Gone (Book Two of the Dark Lycans Series)

Darkness enveloped us, and the only light came from Madox's glowing yellow eyes. Shade's breathing was becoming ragged, and I suddenly felt her arms loosen.

"Shade!" I cried grabbing her as she fell off the lion. Her body was limp, and I could tell how weak she had become over the past few days.

I hugged her close to my body, and she rested on my lap.

"Properas," I yelled to Madox holding onto him and Shade. He growled quietly and we sped even faster through the tunnels.

I watched Shade's face, and wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. I buried my face in her neck, and held her tight. Madox slid to a sudden stop, and I looked up.

"Mother! Lily!" I called out. They immediately rushed out of the door to my lion's side.

"Oh my god!" Lily gasped. I picked up Shade in my arms, bridal style, and slid off Madox's back.

"Domum," I told him weakly, and he rubbed his head on my back before dashing away. I quickly carried Shade inside and set her down on the couch.

I noticed Blake was no longer lying there and I looked around in panic.

"Don't worry, he's in the shower," my mother calmed me. I sighed in relief before turning back to Shade. Her breathing was shallow and I saw sweat glisten on her forehead.

"He tortured her, the fucking bastard did this!" I growled slamming a fist on the wooden table beside me. It smashed into pieces and my mother grabbed my wrists.

"She'll be okay. I have seen both of you survive much worse," she soothed. I huffed out a breath and slumped to the floor.

"I shouldn't have left her," I scolded myself. My face wrinkled in pain, and I shook my head in dismay.

"You know, you always would blame yourself for anything that happened to Shade. Once she broke her arm while you were playing in the forest, and you refused to leave her side until she was fully healed," she told me with a small chuckle.

"I guess some things never change," I sighed turning back to see Lily tending to Shade.

"You had such a temper when you were little, I knew it was going to get you into trouble one day. And I knew that your Lycan would be extremely hard to control."

"It's not just hard to control," I confessed.

"What do you mean?" My mother looked at me with worry.

"Shade and I shifted into our Lycans for the first time while we were at the arena. Shade's was born out of protection and care for Blake. Mine, well, it-uh," I stumbled, not wanting to admit that my Lycan was a bloodthirsty beast, for fear of it being true.

"What?" She persisted, fear clear in her eyes.

"I was attacked and nearly killed by ten full grown and trained male Lycans, all at once. Then I started to shift into my Lycan, they kept attacking me on my father's command. Then I killed all of them, I ripped them to pieces," I buried my face in my hands, for once feeling ashamed of myself.

"I was afraid of that. Well now you are here and we can train you. You can learn to control your Lycan, and how to use its hunger for blood as an advantage," she smiled, pulling me into a hug.

"Raven, what did she tell you had happened to her?" I heard Lily ask. I repeated everything Shade had told me, and looked at her.

Shade was lying very still on the couch, she was only in her bra and shorts, showing off her bruised body. But it wasn't the stab wounds that scared me, it was the small puncture wounds.

They were all over the inside of her elbows, and my fear was confirmed as I saw dark lines running all over her skin.

"Silver," I hissed in panic. Lily nodded and I looked at her desperately.

"Is there anything we can do?" She bit her lip.

"Maybe, a blood transfusion would work, but I don't know what else will. We can try some wolfsbane, but I seriously doubt it would work," my mother said behind me.

"Use mine," I said pointing to my arm. She began to shake her head.

"No Raven, you can't lose that much-" I cut her off.

"My body replenished itself of 6 pints of blood several weeks ago in only 36 hours. I have doubled in strength and power since then, I will be fine," I said sternly, gritting my teeth.

"Okay," she nodded. Lily picked up her daughter and we walked through a hallway into a large white room. It had medical equipment, a cot, and smelled of bleach.

Lily set her daughter onto the cot, and pulled up a chair to sit in beside her. Shade's white hair was filthy, as was her skin. She hadn't taken a shower in two weeks.

My mother stuck a needle in my arm, and I watched as blood flowed into a bag. It was then filtered and seeped down a tube into Shade's arm.

I had another needle in my other arm, giving me Shade's poisoned blood in place of it.

"We don't know how the silver will affect you Raven, you could die," Lily told me. I waved her off.

"I'm immune to silver. When I was with the Hunters, I had silver injected intoy blood all the time. I never questioned why, and I still don't know the answer," I shrugged.

I learned to not ask questions and I got beatings less often, so there were so many things I still didn't understand. I felt drowsiness hit me like a wave, and I laid my head next to Shade's on the cot.

I closed my eyes with a sigh, and let sleep take me.

**************

"Wake up sleeping beauty." A husky voice said. I groaned, and opened my eyes to see Blake smiling at me.

"Don't you need a blindfold on?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Don't worry, I don't feel like killing you. Your mother gave me some kind of injection that help to make my Lycan more docile," he explained. I looked around and realized I was laying on what used to be my old bed.

"I think I need some of that," I grinned and sat up. Blake laughed, and pulled me up to my feet. I was wearing a clean pair of shorts and sports bra, and I realized my skin was clean

"Who gave me bath and dressed me?" I asked. Blake smirked at me.

"I did," he announced proudly.

"I'm surprised my mother even let you. I sure hope you didn't molest or rape me in my sleep," I gave him a pointed look.

"She didn't, and you can't really think so low of me," he complained. I rolled my eyes and tugged him towards the medical room.

"How is she?" I asked Lily who was walking out.

"She is almost completely healed," she said in shock. My eyes widened and I stepped around her to see Shade sitting up on the cot.

Her eyes met mine and her face lit up in a smile.

"Shade!" I squealed and ran to her. I crashed into her with a big hug, and she laughed.

"Our mothers are alive," I told her. She smiled and nodded.

"I woke up a few hours ago, it was a bit of a shock, but I think I can adjust," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me about the silver?" I asked turning serious. She looked away, guilt in her eyes.

"I didn't want you to worry," she said dumbly. I gave her a stupid look.

"Well since you didn't tell me I had put like half of my blood in your body to get you better, plus, I had all of your silver contaminated blood put into mine. So you better tell me next time you have silver in your blood," I scolded with a wagging finger.

She chuckled a little, and managed to stand up. She looked way better, and I guess the blood transfusion worked.

"She's not going to start action like you or anything right? Because I don't think the world can handle two of you," I heard Blake ask in a worried voice behind me.

I started laughing along with Shade, and slung my arm around her shoulder. We walked past Blake, and I patted his chest.

He shook his head in confusion and cautiously followed us into the kitchen. Our mothers gave us some meat that had special chemicals in it to help Shade regain some of her lost weight, and to give us extra energy.

We ate it quickly and Shade took a shower. She came out dressed in shorts and a sports bra like me.

"I remember," she said suddenly.

"What?" I asked turning towards her.

"I remember this place, and the animals," she repeated. I gave her a grin and nodded.

"I think we should pay them a visit," I said.

I called out to my mother that I wanted to take Shade to see her animal, and she told me to take Blake with me. Why? I have no idea, but did as I was told.

*************

"Where are we going?" Blake asked for the third time.

"I'm not going to say it again!" I hissed at him. He growled in annoyance but shut his mouth. We walked along the tunnels until it widened into a room with a gate.

The gate slowly opened, and I heard Blake gasp when a pair of red eyes suddenly appeared in the dark. Shade stepped forward, just as the black and white striped beast let out an earth shaking roar.