Karizma: Reborn

Lukas sat in a booth on the first floor of Kristopher’s club. His hand gripped the glass of bourbon as he observed the humans on the dance floor. He took a sip from his glass. So innocent and oblivious. Oblivious to the war that is set to be fought on their land, over their bloodied and decimated corpses. They would become food and play-toys for the vampires, while the Lycans scared the humans even farther from safety. Such fragile creatures to fight for.

Lukas had felt Ryleigh’s wave of emotions with Kristopher and had heard her wolf protest physical interaction. They had shared a moment, and the hole that he had punched into the wall upstairs was minimal compared to what his wolf wanted to do. Lukas had to be around the humans and remember what all of this was for; everything that Ryleigh was going through now, was for them. For these humans that would never know of the secret world that lived beside them.

A glass of bourbon was placed before him, and he looked up. An attractive blonde woman in a tight green dress was looking at him. “My friends over there dared me to buy you a drink,” she said.

“And why would they do that?” He asked.

“Because I couldn’t stop looking at you, so they dared me to either buy you a drink or ask for a dance. I was getting the feeling that you weren’t exactly up for a dance,” she smiled.

“You would be right,” Lukas nodded. “But I would like to decline your offer for a drink, as well. I prefer to stick with one.”

“Would you like some company then?” she asked as she motioned to the seat opposite of him.

Lukas’ eyes shot past the woman suddenly as Ryleigh’s scent floated toward him. She was walking down the stairs, her eyes searching for him. “Not yours,” Lukas answered the woman, his eyes locked on Ryleigh. Ryleigh’s eyes found him and her eyebrow cocked curiously at the woman with him. She walked over to the table and sat down on the seat opposite Lukas’. The woman awkwardly walked away from the table, but Lukas’ eyes remained on Ryleigh. “Who was that?” Ryleigh asked.

“A human trying to buy me a drink,” he answered.

“Looks like she succeeded,” Ryleigh said as she nodded at the glass on the table.

“She’s not here, is she?” Lukas asked as he slid the drink toward her. “I’m only drinking one tonight. I can’t exactly risk getting drunk while responsible for you and Bailey.”

“Considering I drank damn near half a bottle of tequila and can’t get drunk, I’m sure you’d be fine,” she said as she sipped the bourbon. Lukas smirked as she cringed slightly. “How do you drink this shit?”

“You’ll learn that you need something stronger than tequila for us to even try to feel anything,” Lukas answered. He took another sip of his own drink. “How are you doing?”

“Better than Kristopher’s wall, apparently,” Ryleigh teased.

“I’ll pay for it,” Lukas shrugged. “Better the wall than his face.”

“Lukas—”

“How are you doing?” He interrupted. “I felt… a lot from you, while you were in there.” He took another drink from his glass. His blue eyes studied her emerald ones as she looked at him. “You were crying,” he said softly as he noticed a tear stain on her cheek.

“Can we not?” Ryleigh asked suddenly. “I feel like all anyone does now is ask how I’m doing, wanting to make sure I’m okay. Let me give you the short version, yeah?” She leaned forward. “I’m not okay. I’m not normal, or whatever you all are expecting me to be right now. What I am is determined to win this war so I can figure out what I am supposed to be.”

Ryleigh swallowed the bourbon in her glass quickly as Lukas sipped his again. Lukas could feel the waves of guilt and remorse and worry that were rolling off her. He could hear her wolf whimper lightly for him, and he could feel Ryleigh push her wolf away. He felt Ryleigh dismiss her wolf a lot, and he knew that it would not be long before her wolf retaliated. Ryleigh’s gaze shifted to the dance floor, and she watched the humans dance together. “I used to work here, you know,” she said, her eyes remaining on the dance floor. “I was hired as Kristopher’s DJ.”

“Really? A Karizma hired to work for the Karizma Killer? How poetic,” Lukas smirked.

“I enjoyed it, for the short time that it lasted. Knowing that I caused this,” she said as she motioned to the dancing humans. “Their joy, their ability to just release their stress and dance.”

Lukas stood up abruptly and held his hand out to her. “You need that release, too, my love.”

“You can’t be serious,” Ryleigh laughed.

“Why? Because I’m asking you to dance?” Lukas grinned.

“Because the big, bad wolf is wanting to dance period,” Ryleigh said. “Aren’t you supposed to be what everyone is afraid of?”

“I can always ask someone else to dance if you’d prefer. I can smell the arousal of that woman that bought your drink,” Lukas said boldly. He despised asking anyone else to dance. Hell, he despised dancing, but with how Ryleigh had described her view on dancing, he knew that she would appreciate the gesture. She did not want to talk about what she was going through, and he would respect that, but that did not mean that he could not try to help her heal in his own way.

“That’s a dangerous game, Alpha,” Ryleigh said as she slipped her hand into his. “I’ve done well controlling my wolf for now. I’m positive she would destroy whichever human danced with you because I chose not to.” Lukas smirked and gently led Ryleigh to the dance floor. I need to talk to her about her wolf. She did not know how right she was that her wolf would have decimated a human that would have taken place in her stead. He did not want to add extra stress to her, but her wolf emerging without permission would be significantly worse than him warning her about it.

Lukas turned around and gently pulled Ryleigh into him as the song changed to a slower beat. He placed his hands on her hips and she rested her hands on his shoulders. Ryleigh laughed suddenly while Lukas danced with her. “What?” he asked.

“In all the craziness going on right now, I am dancing with King Lycan. It’s just funny,” she smiled.

“In all the craziness, I assure you that there is no one else that King Lycan would rather dance with,” he said.

“We talked about you, Kristopher and I.”

“And?”

“He asked if you treat me well. I told him that you are probably more patient with me than any other male Lycan would have been.”

“That is a fact, especially after that kiss. What it takes to not do that again,” Lukas breathed as he pulled her closer. “Only an Alpha can fight his wolf like I am for you. Speaking of, you need to stop fighting her.”

Ryleigh sighed. “You’ve heard her?”

“I’ve felt her, my love. Our wolves are a part of us. If you continue to fight her, she will react. You need to let her win occasionally.”

“I hurt her, with my magic,” Ryleigh admitted. “She wanted to hurt Kristopher. I couldn’t let her.”

“When we get home, you need to allow her to emerge,” Lukas said. He slid an arm around her waist while his free hand interlocked with one of hers. “She needs to know that she is valuable to you. You need to work on your relationship with her.”

“Between you and Kristopher and Bailey…” Ryleigh sighed and shook her head. “You’re right. I know you are.”

“Your relationship with her needs to take priority, above all of us, my love. We can control ourselves, but, if you lose control of her…” Lukas’ voice trailed off, and Ryleigh simply nodded.

Ryleigh’s fingers trailed down Lukas’ throat gently as she gazed at him. “I feel most in control with you,” she admitted softly. “Away from you is a different story.”

“Mates are not meant to be apart,” Lukas said as he tightened his grasp on her. “We are stronger together.”

“How have you not lost control without me all this time? I’m barely managing the last couple of weeks.”

“Alpha, remember? I am stronger than anyone else in our pack. I’ve fought countless heat cycles because I was waiting for you.”

“So, no pressure, then,” Ryleigh said nervously.

Lukas smiled and spun Ryleigh gently. The point of dancing was to ease her emotions, not cause her to be even more flustered and worried. Lukas allowed his wolf to growl approvingly at her as he spun her again. He pulled her chest into his and his gold eyes challenged her emerald ones playfully. Her gold eyes burst through their emerald shields, and she growled back at him gently. “Exactly,” Lukas whispered as he lowered his face to hers. “Let her win sometimes.” Ryleigh’s canines pushed through her gums and pressed into her lips. Her wolf whimpered lightly as she stared up at him. Lukas chuckled and pulled her closer to him so no humans could see. “Easy, love,” he whispered. “If we lose too much control together, I’ll start killing people.”

“Why?” She breathed.

“Because no one else gets to see my mate naked but me, and I’d fuck you right here in front of everyone if you keep making those noises.”

“You have to admit, it would help me de-stress, though,” Ryleigh grinned.

Lukas snarled and reluctantly released Ryleigh from his grasp. His blue eyes quickly extinguished his gold ones, and he watched Ryleigh’s eyes follow suit, her canines hidden once again. “We should get Bailey and head home,” Lukas’ strained voice said. The pain of his erection made it difficult to speak, or even think, but he knew that home was the right decision. Ryleigh simply nodded, a mix of concern and excitement in her eyes. Lukas gently cupped her chin with his thumb and index finger. He brought his lips to hers and placed a brief kiss upon them. “Nothing, nothing will happen until you and her are in sync about me and my wolf. I give you my word, my love. This is not my rejecting you; this is my waiting until you are truly ready.”