Monsters Under My Bed Ch 02

Chapter 2

As Theo stepped inside his apartment and bolted the lock, his supernatural senses flared with unease. A chill ran down his spine as he scanned the shadows. Nothing. He was seemingly alone but his body tensed as he stood silent and unmoving.

We are not alone.

The beast warned within him, as he watched intently for something to appear. He thought he was delusional until an almost invisible blob of darkness shifted unnaturally darker than the surrounding shadows. Theo's nails lengthened and sharpened into claws, swiping towards the movement with vampiric speed. It wasn't fast enough as the void-like substance slithered effortlessly out of the way.

"Oh fuck!" He gasped as the dark tendril struck out towards him and wrapped itself around his wrist. His arm felt heavy and sagged low as he reached with his other clawed hand to rip it away. The inky thing coiled around his other wrist, he panicked, thrashing against the binds wildly while the beast within him roared with frustration.

Fight! Get up!

His efforts to escape were fruitless as the supernatural strength that normally coursed through his body was nowhere to be found.

"Who are you? What do you want?" He shouted, his mind still intact and hoping whoever controlled the darkness could be bargained with. A deep menacing laugh echoed in the space from all directions, and Theo searched for its source with his keen ears. A tall dark figure appeared to his left, black mist swirling around its tall frame. The bipedal form took a few slow steps closer cloaked in shadow, with two glowing red eyes and four horns protruding from its head. The shadow towered over him and spoke in a booming voice seething with anger.

"Leave the girl alone Theodore." Fear rushed through him as his upper body continued to disobey his commands.

How does it know my name?

He thought with a panic, hoping it didn't show on his face.

"Look man, I-I know lots of girls. You gotta be more specific here." He stammered, taking a few pensive steps away until his back was pressed against the wall.

"Don't play stupid with me vampire, her scent is all over you. You know which one." The shadow spat back with jealous distain. Another tendril of black ichor pulled away from its body to bind Theo's legs as it continued. "If you had bitten her, you would already be dead."

"I didn't know she was your girl okay, I'm a good guy, I don't kill. No harm, no foul right?" He tried to reason, but the dark figure pinned the bindings above Theo's head and brought its dark face in close.

"You will leave the girl alone. Never speak to her again." The figure commanded, glaring daggers into his eyes.

"Yes. Yes, I'll leave the girl alone. You can trust me." Theo agreed shakily, knowing he was at the creatures' whims, his arms and legs feeling atrophied as he was lifted off the ground.

"Trust is earned Theodore." Growled the shadow, before chanting something under its breath. Theo could feel the magic suddenly swell in the room and his fleeting thought of escape was crushed as the dark tendrils around him tightened and coiled around his mouth like a gag.

Am I going to die?

He thought as the shadow brought their other hand up to his chest, ripping open his shirt. Theo let out a muffled scream as searing arcane heat sizzled into his skin like a hot knife. His fangs extended and pierced into the gag as he bit down from the excruciating pain. Shadow spilled out of the tendril instead of blood and it blocked his vision as the magic carved deeper into his chest. The minute of torture felt like centuries to the vampire who had lived his fair share of them, he thought he would pass out from the pain when suddenly it stopped. The shadow released him from his binds, he flopped to the floor with a loud thud and looked down at his chest.

"What have you done to me?" He questioned in a shrill cry, his body already regenerating the wound slowly.

"Insurance. If you break your word, I'll know and I'll dispose of you. If I activate the sigil, you poof into a pile of ash." The shadow snickered wickedly.

I'm cooked.

He thought, feeling helpless.

What is Lani tied up in?

"What do you want with her power Shadow?" Theo asked angrily, "She's an innocent woman, what dealings would she have with the likes of you?" He didn't get any answers, as the shadow sunk into darkness and disappeared without another word. Theo sat shaken for a while on the floor, he wasn't a pure blood vampire but he thought he had power.

None of it amounted to anything against that thing. I was powerless.

He thought, shuddering, but the vitality was slowly returning to his limbs. After a few more moments he got up and checked the door, it was untouched, still locked.

Is anywhere safe?

He thought, turning on all the lights in the apartment before sitting in the living room to contemplate. The beast lashed out as he replayed the encounter over in his mind.

You are pathetic Theodore. Weak and pathetic.

It didn't like losing and was irritated by his defeat. Ignoring it, he brooded over his situation with a head clear of anger until realization struck him.

Stacy! It didn't mention anything about her.

A smile spread across his face.

The shadow doesn't know everything.

This one piece of information lightened Theo's mood, but didn't quell his nervousness entirely.

There has to be a way out of this, some way to remove the sigil.

His thoughts were interrupted as a knock sounded at the door suddenly. He flicked across the room with inhuman speed, eyeing the peekhole before unlocking the door. Max strode into the apartment as soon as the door opened. He wore a black leather jacket over a dark red silk shirt, unbuttoned just enough to reveal a hint of hair on his toned chest, and tight black jeans. Theo's senses were hyper focused, cataloging all the sensory information in the room, and he could smell a feminine floral perfume lingering on his friend.

"Thanks for coming over." Theo said, slumping on the couch, his normally composed demeanor missing. Max's arrival had flickered some relief, allowing Theo to feel a semblance of safety, but his mind continued to buzz with anxiety. He listened to the stomp of Max's leather boots as he followed to the living room with his usual swagger.

"What happened? You look spooked brother." Max asked, taking notice of Theo's disheveled state. The buttons of his shirt were ripped open, the fabric torn and askew. His usually perfectly styled hair was tangled from him nervously running his hands through it.

"I was attacked." Theo answered, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and confusion.

"By who?" Max asked earnestly.

"I don't know. Not human." He grumbled weakly, feeling the sting of loss against his ego.

"Another vampire?" Max guessed.

"No. A massive shadow being, taller than the doorframe with red eyes and horns." He explained, putting his fingers up to demonstrate, but they trembled as he recalled the trauma.

"Well, you're alive. So, what the hell did they want?" Max leaned forward, the light reflecting off the chain around his neck.

"It's Lani." He admitted, clenching his fists to keep them from shaking.

"Lani? Is she the special one from the club earlier? You seemed excited on the phone. What's she got to do with this?" Max recalled, trying to piece together the information.

"They warned me to stay away from her." Theo said gravely, a new weight in his chest.

"You're afraid of a little competition? That's not like the Theo I know." He said rhetorically, trying to bolster some confidence in his friend.

"You don't understand, that shadow came directly at me in a locked apartment. I was powerless. Its shadow restraints took away my strength. They threatened to kill me if I contact her again, then marked me with some magic sigil and left." He explained, a haunted look in his eyes. Max fiddled with one of the rings on his finger nervously now, his lips pressed into a tight line.

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out. I can ask around, see if anyone knows what this thing is. Everything's got a weakness. Can I see the mark?"

"It's gone, healed over... but I can feel it, like a magical pulse in my chest. They said it would turn me into a pile of ash." Theo said, making Max frown.

"We can use that to figure out what kind of sigil it is. Tell me more about the girl, what's this thing want with her?"

"I don't know, but she's got a strong magical energy around her, more than anyone I've ever met, and she doesn't know it." Theo explained, watching Max's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"That's why you said she'd be a big score with the council! They reward anyone who brings in high-quality recruits like that." Max said energetically, realizing what Theo had found.

"Exactly, but I haven't had the time to talk to her about joining yet."

"And she has no idea about any of this?" Max questioned doubtfully.

"She seems completely unaware of her power and the danger it brings. When we were together, I almost lost control. She amplified my desire to dangerous levels, and I almost drank too deeply. I made sure they got home safe to cover my trail." Theo admitted, fighting to keep his beast quiet within him.

"Is that why the shadow came after you? Didn't like you drinking from his girl?" He asked, feeling his fangs throb at the mention of blood.

"No, I bit her friend, but the shadow didn't mention anything about it. My guess is they're only interested in what happens to Lani." Theo explained calmly.

"You've always managed your beast so well. It's unlike you to risk exposure like that." He remarked with a little shock in his voice.

"I know, and yet everything about her makes me want to risk bringing her into the fold. I want to get to know her, to understand her power." Max smirked at the passion in Theo's voice.

"Sounds like more than professional curiosity to me. You sure you're not just interested in her?" Theo glanced up to look him in the eyes.

"Maybe I am, but I want to help her. How many other people will come after her power? She's a threat to the veil. There are thousands of coexisters in the city, if she accidentally sets one of them off...it could be catastrophic for everyone." Theo said, the danger she posed weighing heavily on his mind.

"So, you want to pursue her, but you're afraid of what might happen because of this shadow." Max sighed. "Alright, Theo. You've got yourself into something deep here. What do you need from me?"

"Be my eyes while I lay low. Figure out her schedule, where she works. You can dig for information on Stacy in the Oasis VIP database while I wait for Lani to contact me." He directed, having planned this out already. Max chuckled, seeing the icy chill return to Theo's eyes as he shook his fear.

"Okay. I'll be your private investigator." He said, getting up from the chair. "But remember, you're treading on dangerous ground here. Messing with someone with that much power...it could get messy." Max warned.

"I know, but I can't ignore this. Thanks for helping, Max. I owe you big time." He said, opening the door for him to leave.

"I hope you are ready for what we're getting into. For both our sakes." Max said, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes glinting with mischief and allure, making it clear that the night was far from over for him.

#

Across town Lani lay in her plush bed, tossing and turning in her sleep. Alister, her black cat was curled at the foot of the bed. He stirred, peeking open his slit yellow eyes to see a thick black mist slip through the crack of Lani's bathroom window and drift into the bedroom. The mist shifted into a solid mass silently on a chair at the foot of the bed and a shadowy hand reached over to pet the cat's fluffy chin. Alister purred softly before getting up, stretching, and scampering out of the room. The fleeting moment of tenderness was crushed by the weight of recent actions.

I've been so rash, chasing after that fiend. I threatened him with something I wasn't even sure would work. What was I thinking using my powers like that? I'm no soldier...I'm a guardian.

They rubbed their large hands together nervously, lost in thought and lifted their gaze towards Lani.

Why am I such a fool?

They thought rhetorically, knowing the answer, but unwilling to let themselves even think the words for fear it was true. It wasn't until Lani's restlessness continued that the shadow sensed something was off. Opening their mind, they whispered a well-rehearsed incantation to enter the dreamscape. Lani's nightmare was a swirl of emotions and it didn't take long for the trained guardian to find the anomaly. A drude, a small black impish creature with bulging eyes clung to the back of her dream form, twisting her fears with recent memories for its own enjoyment of her imagined suffering.

I shouldn't have been so careless.

They thought, angered by their distracted state as a vision of Stacy emerge before Lani, clad in red lace lingerie.

"You don't mind sharing, right bestie?" The apparition said as Theo's form appeared out of thin air, stark naked and comically erect. He began fucking Stacy roughly, eliciting loud moans of pleasure as he railed her from behind.

"You couldn't snag a hottie like this without me leading the show." Nightmare Stacy mocked viciously.

"It's not true..." Lani protested, but her voice cracked. The shadow wouldn't stand for this torment any longer and brought its hand out to banish the vile leech from Lani's dreamscape. Blue fire shot from their hand, striking the demon squarely, and it vanished with a puff of sulfurous yellow smoke and a loud shriek. Even though the drude was gone, the nightmare played on, fueled by Lani's rampant emotions.

"You thought I loved you?" The vision of Theo laughed sardonically. "I just wanted to break in a new little fuck toy. Use you up until no one else will want you." Lani crumpled into a ball of tears and dry heaves. The shadow disliked the vampire but this was almost too much to stomach. They put forth the mental energy to take control of the nightmare until the figures disappeared and the scene crumbled away. Lani found her tears had become a calm sea of stars that twinkled around her as she half floated half flew through the warm space.

If that demon chose the vampire to hurt her...she may actually like him.

The shadow wanted to believe that Lani was a victim, that Theo had taken advantage of her, but thought back to what the vampire had said.

What had he meant about her power? She's just a human. He seemed protective and wanted to know what I wanted from her, like I was the one with nefarious intent.

The shadow was pulled from its thoughts as Lani dove beneath the waves of stars and followed so they wouldn't get lost in the dream transition. When they surfaced again, the stars were high above and the air was filled with the soft drone of crickets and frogs. The half-moon cast enchanting reflections off the ripples of the water as Lani began to wade towards a shoreline that formed with her sleeping thoughts.

The shadow continued to follow at a distance and was mesmerized by the illuminated water droplets that cascaded down her nude body as she stepped onto the sand. She made her way to a campfire and dressed in an oversized hoodie to protect from the cool night air. The smoky scent and sound of the fire soothed Lani as she gazed up at the impossibly clear night sky. The shadow felt an overwhelming sensation to stay.

I shouldn't.

They thought in protest before shifting their form into something more suitable to interacting with a human. The ebony smoke that swirled around its figure changed into smooth bright pink skin clad in modern outdoor clothes, its glowing crimson eyes darkened to a common brown, and the horns on its head vanished.

What am I doing?

They questioned themselves, standing just outside of the fires light, listening to the crackle of the logs for another moment. Until finally gathering the courage to step out into the clearing.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked in a deep drawl, Lani gasped and shot up off the wood stump she was sitting on.

"Fuck! You scared me half to death. I thought I was the only one out here." She took a few deep breaths, pulling the hoodie further down her bare legs, and eyed the stranger as she sat down again. She inspected his tall masculine form; he wore a simple flannel, cargo shorts, and heavy hiking boots. His sharp features softened as he laughed nervously.

"Sorry miss, I didn't mean to scare you. I was taking a walk and I saw your fire still lit, so I thought I'd check it out. I can go if you'd rather be alone." He lied, feeling his cheeks burning as he started to turn away.

"No. Stay. I'd like the company." She smiled, "I'm Lani. Nice to meet you."

"Hi, I'm Emil. It's nice to meet you too." He reached out to shake her hand awkwardly.

Am I making another mistake?

He thought as he sat on the ground and reclined against the log bench beside her.

"The stars are so clear out here. It makes me never want to go back to the city." She remarked absent mindedly as she gazed up.

"They are lovely, my city doesn't have great views like this." He answered, looking up at her instead of the sky. Lani cast her eyes down, catching his gaze burning with passion before he flicked them back to the stars. Emil was unsure how much time he'd spent gazing at the dazzling dream stars with Lani, but after a while something changed in her. Suddenly, she stood from her perch and came to sit in his lap, her arms wrapping behind his head as she leaned in to kiss him hard on the mouth.

Lani's thoughts altered the dreamscape around them subtly; he felt the rough bark of the log at his back soften as a large sleeping bag appeared beneath him and the fire dimmed. His features shifted too, making his brown eyes blue as Lani's subconscious took control. Her oversized hoodie was hiked up around her waist, uncovering her naked round ass as her legs straddled around him. Emil was shocked but his body reacted instantly, his cock hardening and straining against his shorts as she kissed him and ran her hands through his short hair. He melted around her kiss as she ground against him. Emil wanted this, his desire for her flared and he gave in to the touch bringing his hands to rest on her thighs to feel her satin skin.

What am I doing?

He questioned himself again, sliding his hands up her legs to squeeze the soft domes of her ass. Emil knew this was wrong, that he shouldn't live out his fantasies in her dreams but it felt too good to deny as his pulsing erection pressed at her center. She claimed his mouth and the pent-up lust in his loins clouded his mind again as Lani continued to pleasure herself against his body.

"I want you." She said huskily near his ear, kissing down his neck slowly, and unbuttoning his flannel. Electricity shot through his nervous system at the sensual kiss. Lani pulled the hoodie over her head and fire light danced across her curvaceous body. Emil was trying not to get overwhelmed and took a few slow breaths to calm himself.

"I want you too, but this is too fast." He admitted, feeling his heart pounding in his chest as Lani pouted above him. "Turn around, let me take care of you." He requested sweetly, and she turned to rest her back against his exposed chest. Lani sighed as he slowly caressed her with soft touches all over, feeling small in his strong arms. He bent his knees and draped her legs over his thighs so she was spread wide as he ran his hands over her, cupping one breast as his other hand slid down her stomach, tantalizingly close to her wanting sex. Lani whimpered when he denied her by rolling her hardened nipple instead of touching her clit, and squirmed above him. His hands traversed the silken flesh of her inner thighs and trailed around her outer petals lightly as he planted small kisses on the side of her neck.