Beloved

Chapter 47

Raven gasped as he sat up, looking around in a panic.

"Easy, Raven," Corey whispered as he cautiously sat beside him. "Easy."

"Kotenok," he gasped as he continued to look around, realizing that he was in his room.

"She hasn't woken up yet," Corey shook his head. "We tried giving her blood but she didn't stir."

"How long?" Raven asked as he ran his fingers over his face. Corey gulped and looked away. "How long, Sunshine?"

"You were out for two days, Raven," Corey admitted. "You wouldn't take blood from us either or answer the mind link. Silas and Kota tried to enter your mind but it was just darkness."

"Trying Alyona?" Raven asked as he threw the blanket back and stood.

"Yes," Corey nodded as he watched him closely. "It's just darkness as well."

"She in her room?" Raven threw his door open and started storming down the hallway.

"Raven," multiple men called out as Raven entered the kitchen.

"I fine, where is she?" he glared as he opened the fridge to grab a bottle of blood. He drained it, purposely ignoring the fact that it was cold.

"In her room," Sean said as he watched some color return to Raven's skin. He wanted to ask him some questions but he knew that right now he wouldn't get any. "She hasn't shown any signs of waking, but then neither did you. Are you okay, Raven?"

"I said I fine," he glared as he grabbed another bottle, downed it, then stormed out of the room. The group stood and rushed to follow him to Alyona's room.

He took a deep breath to control his racing emotions and quietly opened her door. A low growl slipped through his lips as he took in her tiny form in the middle of her bed. Her skin was paler than it normally was and her hair was limp. A flash of when he first found her locked up from his uncle popped in his head and he had to force himself to remember she wasn't in that state anymore.

"Kitten," he murmured as he walked over to her bed. He got on her bed and sat beside her as he took her cold tiny hand in his large one, wrapping his fingers over her hand. "Nyet more sleeping beauty sleep, Kitten, time wake up," he demanded, angry when silence and stillness responded.

"Can you reach her through the link?" Victor whispered.

Raven closed his eyes and concentrated while the men tried to be patient and wait. After what seemed like eternity, he sighed and shook his head, "Nyet. Send me Kota, Silas."

"There's nothing there," Kota whispered. "We've tried already."

"You nyet complete beloved bond yet," Raven pointed out.

"I have," Silas pointed out while rubbing his beloved mark on his chest. "It's just darkness and silence."

"Nyet complete yet," Raven shook his head, "nyet everyone complete yet."

"If you are going off that assumption, it still wouldn't work for you," Axel pointed out.

"Da," Raven nodded, "But I have deeper bond, past beloved mark. Try."

"Okay," Kota and Silas nodded at the same time. They came up to the two Russians and took a deep breath before placing their hands on them.

Raven forced himself not to growl when he suddenly found himself in pitch blackness. "Kitten?" Raven called out as he took a few steps into the abyss. His voice echoed as black tendrils of smoke wrapped around his legs. "Alyona?"

A wave of despair hit him forcing him to take a step back. He blinked and found himself back in Alyona's room. "Sorry," Kota and Silas gasped as they sat on the floor.

"Her mind is..." Kota gasped.

"So drained," Silas muttered as North held out two large tumblers of blood.

"Drink," North demanded while Marc came in with two more tumblers.

"Fine," Raven growled as he sat up, "know what need do."

"What?" Sean asked.

"Need complete bond," Raven sighed.

"No," Owen said glaring at him, "we don't have her consent."

"She stuck," Raven glared right back at him. "I know her, Blackbourne." He carefully got off the bed and stared Owen down. "She stuck in mind, she spiraling, need our help. We nyet fight darkness alone. She need our support fight it. She need us."

"I understand that," Owen said as he continued to stare the angry Russian down, "but we don't have her consent, the mark won't take. Especially for Victor and me."

"Wrong," Raven growled, "She saw purest truth."

"What?" Nathan asked, confused. "What do you mean the purest truth?"

Raven finally broke the stare down and sighed as he turned back to her. Collapsing in the chair beside the bed he picked up her hand and held it to his cheek. "What you see when she touch me very rare hard magick. Few few witches able pull that." He sighed and closed his eyes, "Most reason she hunted, she one strongest witches there is. First time she pull truth, word get out, she be hunted."

"But what do you mean the purest truth?" Nathan asked. "The truth is the truth."

"Wrong," Axel shook his head as realization dawned on him. "There are three sides to a story, yours, theirs, and the actual truth. The heart can alter the truth and the mind can be blinded for the sake of the person, but that actual truth is still in the person's soul. Alyona has the ability to bypass the mind's truth and the heart's truth and put the actual truth out of a person."

"Da," Raven nodded, "She also be able show it clearly and full, nyet glimpses pieces like others can do. She pull truth from me and vision, so much drain her. Face fears, truth, and vision, still recovering from vision, everything she spiral get stuck."

"What made you take that step back?" Silas asked suddenly.

"Sadness but more," Raven shook his head.

"Show us," Corey encouraged.

The whole group gasped when they felt the heaviness of her despair cover them. Gabe and Luke instantly had tears in their eyes while Kota and Silas cleared their throats and North clenched his hands into fists.

"And you think us drinking from her will complete the beloved mark and she will accept Victor and my bonds," Owen asked, "as her beloveds despite everything that has just happened?"