The Crystal Omen

Valerie’s POV

My bare feet pressed against the cool stone corridor, making only faint echoes. The lights above lined the path like silent witnesses. Maverick’s figure moved ahead, tall and silent, his shadow swallowing mine. Without my chains I felt unsteady—like I’d forgotten the weight I always carried.

He stopped at my old door, its oak carved with our pack’s crest. My throat clenched. It had