Never Forget

Chapter 5 - Never Forget

 

Paige

 

*Six years ago* 

 

"Come on, Paige, the waters great," Casper called out. I worried my lower lip, looking around the forest surrounding us. Why did I let him talk me into coming here? I should have said no. I should have suggested a different place.

 

We shouldn't be here; it was too close to human territory, too close to potential hunters. But I had ignored all of that because it was also exciting, being out here alone with Casper, the future leader of the Redmoon pack patrol team. As a Delta, he would be the leader of our pack warriors, helping to train all the recruits and honing their skills. 

 

As the second born in the Beta family, I wasn't forced to take up patrols or have any sort of responsibility like my brother, Kyle. But as a female Beta who just got her wolf four months ago, I was now the main focus of all the males in my pack. Each of them was looking for a chance to move up the food chain, hoping that if I didn't find my mate, I would pick one of them. It was a fucking joke if you ask me, not giving me an opportunity to earn my place in the pack as a Beta but being forced to endure the constant ogling of every unmated male in our pack. 

 

So as a fuck you to the wolf hierarchy and my parents. I fought it tooth and nail, making myself as much trouble as possible so people who had even an ounce of interest in me would leave me the fuck alone. It worked, too, until Casper came along. He was impossible to turn down, always saying the right things until I was putty in his hand. He was sweet and kind, loved to be just as irresponsible as me, and, of course, absolutely delectable.

 

That was the reason why I was here, out of pack territory boundaries, with Casper Daven, a boy two years older than me, because he was one of the select few males who didn't treat me like a prize to be won. He was a male of status and told me a thousand times that he could care less about who I was. It was why I slept with him the first time and then the time after that until we became more than just a casual fuck on a Friday night. 

 

Zane was going to be pissed that I came out here with Casper. The two of them never saw eye to eye when it came to me, but Zane was Zane, always acting like my overprotective brother, and well, Casper was an easy escape from all of that.

 

Plus, it didn't hurt that Casper was hot with his chiselled abs, stubborn jaw, ocean-blue eyes, and dark-cropped hair. And when his bronzed skin was covered in sweat after his training, he was pure sex. 

 

"You going to stare at me all night, Paige, or are you going to join me?" Casper taunted, flashing me a cocky smirk. 

 

I rolled my eyes, quickly stripping out of my clothes and forcing the uneasy feeling to go away as I diving into the lake. I let the water cool my heated skin, only surfacing once I was in front of Casper. 

 

"About time, P. I was starting to think you were going to leave me hanging." I swatted at his chest, laughing. 

 

"Oh, shut up. I was just admiring the view." I laughed, moving in closer. Casper looked down at me, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck and pulling me in closer until our chest touched, my breasts pressed against his warm skin, my nipples stiffening. 

 

"Did you like what you saw?" He asked, leaning in closer until our lips were a breath apart. 

 

"Eh, it was okay, nothing really worth remembering." A low growl vibrated in his chest before Casper captured my lips with his. He swallowed my moan as he pulled me flush against him, my legs wrapping around his waist, his hard cock brushing against my ass. 

 

Casper broke the kiss, taking in my swollen lips before his blue eyes settled on mine again. 

 

"Careful, Peterson. Keep taunting me, and I won't be responsible for what happens." A shiver worked its way up my spine, the excitement of what he might do me spurring me on. 

 

"All empty threats, Daven. I'm not scared of you." I goaded, rubbing myself against him, earning a grunt in return. 

 

"Fuck you are such trouble, Peterson. What am I going to do with you?" 

 

I shook my head, shrugging my shoulders."I could think of a few things." The corning of his mouth tilted up, revealing his perfect smile. 

 

Fuck why was he so gorgeous. 

 

"Oh yeah?"He drawled. I nodded, pulling myself up until my lips aligned with his. 

 

"Oh yeah." My voice was breathy as I leaned in, sealing our mouths together again. Casper adjusted me so his cock lined up with my entrance, the tip pushing in. He swallowed my moan as he pushed all the way in, stretching me to fit his length. 

 

"Fuck, Paige, you feel so good." Casper shifted to push into me again while I clung to him, both of us floating in the middle of the lake. Just as he moved to thrust back into me, a branch snapped in the distance. 

 

I pulled away from Casper as he shifted to hold me behind him. My heart started to race, fear setting in as I tried to stay alert, straining my ears to hear if anyone else was around us. My gut told me we weren't alone. 

 

"It was probably just a deer," Casper whispered, his reassurance not easing the pit in my stomach. I knew we shouldn't have come out here, but of course, I let my heart lead the way instead of my head. 

 

I sniffed the air, letting my wolf come forward to help me smell and hear better. 

 

"I don't like it, Casper. We should head back." I whispered back, trying my best to stay still so we didn't alert whoever was out there of our exact location. 

 

Casper shifted away from me, looking down before giving me another breathtaking kiss. 

 

"I'm sure it's nothing, Paige. I don't smell anything, and Riko doesn't sense anything, either. But I'm going to go check it out just to be sure." He said, giving me another bright smile. 

 

"We can just go together. That way, you have backup," I stated, moving to follow him, but Casper stopped me, shaking his head. 

 

"There is no need. I'll be right back, and then we can finish what we started." He winked, the moonlight reflecting off his back as he swam away from me. 

 

I reluctantly agreed, staying in the water as Casper made his way to shore, climbing up the steep slope we jumped off. 

 

"I don't like this," Odessa growled. I nodded, looking around the empty forest again—the feeling of someone watching us making my skin prickle. 

 

"Me either." I floated there for another minute before shaking my head. 

 

"Fuck it." I declared, making my way back to shore. I climbed the steep slope, trying my best to be as quiet as possible, except when I got to the top of the hill, my heart stopped. 

 

Two men stood before Casper, his head tilted down as he let out a pained grunt. 

 

Hunters.

 

"Casper." I cried out as the man on the left stuck another blade into his side. Casper's eyes locked on mine, fear filling them. 

 

"Paige, run!" He shouted as the two men turned their attention to me. I didn't have time to process anything. One minute, I was standing there staring at Casper the next, and I shifted, a snarl leaving my lips as Odessa charged the two hunters. 

 

"Fuck." One of the hunters cursed as we latched onto their arm, Odessa's teeth sinking into the flesh, blood filling our mouths, but we didn't let go until the arm was ripped clean off. The man cursed while the other struggled to get his gun set up.

 

Odessa didn't hesitate, both of us working as one as we made a beeline for the next hunter, using their shock to our advantage. His fingers fumbled with the bullets. He cursed, dropping his gun and booking it into the forest before we could catch him. If we really wanted to, we could have seen him, but my focus was on Casper and the other hunter we managed to injure. 

 

"You fucking bitch. Looks like you didn't get to mate yet. Ivan would have had use for you." The bastard hissed as he pressed his jacket over the wound where his arm used to be. The fucker was going to die, but he was still acting like he would walk away from this. 

 

Odessessa snarled at him, showing all of her teeth. His skin was becoming more ashen by the second, the blood not stopping. My eyes flickered to Casper, who was lying on the ground panting, the smell of his blood tainting the air. The hunger followed my gaze, looking down at Casper.

 

"Oh well, at least there will be one less mutt walking around." The hunter coughed, falling to his knees. 

 

I quickly shifted back, not bothering with the hunter now that he was about two seconds from death. I rushed toward Casper, dropping on the ground beside him. His skin was pale, his body covered in sweat. 

 

"Hey, you're going to be okay, Casper. I'm going to get you back to the pack, and then my mom will fix you right up." I assured him, but Casper didn't respond. 

 

"Casper," I said a little more urgently, my voice raising as I shook his shoulder. 

 

"Casper, answer me," I demanded, shaking him now. The wounds in his abdomen weren't healing. The blood was coming out too fast. I started to panic, tears filling my eyes as I linked Zane. He was going to be so angry, but I didn't care, not when Casper was dying. 

 

'Zane, we were attacked out by Sandy Lake. Casper isn't healing. One hunter got away, but I killed the other one.' I shouted through the link. 

 

'On our way.' Zane clipped; I could feel the anger radiating from him through the link before he cut it. 

 

I turned my attention to Casper, pulling him onto my lap and running my fingers through his hair. His breathing was getting more and more shallow. A sob shook my body as I pulled him into me. 

 

"It's going to be okay. Stay with me, Cas. Please stay with me." I begged. 

 

I don't know how long it took Zane, my father, my mother, and the others to find us, but what I did know was that they were too late. Even if they had gotten here any faster, Casper had already lost too much blood.

 

"Paige," Zane whispered as he approached me and Casper. His words sounded so far away as I cradled Caspers's limp body. My entire body numb. I was covered in Casoer's blood, but I didn't care. 

 

"Paige, you have to let him go." I shook my head, pressing my face into Caspers's neck. His body was already starting to go cold. His heart was no longer beating. 

 

"We can save him." I cried, not wanting to face the truth, not wanting to admit to myself that if I had just gone with my gut instinct instead of listening to my traitorous heart, Casper would still be here. He would still be alive, laughing and flashing me his contagious smile. 

 

"There is so saving him, sweetheart. He's gone. I'm sorry." My mother whispered. A broken sob ripped through my chest. Casper was dead. He was gone forever. 

 

I let my heart shatter, let the tears pour until they ran out, and then I vowed never to let it happen again. Never would I let myself get lost in someone. Never would I let my heart lead me because if I did, then I would risk losing someone else I cared about. 

 

*Present* 

 

"Figured I'd find you here." My father said from behind me. I didn't bother turning around as I stared out at the open lake. My legs dangling over the cliff ledge. After Casper died, Zane expanded our pack borders, wanting to make sure no hunter ever got too close to our territory again. 

 

I found myself coming here ever since, forcing myself to relive that terrible night, so I remembered why I had to keep everyone at arm's length. 

 

My father dropped beside me, groaning as he kicked his legs out in front of him. I was going to lose it on Zane when I saw him next for ratting me out to my parents.

 

"I'm getting too old for this." He teased, nudging his shoulder into mine. I bit back my smile, not wanting to feel happiness when I didn't deserve to feel anything but misery. 

 

My father let out a heavy sigh. 

 

"You know you can't keep letting your fears rule you, kiddo. Sooner or later, you have to move on from it." I scoffed. 

 

"I won't bury another friend." 

 

"I'm not asking you to. Cas-" 

 

"Don't," I hissed, not wanting to hear his name. Even after six years, it still hurt to hear it. 

 

"Paige, you can't stop living your life because he is gone. You have a bright future ahead of you, and you have a duty to this pack." 

 

"Right, like find a mate or bind myself to the next willing male to produce some future Betas. News flash, Dad, I don't give a shit. Fuck pack traditions and fuck finding a mate. I would rather be alone for the rest of my life than let anything like what happened with him happen again." 

 

"As always. It was nice talking to you." I ground out before standing and walking away from him. I quickly chucked off the spare clothes we left in the treelines for when we shifted back and let Odessa take over, losing myself to the run. 

 

Why couldn't everyone just leave me the fuck alone?