Page 22 of Where the Dark Knelt (Worshipped by Darkness #1)

With each pass, the shaft grew slicker with my arousal, until it glistened with the sheer volume of my desire.

I was losing myself in the lust-fueled haze, my mind drifting back to the erotic scene from my dream.

I could almost feel the heat of the demon’s body pressed against my back, his thick length spearing into my core as a second tongue laved at my clit with devastating skill. ..

“Ohhh, I remember...” I gasped, my fingers tightening around the dildo as I struggled to reconcile fantasy with reality.

The throbbing between my legs demanded satisfaction, and though the toy was a meager substitute for the demons of my dreams, I knew I could no longer deny myself the release I so desperately craved.

As I tentatively pressed the bulbous head of the dildo against my entrance, I felt a pleasant pressure building, my body instinctively yielding to the insistent prodding.

To my shock, the toy began to vibrate with a mind of its own, or perhaps it was merely the force of my vivid fantasy manifesting physically.

I gasped, a breathy moan escaping my lips as shivers of pleasure ricocheted through me, my inner walls clenching needily around the unyielding silicone.

“Mmph!” I bit my lip hard, stifling the excessive sounds threatening to spill forth, lest my secret tryst be overheard.

My cheeks flamed with humiliation and arousal as I grinded the pulsing head against my aching clit, the intense stimulation sending jolts of electric bliss coursing through my veins.

Lost in the throes of my lustful reverie, I imagined myself straddling the handsome stranger from my dreams, his thick cock stretching me deliciously as I rode him with wild abandon.

The dildo slid deeper, my slick walls parting reluctantly to accommodate its girth, as I bucked my hips in time with the phantom thrusts of my mental paramour.

A tidal wave of sensation crashed over me as I peaked, my vision exploding into a kaleidoscope of starlit darkness.

I arched my back, pressing into the pillow as the aftershocks of my long-awaited climax rippled through my core.

As I slowly came down from the dizzying high, I felt the strange sensation of the dildo slipping from my tender flesh.

And then, echoing in the chamber of my mind, I heard his voice, the mysterious, handsome stranger from my dreams. His baritone whispered raggedly, as if he were a ghostly presence hovering just beyond the veil of reality.

“Did you enjoy that, my sweet prey?” he purred, the sinful timbre sending fresh tingles down my spine.

“Oh, babe, I know… I see you how needy you are and how you just couldn’t resist indulging with my gift,” the voice purred, a note of dark satisfaction coloring the words.

“Yes, it was always meant to be put to good use, to ready you for the main event...” The unspoken promise hung heavily in the air, a sinful pact waiting to be consummated.

“You looked so beautiful in the throes of ecstasy, your virgin walls clenching around my cock as you screamed your pleasure. Soon, oh so very soon, you’ll be screaming my name as I claim your innocence and make you truly mine. ..”

I blinked back to the present, a hazy smile playing upon my lips as I dragged in a shuddering breath. The euphoria of my climax dissipated, replaced by a crashing wave of regret and shame that left me reeling.

“We’ll be seeing much more of each other very soon...” The promise hung heavy in the air, a sinful pact sealed by the lingering heat of my release.

My eyes flicked to the dildo, glistening obscenely with the remnants of my lust, and a fresh surge of mortification swept through me.

“Damn... how am I to dispose of this cursed thing?” I muttered, a prayer of despair on my lips.

In a moment of frustration, I brought the toy to my forehead, a futile gesture of penance.

Then, gripping it tightly in both hands, I brought it to my lips, my tongue darting out to taste the salty-sweet essence of my own desire.

The flavor of my depravity exploded across my palate, and I recoiled as if burned.

“Oh God, I’m wretched...” I choked out, my heart pounding with self-loathing.

“I’m a wretched, vicious creature, wallowing in sin and debauchery.

..” With a strangled cry, I hurled the dildo back into the box, as if banishing it from my sight could erase the horrid things I had done.

Rising on shaking legs, I hurried to prepare for morning prayers, desperate to cleanse my soul of the taint of lust. Yet, as I knelt to pray, I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that the demon’s dark influence from my dreams still clung to me like a second skin.

Had I truly allowed myself to be possessed by such wickedness?

The thought sent a chill down my spine, and I shuddered, knowing I would need to atone for my grievous sins.

Dinner today was unforgettable. We had lamb, stewed for six hours with vegetables in a heavy cauldron until the meat melted apart at the slightest touch.

As soon as it touched my tongue, my taste buds erupted with bliss and I couldn’t hold back a moan.

The sisters burst out laughing at my reaction, but I didn’t care.

We only ate meat once every two weeks, so every such meal felt sacred, like a holiday for the body.

Before leaving the dining hall, I wrapped a couple of pieces in a napkin. They weren’t for myself. No, they were for a friend I’d met just a few weeks ago, the same friend I often waited for by the ocean when the moon was high and the monastery lay quiet behind me.

The cat – Di. He had disappeared from my room that morning, but my feet carried me here again.

They always did, it seemed. Every time there was an opportunity, I ended up on this beach under the vast sky, listening to the waves whisper against the sand, hoping to see his glowing green eyes appear from the shadows.

Sometimes he returned to my room at night and curled up against my chest, purring himself to sleep before dawn pulled him away again.

He was a freer soul than I had imagined at first, unbound by walls or people, a creature of pure will who refused to tolerate restrictions.

I could understand him. Still, it made me happy each time he chose to sleep in my arms, even if only for a few hours before slipping away.

Maybe it was strange to talk to a cat like this.

But something about him drew me in. It felt natural to stroke his fur, especially when he burrowed between my legs, curling up under the hem of my skirt and purring so deeply that the vibrations tickled my skin.

He always looked so blissful there, head resting against my thigh, while I scratched behind his ears and ran my fingers along his velvet muzzle.

I wasn’t mistaken tonight either. He was already waiting for me on the beach, his emerald eyes shining brilliantly in the silver moonlight.

As soon as he saw me, he began to purr, winding himself around my ankles and rubbing his soft fur against my bare skin beneath the hem of my skirt.

I laughed quietly, whispering down to him,

“You highwayman… sneaking under my skirt like that…”

He let out a little chirp, and I snorted, digging into my pocket for the lamb I had saved. As soon as I pulled it out, he darted from under my skirt and began to spin excitedly around my feet, standing up on his hind legs to beg.

I patted his head gently, stroking his ears and watching his whiskers twitch as he smacked his lips, chewing happily on the tender meat.

The sand beneath me was cool as I sat down beside him, but it didn’t matter.

My soul felt warm, watching him eat with such eager joy.

I continued stroking his ears and his soft head, letting the night wind tangle my hair and the ocean lull my thoughts into a quiet peace.

The cat’s coat had such an unusual color tonight.

It was as if he had spent the entire day lying in a valley of white flowers, and their essence had somehow become infused into his fur.

It was still white, but there was a softness to it now, an almost luminous glow that I had never seen before.

But then again, everything had been changing lately — my life in the monastery, the world around me, and myself most of all.

Everything felt strange, as if reality itself was shifting beneath my feet.

“You know…” I whispered, my voice catching in the quiet salt breeze, “I often think about work… it’s so stupid, isn’t it? Not my ex… not even the girl I dated… but my job.”

I let out a heavy exhale, looking down at the sand. My free hand dug into the cold grains, feeling them slip and cascade between my fingers as though time itself was running away from me.

“It’s just… I dated that girl for less time than I spent at work, and… work carved out a bigger hole in my soul than she ever did…” The cat had already finished his meal, licking his lips with contentment. “You didn’t even chew it properly,” I scolded softly, smiling despite myself.

He continued purring and climbed onto my lap, curling up once again between my thighs on the spread-out hem of my skirt. His luminous eyes watched me lazily, slow blinks making it look like he had tiny pale eyelashes. The sight of them made my chest ache with a tender sort of love.

“Yeah… work killed me inside,” I murmured, my voice trembling as memories flooded back. “It drained me of everything – my soul, my creativity, all my passion… like some vampire sucking out every last drop of blood…”

My jaw tightened, heart constricting with grief and regret.

“The attitude there… was always shitty. From all sides. The managers, the colleagues… everyone. I was nothing to them, just a speck of dust in a sea of people cooler, smarter, more talented than me. And I… I was just a fool from the start…”

Sadness came in waves, crashing over me like a silent tsunami. “And the bullying… just because I did something wrong or didn’t do it perfectly? People are so angry, always so bitter, and they took it out on me. And I… I just kept trying to be kind to them, you know?”

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as the cat fell asleep, still purring softly despite everything. I envied him. Cats probably didn’t have to deal with bullying or discrimination, except maybe for territorial fights, but even those were simpler than human cruelty.

A sob escaped my throat, shaking my chest and disturbing his sleep. He opened his eyes lazily, blinked up at me, and then closed them again, as if tired of my whining. Maybe he was right. But I had no one else to talk to. He was the only one I could open up to without fear of judgement.

“You know… with work, it always felt cursed. I was screwed over for money, screwed over for my attitude… lies upon lies upon lies. And always this biased attitude against me, even when I saw them treat others with so much positivity… as if I was cursed, you know?”

My voice rose unconsciously, and the cat woke with a start, his head colliding with my chin.

“Ouch!” I hissed, rubbing my jaw. But before I could scold him, he stood up on his hind legs, placing his two front paws on my shoulder as he nuzzled his little nose against my neck. Tears blurred my vision again as I picked him up and cradled him against my chest, sobbing into his fur.

He pressed his warm muzzle to my neck, licking away my salty tears.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry I’m crying again, Di…” I whispered his name into the cold air.

He only meowed softly in response, a plaintive sound that made my heart twist even tighter. The only creature who understood me was this cat… a cat I had met just a couple of months ago on this very beach.

“Yeah, I know… I believe I’ll get better over time. You understand, don’t you?”

The cat tilted his head to the side, watching me with those luminous green eyes, as if he truly did understand. I stroked his head with a trembling, tear-wet palm.

“You know… I believe everything passes in the end. The bad, the good… everything. People get bored with you over time anyway… so what’s the point of talking to anyone except God?

But He… He never answered me… no matter how much I prayed or begged.

He was always silent… and it’s so lonely… so lonely…”

The cat meowed again, his eyes reflecting my grief like moonlight on water. I cried harder then, stroking his head as my sobs echoed softly against the endless roar of the ocean.

This damn cat. He became my friend. My silent part-time therapist. And each time I poured my heart out to him, each time his purr rumbled through my bones, I felt a little lighter.

Life felt just a little more bearable… and I realised I loved this cat.

Because somehow, he made everything feel easier to survive.