Ghosts in My Blood

Rhydian's POV

“Why am I going crazy over a man who is not even my mate?”

I paced the war room like a caged animal, blood still drying on my knuckles from the border fight. The words slipped out loud before I could stop them. My boots left muddy prints on the old wood floor. Every step replayed that moment. Soren grabbing my arm with Elio’s exact tone, warning me about the blind spot like he had said it a hundred times before. My wolf howled inside me, confused and hungry at the same time.

The door creaked open. Garrick stepped in, my most trusted guard, wiping dirt from his face. Fresh scratches marked his arm from the skirmish.

“Alpha,” he said, voice steady. “We pushed them back. Two of theirs down, none of ours lost. But they were testing us hard. They know something is off with you.”

I stopped pacing and faced him. “Good. Let them think I am distracted. Now listen close. I need you to dig into Soren Vale. Everything. Birth records, family ties that might be hidden, where he has been the last six months, any strange illnesses, who he talks to, every little thing. Do it quiet but fast.”

Garrick shifted on his feet. “Soren? The quiet beta? You sure about this, Alpha? The pack is already whispering after last night.”

“I do not care about whispers,” I snapped. “That scent is driving me mad. Do the job. Report back the second you find anything.”

He nodded once. “Understood. I will start now.” Garrick turned to leave but paused at the door. “You going to be alright? You look like you fought more than just rivals out there.”

“Go,” I said. My tone left no room for more questions.

Alone again, I wiped my hands on my shirt and headed down the corridor toward the side room. My mind would not settle. Elio was gone. I buried him. So why did touching Soren feel like coming home?

I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Soren sat on the floor against the wall, pale as winter snow, eyes distant. He looked up when I entered but did not stand.

“What happened while I was gone?” I asked, closing the door behind me. My voice came out rougher than I meant.

Soren rubbed his temples. “Memories. They hit hard after you left. Flooded in like they belonged to me. I blacked out for a bit.”

I crossed the room and crouched in front of him. Close enough to catch that warm scent again. It wrapped around me like a trap. “Tell me exactly what you saw. No holding back this time.”

He met my eyes, hesitant. “Flashes mostly. Laughing together. Feeling safe. But I do not want to say more. It feels like stealing.”

“Stealing?” I leaned closer. “From who? Elio is dead. If these memories are real, I need to know.”

Soren let out a shaky breath. “They feel real. Too real. Like I lived them. But I am not him, Rhydian. Stop looking at me like I am.”

Hearing my name from his mouth hit different. I sat back on my heels. “You think this is easy for me? I stood on that cliff yesterday morning telling him I would never move on. Then you show up smelling like home. Talking like him. Touching my arm like only he ever did.”

Guilt twisted in my chest. I had not said this much to anyone since the burial. “I carry blame for his death every single day. If I had been faster that night, maybe he would still be here. Instead I am left with blood on my hands and questions that never stop.”

Soren watched me carefully. “That sounds heavy. I am sorry. But using me as some replacement is not fair either.”

I reached out without thinking and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. My fingers lingered a second too long. The air between us felt thick. “I am not trying to replace him. I just need answers before this tears the pack apart.”

He did not pull away. “Then believe me when I say I am scared too. These pieces inside me keep pushing. I do not know how much longer I can hold on.”

The silence stretched. My wolf wanted to pull him close. My head screamed to keep distance. I almost gave in when the door banged open again.

Garrick stood there, breathing fast. “Alpha, I found something already. You need to hear this.”

I stood up quick. “Talk.”

Garrick glanced at Soren then back to me. “Soren was treated by a forbidden healer three months back. Secret visits. The kind that deal in dark stuff. He had a terminal condition. Something eating him from the inside. No one in the pack knew he was dying.”

My stomach dropped. I turned to Soren. “Is this true?”

Soren pushed himself up from the floor, color returning to his face with anger. “You had him spy on me that fast? Yes, I was sick. I went to someone who could help without the whole pack knowing my weakness. What does that prove?”

“It proves you were vulnerable,” I said, stepping closer. “Perfect for whatever this is. Someone used you, Soren. Maybe you even let them.”

His eyes flashed. “Used me? You see a ghost every time you look at me. That is all this is. You do not care about Soren Vale. You care about getting Elio back in any form. Well I am not him. I am dying or not, I am still me.”

“Stop,” I growled. “If someone performed a ritual on you, we need to know. This is bigger than your pride.”

Soren laughed bitterly. “Pride? I have been locked in here like a prisoner while you fight your wars. And now you throw my illness in my face. Maybe I should have stayed hidden. At least then no one would choke me over a scent.”

Garrick cleared his throat. “I will keep digging, Alpha. More details coming soon.” He slipped out, leaving us alone again.

I rubbed my face. “Soren, listen. I am not the enemy here.”

Before I could say more, he gasped and clutched his head. Pain twisted his features. He staggered forward. “It is happening again. Gods, it hurts.”

I caught him as his knees buckled. His body pressed against mine, warm and trembling. Then he whispered against my chest, voice soft and familiar in a way that broke me. “I was always afraid you would choose the pack over me one day. That my love would not be enough to keep you.”

The words hit like a blade. Elio had said that exact thing to me in private the week before he died. No one else knew. My arms tightened around Soren without meaning to. I wanted to push him away. I wanted to hold him forever.

“Stay with me,” I muttered, voice cracking. “Fight it. Tell me who did this to you.”

Soren’s breathing slowed a little but his eyes looked distant. “I do not know. But it feels like I am fading. Like soon there will be nothing left of me.”

I held him there on the floor of the side room, heart pounding against his. The scent wrapped around us both. Part of me hoped it would never end. The smarter part knew this could destroy everything.

Whatever came next, I could not let go. Not yet.