Alpha Caspian

chapter 13

Lily

“LILY, RUN!”

Caspian's voice thundered through the forest, but my feet refused to move. I stood frozen as I stared at the stranger standing only a few meters away from me. His clothes were torn and covered in dirt, but there was something about his eyes that made every instinct inside me scream that I knew him.

I took a step backwards when he smiled again.

“You really don't remember me?” he asked, his voice carrying an unsettling amusement. My heart started pounding harder.

“I don't know you,” I whispered. His smile widened.

“That is unfortunate.”

A low growl came from behind me, so powerful that the ground seemed to vibrate beneath my feet. I didn't have to turn around to know Caspian was furious. Damien immediately stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the stranger.

“Take Lily back,” Damien ordered one of the warriors.

“No,” I said immediately.

I didn't know why I refused. Maybe it was because something inside me was telling me that this man had answers about my past. Maybe I was tired of everyone telling me to run while refusing to tell me what I was running from.

“I need to know who he is.”

“You need to leave,” Damien said firmly.

Before I could argue, a loud growl came from Caspian again. He launched himself at another rogue who had been trying to sneak behind us. His claws tore through the rogue's shoulder, sending him crashing onto the ground.

I watched him fight with a strange mixture of fear and admiration. He was terrifying and powerful.

Yet when his eyes found mine again, I could see the same concern I had seen earlier in his room. He was afraid for me.

“Lily!” he roared.

This time I listened. I stepped backwards, allowing the warriors to surround me as they began pushing towards the mansion. But my eyes remained on Caspian until the distance between us became too great.

I didn't know why, but leaving him there felt wrong. The moment I reached the mansion, Meredith rushed towards me.

“Are you hurt?” she asked, her voice laced with concern. I shook my head.

“No.”

“Where is Alpha?” she asked. i know she is worried for her son and I cannot do anything to ease his worries.

“At the border," i answered. She looked past me, her face filled with worry.

“Damien said the rogues was looking for you," she said with worry.

“I know," i replied, nodding my head. I swallowed hard.

“One of them knew me," i added, my voice came out as a whisper. Meredith's expression changed.

“What did he say?” she asked.

“He asked if I remembered him.” Her eyes widened.

“Do you?”

“No," i answered. I placed my hand against my temple.

“But I feel like I should.”

A sharp pain suddenly shot through my head. I gasped and stumbled. Meredith caught me before I fell.

“Lily!”

I squeezed my eyes shut. Images flashed through my mind. A forest, rain, blood. A pair of hands pulling me through the trees.

Someone was shouting my name. Then another image appeared. A silver necklace hanging around someone's neck. I reached for it.

The moment my fingers touched it, everything disappeared. I opened my eyes, breathing heavily.

“What did you see?” Meredith asked, as if she knew what i experienced just now.

“I don't know," My voice trembled.

“But I saw a necklace," i said, trying to remember what does it look like.

Before she could ask anything else, a familiar voice came from behind us.

“Lily.” I turned around.

Caspian was standing at the entrance. My heart skipped.

His clothes were torn, his hair messy, and there was blood smeared across his cheek. A small cut ran along his jaw, and his breathing was still heavy from the fight. But he was alive.

Relief washed through me so quickly that I didn't think before running towards him.

“Caspian!” i breathed out. The back of my eyes burnes looking at him in such a condition.

His eyes widened when I threw my arms around him. For a second he stood completely still.

Then his arms wrapped around my waist. He pulled me closer. His face buried itself against my hair as he inhaled deeply.

“You're safe,” he whispered. His voice sounded different. Almost broken.

“I told you to stay inside," he said.

“I was worried about you," i hugged him tighter. His arms tightened around me.

“You shouldn't have come," he said in his tired voice.

“But you were fighting," i argued even knowing he was right. but i couldn't help myself from going there.

“I can take care of myself," he said, sensing my worry.

“I know.” I pulled back slightly.

“But I was still scared.”

His eyes met mine. For several seconds neither of us spoke.

Then his hand slowly lifted and brushed the blood from his cheek onto his fingertips.

“I'm fine," he said, looking into my eyes.

“You're bleeding," i narrowed my eyes at him.

“It isn't mine," I frowned.

“You still have a cut," i said, looking at the wound before looking up at him. His eyes softened.

“It's nothing," a small smile made its way in his face.

“Sit down," i ordered him and his eyebrows lifted as amusement dances in his eyes.

“What?” he asked like he didn't hear me in the first place.

“You heard me.” For the first time, i heard him chuckle.

“You're ordering me around now?” he asked.

“You don't always have to be the one giving orders," i stated. A low chuckle escaped him again.

“You're becoming troublesome," he said shaking his head. I crossed my arms.

“And you're stubborn," i huffed.

His smile disappeared for a second, but the warmth remained in his eyes.

He allowed me to lead him towards a nearby chair. The warriors around us tried very hard not to look at us.

I could feel their eyes following every movement. Caspian sat down while I took a clean cloth from one of the nearby omegas. When I returned, he watched me carefully.

“What are you doing?” he asked when i touched him.

“Cleaning your wound," i said, narrowing my eyes at him.

“I said it's nothing.”

“And I said you are stubborn.” His lips twitched.

I gently pressed the cloth against the cut on his jaw. He immediately went still.

I noticed the way his eyes remained fixed on my face.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

“Then stop staring," i said and began to clean the blood from his face.

“I wasn't aware I was staring," he said with a smirk.

“You were.” A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Maybe I like looking at you," he whispered to me as my hand stopped. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

“Caspian,* i warned.

“What?”

“You can't say things like that after rejecting me," i said. His smile disappeared.

“You're right.” His voice became quieter. The hurt was visible in his tone.

“I shouldn't,” he added. I lowered my eyes.

“Then don't.”

He reached for my wrist before I could move away. His fingers wrapped gently around mine.

“I don't know what I'm doing, Lily.” he said making me look at him.

“But I know that when I thought something had happened to you...” He paused before continuing.

“I couldn't breathe," My heart softened at his words.

“I'm not asking you to accept the bond," he said quickly looking up at me.

“I know,* i answered.

“I just...” he trailed off as he looked away.

“I don't want to lose you.” The words settled between us. I swallowed the lump in my throat before saying.

“You won't lose me if you stop pushing me away.”

His eyes returned to mine. For a moment, I thought he would answer.

Instead, he lifted my hand and pressed his lips gently against my knuckles.

My breath caught. The kiss lasted only a second. But it was enough to make my entire body freeze. He released my hand slowly.

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

I couldn't find the words to answer. Before either of us could say anything else, Damien walked towards us.

“Alpha.”

Caspian's expression immediately turned serious.

“What did you find?” Caspian asked.

“The rogues are gone.”

“Any survivors?”

“No.” Damien replied. Caspian stood up.

“What about the one who spoke to Lily?” Damien's expression darkened.

“He escaped.” My heart dropped.

“Did you find out who he was?” Caspian asked.

“No.”

“But we found something.”

Damien reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of black fabric.

“This was caught on one of the trees near where he was standing," Damien said as he handed him the piece of cloth.

Caspian took it from him. He examined it for a few seconds before his expression changed.

“What is it?” I asked. He didn't answer.

“Caspian?” His eyes lifted towards mine.

“It belongs to Blue Heaven.” My stomach dropped.

“Blue Heaven?” Damien nodded.

“The stitching is from their warrior uniforms.”

A strange pressure formed inside my chest. Blue Heaven. The name felt familiar. Too familiar.

Suddenly another flash struck my mind. A hallway. A woman's scream. Then i heard a name.

" Veronica."

“You think you can escape me?” I stumbled backwards.

“Lily!” Caspian turned to me and caught me before i could fall. His arms immediately wrapped around me.

“What happened?” I couldn't answer. My breathing became uneven.

“I remember her," i said, my chest was heaving.

“Who?”

I looked at him with tears gathering in my eyes.

“Veronica," i said my voice trembling.

“Who is Veronica?” he asked, his hold tightening around my body safely. I opened my mouth.

But before I could answer, another voice echoed inside my head. Maya.

“Don't trust anyone," she said. My blood ran cold.

“Lily,” Caspian whispered.

“What did you remember?”

I looked into his eyes. And for the first time since I woke up... I was terrified of remembering the truth.