Shift (The Neturu Chronicles) (18 page)

               
Kayla looks at him.  “Damien, you’re wearing a dress shirt and
pants.  What do you want to be wearing, a tux?”

“Hmm, I do look dead sexy
in a tux, but that’s beside the point.  You two look fabulous.”

“You don’t look half bad
yourself.” Tracy giggles.  She looks at Jackson and says, “And you’re hot,
as always.”

Looking at him, Kayla
smiles.  Jackson is wearing designer jeans, a black dress shirt, tie, and
suit vest.  Unable to wipe the grin off her face, Kayla says, “Yeah, you
guys are looking very handsome this evening.  You need to dress up more
often, Jackson.”

               
He smirks. “You really do look beautiful, Kayla.”

               
“Yeah,” she snips happily. “I know.”  Jackson rolls his eyes and she
giggles.  “Hold on, let us get our coats.”  She turns toward the
coatrack and grabs hers.  Tracy continues to giggle at the guys. 
Kayla grabs Tracy’s coat and shoves it at her.  “Stop drooling and put
this on.”

               
“Let me help with that,” Damien says to Tracy.  He opens the jacket, and
Tracy beams as she slides it on.

               
Giving a look to Jackson, Kayla smiles.  Jackson smirks back at her. 
“What?” Kayla quips. “You aren’t going to offer?”

               
“Nope.”

               
“I’ll do it,” Damien interjects, stepping into her house.  “Don’t mind
him.  He has no manners and doesn’t know how to treat beautiful women.”

               
Snorting, Kayla says, “No, he knows how to treat women.  I just don’t get
that privilege.”

               
“Awww, you sound bitter,” Jackson draws out.

               
With a death glare, Kayla snips, “You think I give a crap whether you help me
or not?  You aren’t my date tonight, remember?”

               
“No, you’re mine,” Damien says, sticking his arm out.  “Ready?”

               
“Yes,” Kayla replies, grinning at him.  Damien waves his hand and they
start to walk toward the car.  “So what have you boys been up to since we
saw you last?”

               
Damien chuckles to himself.  “I’ve been trying to milk Jackson for
information on you.  He won’t give up much.”

               
“That’s because he doesn’t truly care to really know me,” Kayla replies as they
get to the car.

               
“That’s not even close to the truth Kayla,” Jackson groans, giving her a
look.  “We’re friends.”

               
As Damien opens the back door for her, Kayla returns Jackson’s look. 
“That’s what you
say.”          

               
“Seriously, all this because I don’t want you to get romantically attached to
me?”

               
Cocking her hip to the side, Kayla replies, “For some odd reason, you have this
delusion that I want you.  I don’t.  So move on.”

               
“I like you more and more,” Damien murmurs to her.

               
Jackson gives her a very heated stare and then turns to walk to the driver’s
side.  Kayla turns to Damien.  “Are you sitting in back with me?”

               
He smiles. “For a price.”

               
“What’s that?”

               
Stepping forward, Damien brings his head down and kisses her.  It is so
powerful that Kayla almost loses her footing in her heels.  She falters
back and hits the car.  Damien follows her, pressing against her.
 “Dear Lord!” Tracy yells.  “Why can’t I have a guy kiss me like
that?”

               
When Damien pulls away, Kayla’s breath is caught in her throat.  His
breath is still hot on her lips.  Flushed, Kayla says, “Wow.”

               
“Can we please get in the car?” Jackson spits out.  “But if you want to
feel each other up, get a different ride.”

               
“That’s for later.” Damien laughs, holding Kayla’s hand as she gets in.

               
Her face warms from embarrassment.  Damien chuckles and shuts the
door.  Jackson is already in the front seat.  Tracy is talking to
him, but his eyes are glued to Kayla in the backseat.  Their eyes lock on
each other in the rearview mirror.  Kayla nervously wipes her lips,
feeling as though Damien is still there.  She sees Jackson sigh, and then
hears him say, “So, Tracy, is there going to be a guy angry at me because
you’re my date tonight?”

               
“I’m your date,” Tracy squeals.  “Does that mean I can make out with you
later?”

               
“
Tracy
!” Kayla yells in shock.

               
By this time, Damien has gotten into the car next to Kayla.  “I say it’s a
good end to everyone’s evening.”

               
“Oh boy,” Kayla exhales.  “This is going to be an interesting night.”

               
Kayla nervously twiddles her fingers as they drive.  She’s thankful that
Tracy is talking a mile a minute up front with Jackson.  When Damien’s
hand reaches over to touch hers, she jumps.  Kayla shifts her eyes to look
at him.  He smiles and whispers, “You seem anxious.”

               
“Just, um, feeling a little shy, I guess,” Kayla murmurs back.

               
Damien doesn’t try to hold her hand, but he gently rubs his thumb across it and
then pulls his hand away.  “No need to be nervous.  I won’t
bite.”  He pauses and then says, “Okay, that’s a lie.  I will bite
but only if encouraged.”

               
Kayla bursts out laughing.  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

               
“What will you keep in mind?” Tracy asks, turning around.

               
“That if asked, I do bite, gently of course,” Damien replies.

               
Tracy gets the biggest grin on her face, and she looks at Kayla.  “How
embarrassed are you right now?”

               
“A lot,” Kayla replies, covering her face.

               
“You have to excuse her.” Tracy sighs.  “She’s never really been on a date
before.”

               
Appalled, Kayla yells, “
Tracy
!”

               
Her friend giggles. “What?  Wasn’t Jude your last date?”

               
“I am going to kill you,” Kayla spits out.

               
She feels Damien turn and look at her.  “Wasn’t that the guy I punched in
the face today?”

               
“No one was supposed to ever know that,” Kayla practically screams, trying not
to laugh.

               
“You told me,” Jackson interjects.

               
“You weren’t supposed to say anything either,
”
Kayla snaps.
“
Geez,
Jackson, you can’t keep anything to yourself!”

               
“She’s the one who said it,” Jackson retorts, pointing at Tracy.

               
“What else did he not keep to himself?” Damien asks.  “I didn’t realize my
cousin was so loose-lipped.”

               
Everyone in the car shuts up quickly.  “Nothing,” Tracy finally
says.  “He hasn’t told me anything.”

               
“Now,” Damien starts, “I don’t know you, but I have a feeling you’re lying.”

               
“It’s nothing,” Jackson mutters.  “Let’s change the subject.”

               
As Damien turns to Kayla, he says, “Sweetie, I don’t think it’s a good idea if
we keep secrets from each other.  Seems like a bad way to start off a
relationship.”

               
“It’s really not a big deal,” Kayla mumbles.  She looks at Damien, who
encourages her to continue.  Taking a deep breath, Kayla stutters out, “Well…we
kissed…each other…in my kitchen.  Well, it was more like…well…yeah, that’s
beside the point.  It didn’t mean anything.  It was just extremely
intense, but it totally didn’t mean anything.”

               
Damien bursts out laughing and leans over to look at Jackson. 
“Really?  You’re telling
me
to stop it, but you can do it?”

               
“Do what?” Kayla asks.

               
“You don’t want to know,” Jackson moans.  “Really, it needs to be left
alone right now.”

               
Tracy smiles at the guys, “Whatever it is, I want to try it.”

               
“Tracy!” Kayla snaps again.  “You make yourself sound skanky.”

               
“Pfffff.” Tracy waves away Kayla’s comment. “I don’t hide the fact that I like
to kiss boys, because I do. A lot.  But I’m not dropping my skirt for the
whole town.  I do have some principles.”

               
Jackson laughs. “Good girl.”

               
Leaning back, Damien moves his eyes back to Kayla.  “You may have kissed
my cousin, you very well may have enjoyed it, but I will promise you
something…I can make you forget it.”

               
Raising her eyebrows, Kayla replies, “Oh really?”

               
“I can guarantee it,” Damien whispers, reaching over. He actually takes her hand
this time.

               
“I’m sitting right here!” Jackson yells.  “Damien, she doesn’t need to
forget
that we kissed.”

               
Squeaking, Kayla says, “I don’t think I could.”  Jackson’s eyes meet hers
in the rearview mirror.  “I mean, it’s not like it was a bad
experience.  You
are
my friend.  It’s not like Jude, who I
wish I could forget.”

               
“Enough about kissing other boys,” Damien interjects.  “Now, where is this
restaurant?”

               
Pain shoots through Kayla’s stomach. She cries out and bends over in the
backseat.  “What in the world?” Tracy shouts, spinning around in her seat.
“What’s wrong?”

               
Kayla digs her fingers into Damien’s hand and screams. “It hurts!  It
hurts!”

               
“Take us back!” Damien demands.

               
The car screeches to a stop on the side of the road.  Kayla doesn’t even
see Jackson open the center console.  She just hears him say, “Open your
mouth, Kayla.”  She does and she feels him put some leaves in her
mouth.  “Chew, you need to chew and swallow those.”

               
Giant tears run down Kayla’s face.  She shakes her head, after she
swallows. “No, no, no, there’s something really wrong.
”
Even she can hear the rising panic in
her voice. 
“
It
hurts.  It’s not just my side, it’s everything!”

               
Tracy is completely turned around, facing the backseat.  “Call an
ambulance!”

               
“No!” Jackson and Damien snap at the same time.  Jackson turns to
Tracy.  “We need to get her back to my house.  This is only something
her parents can fix.  It’s a hereditary thing.”

               
“Then drive!” Tracy shouts at him.

               
Jackson turns to Damien. “You need to get out with Tracy and call for a ride.”

               
“NO!” Damien retorts sharply. “You wait with Tracy.  I have more
experience!”

               
“Shut up!” Tracy yells.  “Where Kayla goes, I go!”

               
“Tracy, I’m sorry, sweetie, you need to get out of the car and quickly. 
She’s contagious,” Jackson urges calmly.

               
She shoves her door open and climbs out.  “What in the hell does she
have!”

               
“I-I’ll tell you later,” Jackson spits out.  “Damien, wait with
Tracy.  We can’t leave her on the side of the road.”

               
“Jackson, you are not in a place to give
me
orders,” Damien yells.

               
Kayla buckles farther over.  “Jackson, I want Jackson.  Please, watch
out for Tracy.  Please don’t let anything happen to her, Damien.” 
She cries out again.  “Oh God, I’m going to throw up.”

               
“I don’t care if you throw up on me,” Damien states.  “Jackson, get out of
the car.”

               
“Damien, I swear, I will rip you out by your hair.  I am bigger and
stronger, and you know I can do it.  Anyway, she says she wants me. 
She needs to be able to trust me if I can’t get her back in time,” Jackson
snaps sharply.

               
Throwing open his door, Damien growls, “Fine. I’ll get Tracy home and then meet
you at your house.  I’ll call Kayla’s parents.”

               
Jackson climbs out of the car and yanks open Kayla’s door.  He carefully
pulls her out, lifting her into his arms.  “Tracy, open that door,”
Jackson instructs.  Tracy jumps forward and does it.  Jackson gently
places Kayla in the front seat.

               
Unable to prevent it, Kayla bends over and pukes.  “Oh, I can’t watch
that,” Tracy shouts, turning around.  “I love you, Kayla.  I just
can’t see vomit.”

               
“It’s all right,” Jackson murmurs to Kayla.  “Damien, give me your shirt.”

               
“On that already,” Damien says, handing his shirt to his cousin.

               
With a very tender touch, Jackson wipes Kayla’s mouth.  “Here, hold this
while I drive.  If you need to hurl, do it wherever you want, okay?”

               
Jerkily, Kayla nods her head.  When Jackson stands up, Damien bends down
close to her.  “You’re in good hands. 
Listen
to him,
Kayla.  Listen to what he tells you to do, okay?”  She nods again.

               
Damien shuts the door, and Jackson gets back in on the driver’s side.  He
slams the door, shifts the car into gear, and with a lurch, they spin around on
the street and tear off towards Jackson’s house.

               
Fire erupts in Kayla.  Her skin feels like
it’s
burning.  “It burns!  My skin, it’s burning!”

               
Jackson pulls out more leaves. “Eat these.”

               
Crying, Kayla vigorously shakes her head.  “Something is wrong! 
Something is terribly wrong!  Take me to the hospital.”

               
“The hospital is the last place you should go,” Jackson mutters as the car
screeches around a corner.

               
Kayla lifts her hands up.  “I’m shaking. I can’t stop it.  I can’t
stop shaking.  Oh God.”  She bends over, grabbing her stomach.

               
“All right, no time like now,” Jackson growls, pulling off to the side of the
road.  “Come on, we need to get you out of here.”  He jumps out and
comes to get her.

               
Having already opened the door, Kayla falls out of the car.  Jackson grabs
her and lifts her up in his arms.  She lets him carry her because the pain
keeps getting worse.  When she does finally open her eyes, Kayla gasps.
“What are you doing?”  She sees trees surrounding them and recognizes the
woods.

               
“You need to listen to me carefully,” Jackson says, setting her down. 
“There is something really big you don’t know about yourself.”  Suddenly,
Kayla’s body starts convulsing, and she falls to her knees.  Jackson falls
down next to her and sternly instructs, “Think of an animal.”

               
“What!” Kayla screams, her skin feels like it is being torn apart.

               
“Think of an animal, Kayla, preferably a dog.  Think of an animal, over
and over and over again.  Repeat it, over and over again.”  She
closes her eyes and thinks he’s nuts.  “Kayla, you need to take me
seriously,” Jackson yells. “Think of an animal!”

               
With her body now feeling like it is being pulled from every angle, Kayla
thinks about Tracy’s old golden retriever.  Over and over and over, just
like Jackson told her. With a flash of relief, all the pain subsides and she
can breathe again, but when Kayla opens her eyes, something is wrong.

               
She can’t even fathom what she is seeing or feeling.  Her head is only two
feet off the ground and when she looks at her feet…they aren’t feet
anymore.  All she sees are paws…dog paws.  “Kayla,” she hears gently
beside her.  “Don’t freak out.  I need you to stay calm.  You
just shifted.”

               
Her head turns to Jackson, and she sees him towering over her.  Kayla
starts to breathe really hard.  His voice is so loud and everything is so
vibrant.  She looks down again, and it finally dawns on her.  She
wants to say,
“
I’m a dog,
”
but only barks come out.  
Terror rips through her.  She tries to speak again, but only whimpers come
out.

               
“Kayla, calm down and listen to me,” Jackson pleads.

               
As he steps forward, she turns and takes off running through the woods.  She
doesn’t have to think about how to do it; she just runs at full speed. 
The terror of what’s happening and what she is seeing blinds her with
fear.  She runs for what seems like forever, when suddenly, a huge shape
jumps over her and blocks her path.  She immediately stops.  Looming
before her is a giant wolf.  Kayla instantly cowers and closes her eyes.

               
The wolf approaches her.  She can’t see anything, but then Jackson is
touching her.  “Kayla, it’s me.  Calm down.  I’m not going to
hurt you.  Now, you can change back.  You just need to think long and
hard about it, okay? Kind of like you did when you first shifted.  Think
about being yourself again.”

               
Wanting nothing more, Kayla thinks of herself over and over again. A ripple
flows through her body.  This time when she opens her eyes, she sees her
hands planted on the ground.  Kayla instantly starts to sob.  Jackson
reaches over and takes her into his arms.  “No!” she screams.  “Get
away from me!”  She shoves him back and scrambles against the tree.

               
“Kayla, baby, calm down.  You need to listen to me.  Your family has
been hiding a lot of information from you.  You may not believe it, okay,
well, you might now, but you…you’re a shapeshifter.  You just shifted for
the first time.”