Shift (The Neturu Chronicles)

by Sarah Kay Carter

  They make their way out of the room. People are quiet and watch them pass. Kayla doesn’t care. When they get to the bathroom, Kayla kicks open the door. A bunch of guys turn and look at her. “Get out,” she yells. “Or I will personally hurt every one of you.”

  They all dash out of the bathroom, leaving Kayla and Jackson alone. Jackson stumbles his way to a toilet and vomits. Kayla stands behind him and rubs his back. “It’s okay,” she whispers.

  “No, it isn’t,” Jackson replies. “You shouldn’t be in here.”

  “Yes, I should,” Kayla says. “Shut up. You’d do it for me.”

  “Yeah, but I’m supposed to protect you,” Jackson moans.

  She laughs. “Someone has to protect you too.”

  “You weigh like a 115 pounds, what in the world are you going to do?” He chuckles before groaning again.

  “I wish.” Kayla snorts. “It’s more like 130.”

  “Technicalities,” Jackson mumbles.

  Kayla runs her fingers through his hair. “Did you miss me dropping the security guard?”

  “You did what?” Jackson asks, turning to look at her.

  “I kneed him,” Kayla declares. “He fell like a ton of bricks.”

  Jackson laughs and then grimaces in pain. “That’s my girl.”

  After a minute, Kayla whispers, “I like the sound of that.”

  At first Jackson doesn’t reply. His eyes wander over to her, soaking in her features. “Damien is in love with you.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Kayla whispers. “But I just saw a different side of him. I don’t know if I like it.”

  “You’re still his girlfriend,” Jackson mumbles, turning back to the toilet. He pukes again. Kayla runs her hand down his back. He yells when her fingers brush over something hard. She yanks up his shirt. Four needles stick out from his back.

  “Oh my gosh,” Kayla squeals. “I have to take these out. It’s going to hurt.”

  Bowing his head, Jackson groans. “Just do it.”

  She carefully yanks each one out. He yells out in pain after each one. “I can’t believe they Tased you!” Kayla shouts in anger.

  “It’s about a thousand times worse than a human Taser,” Jackson groans. “It has to be to drop us like that.”

  “That’s horrible,” Kayla whines. “You’re bleeding.”

  “I’ll live,” Jackson grumbles, sitting down.

  Kayla shakes her head. “No, I need to get a towel.”

  “It’s fine, babe. The shirt will soak it up.”

  “Why won’t you let me take care of you?” she snaps.

  He smirks. “Because…I’m too masculine to need your help.”

  Kayla rolls her eyes. “I’m going to get a towel, so shut up.” Leaning over, she kisses him gently on the forehead. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  “I don’t think I could,” Jackson replies. She starts to stand, but Jackson grabs her hand. “I would let you take care of me for the rest of my life if I could.”

  “Then why don’t you?” Kayla whispers.

  “Because I won’t hurt Damien that way,” Jackson exhales.

  Standing up, Kayla says, “I guess that’s a good enough reason. I’ll be the one who hurts him then.”

  “Kayla, don’t say things like that.”

  “I will say whatever I want to,” she replies, defiantly. “I’ll be right back.”

  A security guard is waiting for her when she exits the bathroom. “Miss Hendrickson, is he all right?”

  “I need a towel and a bottle of water,” she snaps.

  “I can’t do that,” the guard says. “I’m here to protect you.”

  Growling, Kayla is about to say something when the sound of an alarm screeches through the club. She smells smoke. “What’s that?”

  “Stay here,” the guard commands.

  A shutter vibrates through the ground and everyone starts screaming. A guy dressed in black comes over to Kayla. “I have to get you out of here, Miss Hendrickson.” He starts pushing her to the door of the office.

  “No,” she yells. “I have to get Jackson and Damien!”

  “They will be escorted outside to meet you,” the guy states. He continues to push her through the door and down the hallway.

  She trips over her feet and almost face-plants. “Stop pushing me.”

  Without warning, the guy wraps his arm around her waist and picks her up off the floor. Kayla screams, but the guy slaps a hand over her mouth. She squirms and kicks, trying to get out of his grip, but she fails. He pushes his way through a back door and finally sets Kayla down.

  She shoves him away from her. “What is your problem, you freak?”

  “He brought you to me, Kayla,” she hears from behind her. Turning around, she sees William. As Kayla opens her mouth to scream, he slams a needle into her neck and she collapses, darkness taking over.

  Chapter 22

  Kayla can barely open her eyes because she is so groggy. She slowly shakes her head, trying to wake up. When her eyes are able to focus on her surroundings, she sees her hands and feet tied to a bed. “What the hell,” Kayla mumbles, pulling on the straps.

  “You aren’t going to get out of them, so I wouldn’t struggle too much,” a voice says.

  She turns and sees William in a chair. “You…” is all that Kayla can stammer.

  “Yes, it’s me,” William confirms, standing up. “I told you I wanted to meet you.” He walks over and sits down on the bed next to her.

  Kayla looks down and realizes she has on a pair of satin pajamas. “How…how did I get into these?”

  “Oh, don’t worry, I had a female attendant change your clothes,” William declares. “I couldn’t very well have you sitting around in such a…slinky outfit.”

  “Damien is going to kill you,” Kayla snaps.

  “We are far away from him now,” William retorts. “He won’t find you anytime soon.”

  Tears well up in Kayla’s eyes. “What are you going to do to me?”

  “Absolutely nothing,” William states. “Once that is fully in your system, you’ll be released from the restraints.”

  Kayla follows his gaze to the IV in her arm. The tube is pumping dark green liquid into her. “What are you injecting me with?”

  “That is a highly condensed form of Kiej. It is so powerful that, once in your system, you won’t be able to shift at all. Can’t have you shifting and trying to tear my throat out.”

  “I wish,” Kayla retorts harshly.

  With an evil smirk, William says, “I figured as much. See, Kayla, you may as well give in now. You are never going to leave here, so you should get used to the fact that I am going to be around.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “To marry me and have my children,” William states matter-of-factly.

  A disgusted look passes over Kayla’s face. “No! What would make you think I would ever do that?”

  “I can be very persuasive. Trust me, after a while you’ll see the light.”

  “What, like, Stockholm syndrome?”

  “Sort of,” William says. “You will understand sooner or later that I’m really not a bad guy.”

  Kayla gives him a look. “You just kidnapped me.”

  “One bad thing doesn’t make me an awful person,” William retorts.

  “Yes, it does,” Kayla exclaims.

  William leans over her. “I’m really not a bad guy. I just have a problem with the council.”

  “Then you should have kidnapped Damien, which would have been perfect, because he would have kicked your ass! He will kill you when he finds you.”

  “He won’t get near me.” William laughs, leaning in closer to Kayla. “That drug that I used to knock you out? Yeah, my father created that. The council knows nothing of it. We have it in darts, which we can easily shoot into anyone. So if Damien or any guards come within firing range of this place, they are going down.”

  A tear runs down Kayla’s face. William wipes it away. Kayla thras
hes around, pulling on the straps. “Don’t touch me, you creep!”

  “Just relax,” William breathes out, getting closer. “Everything will be all right.” He leans forward and kisses her. His energy whips out against Kayla. As much as she fights against the urge, her body succumbs to it.

  William pulls away from her fairly quickly. Kayla spits in his face. “Don’t do that again!”

  With a chuckle, William wipes his face. “I like that you have spunk.”

  “What’s the purpose of me having your kids?” Kayla snaps. “They’ll know what kind of a monster you are!”

  “By that time you will be in love with me, or I will at least have you under control.”

  She vigorously shakes her head. “I’ll never do that. I will fight to the end!”

  “Even if it means the lives of your parents? Tracy even? How about Jackson? Damien’s guards make it a bit more difficult to kill him, but I’m sure I could accomplish the task if necessary. The others…they are lambs for the slaughter. I’m very powerful, you see, and no one knows about me. Is it worth risking the lives of your loved ones?”

  “You wouldn’t touch them,” Kayla breathes out.

  “Oh, yes I would. I would make you watch too.”

  With a panicked look, Kayla says, “That makes you a bad guy.”

  “Only if pushed in that direction. If you don’t push, I won’t go there.”

  Kayla nods, knowing she would do anything to ensure the safety of her friends and family. “Okay, don’t hurt them.”

  “Very good,” William chirps. “That drip should be done within the hour and then you will be let loose. You have this bedroom, a living room with a TV, and your own bathroom. I have provided you with clothes, and I will make you as comfortable as possible.”

  “Please, just let me go. I won’t tell anyone anything,” Kayla pleads.

  William shakes his head. “Sorry, that isn’t part of the plan. You will be staying here with me.” He stands up and walks to the door. “I’ll see you at dinner, Kayla.” The door clicks as he closes it behind him. Kayla hears the dead bolt lock.

  Unable to hold it in anymore, she breaks down and cries. All she can think about are the people she loves and what could happen to them. Kayla lies on the bed, staring at the wall. The machine that was pumping the Kiej starts to beep. The tube is partially empty.

  A minute later, the door to her room opens and a big guy walks in. “You’re free to get out of the restraints now.”

  Willing to try anything to escape, Kayla pleads with the stranger. “Let me go, please, he doesn’t need to know! Just let me go.”

  The guy only looks at her. “I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.” He reaches out and detaches the IV from the stand. “Leave the IV in or we will have to redo it and refasten the restraints.” He reaches down and unfastens the straps. Kayla rubs her sore wrists.

  “What does he want from me?” Kayla asks quietly.

  “That’s for him to answer, not me,” the guy replies. “You can’t shower with the IV in. If you want to take a shower, we’ll have to put a new IV in later.”

  Kayla crosses her arms. “Maybe if I don’t bathe ever again, he won’t touch me. I’m sure bad hygiene is a turn off for sex.”

  “I don’t think he’ll do that for a while anyway. He isn’t going to force you.”

  “What does he think he’s going to do? Persuade me to have sex with him on my own? I don’t think so! I’m not some damsel in distress.”

  The guy leans forward. “He will kill everyone you love. I would do anything he wants, if I were you.”

  That shuts Kayla up quickly. The guy gets up and walks to the door. “Go to hell,” Kayla yells. With a bang, the door shuts. She scrambles off the bed and goes to the door. No matter how strongly she turns the knob or how much she pulls, the door won’t budge. She bangs her fists against it and screams, “Help me! Someone, please, help me!”

  When her voice and fists can no longer take the pain, she gives up and crumples to the floor, crying. “Please, I want to go home,” she whimpers.

  When she finally manages to drag herself off the floor, she decides to look around for a potential escape route or weapon. Anything. The door she decides to walk through leads into another room that has a TV, a couch, and an end table with a box of tissues.

  Another door leads to a bathroom with a stand-up shower and a Jacuzzi bathtub. She takes one look at it and backs out of the bathroom. “I am not using that. He can jump off a bridge.”

  She returns to her bed, tired of looking at her prison cell. Taking a deep breath in, she doesn’t know what to do. Kayla goes into the living room and turns on the TV to preoccupy herself.

  It must be evening because the news is on. She stares at the screen, not paying much attention to it, until her picture flashes on the screen. Kayla snatches the remote from the bed and turns up the volume.

  “A search started this morning for missing teen, Kayla Hendrickson. She was in Las Vegas with some friends when she disappeared. Family and friends are frantic to find her. The police are combing the city searching for a clue to the young girl’s whereabouts. There is a reward being offered in hopes that someone will come forward with information.” The broadcaster looks down at the paper and then off to the side. “Is this correct?” His eyebrows go up. “The reward is five million dollars if she is found. If she has been kidnapped and someone submits information leading to the arrest of the kidnapper or kidnappers, the reward is eight million.”

  “Damien,” she whimpers, putting her hand on her chest.

  “We are going live to the girl’s family right now,” the anchorman says.

  Kayla scrambles over to the TV. Her mom and dad appear on the screen. Her mom is crying and her dad is holding her. “We just want our little girl home,” her dad says. “We hope someone has information that will lead us to her. Please, if you know where Kayla is, tell us, and if you took Kayla, please return her to us.”

  The camera pans out. Kayla sees two figures standing behind her parents. She breathes out. “Cane. Toby. Oh my God, they’re protected! They’re protected!”

  “My, my, my, look who made the news,” William says from behind her. Kayla spins around to face him. He grins. “Who are Cane and Toby? Guards, I presume, protecting your parents?”

  “Toby and Cane bodyguards? Look at them! Really?” Kayla retorts. “I would hope they would give better protection to my family. No, Toby and Cane are old friends of the family. They’re practically like cousins.”

  “I know nothing of them,” William snarls. “I think you’re lying.”

  Rolling her eyes dramatically, Kayla says, “Obviously you didn’t do very good research then.”

  “Mmmm, would you like to send your parents a message?” William asks.

  “I can call them?” Kayla screams.

  William shakes his head. “I’ll let you record a message, and I’ll have it delivered to them. However, if you say anything about me or where you are, it will be deleted.”

  “I want them to know I’m okay,” she pleads. “Please, let me tell them that.”

  “Fine,” William sighs. “Get dressed. It’s dinnertime.”

  “No,” Kayla declares. “I’m not changing into anything, nor am I bathing.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “That is your choice; however, it’s slightly on the gross side.”

  “All the more reason to abstain from proper hygiene. I have no desire to turn you on,” Kayla snaps.

  William finds her declaration humorous. “Oh, dear Kayla, I don’t plan on touching you for another year. You’re under eighteen. It would be illegal.”

  “Keeping me captive is illegal, you idiot.”

  “I didn’t mean by human law,” William says. “I mean by Neturu law. It used to be sixteen, but they changed it to eighteen to match the humans.”

  “So what, forcing me into marriage is all right as long as I’m legal?”

  William towers over her. “By that time you will
want to be my wife. I’ll have the power to give you anything you want.”

  “I want my family. I want the people that I love,” Kayla replies. “You could never replace them, and that’s why I will never marry you.”

  “You want Damien, the boy who loves you so much. From what I’ve heard, he’s putting up one hell of a fight to find you. Too bad he’ll fail. Will you send a message to him too?”

  “Will you let me?” Kayla asks, hopeful.

  William nods. “As long as you don’t say anything inappropriate. That’s fine.”

  “So what, no sex talk to keep him preoccupied?” Kayla groans sarcastically.

  “No, by all means, sex talk away. I’ll thoroughly enjoy watching that.”

  Kayla gives him a condescending look. “I just want them to know I’m okay.”

  “You can tell them no harm will come to you. I won’t hurt you, Kayla. As long as you behave, you can live a happy life.”

  “Happy isn’t the word for my life.”

  “Why don’t you get dressed? They won’t worry as much if you look healthy.”

  Kayla knows he’s right even though she won’t admit it aloud. “Fine,” she mumbles.

  “I’ll leave you to get ready. We will be eating dinner momentarily. I bet you’re hungry,” William states, walking to the doorway.

  “I won’t eat. I would rather starve to death.”

  Whirling around, William’s eyes flash fire as he looks at her. “You disobey me, and I will start planning accidents. I think I’ll start with Tracy. I doubt they have her protected.”

  “No!” Kayla exclaims. “I’ll eat. I’ll eat.”

  “That’s what I thought,” William gloats. “I will send someone to fetch you in fifteen minutes, so be ready.” He disappears out the door.

  She turns around to the TV, but her parents are already gone. She’s so thankful they have Cane and Toby to protect them. Can William really get to the ones she loves if they’re guarded? She needs to try to get a message to Damien to protect Tracy. Kayla exhales and stands up to get ready.

  Exactly fifteen minutes later, the door to her room opens. The same security guard from before comes in. “He wants you to come to the dining room now.”