Karizma

Chapter 27

Ryleigh rolled over with a groan as her aching body attempted to stretch out in the bed. She had truly lost count of how many times Kristopher made love to her; he had not stopped until fatigue began to consume her and drift her away from him. Her body felt like wet mud, heavy and unable to maintain a solid form for too long. Even lifting her arm to brush the hair out of her face took so much energy out of her that her arm simply flopped back on to the bed after completing its task. Her eyes trailed over to Kristopher, and she smiled.

Kristopher was completely spent as sleep lulled him into another world. He was lying on his back, one arm covering his eyes while his other arm had been wrapped around Ryleigh's waist. She smiled as she heard his heavy breathing while he slept, as she saw the innocence that his sleeping form portrayed to her. While exhaustion drained every fiber of energy out of her bones, she knew that it had to have had some effect on him as well; even a vampire can only fuck for so long before he needs to recharge. She repressed a giggle at the thought and continued to admire him. The beautiful vampire before her, so headstrong and constantly looking over his shoulder, appeared to have found peace in this moment with her. It was like he had finally slept, finally truly rested after centuries of being awake. I know the feeling, Ryleigh thought. She had never truly opened herself to anyone else other than Bailey; while she loved her sister, her life of solitude was mind-numbing. Ryleigh finally found someone that encouraged her to open up, to strengthen and overcome any obstacle in her life; for the first time in Ryleigh's life, she was finally able to relax around someone.

Ryleigh contemplated rolling on her back away from Kristopher, but, coupled with her pure adoration of the vampire god before her, pure exhaustion screamed at her to stop moving. She needed to rest; she needed to allow her body to recover before she began any type of movement again. She felt her magic spark gently, as if reminding her that she did have a crutch available to her if she so desired to use it. She longed to stretch out her fingers to touch his face, but even that action seemed too difficult to complete.

Ryleigh closed her eyes as her smile widened in remembrance of the whirlwind that she endured. Kristopher kept to his promise by filling her and marking her as much as he could. Her back, her arms, her breasts, her thighs; anywhere that had the slightest malleable skin that could be contorted under his fangs was imprinted. She was convinced that, had he been human or her a vampire, she would surely be carrying his child by now. She was not sure if he had kept his promise to drip from her, but only because she had not been able to bring herself to a standing position as of yet. The thought of carrying his child brought a bitter smile to her lips.

Ryleigh's magic flared suddenly. She inhaled and her magic forced her into a sitting position. She groaned as her bones and muscles creaked in an attempt to comply with her magic's request. Before she could even recover, her magic surged through her and forced her to stand. Ryleigh looked at the door curiously as she felt a strong pulse emit through the air. Something powerful was nearby, something that she had not felt before. It did not feel like a vampire or a Lycan, but something even stronger. Ryleigh instantly pulled on a black sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. She quickly pulled on her boots and tossed her hair into a ponytail. Something dangerous is nearby, she thought, and it seems to be calling to my magic. She turned and looked at Kristopher, who remained asleep, oblivious to whatever was happening outside of their motel room. Ryleigh sighed. He would be upset if I did not wake him, but this threat is more than likely for me, she thought. I need to keep him safe.

Ryleigh exited the motel room and closed the door behind her. She felt the air thicken around her suddenly, the power of the threat growing closer. She instantly began her departure from the motel to attempt to draw the threat away from Kristopher. The threat almost felt magical, but there was something else tied to it. There is more to this threat than just magic, she thought. Ryleigh did not expect to be hunted by someone of her own kind, but to be surprised by it would be naïve. She knew that her and Bailey were not the only magically enhanced supernatural beings; they were just the only two true witches that she had known of.