Karizma: Reborn

Lukas froze in his tracks at the border of his pack’s territory. He had been walking the territory with his Beta to make sure that the safety of the pack was still guaranteed. He had not smelled Ryleigh’s scent since she awoke, but he had to be sure that the vampires would not suspect his pack for any reason. So far, the woods surrounding his pack remained quiet and calm, aside from the surge in power that vibrated through Lukas’ body just now. Ryleigh. The mating bond was not solidified, but he was connected to her regardless. The mating bond was only solidified when both wolves could mark each other with their canines; Lukas had done that and more. His blood coursed through her veins, and his canines were forever imprinted on her beautiful flesh. Until she marked him, he would not be able to communicate with her through the mind link that mates shared, but he felt her every second of every day. Her heartbeat, her magic, her emotions, yet she was in the dark about him. Until she marked her mate herself, she would never feel his side of all of that. Lukas craved her mark upon his neck, and his wolf growled instantly as the thought triggered an erection.

It is too soon. It is too soon to tell her about any of this. We will fight it. We will fight acting on any of it until she is ready to learn the truth. Lukas and his wolf worried about rejection from Ryleigh once she knew, but he was not ready to fully embrace that concern yet. He knew it was a possibility because of Kristopher, but if Kristopher found out, he would surrender Ryleigh without hesitation. Vampires may be passionate lovers, but Lycans were territorial ones; if Kristopher stood in the way of Lukas’ mate, Lukas and his wolf would not hesitate to tear the vampire apart to claim her.

“Alpha?” Jackson’s voice pulled Lukas out of his thoughts. Lukas shook his head and faced his Beta. Jackson’s long blonde hair had been pulled into a ponytail, his green eyes hard as he studied Lukas. His Beta was slightly shorter than he was, but he was one of the more agile male wolves in the pack. “Do you sense something?”

“Nothing of concern,” Lukas said. “I should probably go check on our witch guest and see how she is adjusting.”

“A witch Lycan,” Jackson said in fascination. “The first of her kind.”

“And ours,” Lukas added.

“What about the other witch?”

“She is welcome to stay as long as she chooses. After all that poor child did to bring our witch back to us, the young one can make this her permanent home for all I care.”

“Is that wise?” Jackson asked slowly. He quickly continued as Lukas’ eyes flared with gold rage. “It’s just that she is associated with the Karizma that was murdered. Sooner or later, the vampires will find this connection and try to come after her.”

“To which we will protect her,” Lukas growled. “That child almost died bringing back the Karizma for us. I will not throw her out, especially with this war coming that Kristopher told me about.”

Lukas had not had the chance to speak to Ryleigh about it, but he knew without a doubt that was what she wanted to talk to him about when she woke up. Kristopher had informed Lukas of the details that he knew of, but Lukas knew that there was more to it. Ryleigh had been alone with the vampires for some time, and Lukas wanted to hear her story. He wanted her to rest and to give her space while she rekindled with Kristopher, but the surge in her power and the panic in her heart made Lukas realize that she was doing more than resting. She was getting answers. I should have known. Ryleigh was not going to be the type of woman to just accept her new life. She needed to understand it, to learn it and master it. Something happened.

“I need to go, Jackson. I need to help our new Lycan control her abilities, wolf and magic alike,” Lukas sighed. His blue eyes pushed through as his wolf settled beneath his skin.

“Alpha, I meant no disrespect—”

“I know, Jackson,” Lukas nodded with a small smile. “If my Beta simply agreed with every decision that I made, I would be worried. I need you to think and question as you do. It does not mean I like it, but I do appreciate it.”

“I would like to meet the Karizma, and her friend, when they are well.”

“The friend is still catatonic, I’m afraid. Ryleigh is very much awake, but I need to make sure she can control herself before I begin introducing her to the rest of the pack. If she harms me, I will heal, but if she harms anyone else—”

“She could kill us,” Jackson nodded.

“Exactly. Alpha blood is significantly stronger and more resistant to threats than any normal Lycans’ blood. Give it time, my friend. I plan on making the pack very aware of who our new guests are, but in time.”

Lukas nodded to his Beta and began the walk back to his house. All he wanted to do was make his pack aware of his mate, of his beautiful, strong Luna that would rule by his side and help him fight this war that the vampires planned to wage against humanity and the supernatural. Lukas and his wolf relished in the knowledge that the safest place in the pack for her, and his pack, was in his own house. He hesitated leaving Kristopher alone with her for Kristopher’s own safety, but his speed would protect him; Kristopher would be able to restrain Ryleigh before she could even attack him, and that provided Lukas with some comfort. His wolf despised the vampire that wanted his mate, but the rational side of Lukas was trying to be patient. She was his first. Allow him that for everything that he has done for her before I have to take her away from him.

Lukas entered his house and immediately snarled. Ryleigh and Kristopher were gone. Lukas heightened his hearing and heard their voices coming from the house beside his. He quickly entered the house beside his. Ryleigh was knelt beside Bailey, and Kristopher stood beside her with his arms crossed over his chest. Ryleigh’s emerald eyes met Lukas’ gold ones, and instantly melted the gold away into his blue eyes. She was exhausted. She was scared. She was in pain. He was frustrated with her for leaving his house, but she wanted her sister, and for that he understood. He could feel Ryleigh’s wolf stirring beneath her skin in frustration and fear. “Ryleigh,” Lukas said as he slowly began to approach her. “You both need to rest.”

“She won’t listen to that,” Kristopher mumbled in annoyance. “I’ve been trying to get her to go back to bed since she woke up.”

“Would you rather rest with her?” Lukas asked as he nodded toward Bailey. Thankfully, the house directly beside his belonged to Jackson, and Lukas had prohibited Jackson from returning home for the next few days; even though Bailey was unconscious, the last thing that she needed to see when she woke up was a man that she did not know. “We can move her to my house.”

“No,” Ryleigh whispered as she shook her head. “If she’s with me, I’ll keep talking to her. She doesn’t need that right now. She needs to rest.”

“Then you need to go back to bed,” Lukas said softly. He knelt beside her and her eyes immediately flicked back to Bailey. He noticed that she was gripping Bailey’s hand so tight that Ryleigh’s knuckles had turned white. Lukas sighed and placed his hand over Ryleigh’s gently. Ryleigh’s eyes immediately flared gold as they locked onto his. “Don’t,” she growled.

“I’m not trying to separate you two, but, if you keep squeezing her hand like that, you will break it,” Lukas replied. “You are much stronger than you once were, and you don’t know it yet. Please, let go of her hand, for her sake.” Ryleigh inhaled sharply and instantly released Bailey’s hand. Lukas squeezed Ryleigh’s hand in his gently, and his wolf purred mutely at the contact. “If you are worried that you will not allow her to rest, why don’t we get you something to eat? You must be starving,” Lukas said.

Lukas smirked as he saw Ryleigh’s gold eyes flash suddenly, and a small growl escaped her throat. “Food it is, then,” he said. Lukas stood up and gently pulled Ryleigh to her feet. “I know just the thing.”

“Can I even eat real food?” Ryleigh asked.

“You can—”

“But it’s not real food that you need to eat, pet,” Kristopher interjected softly. “You need a heart.”

“A fresh one, to be exact,” Lukas said. “A Lycan’s first meal should always be fresh. Since we do not go around killing humans, you and I need to go on hunt with our wolves. The humans have a bit of a bear problem near my territory; the bears leave us alone, but humans taste better than we do, so they pose the danger to them instead.”

“You want me to kill a bear,” Ryleigh stated in disbelief.

“We survive off the human hearts that we can obtain through the morgues, but human hearts are very hard to come by. You will learn that surviving off other animals is what we need to do. I only had a few human hearts left, and you have one of them in your chest now,” Lukas said as he nodded to her chest. “I had to eat one of them after aiding in your resurrection, and the other heart in my fridge will be yours after your first meal.”

“Why does it need to be fresh? Just give me the heart in the fridge,” Ryleigh demanded.

“Old meat will make you sick,” Lukas stated simply. “After your first meal, your body builds up a tolerance to the meat. It will still make you sick, but it will be manageable. Old meat as your first meal will make you miserably so.”

“Listen to him, Ryleigh,” Kristopher said. “It is the same for vampires. Old blood is horrendous, but I cannot imagine how old blood would be on our bodies as our first taste.”

“No,” Ryleigh said as she snatched her hand from Lukas’. “I am barely controlling the wolf in my body right now, and you want me to unleash her to kill an animal. What if she doesn’t stop there? What if she ventures into town to get another fresh heart? What if she tears everyone apart?”

“I won’t let that happen,” Lukas replied.

“How the hell can you stop it?” Ryleigh snapped.

“Because I am the Alpha. I am faster and stronger than any other creature in the vicinity, including your vampire,” Lukas stated. His wolf growled in appreciation at the recognition. “Trust me, love, the only person that you truly risk harming on this hunt is me.”

“What if I don’t want to hurt anyone?”

“You can’t completely prevent it,” Kristopher spoke before Lukas could. “Ryleigh, you are an animal now, just as I am, just as Lukas is. The first few days of your transition, you will hurt someone. Please, be thankful that you are with Lukas during your transition. Lycans have packs that they reside with that can assist with it; vampires are thrown into the world to figure it out themselves.” Lukas noticed Ryleigh’s jaw clench as her eyes shifted back to Bailey. The Karizmas had protected all life, humans, and animals alike, and now she was promised that she to harm someone or something during the first few days. This hunt was going to be a challenge; it was going to be the easiest challenge for her wolf, but the hardest challenge for herself.

“Okay,” Ryleigh whispered through gritted teeth. Her eyes slowly returned to Lukas’. “She’s starving and it’s beginning to physically hurt. We need to eat.”