Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 26

Evelyn’s face lit up as soon as Adrian and Knox stepped through the front door. "You’re back!" she exclaimed, rushing over to give first Adrian and then Knox a hug. "I’m so glad you found a way to return."

Knox’s lips curved into a soft smile as he returned Evelyn’s embrace. "Thank you for welcoming me into your home again."

Leon grinned from his spot on the couch. "Welcome back. I don’t know how you pulled it off, but I’m happy for you two."

Warmth spread through Adrian at Leon’s words. Some mysteries remained unsolved, but this might still be the best day of his life, and for the moment, he only wanted to bask in the joy of being with all the people who mattered to him. All the people he mattered to.

Zev, returned from the hospital, clapped Knox’s shoulder. "Good to have you back."

Knox looked at his friend and nodded. "I didn’t remain in Veridia for long, but we know now there is a way to go back there." He paused, considering both Lyrian and Zev in turn. "I won’t ask you to stay in this world with me if you’d rather go home."

Lyrian seemed to take offense at that. "As if I’d leave now after all we’ve been through! Besides, I can’t resist a good puzzle."

"What puzzle?" Daniel asked. He’d been oddly quiet since his rescue, to a degree that Adrian was almost surprised to hear him speak up.

"We’re not sure who opened the portals," Knox explained. "But we know it wasn’t Caelen."

The room fell silent as Zev, Daniel and Leon processed that news. Adrian felt a knot of unease tighten in his stomach. Was there still a bigger villain to defeat? Who had the power to rip holes in the fabric of reality? And why had they done it?

"We’ll figure it out," Knox said. "And then we’ll stop them."

Adrian drew strength from Knox’s confidence. Surely, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do.

"Just one thing," Zev said. "I don’t want to insult our host, but this place is getting a little small for all of us."

That was certainly true. Adrian couldn’t expect his grandmother to put them all up indefinitely.

"Well," Leon said as if he had anticipated this issue, "I went ahead and rented an Airbnb for myself, but it’s big enough for all of us."

Adrian blinked, momentarily thrown off balance by Leon’s words. "You rented a place?"

Leon nodded. "I figured it might be good for all of us to stick together until everything is resolved."

"But that must be expensive!"

Leon waved him off with a dismissive hand. "Don’t worry about money," he said casually. "I’ve got it covered."

Adrian stared at him, speechless. When he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure what Leon did for a living, but whatever it was, his job must be making him a lot of money for him to be talking like that.

"Really," Leon said. "Don’t worry about it. Just pack a few things and let’s go have a look."

The Airbnb was a charming two-story house nestled in a quiet neighborhood. A far cry from Evelyn’s apartment, Adrian noted as they stepped through the front door. The interior was spacious and the large windows let in a lot of natural light, making the living room feel warm and inviting.

A plush sofa in a deep shade of sapphire blue sat against one wall, next to a tall bookshelf stacked with paperbacks that looked as if they had been read many times.

Leon leaned against his cane, a satisfied smile curving his lips. "I think we’ll be comfortable here."

"Thank you, Leon," Adrian said. "Really."

Leon shrugged, but the pleased glint in his eyes betrayed his nonchalance. "I’m just glad I could finally do something good with my money."

Zev’s eyes roamed the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. "What is that?" he asked, pointing to a rectangular device mounted on the wall.

Adrian followed his gaze. "That’s a thermostat," he explained. "It controls the temperature in the house."

Zev’s brow furrowed. "Weather magic? The weather gods usually require a sacrifice. Do we need a goat? Or would a squirrel do? I saw one climbing a tree outside."

"The AC gods don’t require a sacrifice" Adrian assured him. "There’s a sensor inside that measures the temperature. And then it sends a signal to the heating or cooling system to adjust accordingly."

Zev stared at the thermostat. He didn’t seem quite convinced.

Adrian resolved to keep an eye on the squirrel population.

Leon clapped his hands together. "Well," he said, "why don’t we all pick out a room?"

Adrian’s heart pounded as he followed Knox up the stairs. They’d shared a room at Evelyn’s apartment, but somehow, this felt different. More grown-up. More real.

They reached the first open door and stepped inside. The room was bright and airy, with a large window overlooking the backyard. A comfortable-looking bed dominated one corner, and a small desk sat near the window.

"This is nice," Adrian said.

Knox nodded, his eyes scanning the room. "It is," he agreed. "But I think we can make it even better."

Adrian’s breath hitched as Knox stepped closer, his gaze locking onto Adrian’s. The demon’s eyes flickered with a mix of desire and affection that sent shivers down Adrian’s spine.

"I love you," Knox said.

Adrian’s heart stuttered in his chest. He’d heard the words before, but never spoken with such sincerity, such depth of emotion.

"I love you too," he replied, the words tumbling from his lips before he could even think.

They came easy.

Knox’s lips curved into a soft smile, and he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Adrian’s forehead. Adrian closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of Knox’s touch, the feeling of belonging, of being cherished.

Gently, Knox started to undress him and Adrian let it happen. The demon's touch left goosebumps in its wake, and Adrian shivered with anticipation, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, even now.

Inch after inch of his skin was revealed, in broad daylight, and Adrian felt a flush creep up his neck as Knox admired him openly, his gaze burning with desire and admiration, making heat pool low in Adrian's belly.

"You're beautiful," Knox breathed. "Don't ever think otherwise."

Adrian didn't know what to say. He only watched as Knox stepped back and began to undress himself, mesmerized by the play of muscles beneath Knox's pale skin as he shrugged off his shirt and stepped out of his pants.

And then Knox was pushing him onto the bed, their bodies meeting in a tangle of limbs and lips that left Adrian breathless. He didn't question what Knox wanted; he knew that whatever it was would be good.

But when Knox produced a bottle of lube out of seemingly nowhere, the way only an incubus could, and spread that lube over Adrian's cock, Adrian felt a flicker of uncertainty. What did he mean to do? Did he want Adrian to top? But that was impossible—he wasn't big enough for that kind of thing.

"Don't worry so much," Knox said softly when he saw Adrian's hesitation. "You're not too small for anything."

"But incubi don't... I mean... You guys don't bottom."

"Says who?" Knox challenged with a smile. "I enjoy making you feel good however I can." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of Adrian's lips. "Besides, I won't be on the bottom."

Adrian felt a wave of heat wash over him as Knox's words registered. He couldn't quite process them at first, and by the time he did, it was too late to protest.

Knox positioned himself above Adrian, his eyes locked onto Adrian's as he began to lower himself down.

"This okay?" Knox asked, his voice low with desire.

Adrian nodded, barely able to breathe. "Y-yes."

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, Knox began to sink down onto Adrian's cock. The feeling was like nothing Adrian had ever experienced before—delicious heat enveloping him, squeezing him almost painfully tight.

"See?" Knox said on an exhale when he'd enveloped Adrian fully. "Perfect fit."

He moved then, rolling his hips in slow circles that drove all thought from Adrian's head except the overwhelming need to have more. More friction, more heat, more of everything.

His hands scrabbled at the sheets as pleasure coursed through him in waves.

Knox leaned down and kissed him hard, their tongues tangling as they moved together.

Adrian moaned into the kiss, unable to hold back any longer.

He hadn't known he could feel like this. His hips moved of their own volition, thrusting up.

Knox groaned against his lips. "Yes," he urged. "Just like that."

The demon leaned up, but only so he could ride Adrian harder. Adrian gasped, his head falling back against the pillow as Knox rolled his hips in a way that made everything behind his eyelids turn white.

His fingers dug into Knox's thighs, desperate for something to hold on to, but there was no holding on. He felt himself tightening, his release building until he could barely breathe around it. Every muscle in his body tensed, and then he fell over the edge, Knox's name falling from his lips like a prayer, over and over, the only thing on his mind as pleasure rolled over him like a wave, washing away all the shame he'd cloaked himself in for so long.

As the last aftershocks subsided, Knox pressed soft kisses along his jaw and down the column of his neck. "You're amazing," he murmured against Adrian's skin.

Adrian shivered at the feeling of Knox's lips against him, as he became aware of the evidence of Knox's release on his stomach. He couldn't believe what had just happened—how much he had enjoyed it.

They remained like that for a moment longer before Knox slowly pulled off of Adrian with a low groan. As soon as their bodies separated, Adrian felt a pang of loss.

But then Knox settled beside him on the bed, and Adrian nestled close to him, feeling the warmth of the demon's body seep into his own. The world outside seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in their cocoon of comfort. Knox's strong arms wrapped around him, holding him securely against his chest. His fingers traced gentle patterns on Adrian's back. "I'll never leave you," he murmured into Adrian's hair, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through Adrian's entire being.

The words wrapped around Adrian like a warm blanket, dispelling any lingering doubts as he listened to the steady beat of Knox's heart under his ear.

His breathing slowed, syncing with Knox's as he drifted off to sleep, happy, for once, with his new reality.

Daniel crept down the unfamiliar stairs of the Airbnb, his bare feet silent against the wooden steps. The sun hadn't fully risen yet, casting long shadows through the windows. A metallic clang from the living room made him jump.

Leon knelt on the floor, wrestling with what looked like pieces of a wire cage.

"Need help?" Daniel moved to steady the wobbling structure.

"Thanks." Leon showed him a grateful smile. "These things can be finicky."

Together they clicked the final panels into place. "What's this for?"

"My guinea pig, Nutmeg. I'm having her moved here today." Leon adjusted the water bottle in the cage. "Been staying with my neighbor since everything went down."

"You have a guinea pig?"

"Had two, actually. But old age..." Leon glanced aside. "Need to find her a new friend soon. They're social creatures."

"I never knew." Daniel sat cross-legged on the floor, picking up a small wooden guinea pig house.

"A community where people lust over hot fictional guys didn't seem like the right place to talk about my guinea pigs." Leon shrugged, then took a closer look at Daniel. "You're up early. Is everything okay?"

"Can't sleep."

"Because of…?"

"The kidnapping?" Daniel forced a laugh. "Yeah, quite the experience. But I'll get over it."

He focused on placing a hay rack in the cage, avoiding Leon's concerned gaze. The truth burned in his throat —how Caelen's touch burned him in his dreams, how his voice haunted every quiet moment. How sometimes, in the stillness before dawn, his fingers itched to steal the artifact from Lyrian.

To bring the Shadow King back.