Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 1

Chapter

One

"God dammit, he’s an idiot." Adrian stared at the laptop screen, brow furrowed. The latest chapter of Monsters of Veridia hung open in his browser, staring back at him as he tried to make sense of what he’d just read.

Did Knox really think he could just waltz into the Shadow Court and beat some sense into the Shadow King? Had he learned nothing from the past five hundred chapters?

He was going to get himself killed in there—if there was any way the author was going to kill their main character.

Suppressing a sigh, Adrian opened another tab on his browser so he could start writing his review (it would be scathing this week!) when a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies landed with a soft thud beside his laptop, interrupting his inner rant.

"Don’t frown so much, dear," his grandmother chirped. "You’ll get wrinkles. Besides, it’s just a story."

Adrian pushed his glasses further up his nose. Of course it was just a story, but did that mean he wasn’t allowed to be upset that his favorite character was acting like he didn’t have a brain?

He’d been following Monsters of Veridia for three years, devouring every weekly update and discussing it in detail with other fans online. He was owed some proper storytelling in return for his emotional investment—and in return for all the money he’d spent on merchandise.

His grandmother, Evelyn, wouldn’t understand, though. "It’s a really good story," he said. "Usually."

"Maybe I should try reading it one of these days."

Adrian made himself laugh and shake his head. "I don’t think you’d like it."

Monsters of Veridia was full of complex world-building, deep character arcs and explosive romance—and also tons and tons of sex, and while Adrian knew his grandma had done the deed at some point, he didn’t want to discuss sex scenes with her.

He could only imagine her disbelieving reaction to that chapter in which Knox and Zev and Luca all got together and explored magical dildos.

"Why wouldn’t I like it?" Evelyn asked. "You seem to adore it."

"The main character is an incubus," Adrian said. A really hot one, he thought, but he did not say this out loud.

"An incubus?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Isn’t that a sex demon? I don’t see what’s wrong with a little sex."

"It’s not just sex," Adrian said, and immediately, he regretted his words. Now he would have to explain . "Incubi can make people want things they wouldn’t normally. They can drag their victims to bed and literally make them…"

"Make them what?"

Come until they die.

Adrian didn’t want to say it. "Just trust me that you wouldn’t like it, Grandma."

Evelyn made a non-committal sound and ate one of the cookies. Adrian took one as well, closing his laptop and hoping that would be the end of that conversation. "Thank you for the cookies."

"You’re very welcome. These have a little cinnamon in them, did you notice? I got the tip from Mrs. Peterson from my knitting group. She has a grandson your age, you know. He’s a lawyer, very handsome, and?—"

"And I’m sure he’s very nice, Grandma," Adrian interrupted, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. "But I’m not really interested in dating right now. Especially not a lawyer."

He tried to keep his tone light, but a familiar tightness constricted his chest. It had been nearly a year since the last disastrous attempt at a relationship, a year since he’d fled his shared apartment and taken refuge in his grandmother’s spare bedroom.

Evelyn sighed, her gaze softening with a knowing look that made Adrian want to squirm. "Adrian, dear, I know things haven’t been easy for you lately, but you can’t shut yourself away forever. Life is meant to be shared, you know."

She reached out and patted his hand. Adrian forced a smile, pushing down the memories that threatened to surface and suffocate him. Real-life relationships were messy and painful in a way that fictional relationships never were. At least there you were guaranteed a happy ending.

"I’m sharing my life with you, aren’t I?," he said, forcing a lightness he didn’t feel. "And I’m focusing on my work right now. Besides, I’m not exactly meeting a lot of people these days."

Which was a blatant lie. He was meeting plenty of people—online. His blog, "The Realistic Romantic," had a decent following, and he spent hours every day interacting with other book lovers, dissecting plots, analyzing characters, and indulging in his favorite pastime: pointing out the flaws and unrealistic expectations of most romance novels.

He loved the online community—the witty banter, the shared passion for stories, the feeling of belonging without the pressure of actual face-to-face interaction. It was safe, controlled, and infinitely preferable to the minefield of real-life dating.

"That’s why I’m offering to introduce you to Mrs. Peterson’s grandson," Evelyn insisted. "He’s single, successful, and enjoys long walks on the beach. What more could you ask for?"

"A decent Wi-Fi connection and a shared aversion to reality TV?" Adrian muttered under his breath, reaching for his laptop.

"What was that, dear?"

"Nothing, Grandma. I’m going to go back to my room and get some work done. Thanks again for the cookies."

He quickly gathered his laptop and the plate of cookies. He’d never say no to his grandmother’s baking, but before she could launch into another matchmaking campaign, he escaped to the sanctuary of his bedroom.

Safe in his room, surrounded by posters of characters from Monsters of Veridia , Adrian let out a sigh of relief. He loved his grandmother, he really did, but her relentless attempts to pair him off with anyone who had a pulse were exhausting.

He opened his laptop and navigated to his favorite online forum, "The Book Nook," where a lively discussion about the latest chapter of Monsters of Veridia was already underway.

Anyone else think Knox is making a HUGE mistake going to the Shadow Court?, he typed, hitting enter. This is SO going to end badly.

Within seconds, replies started popping up.

OMG, I know, right? , Daniel, username BookBoyfriendLover69, posted. But maybe it’ll be a good kind of badly? Like, enemies-to-lovers tension with the Shadow King?

You just got a hard-on for the Shadow King, another friend, LiteraryLion, chimed in. What’s it with you always loving the villains?

Adrian smiled and typed out a quick reply, already feeling a little better. This was his favorite site on the internet—aside from his own blog. His safe space.

He typed: Knox and the Shadow King would be HOT together, but I swear if that incubus wasn’t the main character he’d get himself killed and then I’d be left with a broken heart and an unhealthy collection of badly written fanfiction.

As he hit enter, a loud clap of thunder shook the house, making him jump.

The lights flickered, plunging the room into momentary darkness. Adrian swore under his breath. Great. Just what he needed—a power outage on top of everything else.

He glanced at the storm raging outside his window. The wind was howling like a banshee, rain was lashing against the glass and making it difficult to see even the buildings across the street.

Maybe it was time for a little escapism.

Adrian opened Monsters of Veridia and scrolled back to a scene from an earlier chapter, one he’d reread countless times, seeking comfort in its familiarity. It was the scene where Knox, after weeks of chase, finally confronted Lord Silas, a cruel and ancient vampire known for his ruthlessness.

Adrian could practically recite the words from memory, but he still felt a thrill course through him as he reread the description of Knox unleashing his powers—his eyes turning molten gold, shadows gathering around him like a living cloak, and two ebony horns, sleek and sharp, erupting from his forehead, revealing him as the demon he was.

" Lord Silas sneered, baring fangs that glinted like shards of obsidian in the flickering candlelight. ‘You think you can threaten me, incubus? This court is mine. You are nothing but a stray dog sniffing at my heels.’

Knox’s smile was slow, predatory, the curve of his lips dangerous. ‘You haven’t learned, have you, Silas? Power isn’t about lineage or titles. It’s about knowing how to take what you want.’

Silas lunged, a blur of motion, but Knox was faster. He caught the vampire lord by the throat, the grip of his hand inhumanly strong. Silas struggled, his eyes widening with a mix of rage and fear as Knox leaned in close, his breath warm against his cheek.

‘Let’s see how long your arrogance lasts,’ Knox whispered, his voice a silken thread woven with dark magic, ‘when I make you beg for it.’"

Adrian shivered, his skin prickling with a strange combination of fear and fascination. It was just a story, he reminded himself, a fictional scene crafted to thrill readers. Yet, he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be on the receiving end of that kind of power, to be consumed by primal desire like that.

He snapped the laptop shut, a blush warming his cheeks. This was ridiculous. He was a grown man, not a teenager with a crush on a fictional demon.

Another clap of thunder, closer this time, shook the house, the lights flickering once more. Maybe it was time to unplug everything and try to get some sleep.

But as he reached for the power cord, the world seemed to tilt beneath his feet. The walls groaned, the windows rattled, and the sound of shattering glass echoed through the apartment.

He whirled around, his heart pounding in his chest, just in time to see a figure come crashing through his skylight, landing in a heap amidst a shower of broken glass and rain.

Adrian stared, his mouth agape, his mind struggling to comprehend what his eyes were seeing. It couldn’t be…

But there he was, lying on the floor of his bedroom, soaked to the bone, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, his clothes ripped and mud-stained. Even in the dim light, Adrian recognized the sharp angles of his face, the lean, muscled frame, the pointed ears, the ebony horns.

Was he going insane or had a Knox-cosplayer just crashed through his skylight?

Adrian blinked, his mind rebelling against the sheer absurdity of the situation. The man groaned, a low, guttural sound. He shifted, one arm reaching up to brush hair out of his eyes. Adrian’s breath hitched. Cosplayer or not, the man was breathtaking.

"Okay," Adrian whispered to himself, backing away from the shattered skylight, careful to avoid the shards of glass scattered across the floor. "This is not happening. This is a stress dream. A very vivid, very detailed, very unrealistic stress dream."

The man who looked like Knox rolled onto his side, his gaze sweeping across the room, finally landing on Adrian. His eyes, the color of storm clouds lit by lightning, widened in a mix of confusion and something that looked like panic.

"Where…?" He coughed again, his voice rough. "Where am I?"

Adrian’s brain, still stuck in denial mode, supplied the most obvious answer. "You’re in my bedroom."

The man blinked, his brow furrowing as if he couldn’t comprehend the words. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, wincing as he clutched at his side. His gaze darted around the room, taking in the posters, the scattered books, the glow-in-the-dark stars Adrian had stuck to his ceiling when he was twelve and had never bothered to remove.

"This isn’t…," the man shook his head. "This can’t be…"

He trailed off, his eyes widening as they landed on the largest poster on Adrian’s wall – an image of Knox, half-naked, shadows swirling around him, his gaze seductive.

"That’s…me," he whispered, unbelieving.

Adrian’s world crumbled around him. This was insane. Utterly insane.

Had he fallen asleep while reading?

He took a shaky step back, his mind scrambling for a rational explanation.

"No," he said, his voice cracking. "No, it’s not. That’s… that’s a character from a book. A webnovel. You’re… you’re cosplaying, right?"

The man’s gaze shifted back to Adrian, and in those storm-cloud eyes, Adrian saw a flicker of something primal, something ancient and wild, that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Cosplay?" he repeated, the word sounding foreign on his tongue. "What is…cosplay?"

Before Adrian could even attempt a response, Evelyn’s voice cut through the tense silence.

"Adrian, dear! What on earth was that crash? Are you alright?"

Adrian grandmother bustled into the room, wearing a floral-print bathrobe, a knitting needle clutched in one hand like a weapon. Her gaze darted around the room, landing on the shattered skylight, the rain pouring in, and finally, on the man sitting on the floor amidst the debris.

"Good heavens!" Evelyn exclaimed. "Did that young man fall out of the sky?"

The man on the floor, his attention now diverted to Evelyn, stared at her with a bewildered expression.

"I…," he began, then shook his head, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I do not understand. Where is this place?"

Adrian, still grappling with the impossible reality before him, stammered out, "Grandma, this is… well, I’m not entirely sure who this is yet."

Evelyn, never one to be deterred by a little mystery, fixed Adrian with a stern look. "Well, stop gawking and help the poor boy up. He’s probably freezing and concussed."

She marched over to the man, peering down at him with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "There you go, dear," she said, offering him a hand. "Let’s get you off that cold floor."

The man hesitated, his gaze flickering between Evelyn’s outstretched hand and the knitting needle she still held in her other hand. "I… I am not certain. This realm… it is unfamiliar to me. I cannot access my…"

He trailed off, his hand going to his head as if a sudden pain had pierced him.

Evelyn, mistaking his hesitation for pain, clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Adrian, are you just going to stand there? He needs help, not an audience!"

Adrian, chastised, moved cautiously toward the stranger, acutely aware of the man’s intense gaze following his every move. He extended a hand, unsure if the man would take it.

"Here," he said, his voice hesitant. "Let me?—"

The man hesitated for a moment, then grasped Adrian’s hand, his grip surprisingly strong despite his apparent disorientation. Adrian felt a jolt run up his arm, a strange tingling sensation.

"Thank you." The Knox look-alike leaned heavily against him for a moment, his gaze meeting Adrian’s in a way that made his heart pound. The warmth that radiated from him seemed to burn through Adrian’s shirt, setting his skin alight. He quickly withdrew his hand, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

Shit, what was wrong with him?

And more importantly, what was happening here?

Evelyn, oblivious to Adrian’s distress, bustled about, gathering blankets and ushering them both out of the rain-soaked room.

"Come along, young man," she said. "Let’s get you settled in the living room. A cup of my special chamomile tea will fix you right up."

As they left the room, Adrian cast a final glance at the poster of Knox staring back at him from the wall. The resemblance was undeniable.

He was starting to think chamomile tea wouldn’t be nearly enough to deal with the storm that had just crashed into his life.