Karizma: Reborn

Chapter 5: Ryleigh

Ryleigh clenched her teeth as she followed Lukas through the woods. Her stomach radiated pain as her canines ached to descend. She had never craved to eat so much as she did in this moment. She felt deprived, as if she had not eaten in weeks. Her wolf had not yet had her first meal, and Ryleigh felt it in every movement that she conducted. Ryleigh began walking faster as her wolf growled at her. Her wolf urged her to get closer to Lukas, to close the gap between them. Ryleigh knew that there was no danger present, because her magic alone would have sensed that; there was something with Lukas that her wolf needed to be near him for, and Ryleigh was trying to figure out what it was.

Ryleigh's hearing intensified as she neared Lukas. She heard his even breathing, his steady heartbeat, and a very faint growl. Ryleigh's eyes began skimming the woods around her. "What do you hear?" she whispered lightly.

"You, apparently," Lukas muttered.

"Why are you growling at me?"

"Because I lost the bear," he growled. Ryleigh's eyes settled on Lukas' back and she cocked her head at him curiously. She found it strange that the sound of her footsteps drowned out the sound of the bear, but she was still learning. Maybe I stepped too loud or breathed too loud, she thought. magic twitched, and she stopped walking. She instantly smelled sweet iron infused with wet fur, and she turned around.

The woods remained empty to her, but she could sense the bear. She could smell its blood and its fur, and her wolf growled within her with satisfaction. Found it, she thought. She heard Lukas approach her from behind, but her eyes remained locked on the woods before her. Her magic reached out and weaved between the trees, searching where her eyes could not. "Ryleigh," Lukas whispered. Ryleigh's breath hitched as she felt Lukas' breath tickle her ear. She tensed as Lukas lowered his head and rested it on her shoulder. "Steady," he whispered. "We don't want to spook it."

Ryleigh felt a shudder roll down her spine at his contact. He must have been looking straight ahead since she did not feel his breath on her skin. Her wolf growled again, followed by Lukas' chest sealing itself against her back. She immediately felt his erection painfully against her lower back, and her wolf growled deeply. "Steady," Lukas' voice broke as he whispered. Ryleigh knew in that moment that he was talking more to himself than to her. She felt his body tense against her, his head never moving from its position on her shoulder. Ryleigh's heartbeat spiked, and she felt a small growl press into her shoulder from Lukas' throat. Whatever this feeling was, this reaction that she was experiencing from him, she had no idea, but she knew that she enjoyed it.

Ryleigh gasped suddenly as her magic returned to her. Another growl left Lukas' throat, but now she was not focused on him. The bear was close, and the scent was becoming stronger. Ryleigh pulled herself away from Lukas and began walking toward the bear. "You can't be like that," Lukas whispered as he followed her. "It will attack you in this form. You are faster and stronger as your wolf."

"You forget who you are talking to," Ryleigh whispered back. "I can handle myself. I need him to see me defenseless. As my wolf, I pose a threat."

"Ryleigh—"

"She can come out after," Ryleigh interrupted. Her wolf nuzzled beneath her skin, as if agreeing with her plan. She understood Lukas' concern for her, but if the bear had grown accustomed to feeding off humans and avoiding wolves, then her approaching in her current form was the best way to hunt the bear.

Ryleigh stilled as the bear stepped out from the trees. She instinctively placed a hand behind her to shield Lukas and placed one hand in front of her with her palm facing the bear. She felt her magic pool in both of her hands; the hand behind her, preparing to create a barrier for Lukas, and the hand in front of her preparing to attack. She knew that Lukas could protect himself, but she could not fight the overwhelming urge to keep him safe. While her magic readied itself, her wolf broke through the surface briefly. She felt her canines descend as her gold eyes focused on the bear. She could hear the strong heartbeat beneath its skin, could smell the blood that pumped through its veins; she could almost taste the tough skin that was hidden beneath its fur.