Chapter 1 – Kayla

 

“Thank you, everyone,” I burst over the mic, causing another round of booming cheers from the audience. “You have been a great crowd.”

I loved my job, it was amazing, I had the whole world at my feet just for doing what I enjoyed the most – singing – but very occasionally I would get tired. Every now and again I would find it a little much, and tonight was one of those times.

Usually after gigs, despite the constant warnings from my management team, I would go outside and sign autographs to keep my fans on my side, but tonight I wasn't feeling it. I just couldn't be bothered.

Okay, that wasn't really the case. Actually my problem lay with the constant communication from a man who was rapidly becoming something of a stalker. What had started out as a few slightly creepy letters was now a constant bombardment on my social media accounts, and it was quite emotionally exhausting. I loved checking the Internet, it was the closest thing I got to normal, adult communication these days, but that had been taken from me. Now it was something I feared.

“We need to get you straight to the hotel,” my manager, who everyone called Mouse, insisted the moment that I stepped off stage. “Apparently a suspicious person has been spotted outside.”

I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket, wanting to see if my mom had called me, but Mouse slid it from my fingers right away. “What the hell?” I whined, but he just shot me a look as a reply.

“You need a media blackout. I don't want this guy to be able to locate you in any way. Tweets have locations, Instagrams have geotags…”

“Can't I just call my mom?” I said. I missed her, I needed her tonight. The blackout seemed like an unfair punishment.

“No,” he shot back sharply. “We need to be much smarter about things now. You can call her tomorrow.”

I watched in disappointed amazement as he whizzed away from me, indicating for me to follow. I shook my head sadly and trailed behind him like a sad little puppy. I'd come into this business assuming that the power and money would lead to freedom… how wrong I was.

As I slid into the blacked-out car next to my manager, he rambled into his phone at a barely legible volume. I didn't care anyway, why would I want to listen to what he had to say? But then I heard a few words that caught my attention, and I found myself leaning in despite myself.

“…new security… bodyguard… shifter company… round the clock…”

Was he talking about getting extra security for me? I had bodyguards for when I was out and about for my work, but not for the rest of the time. I was famous, but not quite enough for round the clock protection. I wasn't sure that I needed it. Yes this was a creep, but he wouldn't actually do anything, would he?

Plus a shapeshifter… was that really necessary? Wouldn't a human be enough? Sure, shifters had their extra abilities – the vampires with their strength, the werewolves with their speed, and the dragons with their flight – and yes they were a lot stronger, but it all felt a bit much to have one as a bodyguard.

I'd had my fantasies about shifters, all women did, but after a disastrous date with a werewolf just as I was on the cusp of becoming famous I'd put that idea well from my mind. Not that I would be dating this bodyguard, of course. He would be just another person looking after me.

“So,” Mouse gave me a serious look. “We're about to step everything up a level, just to be really careful.”

“Right, whatever,” I rolled my eyes obviously. “I don't really care, I think it's all stupid, but whatever you think. Now can I please just have my damn phone back? I need to call my mom.” Now it had become a point to argue about. I just couldn't understand why I was being punished.

“My assistant is arranging a shapeshifter bodyguard to come and look after you,” he talked over me, maddening me by being so annoying. Because I didn't always smile for photographs, when I wasn't totally in the mood to be dealing with the press, I had the reputation with some that I was bratty. For a while I did what I could to change that, before giving up and accepting that it wasn't going to happen. I just acted like myself. Now though I half wished that I were more of a brat because I got the sense that really flipping out could have actually had an effect. “He will be here tonight. He's going to meet you at the hotel, so you need to be ready for him.”

“Right, whatever.” I crossed my arms across my chest and looked angrily out of the window. What was the point of any of this? I'd considered giving up my career a few times, but now that thought was becoming more regular, and more overpowering.

Maybe if I really acted out, if I just acted like the spoilt brat that others already assumed I was, then my label would drop me. I didn't know what else I would do with my life, I didn't have a backup plan, but anything had to be better. Mom would probably be glad to have me back anyway.

“You will need to be on your best behavior,” Mouse warned as if he could see the cogs turning in my brain. “I don't want to hear any bullshit, all of this makes my job difficult enough, I don't need anymore.”

Urgh, this was ridiculous, I would get out. Just to piss Mouse off. He deserved it. He had no idea what this life was like for me. He had it easy, raking in the money without having his life paraded and made up for the world to see. I was the one who had to suffer, who had the stalker. I needed to make my own choices for once.