The ghost of my past

Valtor’s POV

The grand hall of the Silver Crest Pack buzzed with laughter and clinking glasses. Gold chandeliers bathed the space in warm light, casting a glow over the many people dressed in their finest. The scent of roasted meats and aged wine filled the air, but I barely paid attention.

I never liked parties.

But here I was, swirling a glass of deep red wine between my fingers, watching the crowd as they moved in well-practiced circles of conversation. 

My stepmother had insisted I attend this gathering, convinced by a seer’s cryptic words that my happiness awaited me here. 

I didn’t believe in such nonsense but Yet, here I was.

"Alpha Valtor," a young Lady greeted with a respectful nod. "It’s an honor to meet you."

I returned a polite nod, barely hearing her name. 

“It is truly an honor to meet you, I have heard many stories about you, but I must say the cameras and photos don't do your beauty any justice.”

This was the twentieth girl trying to flirt with me. What was wrong with these girls? 

I forced a smile, gulping down the last drop of wine in my glass. She quickly flagged down a servant to bring a new glass of wine. 

I raised an eyebrow, staring at her. She turned to me with a smile, handing the new glass of wine to me. 

“You're welcome,” she chuckled, covering her mouth, her cheeks red with blush. 

Two depressing minutes later, the Lady was still by my side talking about how great I was— she was literally lecturing me about my own biography.

Seeing that I wasn't interested in her conversation, she excused herself. 

The formalities went on, one after another, as guests came to pay their respects. It was a political game, one I had played countless times before.

Through the endless pleasantries, my Beta, Daniel, approached me. "Do you want to leave?" he asked in a low voice.

I exhaled, setting my wine down. "Yes. Call Alpha Aaron. It would be rude to leave without informing our host."

Daniel nodded and turned to walk away. "Also," I added, "get the alliance documents. You can return home once that’s done."

With that, I turned toward the exit. The moment my foot touched the marble floor,I heard a voice behind me. 

A voice I had not heard in five years.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I stopped dead in my tracks.

No. It couldn’t be.

I turned sharply, my breath caught in my throat.

Rachel?

It had to be my mind playing tricks on me. She had died. Five years ago.

But something in my chest twisted—an instinct, an ache buried so deep I had almost forgotten how it felt.

Shaking off the thought, I strode toward my waiting car. Daniel would handle the rest. I was done with this ridiculous party.

Then my wolf stirred.

A powerful wave of unease crashed over me.

Go back.

I clenched my jaw. My wolf was rarely wrong, and right now, he was restless. His warning settled deep into my bones.

I turned back.

The moment I turned back, I  raised my head just in time to see a figure falling from the tenth-floor balcony.

Without thinking, I lunged forward, catching the body before it could meet the ground. The impact was surprisingly light in my arms, as if the person weighed nothing.

Then I saw her.

And my world tilted.

Rachel.

Or someone who looked exactly like her.

She lay cradled in my arms, unconscious, her dark lashes fluttering against pale cheeks. Her scent—so familiar it was painful—wrapped around me, stirring memories I had buried.

It felt like the world went still as I kept staring at her, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

Nothing else mattered.

Daniel appeared beside me, his face a mixture of shock and horror. He looked between Rachel and me, his jaws dropping. 

“Is that?” Daniel was interrupted my the hurried feet approaching us. 

Alpha Aaron rushed toward me. His expression was filled with fear. 

“She’s just a maid,” Aaron said hastily, reaching for her. “The sentinels will take her to her quarters.”

A maid?

I narrowed my eyes at him, sensing his lie. I raised my head up just in time to see two sentinels on the balcony, they quickly moved away as soon as our eyes met. 

She was thrown from the balcony. 

I stared at her body, she had bruises all over, even with the bruises—her skin still looked just like Rachel's—the scent,the color everything was just the same. 

“Who is this woman?” I asked again, my eyes still on her. 

“She is just a maid,” Alpha Aaron said again. “She has been working for my wife for over ten years now, poor woman went through a lot in her family.”

“Ten years?” I muttered. 

Alpha Aaron stretched his hands as if to take her from me. “She will be taken to her room to rest,” he reassured me. 

But before I could react, two guards stepped forward and carefully took her from my arms.

Her head lolled to the side, her lips parting slightly. She muttered something, barely a whisper.

I couldn’t catch it.

Aaron gave me a faint smile. "Apologies for the scene, Alpha Valtor. If you’ll excuse me—"

I barely heard him, his words fading away, my eyes still on Rachel till the sentinels disappeared into the building. 

As he bid me farewell, I walked toward my car, but my mind was elsewhere. The woman I had seen…

Rachel.

It wasn’t possible.

Yet, my wolf knew the truth before I did.

Mine.

"Rachel died five years ago," Daniel said, as if trying to remind me of reality. "This woman must be a lookalike."

But I wasn’t convinced.

My wolf was restless, his instincts clawing at me.

I turned to Daniel, my voice low and firm.

"Find out everything about her. And make sure no one else does."

As I drove away, one thought echoed in my mind.

If Rachel was alive…Then I would uncover the truth.

No matter what it took.