Chapter Two

Seren

"What sleep paralysis demons can touch you and fuck with your reality?" I asked Bex as soon as she got inside the Starlight Bakery.

"Good morning to you too," she chuckled, handing over an iced coffee.

I almost wanted to cry as I sipped it, feeling caffeine coarse through my veins. This was my third coffee of the day, and usually, it helped pick me up.

"Wait… What are you talking about?" she asked, setting her stuff down in the kitchen.

"Sleep paralysis monsters aren't supposed to touch you or hurt you or turn off your lights," I hissed. "I have done all of my research, and no one else says they can do that."

"It touched you? Hurt you?"

I lifted my skirt and showed her the huge bandage on my thigh. "I fell asleep in the bath. It turned off my light, and then it touched my thigh. It must have scratched me when I woke up suddenly."

Bex pulled the bandage off to peek at the wound. "Damn. It's deep."

"Yeah. It took a while to stop the bleeding."

"Why didn't you call me?" she asked.

"It was like two in the morning, and I knew you had that date."

She shook her head. "It's today."

I rubbed my forehead. I had forgotten. The lack of sleep had been getting to me.

"Come on. Let's get you bandaged back up before we start baking," she said, moving me towards the office in the back.

"I feel crazy, Bex," I told her as I sat in the chair.

Grabbing the first aid kit, she looked up at me with sympathetic eyes. "Maybe you can start sleeping over at my house."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah. That would be ideal. I'll just be a burden to you."

"You're my best friend. You are never a burden!" she finished with a smile.

"Can't tonight. You have a date."

"Yes, you can. Just got to plug your ears." She laughed as she started bandaging my leg up.

My face screwed up in disgust. "No, thanks. Just get some good dick tonight."

"I've seen it, so let's hope it lives up to the hype I have for it."

"Big?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Average."

I clicked my teeth, leaning back in the chair. "You know what I need? A big dick and a man to protect me from the monster."

She giggled. "Yes, you do. And a good night's sleep."

I nodded, pushing my pink hair back from my face. I swear that soon the stress will strip my hair of any color.

"Have you ever tried talking to the demon?"

"I can't talk or move. All I can do is try to move my toes or hands, and that breaks the nightmare. What would I even say to him? Please leave me alone, monster? Don't eat me?"

She shrugged. "Maybe tell him to keep his hands—claws—to himself."

I snorted. "Yeah, right… He's touched me before but never hurt me. I think I jolted awake too quickly."

"Honestly, some people wouldn't believe you if you hadn't gotten this wound." She pointed out. "Turning off the light, you can't prove. This you can. You're not crazy now."

I rolled my eyes. All my stories of him touching me or messing with my room seemed crazy. I stopped telling my family, as all they did was make fun of me. I stood, wincing and catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror I had in the office.

Dark bags were under my dark brown eyes. My strawberry-pink hair was in a wild bun. I could see half of my body, apron hugging my curves.

I looked away, giving Bex a fake smile. "Let's get ready."

She nodded, stepping from the office. We worked well together, barely having to speak to each other. Music blared all morning as we both did our thing.

The store was busy the moment we opened. I worked at the counter while Bex stayed in the back to finish the online orders.

"Hello!" I beamed to a customer who had just entered. It was later in the day, the hype dying down a bit, though we had a few people sitting in the cafe area.

"Hi," the guy grumbled, looking at all the pastries in our glass case.

"Welcome to Starlight Bakery. What can I do for you?"

He glanced at me, and for some reason, I could feel he wasn't in the mood for my personality. Fine by me. I didn't want to act or pretend anymore. "Give me the double chocolate cupcake."

I nodded, grabbed a glove, slipped it on, and put the chocolate cupcake in a single box for him. I rang him up. "Six dollars and twenty-five cents."

He frowned more. "Six dollars for a cupcake?"

"Yes, sir. Homemade cupcakes every day."

"For a fucking cupcake? Walmart has a pack for that price."

"You are welcome to go there," I answered in a monotone. I was so glad I was the boss and could tell customers off.

"Fucking fat bitch!" he snarled. Quickly, he grabbed the cupcake and threw the open box right at me.

I flinched but did nothing to stop the cupcake from flying in my face. It slid down my apron, box clattering to the tilted floor. Icing stuck to my chin, neck, and chest.

As quickly as he came in, he was gone.

I stared at the door he went out of. That was a first… I turned to move to the back, avoiding the customers' concerned eyes.

Bex looked up from icing cookies. "What just happened?"

"Unhappy guy. Watch the front?"

"Are you okay?"

I just nodded. But I felt my eyes sting with tears.

"Okay. Get me if you need me," she said, setting down her piping bag and moving to the front for me.

Inside the office, there was a bathroom to the right of where the desk was. I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing the brown icing all over my ivory skin. Sighing, I grabbed napkins and wet them under the faucet.

I had no idea why he did that, but I'm sure he was just having a shitty day. No need to make my day shitty though.

Bending over, I splashed water on my cheek. When I came back up, my eyes connected with my shadow demon behind me, pressed so close I could feel his warmth. My heart jumped as I spun around.

But nothing was behind me.

I let out the breath I was holding, swallowing hard. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I've never seen him when I wasn't sleeping. What the fuck is going on?

I finished in a hurry and hurried back out to my bakery. I was scared I would see him more if I spent another minute alone.

As the day went on, I just felt more and more exhausted. By the end of the day, I wanted to collapse on the floor and just sleep for years.

After packing up the leftovers, I locked up Starlight Bakery and left, going to the same area where I always found many homeless people. I sat there, letting them pick out the ones they wanted.

Near the end of the crowd, I asked a familiar woman, "Where's Frank? I don't think I saw him yet."

She looked at me with sad eyes. "He overdosed last night. He's gone."

Hot tears welled in my eyes as she walked away. I wasn't close to Frank, though I knew his story. It hurt to know that yesterday was the last day I would ever see him. I sighed, feeling the weight of today heavy on my shoulders.

Once home, I tossed my bag to the side and went straight up the stairs. Toebean followed, toes pattering against the wood. She sat on the bed while I changed into pjs and just collapsed on the bed. I rolled onto my back, feeling her cuddle up to my side.

My eyes fell closed, feeling heavy. A few deep breaths and sleep took a hold of me. I wanted to sleep so badly.

But then my body jolted me awake, not feeling safe enough to sleep.

I groaned, pulling the blankets up under my chin. "Do whatever you want to me, sleep demon. Kill me if you want to so badly. Just let me get some fucking sleep."

I wasn't sure I meant that. I didn't want to die, but the tiredness outweighed the fear right now. I'd spent nights trying to stay up and losing so much sleep. I just wanted today to end with sleep, even if it ended with the monster hurting me more.

Sleep fell over me so quickly that I couldn't stop it, even if I wanted to.

Kage

Anything I wanted? Finally…

I watched the beautiful pink-haired beauty sleeping in one of her "moo moos" as she called it. It was a dress falling on her thighs. I saw the bandage wrapped down there. I hurt her yesterday, though it wasn't my intention. She moved so quickly that I scratched her before I could pull back.

"Kill me if you want to so bad," her angelic voice repeated in my head. Is that what she thought I wanted to do with her? Couldn't she tell what I wanted? I had no bloodthirst for her…

I was pissed at myself for hurting her. I never wanted to hurt her or see her hurt.

Now, I watched her sleep in the almost pitch dark. The moon peeked through the blackout curtains, and I could see her chest rising and falling steadily.

She really didn't like me, and that hurt. She did everything to fight sleep and stay away from me. While I did everything to get close to her. I just wanted to touch her, taste her, worship her.

She snored softly, the little furry creature cuddling up next to her.

Once I stepped from the shadows, the small thing ran from the room. I didn't know if it was supposed to protect her or not; it was doing a shit job of it.

My eyes dropped to her thighs as my darkness surrounded me like smoke.

I got it. I was pretty scary, but did she have to act so petrified of me? Didn't she see I adored her? I wasn't trying to scare her, though it made my cock hard sometimes.

Just looking at my beautiful Goddess made me hard. I ached to show her how much I wanted her.

"Do whatever you want to me," she said before she slept, and that was all I needed. Consent.

I inhaled sharply, smelling that rich creamy smell on her today. I smelt it a year ago, bringing me out of my darkness. She smelled so delicious.

The bed dipped under my weight as I knelt before her. Slowly, my claws pushed up her nightgown, her thighs spilling from them. I groaned, realizing that she was naked under this thing, giving me access so easily.

Maybe she wanted to give me easy access.

I pushed the moo moo up past her hips. Her bare pussy stared back at me, the small patch of pubic hair matching her pink hair. I smiled, a long tongue rolling out of my mouth to wet my lips.

She was mine. She said I could do anything I wanted.

Leaning forward, I settled between her legs. My cock pressed against the bed, hard and big ready for her. I wasn't sure if she could handle it. I wasn't like the small, average guys she used to have around.

Though, none of them pleased her like I was going to.

I spread her legs, one claw resting on her soft thigh.

A noise left my throat. She was so soft and round. I loved every inch of her from the moment I met her.

Leaning forward, I pressed my mouth right against her pussy and ran my tongue through her folds. My tongue explored until my eyes closed. She tasted how she smelled, so sweet. She always smelled like the things she brought home, all sugary and tasty.

My long tongue pushed into her hole, swirling around to feel each and every one of her walls.

Fuck. I need her.