Karizma: Reborn

Chapter 9: Ryleigh

Ryleigh was curled up in bed beside her sister. After Kristopher's departure yesterday, Ryleigh could not leave Bailey's side. While the pack was accepting and understanding of Ryleigh, she felt like the outsider; the newborn wolf that has magical powers. Kristopher made her feel welcomed; her sister made her feel at home. Lukas made her feel like she was the newborn wolf that she was. It was as if every move that she made was the wrong one, every feeling that she felt irrelevant. She fought against tears after Kristopher left; not just for missing him, but for missing his touch. She still felt nothing whenever he kissed her or held her, and it hurt her beyond words. It was as if her heart detached itself completely from her body, and in doing so denied her body the satisfaction of enjoying Kristopher's company.

Ryleigh stared at Bailey as she traced her fingers over her sister's cheek. The only time that Ryleigh felt anything was whenever Lukas became physical with her. Twice she attacked him, and both instances made her feel more alive than she had since she came back. She felt like this cold, calloused corpse walking around with magic keeping her alive, and a wolf that demanded freedom. She felt like the shell of the woman that she once was. She put her sister into a coma, and she cannot feel the physical touch from her love; all of it made her feel like an inconvenience to those around her. "Everything would be better if you had let me go," Ryleigh whispered to her sister. "You would be here. Kristopher would be safe. Lukas and the lycans would be free from this."

"That's not true," Lukas whispered softly. Ryleigh's eyes shot up and found Lukas leaning against the doorframe. He was wearing a black muscle shirt with a pair of jeans, his large arms tense as he crossed them over his chest. "We would never be free from this."

"You'd be free from me," Ryleigh answered softly. Her eyes shifted back to Bailey. Ryleigh inhaled deeply to calm herself. She was still irate for their conversation with Kristopher, and she refused to let the beast out. Her wolf was enraged for her, but this was not the place to react to him. This house is only for Bailey, not for us, she thought. Ryleigh inhaled shakily as she felt her emotions threaten to burst the concrete wall that her corpse had built since her resurrection. She could not allow herself feel the weight of it all, the truth behind everything; all she wanted to do was cry and end her own life, and she knew that neither solved anything. This war was happening, whether she was dead or alive. At least alive, mankind has a chance, she thought.

Ryleigh kissed Bailey's cheek softly and carefully slid out of the bed. She walked toward the front door and past Lukas. She felt her heart rate spike as she heard his footsteps behind her. She dipped into her magic instinctively. Her magic caressed her fingers and gently stroked along her arm. Her magic was attempting to calm her before she reacted with it. Her wolf whined softly, and Ryleigh stopped in her tracks. I am hurting them, she realized. She heard Lukas stop directly behind her, and she snapped.

"Why are you here?" Ryleigh barked.

"I needed to see you."

"Why? To tell me how much of a screw up I am? That my resurrection put Bailey into a coma?"

"Ryleigh—"

"Why would you say that?" Ryleigh choked out. Lukas' eyes widened in surprise. Ryleigh noticed pack members watching her and she quickly sprinted farther away from the pack. Lukas followed close behind her, but she continued to run. She was on the verge of a breakdown, and she needed to get as far away from her people before it happened. She wanted to believe that her magic and her wolf would remain tame during it, but she could not be sure.

Ryleigh stopped running when she could no longer hear the other lycans. She heard Lukas slow behind her, and she turned around. His blue eyes were bright with concern, his hair matted to his forehead with light perspiration. "Ryleigh," he said softly.