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Chapter Text

She stayed silent and still, hidden under her covers. As long as her door was locked, she would be safe. Rey knew this. She just had to wait until Unkar Plutt left. He was in her house again, selling her parents more alcohol and spice. Rey hated the two substances; her parents acted weird when they used them. They wouldn’t let her use them since she was just a kid. But they used them a lot.

She could hear their voices through the wall behind her bed, laughing and carrying on. They would fall asleep eventually. Spice made them act strangely and then put them to sleep. Rey would be glad when they finally slumbered; their laughter scared her. Everything would be okay if she stayed hidden in her locked bedroom.

As the night wore on, the voices of her parents grew quieter and eventually hushed. Rey breathed in relief. Her parents were dozing, and Plutt was probably gone by now. Maybe she’d finally be able to sleep, too. She remained hidden under her sheets, but relaxed, ready to let her mind wander. But she suddenly froze when she heard someone at her door, rattling the knob. Squeezing her eyes shut, she reassured herself that the door was locked.

But whoever was there was determined to get in and started to kick the door violently. Rey screamed, tightening her hold on her covers and praying her door was strong enough to withstand the attack. But each kick grew louder and harder until the door flew open, crashing against the wall. Rey didn’t dare to look. She could hear Plutt’s heavy breathing.

”There you are, girl,” he barked. “Don’t bother yelling for your parents; they’re tripping right now. Didn’t have my money for their fix this time. But I told them I wouldn’t mind . . . other kinds of payment.”

The floor grunted beneath his thick boots. Rey whimpered in fear, shivering. Another step. Another. The bed dipped behind her back and a hand crept up her side over the covers. Against her will, a “Please go away” slipped out.

”Quiet, girl!”

He gripped the sheets and tried to pull them off her head. She held on as tightly as she could, but she was too little and weak to win the fight. With a violent yank, Plutt ripped the sheets away. Rey screeched and covered her eyes with her little fingers. He moved his fat hand across her stomach and started to trail it towards her chest.

But his hand abruptly froze. Another door was creaking open; Rey could hear it. ”Who’s there?!” Plutt demanded. But there was no response. Instead, the door kept grinding open, until Plutt’s voice trembled with a fear that wasn’t there a moment ago. “Wh-who are you? What is this?”

Footsteps, approaching the bed. Rey kept her eyes shut, waited. Plutt seemed too scared to move. The hand on Rey’s stomach was shaking violently. “I-it was nothing,” he stuttered. “I-I wasn’t going to—”

Plutt’s weight was suddenly ripped off the bed. Rey heard screams of terror. A struggle. A fall. A body being dragged violently across the floor. The desperate scraping of fingernails. More screams . . . And then, a door slamming shut.

With a gasp, Rey shot up in bed. She frantically looked around; but, as she’d expected, there was no one there. No Plutt, no one at all. Just a series of grisly, bloodied fingernail marks in the floor . . . leading directly to her closet.

Swallowing thickly, she ventured out of bed. Her heart was racing with the shock of what she’d just experienced. But she wasn’t afraid. Not anymore. She walked to her closet and opened the doors. There were no signs of Plutt. Instead, Rey felt a wave of icy air and saw a pair of gold eyes glowing through the darkness.

She was so shaken she didn’t know if she could talk. But, after a moment, she managed to whisper the words she needed him to hear. ”Th-thank you.”

Her response came in the form of a cool breeze that kissed her cheeks. Usually, she slept with her closet shut; her parents didn’t like it when she left it open. But they didn’t have to know. They were still sleeping from all the spice and alcohol. So, leaving the closet doors wide open, Rey got back in bed.

It took her a while to fall asleep, her paranoia heightened by what Plutt had tried to do. But the gold eyes staring at her from the darkness in her closet comforted her. She knew she didn’t have anything to be afraid of, as long as he was watching her. Eventually, she managed to slip into the world of dreams, thinking she felt a pair of cool lips sweetly kiss her forehead.

Shhhh. Be very quiet.

Listen.

Did you just hear something move in your closet? Was that a creaking under your bed? Did a large shadow just dart out of the corner of your eye?

No, of course not. It’s just your imagination playing tricks on you. You know the Bogeyman doesn't exist. Bogeymen are nothing but stories parents tell their children to frighten them into good behavior. Stories are safe. Stories can’t hurt you. Right?

So then, why did you make sure your closet was shut before you went to bed? Why did you just pull your foot back under the covers when you realized it was sticking out over the side of your bed? Are you merely paranoid? Or are your instincts warning you that something sinister is lurking in the darkness?

Never ignore your instincts.

Please behave yourself and be a good, obedient child . . . or they will come for you. They’re always watching you, always waiting. They see all. They know all. Your fear is their food. Your bedroom is their playground.

You can’t escape.

You can’t hide.

All children know this, especially Rey Niima. He has been there her whole life—right from the beginning. The night she was born, something unexplainable drew him to the house where her mother, Miramir, gave birth. In the middle of the night, while Miramir and her husband, Dathan, slept soundly, he crawled out from under the baby’s bassinet and stood, looming over her.

The moment he saw her, he knew. Werewolves weren’t the only night crawlers who imprinted on their mates. Kylo had waited for centuries, frightening millions of naughty children, waiting for the right one to come along. And now she was here. He touched her forehead with the tip of his claw, leaving an invisible mark to show she’d been claimed. Bogeys were forbidden from targeting a child on whom a Bogey had imprinted. Instead, the child’s Bogey mate would follow her for life, until she was grown and ready to be taken.

Small, but disturbing moments followed Rey’s birth. Dathan might check on her in the middle of the night to find the closet doors in the nursery open, even though they were always kept shut. Or Miramir might peek inside the nursery and see what looked like the silhouette of a man standing over the crib. If she panicked and turned on the lights, there would be nothing there. Although such incidents might seem insignificant and easily explained away, one couldn’t walk into the nursery without getting an eerie sensation of being watched. It gave her parents an uneasy feeling, but they thought little of it. Until Rey started to tell them about Ben.

She knew him well. The monster in her closet. The beast beneath her bed. She called him Ben, after her godfather, Ben Kenobi. Her parents said he was her ‘imaginary’ friend, despite her insistence that he was real. One evening, in an attempt to convince them, she drew them a picture of her friend. In the picture, Rey was asleep in bed. Underneath the bed lurked a faceless black figure with long talons and yellow eyes. The haunting drawing greatly disturbed her parents, especially when she explained that Ben was a large black shadow who lived in her bedroom. He had glowing gold eyes and watched her in the dark.

Her parents were horrified. Rey couldn’t understand why. To her, it was perfectly natural to have a golden-eyed shadow as a friend. She wasn’t afraid of her monster. Why should she be? He would never hurt her. He was her friend. He loved her. But her in-denial parents were furious and barked at her to stop making up stories.

Disappointed that they wouldn’t believe her, she took her picture to her bedroom and set it on her nightstand when she went to sleep. The next morning, she was surprised to see that words had been jotted along the top of the paper. They were scrawled in jagged penmanship and written in gold crayon.

Sweetheart, I’ll be watching you.

Rey wasn’t old enough to read the message, but her young heart filled with joy that her monster had written to her. Running to her parents’ bedroom, she showed them the message and asked them what it said. They read it aloud, then demanded to know who had written it. Of course, Rey explained that Ben did it while she was sleeping. She thought for sure they would be happy and believe her this time, but they stormed into her bedroom and searched every inch of the place, especially the closet and beneath the bed. Finding nothing, they accused her of writing the note herself, even though she was too young to make that possible.

The willful blindness of adults is a dangerous thing. Rey’s parents should’ve believed her. They themselves had encountered Bogeymen as children, as all children do when they’ve behaved badly. But adults prefer to shut out the traumatizing nightmares of their childhood.

And besides, it was easier for Dathan and Miramir to tell themselves their child was making up stories. Because the alternative was for them to admit their house was being haunted by a creature in the shadows.

The foolishness of her parents would be their doom. Both of them enjoyed the oblivion to be discovered at the bottom of a good bottle of liquor. As their fear of their spooky daughter grew worse, more and more bottles of spirits were collected, soon to be accompanied by spice.

The night their dealer, Unkar Plutt, tried to attack Rey, everything changed. Desperate, but short on funds, Miramir and Dathan didn’t care when Plutt suggested other forms of payment for his products. They just took what he gave them and enjoyed themselves. In the middle of the night, they awakened from their trip and checked on their sleeping daughter. The door had been kicked in. Their jaws dropped when they saw blood and fingernail marks leading to her wide-open closet.

The horror of the gruesome scene was the last straw. Without bothering to call first, they yanked Rey out of bed and threw her into their car to drive her to her godfather’s house. It was around four in the morning. Rey tried to explain what happened, but she was left crying on the front porch as her parents drove away. That abandonment would be the last time she ever saw them; for, still somewhat under the influence of the drugs and alcohol they’d consumed earlier that night, they had a car crash on their way home and died on the spot.

Rey was devastated by the news. Because she had no more living relatives, her godfather moved her into his house. She was scared to live there. She liked her godfather, but what if she never saw her Ben again? He’d always lived at her parents’ house, hadn’t he? What if he stayed there and left her alone?

But there was no need to fear. Kylo couldn’t be without her.

Every single day.

Every word she said.

He was watching her.

He followed her to her new home. He was pleased that she asked her godfather to move her new bed so it would face the closet. That very night, she drew a picture of herself and her monster in her new house and set the picture on her nightstand. Kylo liked the drawing. Rey was standing beside her closet and smiling. The closet door was ajar, and a large black figure with yellow eyes was peering through the crack.

In the night, as she slept, he wrote her another message in gold crayon.

Every breath you take, I’ll be watching you.

Time passed. Rey’s godfather was elderly, but he did his best to take care of her. There was no spice or alcohol to be found in the house, to her relief. But she kept quiet about her monster. She didn’t want to risk repeating what happened with her parents.

Kylo kept a close eye on her, following her everywhere she went. To school, to the park—everywhere. Naughty children were foolish to mess with her. When a boy at school stole her stuffed porg, he got a chilling surprise in the night as his closet door creaked open on its own. A black, clawed shadow crept out, crawling slowly on his hands and knees. The next morning, the boy returned Rey’s toy and apologized profusely with a box of cookies.

The night Rey went to a slumber party, the girls decided to play a few rounds of “Bloody Mary” in the bathroom. To set the mood, they turned off the bathroom lights and lit a candle, placing it in front of the mirror. Rey wasn’t interested in participating. She loved her monster; the idea of messing with any other apparition appalled her. But the other children assumed she was a coward and saw an opportunity to have a laugh at her expense. So they shoved her into the bathroom and locked the door, cackling cruelly.

Rey was hurt by the bad treatment and didn’t know what to do. She wanted to cry, but the darkness of the bathroom inspired her. Needing the comfort only her monster could give, she kept the lights off and peered into the mirror. The candle gently lit her image. “Be with me,” she whispered. “Be with me.”

She waited. Soon, just as she’d hoped, a pair of gold eyes appeared behind her in the reflection. His cold breath raised goosebumps on her arms. Exhilarated, Rey spun around. She didn’t see anything, but she heard the tub suddenly turn on by itself. Moisture from the hot water filled the bathroom quickly. When Rey turned back to the mirror, it was steamed up. Words had been written into the fog.

Sweetheart, you’re not alone.

Rey giggled and used her finger to draw her own message under the words.

Neither are you.

When the other girls unlocked the bathroom door, they were disappointed to see Rey smiling and calm, rather than crying and frightened. Had she seen Bloody Mary? They grilled her, demanding details. But she kept her mouth shut and, wanting to go home, called her godfather to pick her up. The cruel girls didn’t deserve to know what had transpired.

Over the next few nights, Kylo paid visits to the girls. One was sitting on her bed with her feet dangling over the edge. She screamed like a banshee when she was grabbed by her ankles, yanked angrily to the floor, and dragged under her bed. Another was fast asleep, but snapped awake when she felt something move under her covers. It tented the sheets, drawing closer and closer. She froze, paralyzed in fear, then cried out when a pair of clawed hands shot out at her. By the time all the girls met their own punishments, they were much nicer to Rey.

It gave Kylo great delight to get revenge on foolish mortals. Fear was a Bogey’s food. It gave him sustenance, until his mate was of age to feed him herself in other ways.

The fear of children who mistreated Kylo’s mate was the most delicious.

Kylo enjoyed watching his mate grow up. When she hit her teenage years, puberty fell upon her and began to shape her body. She’d always been slender, but she finally grew a pair of small breasts and a slim waist. Her hair grew thicker and longer and her complexion brightened. It made Kylo burn with anticipation. In a few years, she would be old enough to claim.

But the attention she was starting to get from boys made him glower.

Rey was unaware of her monster’s ire. At first. But she caught on one afternoon, when she was hanging out with her friends after school. They were at Finn's house, playing a combination of “Spin the Bottle” and “7 Minutes in Heaven”. Rey had never kissed a boy before; this would be something new.

When Finn and Rose re-emerged from Finn’s closet, blushing and giggling, it was Rey’s turn to spin. The bottle landed on Poe Dameron, a dark-haired, olive-skinned jock who was easily the most attractive guy at school. Poe grinned at her as the others whooped and whistled encouragingly. Rey didn’t know if she was doing the right thing, but she followed Poe into the closet and closed the doors.

It was dark. Rey leaned back against a wall and Poe rested a hand beside her head.

”You okay?” he said.

”Uh, yeah,” she said, not really sure, but nodding anyway. Poe smiled and leaned closer. Rey closed her eyes and held her breath. But just before their lips touched, she felt a familiar wave of cool air. Poe froze.

”Did it just get chilly in here?” he asked, looking around.

Rey didn’t answer. Her Ben was here, and she had a bad feeling he wasn’t happy about something.

Poe was confused, but shrugged and went to try again. When he leaned into Rey, the cool air suddenly dropped to an icy cold. Again, Poe stopped, this time turning away from Rey and looking toward Finn’s clothes. Rey stayed still. She knew Poe could feel the sinister warnings in the air, even if he didn’t understand them.

For a few seconds, Poe’s gaze was fixed on nothing. Then he exclaimed ”What was that?!”

Rey decided to play dumb. ”What was what?”

He pushed Finn’s shirts apart, creating a gap. “I thought I saw something.”

Rey didn’t know why Ben was angry, but she didn’t want anything to happen to Poe. So she mumbled something about the cold and used it as an excuse to leave the closet.

”Hey, what’s going on?” Finn asked, wondering why the seven minutes had been cut short. When Poe explained about the chill, Finn checked around the closet. ”I don’t feel anything,” he said.

Rey opted out of the rest of the game. She wasn’t surprised when there were no more complaints about the closet’s temperature, not even from Poe when he walked in with Kaydel. When Rey got home that night, she noticed several things about her bedroom. First, it was freezing. Second, her closet was wide open; she’d shut it earlier that morning before she left for school. And third, there was a note on her pillow.

You belong to me!

Something about the note and its furious handwriting made Rey grin. Was Ben angry that she’d almost kissed a boy? Feeling adventurous, she lifted her covers and took a peek under her bed. A seething pair of eyes glared at her, then vanished when a shadow darted away. Rey looked up just in time to see her closet doors slam shut.

Her cheeks curled. Was Ben jealous? The idea struck a mischievous chord in her. For all these years, her Bogeyman stalker had haunted her from the dark. Now she wondered if she could coax him out to play.

It would be a bad idea. Even a risky one. But, for some reason, the danger was enticing to her. She wanted to engage the dark side in a way she never had before. She didn’t want to put anyone in actual danger, so she would have to be careful. But something inside her had always been there. And now it was waking up.

She was doing this.

She was coming for him.

Her first date was with a guy named Armitage Hux. Rey didn’t like the ginger irritant very much, which made him perfect for her little experiment. They went to the theater. The movie Hux chose wasn’t very popular; the auditorium was almost empty. As the film played, Rey occasionally felt icy breath coming from underneath her seat. More than once, a claw gently scraped the back of her ankle.

It was clear Hux was feeling the same thing, because he kept bending over to look underneath his seat. He whispered to Rey, accusing her of playing a prank on him. She denied it, but he ended up losing his temper and storming out about halfway through the film. Rey felt a little bad for Hux, but she was pleased to have gotten a reaction from Ben.

Since the movie was so tedious, she thought about going home. But it was already paid for, so she decided to stay. She ended up falling asleep and awoke during the credits. She was surprised to find a message written on the palm of her hand.

Every game you play, I’ll be watching you.

Yes, he would. And she liked it. So she kept going out with guys. Not all the time; only once every few months or so. Ben’s possessiveness gave her a strange sort of thrill. And that thrill went on to give rise to something stronger, more dangerous—desire. She dreamed at night; she could only see his face. His eyes. Those dreams took an erotic turn. He protected her. He stalked her. He watched her. What would it be like if he touched her? What would he do to her? And when would she get to find out?

Rey was a vixen. Kylo knew it wasn’t her fault. The dark side was in their nature. The mates of Bogeymen were naturally mischievous, especially in the few years before they turned eighteen. Her instincts were prompting her to provoke him. It was because of the changes slowly taking place within her body. These changes were driven by the invisible mark he’d left on her forehead when she was born and had been active ever since she hit puberty. By the time she was eighteen, her body would be fully developed and ready to receive what he would give her. But he had to endure her provocative behavior until then.

At least her instincts wouldn’t let her go too far. She didn’t go out often, and she never went out with the same man twice. She also wouldn’t let any of them touch her; she didn’t even like to have her hand held. But Kylo still hated it, especially when the men tried to make a move on his mate. When Dopheld Mitaka took her out to dinner and asked her to go home with him, Kylo, incensed, grabbed his legs from underneath the table, scaring the man away.

Nobody could touch her. Unkar Plutt had died trying.

She was his. His poor heart ached with every breath she took.

As a little girl, she always kept her closet shut when she changed clothes. But lately, she’d started to change with one door ajar. She liked to stand with her back facing the closet, and disrobe. Kylo sensed it wasn’t an accident. He shouldn’t look, but he had to. She was young, with a pretty little figure he wanted to drag his claws down. But he couldn’t make her his until her body was ready, or she might not survive the transformation.

The night she, at sixteen years old, touched herself for the first time almost broke him. After dinner, she retired to her room and locked the door. Then she cracked her closet open and, as usual, turned away to pull off her clothes. Except, tonight, she did it slowly, wiggling her hips as she pushed her pants down her legs. He watched, transfixed. Soon, she was down to her bra and panties. He expected her to get into her nightgown, but she climbed into bed.

He got an eyeful of her lace-covered breasts. They were so small she almost didn’t need a bra, but they looked delicious. She propped herself against her pillows, made eye contact with him, and smirked. What was she up to?

Her attention on her closet, she cupped herself over her panties and began to writhe against her fingers. Kylo cracked the door open a little more, wanting—needing—a better look. She was touching herself. She’d never done that before; he would’ve known. She was getting braver, trying to get a rise out of him.

Little mewls were on her tongue. He wrapped his hand around the door and dug his talons into the wood. Biting her lip, Rey slipped her bra straps off her shoulders. The cups fell, one of them just low enough to expose a puckered nipple. He snarled, his heavy breath making the temperature in the closet drop. She moaned and rolled her hips, humping her hand. A sensual sort of energy crackled between them. Be with me, her eyes were saying.

He scraped the wood of the door with his claws, trying to keep himself from attacking her. She wet her fingers with her mouth and inserted them inside her cunt. She wanted him desperate for her; he could see it. Her body knew how she would be feeding him soon enough, and it was training her for it.

Her breathing erratic, she pumped her fingers in and out of her cunt. Her skin was flushed. She was almost there. Yesss, come for me, Sweetheart, Kylo willed. The next second, her body erupted. She muffled her cry with her free hand, humping her fingers, looking him dead in the eye and never blinking.

When it was over, she winked at him and tucked herself under her sheets. He shut the closet, trying to give himself a chance to recover. He would not take her until her body was completely ready for him.

But he needed to have just a little taste of her. Tonight.

She couldn’t believe she’d done that. Rey had never touched herself before. She’d been too self-conscious, knowing he was there. But she’d wanted to be bad for once. And she’d wanted him to see it.

If he was going to watch her anyway, she might as well put on a show.

Afterwards, she’d taken off her bra and gone to sleep in just her panties. But later that night, at around three in the morning, her eyes shot open. Everything around her was pitch black, and the temperature had dropped substantially. She was flat on her back, stiff, frozen in place. She couldn’t move at all. Was this sleep paralysis? She’d never experienced that before.

She couldn’t turn her head, but she cut her eyes to the right and saw a shadow standing by her bed. It was massive, tall, in the shape of a man. Sinister talons protruded from the shadow’s fingers. A pair of gold eyes bore into hers. Icy smoke puffed from where the shadow’s mouth would be.

Rey knew she should be scared, but she was far from it. Ben crawled over her body. She wished she could make out his features better, but there was nothing to discern except his hypnotizing eyes. Yet, despite his shadow form, she could feel his weight as it pressed down upon her. His cool breath hit her face. She could sense his hunger, his desire to devour her.

She wanted him to kiss her, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept eye contact and slithered down her paralyzed body. She whimpered, hoping he was going where she wanted him to go.

Oh . . . Oh, yes. He was rubbing his lips over her panties. She wanted to arch against him, but she still couldn’t move. She had to be patient and let him go at his own pace. Please hurry, she silently implored.

A claw hooked her panties and slid them down her legs. Wintry breath prickled her slick lips. Her arousal was wetting her center. She wanted to feel his mouth for real. His gold eyes smirked at her. Just when she thought she would die of need, she felt an invisible mouth open around her. Ohhh, that felt so good. She whimpered in her throat, hoping he would take the hint and keep going. He kissed her clit, then wrapped his tongue around it.

Her breasts were in pain, wanting so badly to be touched. But she couldn’t do it herself, and he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to alleviate her suffering. Instead, he casually lapped her with his tongue, tickling her clit, building her desire without throwing her over the edge. Tears leaked from her eyes. She wanted so badly to come, but she knew he was getting revenge for the way she’d teased him earlier.

She was horrified when he abandoned her cunt, until his head hovered over a breast. He blew frosty air on her swollen nipple. Something about the coolness stimulated her flesh and invoked another mewl from her throat. Her eyes begged him to show mercy and make her feel good. To her relief, he gave in.

His mouth swallowed her nipple whole, just as he wedged a finger inside her. She didn’t know how that was possible with his long talon. It was sharp, yet it didn’t hurt her. In fact, as he explored her, she kind of liked the scratch. And when he scraped the tip against a spot she hadn’t discovered when she touched herself, the tension in her snapped like a bowstring, plunging her head-first into an orgasm so powerful she almost couldn’t remember the one she had a few hours ago.

One gold eye winked at her, just before the shadow disappeared back inside the closet. As soon as the doors closed, Rey could move again. Exhausted, but feeling amazing, she rolled over and giggled.

Chapter Text

Waiting. Kylo knew all about waiting. He was so hungry. He hadn’t touched Rey since that night—the night he capitulated and indulged in her flavors for a few minutes. It hadn’t been wise; she’d tasted too good. The fear he’d consumed since then hadn’t been nearly as appetizing as it was before.

Rey had tried repeatedly to entice him back, touching herself with the enthusiasm of a loth-cat seeking a mate. Somehow, he’d resisted, keeping the closet doors tightly shut during her pleasure sessions, no matter how hard she tried to yank them open. But, when she was asleep, he couldn’t resist creeping out to run his claws through her soft, chocolate hair and crawl under her bed to stroke his swollen erection.

But tonight . . . tonight his wait would finally come to an end. Her body was ready for him; he could smell it. Tonight would be a night to remember, in numerous ways. He greedily watched her take off her clothes, his mouth watering. Her senior prom happened to fall on the night of her eighteenth birthday. Her hair and makeup were already done. Now he watched her get into her dress.

She was glorious. Her ivory gown, with its off-the-shoulder bodice and tulle skirt, flowed gorgeously down her body. Her light-blue mask had ivory trim and accentuated her face perfectly. Her hair was left down and long, with the exception of a comely hair bun on the back of her head. She was all grown up.

And she was all his.

She didn’t have a date. Several boys had offered, but she’d turned them all down. It was out of character for her; one might think she’d jump at the chance to torment her monster on prom night. But it wasn't possible this time. When a Bogey’s mate was ready to be claimed, she instinctively pulled away from everyone else. If she had a boyfriend, she suddenly broke up with him without realizing why. If she had a date, she canceled it. Now that Rey’s body was primed for its mate, she was repelled by others and would attend the prom alone.

Or so she thought.

She hugged her godfather and said her goodbyes before leaving the house. It was such a touching moment. Especially since she wouldn’t be seeing him again.

Kylo followed Rey to the high school gym. The prom’s theme was Masque Among the Stars. The color scheme was black and gold, to Kylo’s amusement. The lighting was low and atmospheric. Curtains of warm-white fairy lights simulated the stars. Two large gold masks and black curtains decorated the entrance. The tables were set with Venetian mask centerpieces. The dance floor was blanketed with a cloud of dry ice.

Students in various colors and masks trickled in. From the shadows, Kylo watched Rey enter. She walked around, getting a feel for her surroundings. Occasionally, she came upon friends of hers and greeted them. Kylo chuckled. She better say goodbye to her friends while she could. They wouldn’t be seeing her again after tonight.

He let her make herself as comfortable as possible. Then his patience came to an end. It was time. The shadows around him began to shift. His claws retracted and reshaped into fingernails. His gold eyes morphed into human eyes of rich hazel. Pale white skin emerged, covering him from head to foot. Thick black hair manifested on his head. To complete the ensemble, clothing in the form of a solid-black suit, a long black cape, and a crimson-red mask appeared.

Kylo looked himself over to make sure the transformation was complete. He hoped his mate would like his human form. He was still as tall and broad as he was in his shadow form, with wide shoulders and a large chest. But his human disguise would mask him. Satisfied, he stepped out of the darkness. His black cape curled around his arms and legs. His heavy boots stomped. He let himself merge into the sea of masked students. Despite his human appearance, there was an air of darkness around him that couldn’t be hidden. Between that and the fact that he was larger than the high school boys enjoying their prom, it wasn’t surprising that he was getting some curious looks, especially from girls. But he knew how to disappear if they tried to approach him.

He prowled, lurked, fixated on his prey. She hadn’t seen him yet, but he knew she could feel something abnormal in the air. The poor thing. She was being hunted by a predator. And it was already too late to escape.

Rey was standing alone, trying to decide what to do. She’d already said hello to her friends, and now they were off dancing and having fun with their dates. Since she didn’t have a date, she felt out of place. She really wanted to dance but, for some reason, just couldn’t bring herself to ask anyone to be her partner.

She wished Ben could be her date. She knew he was here somewhere, watching from the shadows.

Always watching.

She wanted him so much. The night he made her come was still stuck in her brain. She wanted to feel that again, and more. She wanted to feel his claws scrape her body, his cock thrust inside her and make her moan. But he hadn’t touched her since that one night, and she couldn’t understand why. Was her Bogeyman afraid of something? Was that even possible?

Strolling casually, she froze when she saw a man standing near a table. He was dressed in all black and wore a crimson mask. And he was staring right at her. She didn’t recognize him, but something about that stare gave her goosebumps. A few students passed by, and suddenly he was gone. It was so abrupt she wondered if she’d imagined him. But her intuition told her that wasn’t the case.

The hairs on the back of her neck were starting to stand up. She knew that feeling well. She was being watched. Stalked. She looked around, trying to find the man in the midst of her masked peers. Soon, she spotted him again, closer this time, only for him to vanish once more into the commotion of the prom. And again, closer still. He was playing a game with her.

She liked games.

A blanket of provocative darkness wrapped around her. She could feel it. It was calling her. She closed her eyes. Breathed. Someone was standing right behind her. Frigid breath cooled her exposed shoulders.

”Sweetheart.”

A voice. She’d never heard his voice before. It was throaty, masculine, dangerous. Slowly, she turned around. And then she saw him. She recognized his height and build, but everything else was different. He appeared to be flesh and blood, with pale skin that stood out in stark contrast to his black clothing. His ebony hair was plush and thick.

”H-how?” she stuttered. She knew that some legends claimed Bogeymen could change form, but she’d never seen her Bogeyman take the shape of anything but a golden-eyed, clawed shadow.

Ben inclined his head, ignoring her question. ”Interesting,” he purred.

”What?” she asked.

“You have that look in your eyes. From the night you were born.”

His voice. She could feel its silky rumble in her bones. ”What look?”

”Recognition. You knew who I was to you. And you know me now. So say it.” His eyes flashed gold for the briefest moment, before settling back into their human disguise. “Say it.”

She swallowed. When she answered him, her voice was husky. “You’re a monster—my monster.”

“Hmm, yes, I am. And you’ve been cruel to me these last few years.”

She blushed, knowing what he meant. Her favorite little game, taunting him with boys and touching herself, was finally coming back to haunt her.

And it was about time.

“Are you afraid of me?” he dared.

”No.”

”Really?” He circled her slowly, making her feel small, surrounded. “I think you should be. That happens when you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask, after all.”

Hunted. He was hunting her. Why did she like that?

Wanting to challenge him, she said, “Why should I be scared? I’m not giving you anything.”

”Hmm,” he hummed, picking up a lock of her hair and smelling it. “We’ll see.” He stood tall and presented his hand. ”Join me.”

She cut her eyes down to his hand, then back up to his face. Curious and excited, she let her hand fold into his. At the first touch of skin, she felt something. Something warm. Something seductive.

”Don’t be afraid. I feel it, too,” he rasped.

Holding her hand firmly, Ben led Rey onto the dance floor. He maintained eye contact, hypnotizing her with his gaze. The dry ice wrapped around their ankles in a white cloud. He pulled her close and led her into a sway.

She could feel how strong and powerful he was. It gave her a sensation of being trapped, helpless. Her peers had no idea what was in their midst. They didn’t realize that the mysterious man dressed in black was actually the stuff of nightmares. Rey wondered how many of them Ben had terrified on her behalf over the years.

She wanted him to remove his mask. Now that he finally had a face, for however long it lasted, she wanted to see it.

”Take that ridiculous thing off,” she breathed. “Let me see you.”

He tightened his hold on her. “You think you have the right to demand anything of me, after everything you’ve done? Making me jealous every chance you get, touching yourself, trying to get a rise out of me. I don’t think so.”

She huffed. “You’re a difficult man.”

”Oh, no, sweetheart,” he disagreed. “I’m not a man at all.”

He flashed his gold eyes at her again. She couldn’t believe it. She was in the arms of a literal monster. A monster who’d killed at least one man and scared more children than Rey would ever know. But she liked it. Were her parents right? Was there something wrong with her?

”What are you going to do to me?” she questioned.

The hand around her waist drifted lower. “I’m going to turn you to the dark side.”

”And then what?”

”And then you’ll feed me. Like you did the night I made you come.”

She gasped, her arousal spiking. ”Why?” she breathed, her eyes hooded. She knew the reason, of course, but she wanted to hear him say it out loud.

”Can’t you see, Sweetheart?” he said, giving her an evil grin. ”You belong to me. Every step you take, I’m always there, watching you.”

Ah, she liked hearing him say those dangerous words. He spun her and pulled her back against his chest. His cape wrapped around her. His breath was frosty as he blew on her neck and ear. She rolled her bottom against his crotch, noting how big he felt. She’d wanted him inside her for so long. Now, wrapped in the allure of Ben’s darkness, Rey’s body was begging for him. His wickedness, his intensity—she needed that raw, untamed power to sweep her away.

He growled in her ear. “The night you were born, I saw your future—solid and clear. It’s time to let old things die. Your parents threw you away like garbage. They failed you. I won’t.”

She knew that. Her monster, her stalker, would never abandon her.

”We’re mates, Rey. Two that are one. You’ll stand with me. You’ll stay with me.”

She was getting so wet. He grabbed her waist tightly with both hands to hold her still. She hadn’t realized she’d been shamelessly grinding back against him. His rock-hard cock was digging into her cheeks. He was panting heavily against her neck.

”Careful,” he warned. “I was going to let you enjoy more of your prom before I took you, but I won’t be responsible for what happens if you keep that up.”

She couldn’t hear him. Her instincts were driving her to keep going. She turned around and lewdly rubbed her chest and hips against him. He tried to use his cape as a shield to keep what she was doing from prying eyes. But she didn’t care. She wasn’t thinking about what a vulgar sight she must make. All she knew was that her body was ready and thirsting for something. She was on fire.

She needed her monster.

She needed her mate.

Kylo was salivating. His mate couldn’t stop rubbing her breasts and groin against him, trying to relieve her pain with the friction. He could taste her lust on his tongue. She was ready and desperate to feed him. But she couldn’t do it here. He didn’t like the looks they were getting from curious and giggling students. So he took Rey’s hand again and hurried them out of the gym.

There was a broom closet just around the corner. Perfect. Wielding his magic, Kylo pulled Rey inside and shut the door. It was dark inside. But Rey didn’t notice or care; she was still trying to get her hands on him. He chuckled. If Rey had been lucid, she would’ve noticed they were surrounded, not by cleaning supplies, but by clothes . . . her clothes. He’d transported them to her closet.

Grabbing her shoulders, he roughly seized her lips and shoved her against a wall. The warmth of her breath mingled with the cold of his. He’d waited centuries for her. She wasn’t escaping him now. Ever since she was a child, he'd haunted his mate from this very closet. Now he would have her in it.

Their wet tongues thrust in and out of each other’s mouth. He grabbed her tulle skirt, wanting to get his hands on her and enjoy his meal. It would be more delicious than anything he’d ever eaten. A Bogey never dined on pleasure, only fear, until his mate came along. After tonight, Rey’s pleasure would be Kylo’s food.

He felt her hands try to grab his mask. Releasing her lips, he laughed and shined his gold eyes at her. “Eager to see the creature behind the mask, are we?”

”Yes!” she panted. “Let me see your face, Ben. Please.”

”Earn it.” Kylo raised his hand. His fingernails stretched and sharpened into sinister claws. Strange black ink was leaking from the tip of his pointer finger. He grabbed Rey’s head and tilted it back so she was looking up at him, then held his finger just above her mouth. “Open,” he commanded.

When Rey obediently parted her lips, ink dripped from his talon, onto her tongue. She moaned, instinctively swallowing the thick, syrupy substance and opening her mouth for more. Grinning, he made sure she drank every last drop. By the time their mating was complete, the ink would’ve fulfilled its purpose.

When the last of his gift had been swallowed, he held her face with his clawed hands and consumed her mouth. His tongue experienced a mixture of her flavors and his ink. It was a succulent combination. He took a sharp claw and cut a line down the front of her gown, splitting it in twain to her stomach. She was wearing a bra, but he easily nicked the front so it fell open.

He blew icy breath on her nipples so they would stand at attention for him. His eyes glowed in ravenous want. With a growl, he opened his mouth wide and gobbled a little breast. Her tits were so small that he could almost fit an entire one in his mouth. She sighed in approval and offered her other breast to be ravished in like manner. He loved how sensitive her skin was.

The claws of his right hand dug into her tulle skirt and ripped it, leaving behind five lacerations that looked like the work of a wild animal. But it wasn’t enough. He needed her naked. So his hands flew, raking and slashing at her dress and underwear until the useless material fell away. He was amused when she threw off her mask and tried again to fiddle with his. The poor girl was wasting her time. His mask and clothes weren’t real, just illusions he’d created for his human form tonight. They couldn’t be removed by hand.

”Please, Ben,” she begged.

”Kylo,” he corrected, finally giving her his real name. “Say my name.”

His name was a sigh on her lips. “Kylo.”

He purred, so happy to hear his mate utter his name. The red mask faded away to reveal his visage. The black ink he’d made her swallow was already working within her, allowing her to see him in the dark. His human face was narrow, with a prominent nose and distinguished brow. Black eyebrows contrasted with pale skin. Rey gazed in wonder. The rest of his clothing faded away, leaving him nude. His cock poked her in the stomach. As a Bogey, he was larger than any human man, but his mate’s body had been prepared to take him.

He spun her around and trapped her against the wall again, this time with her chest crammed against it. Hissing, he rubbed his swollen manhood between her legs. His cock was so girthy he had to kick her legs farther apart to accommodate him. Since Bogeys mated for life, this experience would be new and exciting.

Wedging himself into place, Kylo slipped the head of his cock inside. The stretch felt so good. Rey was so wet for him. He was as careful as possible; it took him a little time to work himself through her tight walls. But at least he didn’t have to worry about hurting her. The changes her body had undergone over the last few years would make sure she could take his cock and survive what his ink was currently doing to her.

At last, he broke through her virginity and kept going, until he’d fused their bodies together. His cock was so big he could feel it when he cupped her. He drove inside her again. And again. She felt so good—wet, willing, desperate for him to violate her. He picked up his pace. Harder. Like a good girl, she contracted her muscles, squeezing him. He hissed and pushed on, riding her shamelessly.

The closet reeked of sex and carnality. Kylo’s heavy breathing had dropped the temperature to well below freezing, but Rey wouldn’t notice. He grunted, picturing all the ways his ink was transforming her forever. With that thought in mind, he ripped himself out of her and spun her around to face him. She whined, furious at him for depriving her of his cock. But he picked her up and hiked her legs around his waist. He slammed back inside her so fast her head knocked against the wall. There, that was better. They both felt so much better when he was inside her. But her eyes were closed, and that wasn’t what he wanted.

”Open your eyes, sweetheart,” he ordered.

When Rey obeyed, Kylo smiled wickedly. Her gold eyes glowed bright and strong, like two small suns. It drove him to pick up his pace even more, if possible. She threw her arms around his back. Soon he felt the scrape of her growing claws on his flesh. He pounded her, crushing her against the wall with his might. Her icy breath felt so nice on his neck. The obscene sounds of their slapping flesh was loud and lewd. He humped, bucked, and threw her over the edge. As soon as she screamed, the food of her orgasm flooded him. He ate it, devoured it, gorged and sated himself. And when he was finally full, he let himself go and fired inside her, his own orgasm nourishment for his mate’s new form.

Slipping fully back into his true, shadow self, he lifted his exhausted mate into a bridal carry. She was such a beautiful shadow, smaller than he was, with a light feminine shape. He was so proud of her. They weren’t alone anymore. They were two that were one. Her pleasure would nourish him from now on, as his would her.

Every breath you take, I’ll be watching you, he silently pledged. Forever.

Giving no thought to her godfather or friends, he faced the back of her closet and walked. And the two of them vanished into the darkness.