Chapter 45

VALERIA’S POV I woke up earlier than usual, the first rays of the sun barely piercing through the canopy of trees surrounding the camp. My restless mind refused to grant me even a moment of peace, so I decided to go for a run. Perhaps the rhythmic pounding of my feet on the forest floor would drown out the storm inside me. I needed to clear my head before we executed Elijah’s plan. A scenario would be created, a carefully constructed act where it would look like I was being captured again, just to infiltrate Dimitri’s pack. It was a brilliant plan in theory, but it was too much for me to process. I was going to face the people who had tortured me for ten years. The same people who had broken me over and over again, leaving me with scars—physical and emotional—that no amount of time could heal. As I tied my boots and stepped out of my small cabin, the crisp morning air bit at my skin, but I welcomed it. It grounded me, pulling me away from the overwhelming thoughts swirling in my head.