The warehouse door slammed shut behind us with a finality that echoed in my chest.

Shane and I walked out into the night, the cold air biting through my coat. Every breath I took was sharp, but somehow, it felt like freedom.

I could still hear Lucien’s screams reverberating in my mind—the sound of his pride shattering piece by piece.

That fire inside me had just been stoked into a blazing inferno.

Shane glanced over at me, eyes dark and unreadable. “You did good tonight. More than ...