interrupted by Sin, who arrives with his usual flirtatious teasing, offering to bathe and dress her. His playful manner contrasts with his indifference toward her in public. When Vanessa accuses him of abandoning her—noting that Evie had threatened to dump boiling tea on her if she came to supper—Sin says he won’t intervene between her and Evie. He then recounts a time when Queen Sybil and Lord Allard brutally tortured and executed a duke and duchess, forcing him to watch.

He gives Vanessa rules for survival in the court: never show weakness or falter in loyalty. He admits that he wants to protect her but claims that his duty is to the throne. However, Vanessa’s Truthseer ability reveals that he’s lying about his motive for being there; he’s there for her. He admits that Queen Sybil noticed her absence and warns that if Vanessa misses another meal, she will be assigned a guard. When she asks why he wants to protect her, he tells her, “Monsters aren’t born, Vanessa. They’re made” (122), insisting that she still has time to avoid becoming like the others. He encourages her to attend Combat and Conquest class to learn control.

In her Combat and Conquest class, Vanessa is forced to spar in human form. Her opponent, Katerina Aston, easily overpowers her, pins her down, and bites off the tip of her nose. The pain and humiliation cause Vanessa to lose control, and she begins transforming into a wolf with the intent to kill Katerina. Sin tries to restrain her, but she’s too enraged.

Calix intervenes, using pressure points on her neck to halt the transformation and calm her. He says that her weakness is mental, not physical. Instructor Shepherd sends Calix to sharpen swords and rapiers. Evie then taunts Vanessa, saying she’ll never survive the upcoming Ascension rite. Shepherd reprimands Vanessa for trying to shift mid-fight, explaining the vulnerability it creates. Sin uses his power of compulsion to stop the instructor from berating her further, which infuriates Shepherd. Later, Sin admits to using compulsion and states that he did it for Calix, not for Vanessa.

A kind classmate named Portia Montgomery is assigned to help Vanessa control her claws. Portia, who’s an “Earthcharmer,” explains that violence is a tool for power in the Wolf Court. Before Vanessa can ask her about Celeste’s death, Sin interrupts and sends Portia away. He leads Vanessa to a secret room filled with cursed and magical objects to speak privately.

There, Vanessa questions him about the night on the beach. He confirms that it was a pack outing and swears he didn’t kill Celeste, which Vanessa’s Truthseer ability confirms is true. He then teaches Vanessa to summon her claws by focusing on her anchor emotion: rage. After she succeeds, she asks about his arranged marriage to Evie. He explains that it’s a political blood bargain between their parents and that rejecting it would cause a war. He admits that he doesn’t want to marry Evie. He also reveals that his power is the same as his mother’s, blood bargaining. The moment becomes intimate, and he leans in to kiss Vanessa, but the castle door swings open violently. Calix is the only one who sees them emerge from the room together, disheveled.

Vanessa has a vivid but unsettling dream of being in her high-school cafeteria with Celeste. Celeste pressures her to choose a prom date and points out Sin, who is also in the dream. Celeste then tells Vanessa that she needs to “move on” and “choose happiness,” which causes Vanessa to realize she’s dreaming. She wakes up distressed, recommitting herself to avenging Celeste and recognizing that her near-kiss with Sin was a foolish distraction.

As she sits in her room, the mirror on her wall suddenly shatters, and glass slices her face and hands. Behind it, the word “LEAVE” is written in red in five jagged letters. A moment later, the message vanishes, and the mirror magically repairs itself. The incident solidifies Vanessa’s resolve to immediately continue her investigation into Celeste’s murder.

Determined to find evidence, Vanessa breaks into Evie’s room. She’s nearly caught by a young servant named Anthony, but she compels him to ensure his silence. Inside, she discovers that the room is booby-trapped with a cursed axe and finds shelves of deadly poisons, confirming Evie’s skill in alchemy. On Evie’s vanity, Vanessa finds a bottle of a mysterious red liquid. When she tests a drop on her finger, it sinks into her skin and disappears, just like the bloody, threatening messages she has received.

Convinced that she has proof, Vanessa is consumed by rage and prepares to transform and kill Evie. Before she can, Calix yanks her out and pulls her into his room. In her fury, Vanessa bites him. As she loses control, Calix explains that she must release her pent-up emotions by fully transforming. He shifts into his wolf form and fights her, easily subduing her until her rage subsides. Afterward, he warns her that she’s at two strikes—the Combat near-transformation and this incident—and threatens to dispose of her if it happens again. When she asks who he really is, Calix confesses that he’s the son of Cora Severi, Queen Sybil’s banished sister, and that his duty is to serve as Sin’s protector as penance for his mother’s crimes.

Oona reveals that she and Calix cleaned Evie’s room to hide Vanessa’s intrusion. Scolding Vanessa for her recklessness, Oona gives her a journal to better organize her investigation. She then explains the upcoming Ascension Rite, where Sin will choose his permanent pack. Oona warns that if Vanessa isn’t chosen, the queen will have her cast out as a Lone Wolf to contain her unknown power. To survive, Vanessa must become an asset to the court.

Motivated, Vanessa decides to cooperate and wears one of the red gowns that the queen provided. Anticipating that Sin will come for her, she deliberately feigns trouble with her dress. Sin arrives accompanied by Calix, and Sin helps her, his touch slow and intimate. Impatient, Calix is goaded by both of them into tying Vanessa’s stockings. Calix unexpectedly turns the task into a seductive challenge, lingering over her thighs before asking, “You like that?” (171).

During an outdoor Astronomical Astrology lesson, Vanessa ends up lying next to Sin, where they share a moment of tense, unspoken attraction. Motivated by a desire to impress him and a memory of Oona’s advice, she decides that she must try harder in her studies. When Instructor Nagma quizzes the class, Vanessa correctly identifies Alchemy as the gift associated with the Ursa Major constellation, which she knows belongs to Evie and Eric. Her correct answer earns her praise from the instructor and, more importantly, from Sin. He quietly compliments her and touches her hand, making her realize that academic success will give him a reason to interact with her publicly, allowing them to be friends. Newly motivated by this prospect, she returns to her room and diligently records all the constellations and their associated powers discussed in class, including Historian, Mind Reader, and Justiciar, before falling asleep to dream of Sin.

For seven weeks, Vanessa focuses on her training and studies while booby-trapping her room to keep Evie away. While reviewing her own journal, which lists the werewolves present at Celeste’s death, Vanessa laments her lack of concrete evidence against Evie. One night, Sin unexpectedly enters her room, getting caught in her traps. When Vanessa asks why he’s there, he says that he doesn’t want to tell her, but he later opens up about his despair over the court and his inability to change it. Vanessa comforts him, and their shared vulnerability leads to a passionate kiss. As they become more intimate, Sin admits that he’s constantly thinking about her. Their moment is interrupted when Evie bursts in, catching them in a compromising position. Evie insults Vanessa and tells them that Queen Sybil has summoned them to the throne room. After Evie leaves, Vanessa is terrified, certain that by being caught with Sin, she has now become Evie’s primary target.