Gone (Book Two of the Dark Lycans Series)

"Where are you going?" My mother asks as I walk towards the door. Her eyes travel over the guns and knives strapped to my body, and the bag in my hands.

"I'm going to train for an hour or two and then out hunting for a few more hours. I want some fresh meat," I lie.

"Okay," my mother says with narrowed eyebrows. I can tell she doesn't fully believe me, but I don't have time to try to convince her.

"See you later tonight maybe, I might sleep in the forest," I say as I open the silver door. I look back to see my mother on the couch talking to Lily.

Quickly, I slip through the door, and jog through the maze of tunnels. I run out the exit and into the dense forest.

Making sure I am far from the entrance, I slow to a stop. I open my bag, and take off my weapons and fighting clothes.

Ira, you ready? I ask my Lycan.

That was the dumbest question ever. Hell yeah I'm ready! She growls in excitement.

I roll my eyes and start to shift into my Lycan. My bones snap and rearrange themselves. Black fur covers my body, and I drop to all fours.

I pick up my bag in my mouth, and run towards The Arena, where I will find my father.

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After several miles, I slow down as I see the Arena. I shift back and put my clothes back on. I grab my two guns and put them in the holsters at my hips.

I have a dagger in my combat boots, and two more across my chest. I grab my crossbow from my bag, and load it.

I sling my bag with extra clothes and supplies across my back and stalk to the area where the forest thins.

Hiding in the shrubs, I look around and scout the entrance. There were only two guards, both of them were Hunters from the smell.

I raise my crossbow, and quickly shoot them both in the chest. They gasp and clutch their chest desperately before falling to the ground.

I dashed forward and yanked open the heavy door. Closing the door behind me, I blinked for my eyes to adjust to the very dim lighting.

With my crossbow at the ready I walk along the viewing area, and jump down into the all too familiar fighting arena. It is empty, but the fresh blood stains tell me it was recently used.

I silently walk to the gates, and heave them up. Two guards were at the other side of the second gate, but I quickly silenced them with my crossbow.

I followed the scent of Lycans along the maze of hallways until I came to a heavily guarded silver door. When I saw the door I jumped back behind the cover of the corner, but it was too late.

"Hey, over there!" I heard one shout.

"Damn it," I cursed under my breath when I saw that I only had two arrows left.

I turned the corner and let my last two arrows find their targets, before whipping out one of my guns. I shot the other four guards and the floor was a bloody mess of dead bodies.

I step over them and make my way to the door. Luckily, it was just a simple lock and doorknob.

I smash my booted foot into the door, and it slams open. Death and misery flood my senses, making my nose wrinkle and my ears ring.

Pain filled moans and pitiful wails sound and I gag at the smell of rotting flesh. I am standing at the entrance to a dungeon, and all before me are jail cells.

So this is what they been doing, they've been kidnapping Lycans, I think in horror.

Men, women, and even a few children sit in the cells before me. They are filthy, and covered in blood, both their own and other's.

They look at me in fear, and shrink away, pressing up against their confinements in an effort to put distance between us.

"I'm not here to hurt you, the man that did this to you is my father. And I am here to kill him, he did to me what he did to you, and I'm going to stop it," I promise them.

They slowly move closer to me, allowing themselves to trust the girl that says she will help.

"I'm going to give you all a choice, pledge your allegiance to me, or die. Children will come with me unless their mothers are here, and men with mates may leave," I tell them.

They nod quickly, so desperate they will do anything to leave. I walk up to the first cell, and see the bars are made of silver.

Inside there are two men, and two women.

"Do any of you have mates or children here?" I ask, waiting for an answer before I let them out.

"That is my son, they took him away from me," one woman cried, pointing towards a dirty little boy in the cell across from hers.

I nod my head and watch the others shake their heads sadly.

"Where is your mate?" I ask the woman. She puts her head down and cries harder.

"They killed him, he tried to escape and they killed him," she sobbed.

"You're coming with me then," I tell her, and she numbly nods her head.

"Will you all come with me or do I have to order you?" I narrow my eyes at the other Lycans in the cell. Their eyes widen and they quickly shake their heads.

When I determine they are not lying, I break the silver bars with my hands, and snap the chains holding them to the floor.

I go around the cells, asking them questions and letting out the ones who do not lie or defy me.

The dungeon was starting to crowd with freed Lycans, only ten remain in the cells. Eight were males who had mates, 2 were stubborn females, sisters.

"I will give you one last chance to come with me before I snap your necks," I tell the two young adults.

"Fuck you!" They spat.

"Fine," I shrug, and stalk towards them. Using my gun, I shoot them both in the head. Some gasp, others don't even seem to notice.

I turn to the mated males still chained in their cells. I ask each of them where their mate is, and I kill two more for lying about having a mate.

"You will travel with us to escape, then I will let you leave to return to your packs," I tell them before snapping their chains. They nod quickly, happy to be going back to their mates.

"Listen up, I will take you out to the forest, where you will stay until I return," I order in my Alpha voice.

"Yes, Alpha," they immediately respond. I smirk, I like the sound of that.

Me too, Ira growls happily.

I turn and lead the Lycans out of the dungeon. Guards start appearing in the halls, and I have both of my guns out, killing them all.

One gun runs out of bullets and I toss it away, trading it for my other gun. Both had bullets containing liquid silver, but my second had more bullets.

I make it through the gate into the arena, and they follow me up the ladder. All but the children are barefoot, so I hear grunts and yelps of pain as the rungs slice their feet.

I push open the door and shoot the new guards while they run into the forest. Shouldn't alarms have gone off by now? I think.

Once the last Lycan disappears into the brush, I dash back through the door. Just as I jump down into the fighting arena, a loud alarm goes off.

You just had to ask right? Ira growls, irritation filling her voice. I growl lowly, rolling my eyes, and continue running through the halls.

Shut up, you're not helping, I snap. She chuckles and then power flows through my body.

Now I'm helping, she says in a sickly sweet voice. I shake my head and chuckle.

Smelling and sprinting through the halls, I finally find the scent of my father.

"There you are you bastard!" I snarl and run even faster towards his scent. Three guards appear as I round a corner and I skid to a stop.

I shoot one, but when I try to shoot another, I realize I am out of bullets. My hand snatches a dagger from my chest and I slice the throat of one guard.

I whip around and throw the dagger at the last guard. It buries itself up to the hilt in his temple, and he falls to the hard floor.

"You can keep that," I mumble and then under my breath go on about nasty brain guts and crap getting on my new dagger.

I jog through the halls, keeping an eye out for more guards when I come to a large iron door. Based on the smell, my father is on the other side.

Silver is laced through out the iron, and the handle is made of it. My father must be immune to it as well if he can touch this.

I take a deep breath before kicking open the door. My eyes burn red at the sight of my father. I am in what looks like a torture chamber.

A chair of silver with built in restraints sits on one side, a case full of dangerous tools at the other. And an examination table with more restraints in the middle.

My father stood beside a man in a lab coat who was stabbing a Lycan in the chair. He screamed in pain as the silver chair burned his bare back, and the knife went deep into his arm.

My dagger was out in a flash, hitting the torturer in the throat. He gasped for breath for several seconds before falling to the ground, dead.

"Aw, really. Did you have to do that?" My father whines. I turn to him and glare, a snarl building up in my throat.

"Yes, father," I spat, the word disgusting in my mouth. He merely looked amused.

"You should join us I think you might enjoy it," he chuckles. I feel my canines sharpening, and I growl at him.

"You sick, twisted bastard. Even I know this is wrong," I snarl. I see the amusement leave his face, to be replaced by anger.

"Do not disrespect me," he growls. I smirk at him.

"I'm stronger than you, and you know it," I sneer, letting Ira take control. She fills my body with anger and power.

"Watch it Raven," he warns, eyes changing color.

"Or what?" I challenge baring my teeth. I see his canines sharpen and he closes his eyes, shaking his head, fighting for control over his Lycan.

Alphas, do not like their position to be questioned, and Ira is pissing off his Lycan beyond belief. She knew just how to make him mad, and that is exactly what I wanted.

His eyes fly open, swirling red and black. I see fur start to sprout on his arms, dark brown.

"That's were the red eyes come from," I say in realization. I drop my bag to the ground, and let my body shift.

Black fur covers my body, and my bones break. I shake my body and quickly adjust to being able to stand on two feet.

I shifted into my Lycan earlier, but I haven't been on two legs since the very first time. I was a strange yet comfortable sensation.

"Why did you do this Raven? You could have been as powerful as me," I hear a dark voice say. I look up to see my father speaking.

Apparently Lycans can talk too, I think in confusion.

No shit sherlock, Ira snorts.

Stop saying that, I tell her making a face.

"No, I will never, be like you, I will be powerful, and you are not," I snarl. My voice is deeper, huskier, and my Alpha tone is stronger.

"How dare you?" He growls angrily. He leaps at me, and I fall back with him on top of me.

My back feet come up and shove him off. His Lycan is the same size, maybe a bit bigger than mine, and way heavier.

His shoulders are broader, and he is much stronger. I shake my head to clear the regret floating in my mind.

I quickly get back to my feet and slash my claws across his chest when he comes at me again. He turns, doubling over and grunts in pain as blood soaks his fur.

I rush at him but his paw comes and swipes across my muzzle. I fall back and hit the floor hard, my vision blurring for a moment.

He appears above me, teeth bared and angered eyes. I rake my back claws across his stomach and he howls in pain.

Blood drips off of him and onto my fur, and I push him over. Scrambling out from underneath him, I take deep breaths to regain my energy.

Suddenly, he has a chair and is bringing it over my head. I try to move out of the way, but it catches my left shoulder.

I cry out as the bones shatter, and my shoulder dislocates. I stumble away and clench my jaw against the pain.

I growl angrily at my father and slam my right paw into his temple. His head snaps to the side, and he slowly turns back to me, angrier than before.

His paw comes up, and I feel his claws slash across my face. I gasp as pain erupts from the cuts, and blood covers my face.

Rage takes over my mind, and I am vaguely aware of my body slamming into my father's. Blood soaks my fur, and floods my vision.

I blink to clear away the red, and I am looking into my father's eyes, with my body pinning his to the floor. I bare my teeth in a writhing snarl, and put my muzzle next to his ear.

"I just wanted you to know that I hate you, do you have any last words?" I growl before latching my jaws around his throat. He chuckles, and looks directly into my eyes.

"See you in hell."