Raven (Book One of the Dark Lycans Series)

I looked down in shock at the hilt of a dagger protruding from my chest. My breathing stopped, and pain shot through my chest.

Blood darkened the cloth of my jumpsuit surrounding the stab wound. I looked up at Matthew, who was staring at me.

"Shit," he muttered before calling out past me. Several men and women came running out from behind me, two carrying a large box.

My vision blurred, and I became extremely dizzy. Inside the box, I could barely make out the medical supplies.

A woman stood and appeared to be speaking to me, but for some reason, I couldn't hear anything. A few other people stood in front of me, talking hurriedly.

One held bandages, another had a needle and thread, and the woman before me seemed to be counting down.

She suddenly grabbed the handle of the knife and yanked it from my chest. I cried out and my body convulsed, only to have the metal encasing me dig into my bones.

My body was screaming in pain, and blood was furiously pumping out of the gash. The all too familiar salty, tang of blood could be tasted in my mouth.

I choked on the thick substance in my throat, and coughed harshly. My blood sprayed onto my clothes when I looked to my wound again.

The people in front of me began to quickly try to stitch up the tissue above my heart. I knew that they couldn't actually stop the bleeding from my heart in time, and that they could only hope I would heal fast enough.

Hunters healed quickly like werewolves, so since I was both I was hoping I would heal before my heart stopped. I could already feel the decreasing rate that it beat.

Damn you brain, why can't you block the pain! I thought angrily. Normally in this large of an injury, my adrenaline would kick in and I wouldn't be able to feel it.

Trying to draw in a deep breath, pain shot through my chest again. I screamed in agony, and my heart stopped.

The man sewing the wound shut, quickly finished and yelled at Matthew. He handed a set of keys

to him and my restraints were unlocked.

My body immediately fell forward towards the ground. I couldn't move or feel any part of my body, all I could do was watch. A man caught me and laid me on the cold, stone floor.

Akira, I'm dead so why can I see still?

I asked my wolf.

You are seeing what I see, you are dead but I am not yet.

How are you not dead?

I don't know Raven. She answered in a strange tone.

I watched as someone appeared to be using an AED. Suddenly, I felt a huge jolt and I could feel my body again.

There was even more pain than before, now electricity made my chest feel as though it were on fire.

I gritted my teeth against a scream, but opened my mouth when I tasted blood again. I coughed and the blood went everywhere again.

A pinch made me look at my right inner elbow, where the woman injected a dark blue liquid. She smiled at me sadly, before my body became numb, and drowsiness overtook me.

**********

My eyes flew open to see a light blue sky. There were no bars this time, but I was still chained.

I was lying down on a hard surface. When I sat up, I looked down to what I was wearing.

My upper torso was almost completely bandaged, and I had no top. I was wearing black cargo pants, and no shoes again.

Thankful that the bandage covered up my breasts, I inspected my wound. It hadn't fully healed, and the stitches couldn't be taken out yet.

The skin around the black thread was red, and tender to the touch.

"Damn it, its infected," I muttered. I blew out a breath in frustration. Unless I got some medication, it wouldn't heal and the infection would spread.

"Matthew!" I yelled out loudly. A few minutes later, a man came towards the tower I was in. I tried to stand, but now my chains were too short to go further than a kneel.

"I need medication, my wound is infected." I commanded the man, using my Alpha tone. My ancestry was a long line of pureblood alphas, all extremely strong, so he wouldn't be able to resist my command.

He nodded and left without a word. I smiled to myself, getting an idea. What if I used them to help me escape? I thought.

Not now, you're injured and you can't let them know I exist yet, Akira reminded me.

I agree with you on that. Do you have any ideas on how to gain their trust?

Do you remember what Blake had said about being irresistible?

Well, based on where your going, he is going to hate me when I get back, I sighed.

Unfortunately, she replied before ending our conversation. I looked up, and realized that I wasn't facing backwards like last time.

The man came back a few minutes later with a small medical kit, and set it by my feet.

"Thank you," I said in a kind voice. It had basic medical supplies along with medication to stop the infection. I pulled out the glass bottle filled with the medicine, and a new syringe.

I filled the syringe before pushing the needle through the skin near the wound. Pushing down the plunger and then tossing the needle over the side of the tower, I then put away the kit and pushed it towards the wall.

The man had left so I just left it against the 3 foot tall-circular wall that surrounded me.

I slapped a hand over my mouth and gasped as I realized something. My mark! I looked down and noticed that it wasn't covered by the bandages, and there was no way that they didn't see it.

Since Blake was a very large and powerful Alpha, his mark was very big and deep. The problem was that a male can't mark someone who isn't their mate, and Hunters and wolves can't be mates.

It was extremely difficult to believe that my parents were a Hunter and a wolf but no ones knows about my parents except me and the wolves in Blake's pack.

"Shit," I blew out a breath, running my hand through my hair angrily. I am so fucking screwed, I thought.

Will they be able to tell its Blake's? I asked my wolf.

Your scent is very strange, neither werewolf nor Hunter, so it will most likely cover his scent. But your scent is its own species, so that will be a little hard to explain unless you tell him about your parents. She replied.

I sighed thankfully. Blake would still be safe. I wasn't going to tell him my secret, and since there was no explanation, just refuse to answer his questions.

Someone calling my name brought me put of my thoughts. Looking up, I saw Matthew standing a few feet in front of me.

"Matthew. By the way, why did you have me fixed up?" I asked curiously.

"Well we can't have you be punished if your dead, now can we?" I tilted my head back and forth, as if to consider his response.

"That's true."

"Where'd you get the medical kit?" He asked pointing to the box against the wall.

"My wound and stitches were getting infected so I asked for it." I replied casually.

"Okay, well are you ready to answer my questions?"

I shrugged, "Ask away."

"How do you have a Mark on your neck?" His eyes narrowed.

"I don't have to tell you anything."

He laughed, "I have some lovely forms of torture if you'd prefer that more."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Nothing you do will make me say anything," I said in a determined voice. He shrugged and walked away.

While he was gone, I decided to mind link Blake.

Blake?

Damn it Raven! Why didn't you contact me earlier?

I laughed coldly, Sorry, I was a little preoccupied with dying!

What the hell do you mean you died?

I got stabbed in the heart, then I died and was revived with an AED. Oh, and I figured out where I was.

Are you okay? Where are you?

I'm fine, but the people who kidnapped me are the Banishers, a group specifically created to capture me. And I'm not going to tell you where I am because then you will try to come and get me.

The Banishers? Oh god Raven, I was at a meeting with the other Alphas this week, and I heard them discussing that they just got a huge shipment of weapons and torture tools.

Well that makes this a little harder, not to mention the fact that they found your Mark.

Fuck, Raven you really need to tell me where you are. Do you realize what they are going to do to you? His voice was full of anger.

I can handle it Blake.

I swear to god Raven, if you don't tell me where you are, I'm am going to start causing you some pain.

I gasped at his threat. The only way to cause your mate pain, is by doing something with another wolf that isn't your mate. If he did anything with another female, my mark would burn and I would be in extreme agony.

You wouldn't dare! I growled at him, my wolf on edge.

Oh really? I suddenly felt a burning sensation near my shoulder. Gritting my teeth against a scream, I clutched at my Mark.

God damn it, you fucking son of a bitch! I yelled through the mindlink, and felt a tear run down my cheek. When the burning stopped I wiped it away quickly.

Tell me where you are Raven, or I'll do it again. He demanded with a serious voice.

Lunar Howlers territory. I said in defeat, not wanting him to hurt me again.

Why would they take you there?

I was the one who killed this entire pack, its a reminder, I replied sadly.

By yourself?

Yes. Now I have to go, he's coming back. I said seeing Matthew walking towards me.

I'm coming Raven. I cut off the link and turned my attention back to Matthew.

In his hands was a chest, he set it down in front of me with a sneer.

"Ready?" He asked happily. I pursed my lips in annoyance.

He turned the chest towards me and opened it, my eyes widened. There was a whip, knives, metal designs, and multiple restraining tools.

My breath quickened as someone suddenly walked up to him, carrying materials for a fire. Matthew and the man quickly made a contained bonfire a few feet from me.

He turned to me, in his hand was a branding iron.

"I'm going to ask one more time. How do you have a Mark, and whose is it?" Matthew demanded.

"Go to hell," I replied with a glare. He smiled and heated the iron in the fire. I drew in a sharp breath when I saw that the metal was glowing red.

Matthew smiled evilly before calling a bunch of men to hold me down. I was forced onto my back, and each of my limbs were pinned to the ground. I thrashed around, but I couldn't move.

My skin was set on fire as Matthew began to burn a wolf onto my lower stomach, and I screamed in agony.