Karizma: Reborn
Chapter 13: Ryleigh

Ryleigh tried to wait for Lukas’ return, but after fifteen minutes, she found herself descending the stairs back into the club to look for him. Something was wrong, and she intended to replace out exactly what. She had not seen such an outburst from him yet, and it was about her. This is why I am here. To fight. To end my psychotic ancestor and her vampiric lover before they take over the world. I know how to protect myself. I have spent my entire life hiding; this is no different.

Ryleigh exited the club but did not see Lukas. Kristopher had told her that there was a side alley where the alcohol got delivered that he thought Lukas would have secluded himself. Kristopher’s entire demeanor changed during her argument with Lukas; he became cold and distant toward Ryleigh, and it fueled her annoyance further. Did Kristopher really agree with Lukas that this was too dangerous? Kristopher knows first-hand how strong I am, how I fooled the infamous Karizma Killer with how well I can hide myself.

Ryleigh turned down the alley and slowed her steps. Lukas’ forehead was pressed into the brick wall of the building. His hands were braced on the wall around him, as if he did not trust himself to keep his hands free. Ryleigh crossed her arms over her chest as she approached him. “Go back inside,” Lukas growled without looking up.

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on,” she retorted.

“Just go back inside,” Lukas repeated as he punched the wall.

“Not while you’re like this,” Ryleigh stated as she approached.

Lukas laughed and faced her. Ryleigh inhaled sharply at the intensity of his gold eyes. “You don’t get it. I am always like this. Because of you.”

“This is my fault?” Ryleigh snapped. “Don’t you dare pin your insecurities on me!” She felt her wolf whimpering, warning her to calm herself, but it simply angered her more. “I have lived for years without you babysitting me. I fooled the Karizma Killer himself with how well I can hide myself. I don’t need you now.”

“No?” Lukas asked. “Are you sure about that?”

“Pretty fucking positive,” Ryleigh snapped.

Lukas grabbed Ryleigh’s arms and pushed her back into the wall. He immediately planted his hands on either side of her head as he caged her between his body and the wall. Ryleigh’s heartbeat quickened as Lukas brought his face inches from hers. His muscles appeared to double in size at restraint and tension. She heard a ripping sound and realized that his muscles had torn through the form fitting shirt. His gold eyes damn near blinded her with intensity, but she could not bring herself to look away. His wolf won. Whatever battle he was fighting, he lost it.

“I dare you to lie to me again,” Lukas deep voice growled.

“I’m not lying to you,” Ryleigh said breathlessly. “I don’t need you.”

“Stop. Lying,” Lukas ordered through clenched teeth.

“I’m not. I don’t need to be treated like some glass doll. I am more than the weapon that you and my ancestor think that I am. I will not allow you to control me and dictate when I can and cannot participate in this war. If you haven’t forgotten, my fighting with you was part of the agreement of you turning me.”

“You think I’m trying to control you?” Lukas asked darkly. “My love, all that I desire is for you to lose that control and be free.”

Ryleigh looked at him curiously. “Free of what? Of my darkness?” She raised her hand and touched his face softly. He looked like he was two seconds away from shifting in his wolf; she needed to attempt to calm him down. “We are both supposed to beat the darkness within, remember? I am trying, Lukas, but when people keep treating me like I’m some nuclear device about to explode, it just reminds me that the world would be better if I was dead.” Lukas was the only person that she would admit these demons to. Bailey and Kristopher would not understand, not after everything that they did to bring her back; but Lukas was fighting his own demons. Ryleigh saw it every time they were alone.

Lukas brought his face down to hers, and she felt his breathing feather against her lips as he spoke. “Not your suicide wish. Your control and resistance to this magnetic pull between us.” His lips brushed against hers gently before grazing her jaw. Ryleigh gasped as his touch sent sparks across her skin, as the sparks followed his touch hurriedly. His lips reached her ear and he nipped at her earlobe gently. She arched her body into him, and his breathing deepened. “I know of our agreement for this war,” Lukas whispered darkly into her ear. “But that was before you came back. The second that we brought you back, everything changed.”

Ryleigh’s breathing grew heavier, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Lukas pulled his face back and his eyes of gold fire peered into her emerald ones. She felt her wolf whimper and scratch lightly beneath the surface, but Ryleigh forced her away. Her wolf knew exactly what Lukas was talking about, this magnetic pull, even if Ryleigh herself did not understand it. But I need to understand it, too. “I’m not trying to control you, my love,” Lukas whispered. “I’m trying to protect you, because the thought of you getting yourself killed a second time scares the shit out of me more than you could possibly understand.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I don’t need your protection,” Ryleigh answered softly.

“That wasn’t what you said. You said you don’t need me, not my protection,” Lukas corrected.

Ryleigh’s eyes widened. Whatever this pull was, her claiming that she no longer needed him hurt Lukas so immensely that it drove him to confession. “You feel what I feel,” he continued. “Don’t you dare lie to me.”

“Lukas,” she whispered. She cupped his face with her hands. He flinched at the contact, but his eyes remained trained on hers. “I don’t need your protection, but I do need you. You are the only person who truly understands what I’m going through, what I’m feeling. I can’t…” Ryleigh sighed. “I can’t get through this without you. The war, my transition, fighting to live when all I want to do is die—”

Lukas’ lips devoured Ryleigh’s suddenly. He kissed her deeply, hungrily. His hands fell from the wall down to her hips and he gripped her tightly to him. Ryleigh moaned into his mouth as electricity flowed through her body from his contact. She had never felt like this before; her magic hummed, her wolf surfaced with a purr, and her arousal was so intensified that she was craving release. She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. He groaned into her mouth and promptly cupped her ass and slammed her into the wall. She instantly wrapped her legs around his waist to hold herself in place. Her body shuddered against him as his fingers tightened on the skin of her ass. More sparks, more electricity; it was everywhere. She felt it in her lips, on her tongue, all the way down to her toes. It was intoxicating, and she craved more.

Ryleigh’s hands found Lukas’ hair and she gripped it tightly as she deepened the kiss. Lukas snarled darkly and slowly pulled his lips from hers. She nipped his bottom lip and brought it back to her. Lukas chucked lightly and kissed her one last time before pulling away again. “Fuck, baby,” he whispered breathlessly. “I’m going to end up taking you right here against this goddamn wall.”

“Is that so bad?” She teased breathlessly.

“When I take you, my love, it will be in the privacy of our home, so we are not interrupted,” Lukas answered as he squeezed her ass.

Ryleigh’s gold eyes gazed into his curiously. She felt like she was higher than the sky itself. Succumbing to this magnetic pull extinguished her darkness of despair; Lukas was the light that pulled her to the surface and willed her to live. “What is this between us?” she asked softly. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”

“You wouldn’t have,” Lukas whispered softly. “It’s—” Lukas stopped suddenly and growled. “An interruption,” he said through gritted teeth.

“It looks like you found him,” a voice said coldly. Ryleigh felt Lukas’ grip on her tighten as she gazed toward the source. Kristopher’s bright red eyes penetrated the darkness of the alley as he glared at her.