Chapter 3

Ella

I stood in the kitchen breathing in the scents of the cookies that were just coming out of the oven.

"Now, now, give them a moment to cool!"

The staff chef was stern, and I sighed as I waited, staring at them. I ignored the feeling of being watched. I didn't need to turn around to see who it was. Sometimes he was just wisps of shadow and sometimes he was more solid and draped in a dark robe. His face was always difficult to make out, except for his eyes, which had swirls of white in them that moved constantly.

For weeks now, he'd been appearing in corners. Watching me. I knew I should report it. It was getting out of hand. But something about it sent a tingle up my spine, just as strong as the fear it invoked. I finally took a cookie and concentrated on eating it. The sensation prickling at my back never left. Once I had finished, I turned around, just in time to see the shadow disappear back through the wall.

I exhaled, letting the tension ease, but the arousal didn't leave. I grabbed another cookie and took it back to my room. I knocked on Cerys' door on the way.

"Fresh cookies in the kitchen."

"Thanks!"

I smiled and ducked into my room, locking the door behind me. Tomorrow I was going to chase up my group therapy idea with Cospire. Especially as we had a new batch of inmates arriving. I pulled my clothes off and flopped onto the bed, finishing the second cookie. My body was tense and screaming for attention. I reached down and began slow, lazy movements around my clit. My mind kept jumping back to the shadow demon plaguing my every movement. I shouldn't. I knew I shouldn't. But something about it was so hot.

"Stalking is not hot," I told myself, even as the pleasure built and my hand moved faster. Billy had been flirting with me here and there. I should have been thinking of him. Then the thought crossed my mind that the shadow demon could come into my room and see me. The thrill of fear and anxiety that caused swiftly turned into a moan of desire. Gods, I wanted him to appear. I imagined him appearing in the corner and seeing me like this. Watching me. Liking it. I could almost feel him watching me now and I delved inside myself with two fingers, keeping the heel of my hand pressed on my clit. It was almost tangible. It really felt like he was watching me. My orgasm came quickly and hard. But as soon as it eased, I felt a flush of shame and fear.

I quickly pulled on pajamas and hid under the covers. He'd never actually come into my room, but now I'd thought about it, a shiver ran down my spine. He could do anything and I couldn't stop him. For the first time in my life, being powerless felt appealing.

He was a criminal. He was also a monster, but that bit bothered me less. I knew that my mate would be a monster, and I was surrounded by them day in and day out. A lot of them were scary, but not all. Some were simply creatures that had made mistakes or been brought up so they didn't know any different. I loved opening up other perspectives to those monsters. Seeing their wide eyes when they saw a different future for themselves for the first time. When they felt hope again.

I snuggled down and let my mind dwell on happier things. One day, I would find my mate and he'd keep me safe from any weird shadow demons lingering around. Safe from my own thoughts and desires about shadow demons. Maybe he'd be fluffy and snuggly. Sleep claimed me quickly.

The next morning, I jolted awake, convinced that I was being watched. I stared at the door, but there was nothing there.

"Just a dream. You're getting paranoid."

Although I supposed it wasn't really paranoia if you were genuinely being stalked by a shadow demon. I turned it over in my head for a bit. Did it qualify as stalking? I wasn't sure. Yes, he'd been around a lot, but maybe he was just bored. When I'd asked around about him, I found out he'd been here for many years and slipped out of every collar they tried to put on him. I'd probably be bored too if I was him.

I dressed and tied my hair back before marching to the kitchen to grab breakfast. As soon as I walked in, I sensed him. My whole body flushed with warmth. A flare of annoyance heated me even more. I didn't know if I was more annoyed with him for doing this or myself for feeling the way I did about it. I whirled around and marched over to where he was lurking in the corner. He started to melt back into the wall. I'd had enough.

"No. Stop right there."

He stopped, and the darkness turned into a humanoid form. Still shadowy, but with a definite shape to it. He stayed silent. I hadn't planned what I was going to say, so the silence extended awkwardly for a moment. My brain froze. I'd always tried to hold in my anger. Not to let it get me into difficult situations. Like this, confronting a shadow demon who'd likely done terrible things. Who towered over me and could kill me in an instant without feeling a hint of regret. His eyes moved in a way that seemed like in any other creature, he'd be raising an eyebrow.

"Can I help…?"

He waved a hand.

"Ella."

He nodded. He'd been following me enough that I was sure he already knew my name. But he could pretend otherwise if he wanted to.

"Can I help, Ella?"

The way his deep, smooth voice said my name felt positively filthy. I knew I was flushing. My hands were shaking.

"Do you want therapy?"

"Excuse me?"

He sounded shocked. I could almost swear the dark swirls of his eyes stopped for a second.

"Well, you want something. I'm a therapist. Do you want a session? I can fit you in this afternoon. At 3?"

He solidified even more. I could see the vague shape of horns and clearer eyes. Eyes that bored into me. I felt like I was being ripped open and exposed.

"Ok."

He paused for a moment, looking uncertain. Then a darkness came over his face, a rage. My stomach flipped and I wanted to shrink away.

"That guard, the one who's been… flirting with you?"

I flinched. Of course he'd seen. He'd been everywhere I'd gone.

"Yes?"

"You aren't the only one. He's flirting with other women, too."

My throat felt tight and I tried to swallow.

"Well, we aren't dating. He can flirt with anyone he likes."

"You deserve to be the only one. And he's not a good person. There are a few of them in here, guards, who are up to something. Something that will have terrible repercussions for us all."

Before I could respond, he disappeared. My body sagged. What was I thinking? Offering him therapy. It was ridiculous, but at the same time, it was the only thing that made sense. I needed to figure out what his problem was, and that was where I could do it best. I tried to push Billy out of my mind. He was a free agent, he could flirt with anyone he liked.