Karizma

Ryleigh sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. She was sprawled out on the bed in the motel room while Kristopher attended the issues presented at the club. She was slightly relieved for the solitude; no one knew where she was, there was no target on her currently. Which means that there is no target on Kristopher, she thought. She was relieved that he left and returned to his normal life, the small sliver of normalcy that was left in it, anyway. Ryleigh thought of her sister multiple times each day; how she longed for her version of normalcy to return, to be reunited with Bailey and spending time together, but their normalcy ended when Ryleigh ascended.

Ryleigh rubbed a hand over her face. Kristopher’s offer to turn her swarmed through her mind once again. The decision to turn seemed so simple, so easy, but was accompanied by its own consequences as well. Her hand instantly went to her stomach. The most important consequence would have been that she would become pregnant, which automatically sentenced her child to death. It was very rare for a Karizma to birth a male, for the sake of preservation of the magical lineage. My daughter would have to experience what I am living through, and Kristopher and I would instantly kill to protect her, Ryleigh thought. But she would be even stronger, even faster, than any other Karizma that would have lived. Ryleigh smiled softly. I love him so much that the thought of having a child with him is elating, she thought. I just wish it was under better circumstances.

Ryleigh’s magic hummed suddenly under her skin. She propped herself on her elbows and stared at the front door of the motel curiously. There was something else out there; not a vampire, but something that she had not felt before. She knew that the supernatural world was rather large, but she thought that she had encountered enough of them in her lifetime to no longer be surprised at their presence. She slid off the bed and tugged on a black tank top and a pair of jeans. She quickly tossed her red hair into a ponytail, her green eyes hard. The presence was coming closer, a vampiric presence accompanying it. Her eyes widened and she instantly pooled magic into the palms of her hands. She dropped her hands to her sides, her palms facing the front door as she armed for confrontation.

The front door opened, and Ryleigh’s magic exhaled as the confrontation was extinguished. Kristopher nodded at her, his brown eyes bright as he approached her. He cupped her face and kissed her lips softly. “Lower your guard, pet, there is no threat here,” he whispered. Ryleigh’s eyes shot around him at the man that entered the room behind him. Her eyes widened and she gently pushed Kristopher aside. The man had a deep brown, chocolate colored aura surrounding him. His brown hair had been tousled, his blue eyes bright as he observed her in return. The man was slightly shorter than Kristopher, but his build was more prominent than Kristopher’s was. Muscles rippled along the man’s skin as he crossed his arms over his chest, the black muscle shirt straining against his chest as he tensed. “I’m—”

“A Lycan,” Ryleigh whispered as she finished his sentence. She approached him slowly, her green eyes bright as she studied him. The Lycan’s eyes widened at her admission of who he was. Ryleigh had only heard stories of the Lycans, of how the Karizmas and the Lycans had fought side by side for years until both sides realized that they were going to be responsible for the extinction of the other. The Karizmas despised putting other people in the line of fire during a war that was constructed for their own extinction; the werewolves had been loyal to the Karizmas and respected their decision to no longer maintain an alliance. I would have done the same thing, Ryleigh thought. I am worrying enough about Kristopher and Bailey; I would not put an entire Lycan pack in danger just for me.

“You truly are a Karizma,” the Lycan answered. He bowed slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. “My name is Lukas.”

“Ryleigh,” she whispered softly. She felt Kristopher’s presence settle behind her and she fought the urge to turn and face him. “What can I do for you, Lukas?”

“I knew that you were not dead,” Lukas said. “Your scent did not recede the way that your ancestors’ had.”

“You knew my ancestors.”

“I’m not as young as I look, my dear,” Lukas grinned. “I’m three-hundred-years-old, and recently ascended as the Alpha of my pack here in Canada. I know more about your kind than you realize.”

“What do you want?” Ryleigh asked slowly. Her magic fizzled slightly, but not enough to arm herself. Her magic was not afraid of the Lycan before her, with good reason; her magic knew that the species in front of her would not harm her. Lycans had never harmed Karizmas before, it would not make sense to start that now.

“I want you to live,” Lukas whispered. He took a step forward, and Ryleigh fought against taking a step back. He is not going to hurt you, she reminded herself. Kristopher took a step forward and pressed his chest into her back, his arm secured around her waist. My magic may trust him, but Kristopher does not, she thought. Lukas noticed the reactions and smiled. “I will not harm you, my dear. I want you to live, to become all that your kind was meant to be with your never-ending source of magic.”

“Why now?”

“Because you are the last one, and I really do not want to see such a powerful line eliminated.”

“Really?” Ryleigh asked as she cocked her head. “I’m twenty-three, and you waited until after my ascension to offer your help?”

“Darling, my senses may be more enhanced than your vampire’s, but even I did not know who you were until your ascension. Knowing that your assassination attempt was deterred was a relief.”

“How do you think that you can help me, exactly?” Ryleigh asked slowly. “I will not endanger a Lycan, especially the Alpha Lycan, in this war to end my life. I would rather die and know that you and your kind are safe.”

“Please, sit,” Lukas said as he sat on the bed and motioned to the spot beside him. Ryleigh felt Kristopher’s arms tighten suddenly, but Ryleigh stroked her fingers along his arm in response. She pulled her body away and he reluctantly dropped his arms from her. Ryleigh sat beside Lukas and studied him curiously. He appeared to be sincere in his words, but she could not understand why. She had accepted that she would fight this war alone many years ago, and now she had a vampire and a Lycan volunteering to help her. Her hand jerked in surprise as Lukas wrapped his own hand around it. She often forgot that Lycans were not just people, they were also their own wolves; vampires were very passionate and devoted creatures, but Lycans were much more open in their display of compassion and appreciation. Vampires did not show their emotions as openly as Lycans did.

“I would like to turn you,” Lukas said softly.

“No, absolutely not,” Ryleigh said as she shook her head. “I will not endanger any of you to save my life.”

“Listen to me—”

“I cannot endanger an entire species and their Alpha!” Ryleigh snapped. She attempted to pull her hand from his grasp, but he simply tightened it. She growled lightly in frustration, which prompted a smirk from Lukas. It was useless to attempt to free herself from the bonds of a Lycan, but she wanted to try.

“My dear, I want to turn you because it would save you,” Lukas said.

“How, exactly, can you turn me and not worry about your own pack?”

“Because vampires do not fight werewolves, my dear. They would have no valid claim on your life if you were under my protection. No vampire is so daft as to challenge an Alpha, let alone his entire pack, to kill one witch.”

“I’m just one witch—”

“No, you’re not, you’re the witch,” Lukas corrected. “You’re the one witch that everyone wants, either to kill or have by their side. I want you by my side,” he continued as he squeezed her hand. “With your strength, I would like you to fight with my kin.”

“So…you would turn me to save my life, and, in exchange, you would ask me to fight for you, to fight with you?”

“It is not such a horrendous trade off, is it?” Lukas quirked. “You would be alive, free to live your life with your precious leech of a man. All that I ask is that you fight for me.”

Ryleigh sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. She turned and looked toward Kristopher. His brown eyes were dim as he studied her, his face a mask to hide his emotions. She leaned forward and squeezed his hand with her free hand. “What do you think?” she whispered.

“This is not my decision, pet,” Kristopher replied. “I do want you alive, to live a life with you. It is significantly better than the alternative.’”

“What would happen to Kristopher?” Ryleigh asked as she turned back toward Lukas. “I assume that I would reside with you and your pack, and Kristopher would not.”

“For that, you are correct,” Lukas nodded. “You would be free to come and go as you please, except for during your heat cycle.”

“Wait, what?” Ryleigh asked suddenly. She yanked her hand out of Lukas’ and rose to her feet. “What heat cycle?”

“Every female wolf experiences it,” Lukas said as he raked a hand through his hair. “It is a rather…delicate part of the conversation that I was trying to determine how to inform you of.”

“What is the heat cycle?” Kristopher snapped.

“Every female wolf, when she becomes of age, experiences a heat cycle for seven days, every month. During this time…the wolf within controls her and highly encourages her to mate with other wolves for the duration of those seven days.”

“And you would keep me with you because?” Ryleigh asked as she took a step back.

“Not for what you think, I assure you,” Lukas sighed. “Residing with your precious vampire during the heat cycle would put him in danger. As strong as he is, he is no match for a male wolf who is pursuing a wolf in heat. That is not a threat, that is a fucking promise. In my residence, your safety will be guaranteed; even if a male wolf is dumb enough to attempt to challenge me, as the Alpha of my pack, I am the strongest male in our pack. You would be safe.”

“And you wouldn’t indulge yourself?” Ryleigh snapped before she could stop herself. “Every heat cycle, you would be trapped with a female that you could not sleep with. You would be torturing yourself.”

“I worry more for you, actually,” Lukas said slowly. “As Alpha, I am stronger in many regards, and one of those would be celibacy during your first few cycles if I need it to be. But you do not understand how strong the desire is to mate during the heat cycle; it practically makes you unable to control your own body. It’s…like a fire of ecstasy that posses your entire being with such extreme pain that only satisfying it will quench the thirst. With you being who you are, you are naturally stronger to resistance and utilizing your magic to hide yourself, but it is something that you need to be aware of.”

“That I could attempt to seduce you,” Ryleigh whispered. If she did turn, the safest place for her truly would be with the Alpha of the pack. If the Alpha truly does resist her, and will fight any wolf that pursues her, she would be safe. But his resistance is not the only resistance that we need to account for, she thought. It would be my own. Her magic had grown stronger over the years, especially after her ascension, to hide her and mask her scent, but was it strong enough to fight the natural, primal instincts of a Lycan?

“I know you are strong, my dear, but I have yet to see a female wolf fight the heat cycle more than once. The first fight is the easiest one; after that, it is almost like a high that you need to reach, and the heat cycle only intensifies once you surrender to it,” Lukas said.

“I don’t like this,” Kristopher said through gritted teeth. Ryleigh faced him and instantly cupped his face. He closed his eyes as a tremble of rage rocked his body. Her heart ached at the hurt that crossed his face, that he hid under his eyelids. I would be alive, but there is a very high possibility that I would not remain his, not for those seven days, Ryleigh thought bitterly. She would do her damndest to fight it, her entire life was fighting to survive; but if this heat cycle was as bad as Lukas said that it was, it would only be a matter of time before she succumbed.

“Kristopher, look at me,” Ryleigh whispered as she brushed her lips over his. His eyes opened and the hurt that swirled within them made her nauseous. “Kristopher, I don’t have to say yes. I wasn’t planning on living for much longer. I have made my peace with that.”

“I can’t—” Kristopher inhaled sharply. “I can’t kill you, knowing that there is a way for you to survive.”

“It still wouldn’t be a way to survive,” Ryleigh smiled sadly. She shifted her eyes to look at Lukas. “I can’t risk being pregnant regardless; the Karizma magical lineage has survived as long as it has because it does not allow us to birth sons. It is very rare for a son to be born. I would have a daughter, a daughter with the magic of a Karizma who would be hunted and killed.”

“No, she wouldn’t be,” Lukas said softly. “Just like you would not be touched under my protection, neither would your Lycan daughter. Especially if…”

“She ended up being yours,” Ryleigh whispered so quietly that she questioned if she spoke it aloud.

Kristopher snarled and pulled away from Ryleigh. Her heart cracked at the emotions that bubbled in his snarl, how his eyes were sealed shut once again because he did not trust himself enough to look at her and speak clearly. “Of course, it isn’t as simple as just turning her,” Kristopher growled.

“Kristopher, I don’t have to say yes—”

“Right, you could die rather than live a long, happy life.”

“If I may—”

“No!” Ryleigh and Kristopher both shot at Lukas.

Lukas held up his hands in surrender and stood up. “As she said, she does not have to say yes. I would understand, as you understood when she said no to your offer. Yes, it was obvious that you offered it to her as well,” he added as Kristopher’s eyes shot open. “I at least wanted to offer it to her. I did not mean any offense. My dear,” Lukasnodded toward Ryleigh. “I wish you the best life that you can live, and that it is longer than shorter. Should you require my assistance in any manner before it ends, I will be here,” Lukas said as he withdrew a card from his pocket. Ryleigh accepted the card and looked down at the address on it. Lukas’ hand squeezed hers softly. “I understand the difficulty, but it really would be a shame to lose such a powerful witch to something that can be prevented.” Lukas turned and exited the motel.

Ryleigh tossed the card in the chair by the bed and instantly wrapped her arms around Kristopher. She felt him collapse under her grasp, the weight of his emotions consuming his being. “I don’t have to say yes,” she whispered again. As she spoke, Lukas’ words resonated with her; the line did not have to end. The longevity of the Karimza lineage would be promised, rather than the promise of death. She shuddered and hugged Kristopher even tighter. She found her own source of true happiness, of love, and the only way that she could keep it would be to turn into something that would guarantee that she would be unfaithful to him. Whichever way that all of this plays out, the one constant is that Kristopher would be in immense pain, and I don’t know which pain is the better of the two options, she thought. My death, or my constant unfaithfulness to remain alive.