Gone (Book Two of the Dark Lycans Series)
Chapter Sixteen: The Rescue

"Lily? Mother?" I asked with wide eyes. They nodded slowly.

"What are you doing here? And who is that?"

"I brought my mate here so he wouldn't die," I said numbly.

"Is that Blake Redthorne?" Lily asked peering closer.

"Yes, I thought you were dead," I told my mother. She cast her eyes down to the floor.

"I did it to keep him away," her tone was sad.

"Why did I end up with the Hunters?" I asked, suddenly feeling the need to know.

"You wouldn't understand, I did it for your own protection," she tried to explain. I laughed coldly.

"My protection? I was burned, stabbed, whipped, drowned, shot, tattooed, and forced to kill hundreds of people. How was that protecting me?" I fumed, my eyes burning a bright red.

They stepped back in shock at my eyes, and I saw my mother visibly swallow.

"If your father had taken you it would have been worse."

"He already did," I said turning towards the door.

"What do you mean?"

"I just escaped from there, but I have to go back." I reached for the door but my mother blocked me.

"Why?"

"Because I have to get Shade. She is the reason we made it out," I said pushing my mother aside and going out of the door.

I heard my mother gasp, and Lily shrieked. They both ran to me and grabbed my arms.

"He has Shade?" I nodded and Lily whimpered.

"My baby!" She cried.

"I'm going to get her, and I need someone to take care of Blake," I said sternly. My mother nodded and pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"We'll take care of him. Do you remember anything of this place?" She asked suddenly.

"I remember our animals, and when you two were taken, but that is it. The Hunters replaced my memories with new ones, but my real ones have been coming back."

"Okay, I want you to take one with you, because then I know you will be safe, and you will get here faster." My mother said dragging me back into the room.

"Okay, the only one I remember right now is Madox. He's actually the reason I was able to get Blake in here." I told her. She nodded and started rummaging through a cabinet.

"Here, it has ten bullets," she said placing a gun in one of my hands, and a dagger with a thigh strap in the other. I put the thigh strap on, and jammed the gun into the waistband of my basketball shorts.

"I will bring Shade back, I promise." I told Lily. She smiled thankfully at me.

"I know you will." I turned away from her and looked back at my mother.

"Can you keep these safe? I will explain everything later," I said untying the bag from my ankle and dropping them in my mother's hand. She nodded and set them on the counter.

"Give this to Madox and take some for yourself." I was handed a bag that had red meat in it.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." I said hugging my mother.

"I'm so proud of you, you have grown so much," she smiled at me. I returned her smile before running out the door and into the dark maze.

My memory was slowly returning, and I knew exactly which ways to turn. In minutes, I was at the room where Madox was kept. The gate opened and he stalked out.

He stopped in front of me, and his yellow eyes blinked. I reached into the bag, and held out a large portion of the meat. He immediately took it from my hand a swallowed it.

I ate the rest of it, and the delicious tasting meat filled my body with energy. I tossed the bag aside and climbed onto my lion's back.

"Madox, ad introitum." He bounded forward and ran through the tunnels. I held on tightly to his silky black mane, as he slid out into the forest minutes later.

He stopped and waited for my command. I thought of where Blake and I came from before telling him where to go.

"Ad occidentem," I told him, and he growled before leaping away from the mountain. I yelled happily as the wind whipped through my hair, and fresh air filled my lungs.

It was almost as nice as when I ran in my wolf form. I watched as the land that took Blake and I almost Three days to cross, fly by in a few hours.

Madox jumped over fallen trees and swerved through trees. I was mesmerized by the powerful beast with strong muscles, that still held so much grace.

The arena came into sight and I leaned as close as I could to Madox's ear.

"Madox statur," I commanded him, gripping his mane tight. He immediately obeyed, digging his claws into the ground to stop. I jumped off his back and ran a hand over his mane.

"Hic paulisper," I told him to wait here. He shook out his fur and sat down. I turned back to the arena, and yanked open the door I had escaped from, only days earlier.

It was light out, but darker in the arena. I stepped inside and ran through to the ladder. I jumped down rather than cut my bare feet again.

I grunted with my heavy landing, and ran through the gate of the arena. Passing through the tunnels I came up to where I could smell Shade's scent. I also smelled my father's and I growled.

I opened a door to a hallway that ended in a cell. I walked up to it, and hear yelling. When I looked inside, I see my father holding Shade to the wall with a knife to her neck.

My anger overtakes me, and my eyes burn a brighter red than ever. I grabbed the cell door and year it off its hinges. Tossing it behind me, I snarl at my father.

"Raven! You came, you should have just forgotten about me," she croaked with a smile. My fathers grip on her throat tightens and he glares at me.

"Raven. So you did come back. I am surprised." I held back a snort, it was clear that he was lying. Shade looks away from me, guilt and shame covering her face.

My father suddenly pushes the knife to Shade's neck. Blood flows where it cut through her skin. She screamed in pain, and I felt my restraint snap.

I snatch the dagger from my thigh and ran to my father. I dig the dagger into his neck, and put my lips next his ear.

"Do that again, and I'll make sure you really die," I snarled yanking the dagger out of his neck. He fell to the floor, drowning in blood.

Shade falls towards the ground and I catch her. She lays in my arms bridal style, and I watch as she falls unconscious.

I put my dagger away and take out my gun. My left arm was on Shade's back, holding her torso. My right arm was under her legs, my gun barely visible in my hand.

I carried her through the hallways, and guards were suddenly everywhere. One yelled at me and I shot his stomach, liquid silver mixing with the blood.

I shot several guards before finally making it to the arena. I moved Shade to my shoulder and began to climb.

I bit the inside of my cheek as the rungs sliced into my feet again. At the top, I had to shoot three more guards. I carried Shade out through the door, but guards had surrounded the outside.

I saw a few in front of Madox, who was sitting still as the guards looked at him with fear. He would not attack unless ordered to when he was outside the cave. My gun had only two more bullets.

I held Shade in my arms as at least thirty guns pointed in my direction, ready to shoot.

"Put the girl down and put your hands in the air," one yelled at me. I laid down Shade who I felt was starting to stir, and grinned at the guards.

"Madox?" I asked the lion. His head turned towards me, ears perked up and ready to receive a command.

"Don't speak," someone said. A few guards were watching Madox and I, looking confused and afraid.

"Madox," I began to say again.

"Stop talking or I'll shoot." One yelled.

"Will you let me speak!" I screamed at him. He stepped back in shock, and his gin lowered slightly. I took the chance to finish my command.

"Madox impetum!" I yelled. He let out a massive roar, and leaped to his back paws. I heard several men scream as his paws came down.

The ground shook, and I fell to my knees. I quickly got back up and shot my last two bullets at the guards running towards me.

Madox started to attack the men, claws slashing, and teeth tearing them apart. He was very big, his shoulder at my head, and scared many of the guards.

Many ran away, but there were still a lot who tried to shoot him. Madox had killed most of them when I whistled. He stopped and ran to me, crouching down.

I turned to see a screaming Shade. Her eyes were wide and she tried to stumble away from the lion. I grabbed her hand and dragged her to him.

Picking her up, I climbed onto his back, and made her sit behind me. Her arms clutched my waist, and she was shaking furiously.

"Shade relax, he won't hurt you," I told her firmly. She seemed to stop shaking a little, but still held me tightly.

"Ad incolumem locus," I said and Madox ran away from the arena.

"What's the safe room?" Shade asked me. I looked to see her eyes squeezed tight, and she hugged me closer.

I forgot she could speak Latin ad she understood me.

"We used to live there when we were little, Blake is there with some surprise visitors," I told her. Her eyes opened and she scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

She opened her mouth to say something but ended up screaming as jumped over a huge fallen tree. Her arms tightened around my waist and I felt like I couldn't breathe, my face screwed up in pain.

"Shade you need to loosen your grip," I told her between heaving breaths. She gasped and quickly loosened her arms.

"I'm sorry Raven!" She quickly apologized. I turned back to see the mountain was drawing nearer.

"We're almost there," I told Shade.

"Are we going to the mountain?" She asked. I nodded my head just as Madox jumped over a large rock. Shade yelped but didn't squeeze me this time.

I chuckled at her reaction, and tilted my head towards Shade.

"What happened while I was gone?" I asked her. Her face became shadowed, and worry filled my mind.

"It wasn't good," she began with a sigh. I listened as she told me how my father had beaten her when she wouldn't tell them where I had gone.

My anger was taking over my mind as she finished, and I growled loudly.

"Its all my fault," I shook my head furiously.

"No it's not, it is your father's, he is an evil man." She tried to soothe me. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, and slowly nodded my head.

"Raven!" I heard Shade yell in panic. My eyes snapped open to see the cave coming near. Shade looked around wildly, and gasped when Madox plunged into the darkness.

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