Serena, reborn after being betrayed and poisoned, refuses to shield Alpha Caleb again. When he is wounded, she is blamed while cousin Lilith manipulates everyone. Serena secretly gathers evidence of Lilith's affair, bribes, and slander. At the Blood Moon wedding, she exposes Lilith, who is banished. Serena's engagement is annulled, and she gains unprecedented freedom. She rejects her family's demands, leaves for the Northern Wastelands with loyal maid Willa, and begins a new life. A letter from
