Karizma: Reborn

Chapter 16: Lukas

            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, he thought. 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 come 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 the dance floor for him. "Not yours," Lukas answered the woman, his eyes locked on Ryleigh. Ryleigh's eyes found his, her eyebrow cocked curiously at the woman with him. She walked over to the table and sat down on the seat opposite of 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."