The Reborn Omega's Revenge (Valencia) novel Chapter 4

Valencia's POV

My breath hitched as his gaze met mine, and he smiled.

It was a dazzling smile, with sharp canines peeking through, and his deep blue eyes sparkled under the bright light of the bar. “You ran away?” he said, his voice low, smooth, with just a hint of drunkenness. Not that I could judge—I’d been drinking right alongside this gorgeous, tanned stranger, and I could feel my thoughts getting fuzzier by the minute.

I nodded, a crooked smirk pulling at my lips. “Yeah, don’t give a damn anymore. He can go off and… marry my sister, for all I care.” I froze, suddenly realizing what I’d just revealed to this stranger.

But then he started chuckling, a deep, rumbling sound that made the tension melt from my shoulders.

“He’s that bad in bed?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Don’t even ask,” I snorted, the laughter bubbling up before I could stop it. “Worst experience of my life.”

It felt surreal, almost liberating, to laugh like this. To be honest, unfiltered, with someone who didn’t know me, didn’t judge me. It was a freedom I’d almost forgotten existed. Maybe it was the alcohol, but the atmosphere was intoxicating, heady, as though everything around me shimmered with possibility. The air was thick with the scent of hydrangeas and tobacco, and I closed my eyes, soaking in the sensation of being someone else—someone free.

When I opened them again, he was watching me with a curious expression, a slight smirk still on his lips. He called himself “Steal,” and somehow, even his name felt like an invitation to forget everything.

Coming here had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but now I knew it was the right one. Just for tonight, I wanted to live a life that didn’t revolve around lies and betrayals. Just one night.

(A couple hours earlier)

I laughed. The sound was hollow, forced, as the cool red wine trickled down the front of my dress. It stained the fabric like blood, but I didn’t care. Jaxon’s sister, Ana, stood before me, feigning concern as her eyes flickered to the darkening spot on my dress.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she said, though her tone lacked any real apology. “Well, at least it won’t show much on this dress.”

Her gaze swept over me, assessing, not apologetic at all. The cool wind whipped around us, brushing against my bare arms, and goosebumps rose on my skin. I forced a smile, a thin, polite one, but inside, everything was churning. My suspicions were confirmed.

This is real.

I’d really gone back in time. This wasn’t some vivid dream. This was my past, my life, the same moment I had lived once before. I remembered every detail—Ana’s smugness, the decorations, the scenery, the crowd, the way her hand accidentally knocked her glass of wine into me, and the way I had fled the scene in tears that first time around.

But not this time. This time, I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

“Don’t worry about it,” I muttered, taking the napkin from her outstretched hand, wiping the wine absently. The cold pit of dread grew in my stomach, swirling like a storm, and my breath felt shallow.

Before I could think of how to escape, Jaxon appeared, stepping out of the pack house and making his way toward us. My heart lurched. He wasn’t supposed to be here yet—at least, not in my previous life. The last time, I had left before he could come out, too humiliated to stay for the proposal. But this time? I was still here.

His eyes landed on me, and for the briefest moment, something flickered across his face. Shock? Admiration? It was hard to tell.

But then his lips curved into a smile, and his entire demeanor changed. His usual coldness was replaced with a warmth I hadn’t seen in years. He strode over to me, his hand reaching for mine.

“You look stunning,” Jaxon said, his voice low and affectionate. “Ana, be more careful next time.”

Ana frowned, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “It was an accident,” she muttered, before spinning on her heel and storming off.

I stood there, frozen, as Jaxon’s compliment washed over me. In another life, those words might have made my heart flutter, but now, all I could feel was the weight of his cruelty. The dread in my chest grew heavier, suffocating. His gaze softened as he looked at me, but I knew better than to believe in the facade.

Everyone’s attention was on us. The pack members at the party watched, their eyes darting between me and Jaxon, waiting, expecting. I realized with a cold, sinking feeling that I had changed the future. In my past life, I hadn’t been here for this moment. Jaxon hadn’t had the chance to propose in front of the pack because I had left.

But now? Now I was here, standing before him, and I could see it in his eyes—he was about to propose. And I was on the verge of repeating the same mistake that had ruined my life.