Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 19

Chapter

Nineteen

Before Adrian could process what was happening, Knox was leading him toward his bedroom. Adrian’s pulse sped up, anticipation and nervousness flooding through him as they left the others behind.

As they entered his room, Adrian had a thousand questions on his mind. What plan did Knox have? And why did it involve only him?

"Close your eyes," Knox said softly.

Adrian hesitated for a moment, then complied, letting his eyelids flutter shut. He felt a sudden shift in the air around him, a tingling sensation that danced across his skin. When Knox gently instructed him to open his eyes again, Adrian knew they were in a dream.

They were still in his bedroom, but it was… different. The edges of everything seemed softer, blurred as if in a dream. Warm light filtered through the window, bathing everything in a golden glow. Adrian’s gaze drifted upward. His skylight was intact, no sign of the damage from Knox’s dramatic entrance.

"No one can see or hear us now," Knox said. "It’s only you and me."

Adrian swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. "What are you going to do?"

Knox stepped closer, closing the distance between them. His eyes never left Adrian’s as he spoke. "I’m going to show you exactly why you’re worth protecting."

Adrian felt Knox’s breath warm against his lips, sending shivers down his spine. Knox’s hand cupped his cheek. Their lips met, and Adrian felt an immediate spark—a jolt of electricity that was both familiar and strangely new.

His body responded instinctively, leaning into Knox, craving more. He should be used to kissing Knox by now, but something about this kiss was different. There was an undercurrent, a strange sensation threading through the kiss, as if magic itself was woven into their connection.

Knox’s other hand found its way to the small of Adrian’s back, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, and Adrian’s senses were overwhelmed… and his heart pounded with a question he didn’t know how to voice.

Knox must have sensed the shift in Adrian’s emotions because he pulled back slightly, their foreheads resting together. His storm-cloud eyes searched Adrian’s, as if reading the questions written there.

"There’s magic here," Knox confirmed.

Adrian’s breath hitched. "Are you… using your powers on me?"

Knox’s thumb brushed against Adrian’s skin. "No," he said, his eyes sincere. "I’m not manipulating you. What you’re feeling—it’s not me controlling you."

"Then what is it?"

Knox’s gaze softened, and he smiled, melting some of Adrian’s apprehension. "It’s our connection. I’ve opened my soul to the possibility of what we could be, and my magic… it’s responding to that. It’s trying to claim you, but not in a way that takes away your will. It’s a bond forming between us, something deeper and more real than anything I’ve experienced with anyone else before."

Knox’s magic was reaching out to claim him?

Adrian’s mind reeled, struggling to process this revelation. He’d read about magical bonds in countless novels, but experiencing one firsthand… to be part of that kind of relationship… He hadn’t thought that was possible for anyone in reality, least of all him. His heart raced, and he found himself acutely aware of every point where Knox’s skin touched his own.

"Why me?" he whispered.

"I’ve told you before," Knox replied, still with that smile. "You’re the only one for me. The right choice." His thumb traced the line of his jaw, sending sparks of sensation through his body. "You see me as I am, and now I want to help you see yourself in a better light."

That sounded so good it was scary. So good Adrian had to make himself ask the question that could spell death for whatever was growing between them. "What’s going to happen when you have to return to Veridia?"

Knox shook his head slightly. "Whatever problems lie ahead, we’ll face them together."

Adrian felt a rush of warmth at Knox’s words. "You mean it?"

"It’s just like I told you before. Couples should find solutions for their problems together."

Adrian’s breath caught in his throat. Couples. Knox had called them a couple. And he’d said it with such certainty. Adrian had never dared to consider that Knox might want him for anything more than the magic he could take from Adrian.

"You’re serious?"

Knox’s expression grew very serious at that. "I’m not going to abandon you for any reason. We’ll face whatever comes next together. As mates."

Adrian’s mind buzzed with everything Knox had said, but a stubborn fear gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. The lore of the incubi in Monsters of Veridia whispered through his memory.

Adrian pulled back slightly, needing to put some space between them to think clearly. "Knox," he began, "I know what it takes for an incubus to claim their mate."

Knox glanced aside only for a second. Long enough for Adrian to understand that Knox knew what he was getting at.

Adrian would have to bottom for him. No way around it.

"You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with," Knox said.

Adrian shook his head. This was not the time for Knox to baby him. Adrian had done this for Chris, who’d never deserved it. He could do it for Knox as well. "We won’t be truly bonded unless we do it right." And that was what Adrian wanted more than anything. A connection that couldn’t be denied, couldn’t be broken.

Safety.

He looked straight at Knox. "You changed Chris’s desires," he said. "Can you change mine?"

Knox’s eyebrows rose. Obviously, he had not expected that request. "I wouldn’t do that to you."

"Why not?"

Knox pulled him closer. "Because you don’t need to be changed. I only need you to let me in, to trust me, and I promise I’ll make this good for you."

A faint shadow coiled around them both, making the hair on Adrian’s skin stand up. It was a suggestion, a promise of magic.

Knox’s hand slid down Adrian’s back, fingers tracing a slow, deliberate path. "I’ll make this so good for you you’ll beg me to fuck you."

A shiver ran through Adrian. It seemed impossible that he’d beg for it, but if anyone could elicit that response in him… it would be this demon.

If only Adrian let him.

"Do it," Adrian breathed. "Make me yours."

Knox’s grip on him tightened. "I will."

And then Knox’s lips met his and swept away any lingering doubts Adrian had. He melted into it, feeling the depth of Knox’s need echo his own. It was intoxicating, the surge of connection that buzzed between them.

Adrian barely had time to savor it before Knox’s hands gripped his shoulders and guided him backward. He found himself falling onto the bed, the familiar smells of his bedroom mixing with the heady scent of the demon above him.

Adrian reached up, tentatively stroking Knox’s demon horns. They felt smooth and cool under his touch, and Knox let out a low growl that sent a thrill through Adrian’s body.

How was this real?

Adrian didn’t know, but he loved it.

Especially when Knox began undoing the buttons of Adrian’s shirt. One by one, the buttons gave way, revealing more of his skin to Knox’s hungry gaze. Adrian’s breath hitched as Knox’s fingers brushed against his chest, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

The shirt was pulled away, discarded without a second thought. Knox’s hands moved to the waistband of Adrian’s pants, the same purpose in his movements. Adrian’s pulse raced, his heart pounding in his ears as he felt the zipper glide down. Cool air met his skin, and Adrian lifted his hips instinctively, allowing Knox to slide the pants down, peeling away the last barrier between them.

Knox paused, his expression softening for just a moment as he leaned down to kiss Adrian again. This kiss was gentler, more tender, a promise wrapped in sensation. Adrian was drowning in it, feeling Knox’s breath mingling with his own, the press of his lips grounding him even as it carried him away.

The room dimmed, shadows flickering and creating an intimate cocoon around them that made Adrian forget about the outside world. There was only Knox, his touch, his fingers roaming his body and sending shivers down his spine, igniting a fire that roared through him.

When Knox’s fingers traced lower, sliding down Adrian’s thigh and ghosting across his rim, anxiety flared up like a wildfire. His breath hitched, and instinctive fear bubbled to the surface.

What if he couldn’t handle it? What if he couldn’t relax enough? What if Knox felt…

But then, Knox’s lips found his skin, hot and whisper-soft, pressing tender kisses along his collarbone and neck.

"Stop thinking," Knox whispered, the words warm against Adrian’s ear. "Just let go. I’ve got you."

Knox’s fingers caressed his skin in soft, circular motions, never pushing in. Meanwhile, he moved lower with his lips, brushing against Adrian’s chest, then his abdomen.

"You’re beautiful," Knox murmured as his lips brushed just below Adrian’s navel. "So strong, so brave. So good for me."

Adrian’s breath caught again, but this time, it was with something brighter and warmer than fear. Knox’s fingers resumed their careful exploration, and before Adrian realized what was happening, his body was opening up to the sensation, anticipation blending seamlessly with desire.

He wanted Knox.

That was the only thing he needed to focus on.

Adrian closed his eyes and exhaled, trying to steady his breathing. He knew what would come next and tried to relax, waiting for the cool, slick sensation of lubed fingers easing their way inside him. He braced himself, his breath shallow, anticipation buzzing through every nerve.

But then he felt a warm breath on his length.

Knox’s lips brushed against his tip, soft and warm and completely unexpected. Adrian gasped, raw pleasure shooting through him, his fingers clutching the sheets beneath him for anchoring.

Desire swirled in his gut as Knox took him deeper into his mouth.

The sensation took over Adrian. So much so that he barely noticed when Knox’s hand returned to his ass, one slick finger brushing against his entrance. Before he could really think about what was happening, Knox breached him.

A sound halfway between a moan and a gasp tore from Adrian’s lips. He didn’t know how to feel, and he didn’t have the presence of mind to figure it out; Knox made sure of that. The demon’s mouth was still on his cock, sucking him the way only an incubus could. Each stroke of Knox’s tongue, each subtle motion he made, sent shivers spiraling through Adrian’s whole body, driving coherent thought further from his mind.

A second finger joined the first, a slow and deliberate stretch that had Adrian tensing for a microsecond before Knox hummed around him and made his cock twitch.

And before Adrian could come back down from that high, Knox’s fingers brushed against a spot inside him that sent a shock wave of pure need through him.

Fuck.

Adrian had known he had a prostate, but no one had ever touched him there quite like that. With just the right amount of pressure to make him want to curl in on himself and climb out of his skin at the same time.

But Knox was, at his core, a sex demon, and he knew exactly how to play Adrian.

And Adrian surrendered to him.

He spread his legs wider, silently pleading for Knox to give him more. Knox obliged, his lips never leaving Adrian’s cock as he thrust three fingers into him. The pressure built inside Adrian, and he writhed beneath Knox’s touch.

Knox’s shadows snaked around Adrian’s limbs, pinning him to the bed. "Relax," Knox murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent vibrations through Adrian’s body.

Adrian could only moan in response, because Knox’s shadows didn’t just render him immobile by curling around his arms and legs; they flowed alongside Knox’s fingers as well, flowing into him, caressing his sweet spot with the most gentle pressure that took Adrian right out of his mind and sent him flying.

His vision blurred. He cried out, his hips bucking involuntarily. It was no use. He was caught, held in place by forces both outside and inside himself.

All he was was Knox’s plaything, and all he could feel was a burning desire for more as the demon’s shadows spread through his body and Knox’s fingers continued to massage his prostate with steady, unyielding pressure.

Adrian’s breath came in ragged gasps as he felt himself teetering on the edge. He was so close, but he couldn’t quite reach it.

He knew he wouldn’t.

Not as long as Knox didn’t want him to.

And right now, Knox wanted him on the edge of desperation. That much was clear.

That much, Knox had promised.

A high whimper escaped Adrian as Knox’s tongue swirled around his cock and his hips wanted to move but couldn’t, as Knox’s fingers stabbed his sweet spot and he became a creature of need.

"Please," he breathed.

"Please what?" Knox asked, eyes glowing golden as they gazed into Adrian’s.

Adrian struggled to form the words.

"You want my cock?" Knox pressed, fingers curling inside of Adrian again.

Holy shit.

"Yes," Adrian made himself say on an exhale as desire pulsed through his veins.

Glorious, fucking desire.

He felt high on it, on that need for cock and he never wanted to come back down.

He’d never known he could feel this way, but he relished it.

Knox’s smile was positively predatory. "You’re so pretty when you’re mine." He sounded so pleased it made Adrian’s cock twitch all over again while Knox sat back and undid his own pants, pulling them down in a single fluid motion. His cock sprang free, hard and eager.

Adrian’s heart pounded at the sight.

"Please," he found himself repeating, more ready for this than he’d ever been in his life.

Knox did not hesitate. He climbed over Adrian, putting them in a 69 configuration, his cock now hovering within reach over Adrian’s open lips. "Show me how much you love my cock, and when I’m convinced, I’ll let you have it."

Knox lowered himself, and Adrian’s mouth watered. The scent of the incubus filled his senses, a mix of musk and raw masculinity that made his head spin. Before he could even think about what he was doing, his tongue darted out, tentatively licking the tip of Knox’s cock, tasting the saltiness of pre-cum.

Knox growled low in his throat, and Adrian opened his mouth wider, taking the head of Knox’s cock inside. It was thick, stretching his lips, but he welcomed the challenge. He sucked gently at first, exploring the texture with his tongue, feeling the way Knox’s cock throbbed against his taste buds.

At the same time, though, Knox’s fingers entered his hole again, and not slowly this time. Adrian’s breath rushed out of him, around the thick length in his mouth, earning him a shiver from the demon—who didn’t seem the least bit inclined to stop torturing Adrian.

Those fingers knew exactly what they were doing.

Knox pulled out a little bit to allow Adrian a much needed breath. "Keep going," he encouraged. "You’ll be rewarded in time."

Adrian made a noise that he hoped sounded like consent as Knox’s cock weighed his tongue down. He was already being rewarded.

This moment he wanted nothing more than for Knox to use him, to wring every ounce of pleasure out of his body and make it his own. To make him his own.

Knox’s hips moved, pushing deeper into Adrian’s mouth. Adrian relaxed his throat, taking more of Knox in, his lips sliding down the length. He felt a thrill of accomplishment as he managed to take nearly all of it, his nose brushing against Knox’s pubic hair.

Knox’s hand found its way to Adrian’s hair, fingers tangling in the messy strands. He guided Adrian’s movements, setting a rhythm that had Adrian’s head bobbing up and down. Adrian hollowed his cheeks, creating a tight seal around Knox’s cock, sucking harder.

"Fuck, Adrian," Knox groaned, his grip tightening in Adrian’s hair. "You’re so good at this."

The praise sent a jolt of pleasure through Adrian.

He’d never been praised like this before. Never been good for the man he wanted so badly to please.

"So good," Knox repeated as if it was his goal to reduce Adrian to a puddle of warm goo. "Fucking perfect."

Knox’s fingers inside him pressed harder against his prostate, and Adrian’s vision blurred again with the intensity of the pleasure. But it wasn’t his own pleasure he cared about anymore.

Only Knox’s.

He looked at the demon and sucked him in deep.

Knox’s breathing grew ragged, his hips thrusting more urgently into Adrian’s mouth. Adrian could feel the tension coiling in Knox’s body, the imminent release building. He moaned around Knox’s cock, urging him on, needing to feel him come undone.

But that was not the way the demon wanted to play it.

"Enough," Knox rasped, his voice roughened by pleasure. He eased his cock from Adrian’s mouth and shifted positions, aligning their bodies.

Adrian’s heart roared in his chest as he felt the slick heat of Knox’s cock pressing against him. His body tensed momentarily, anticipation thickening every sensation.

"Relax," Knox whispered, leaning in to press a gentle kiss against Adrian’s inner thigh. His fingers brushed soothingly over Adrian’s hip, grounding him. Adrian drew a deep breath, nodding, trusting.

Wanting.

It took only a gentle push before Knox was inside him, the slight sting of initial penetration soon replaced by an overwhelming sense of fullness and connection.

Knox’s magic wrapped around Adrian once more, inside and out, penetrating all of him, saturating his very soul, claiming his essence. His senses swam, nothing left but the pull of the magic and the demon who wielded it.

A shudder wracked his body and he squirmed, his fingers clinging to Knox’s back, needing something solid to hold on to. Knox watched him, a tender smile curving his lips as he leaned in, pressing his mouth to Adrian’s.

The demon’s lips were soft, but they demanded everything from him, and Adrian surrendered without thought, opening up to the incubus in every way possible.

Yours , he thought. Yours, yours, yours.

And then Knox began to move, and Adrian unraveled.

It was all too much, good in ways it had never been before.

Why had it never been good before?

Adrian didn’t realize he was crying until the first sob escaped his throat, ragged and raw. Words tumbled from his lips, desperate and broken, begging for something he didn’t even know how to name.

Knox seemed to understand, though. His hand found its way to Adrian’s face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "Shh," he whispered. "I know what you need."

He plunged deeper, his cock filling Adrian until every inch of empty space inside him seemed to be occupied by Knox, his lust, his magic, the silken caress of his shadows. Adrian was drowning in him, but it wasn’t the bad kind of drowning. It was the kind of drowning that made every breath granted so much sweeter.

"Mine," Knox growled, and Adrian clenched around him, every fiber of his being responding to that single word.

Yes.

Every breath he took, every beat of his heart, it was all for Knox.

Knox leaned down, catching Adrian’s lips with his own. The kiss was hungry, possessive, and oh so perfect. Adrian’s hands fisted in the sheets. He was on the brink, teetering on the edge of a precipice, every nerve ending taut.

And then, with a guttural sound deep in his throat, Knox found release. Adrian felt the hot surge inside him, and at the same moment, his own orgasm hit him hard, ripping through him with blissful fire.

He cried out, unable to do anything else as his body spasmed in Knox’s hold.

It left him breathless, unable to focus on anything but the pleasure of the moment, of the connection he had formed with the man who had taken possession of him so completely.

He couldn’t recall ever feeling so utterly spent, so perfectly and beautifully overwhelmed. Every inch of him felt alive, thrumming with the lingering traces of Knox’s magic.

Knox pulled back slightly, just enough to look into Adrian’s eyes. The demon’s gaze was softer now, glowing a brighter shade of gold than Adrian had ever seen. He brushed a stray lock of hair from Adrian’s forehead.

"You okay?"

Adrian nodded, unable to find his voice just yet. He felt Knox’s magic still humming through him, a warm, comforting presence that made him feel safe and cherished. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to break the spell of this moment. He clung to it, to Knox, as if afraid that letting go would mean waking up from a beautiful dream.

"You’re not dreaming," Knox said as if Adrian’s thoughts were clear to him—and in this moment, maybe they were. "You don’t have to be afraid. Nothing can break this bond we’ve formed."

Joy sparked in Adrian’s chest, warmer even than the afterglow. He didn’t ever want to be parted from Knox again.

He was a boneless, happy heap as Knox pressed a soft kiss to his temple, then his cheek, before rolling to the side, bringing Adrian with him. They lay there, tangled together, limbs entwined, their breaths slowly synchronizing.

"Thank you," Adrian finally whispered. "For everything."

Knox’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. "It’s my pleasure," he replied. "Literally."

Adrian laughed softly. He hadn’t felt this light and giddy in a long time, and certainly never after sex.

He hadn’t thought that was possible for him.

"With you by my side," Knox said. "I can’t possibly fail."

Adrian prayed that this was true.

It had to be.