Page 21 of Knotted By the Demon

Wait. What?

He placed the dirty napkin on the tray and grabbed a clean one. His hand reached out, the tip of the napkin brushing my chin to catch a stray droplet. His touch lingered, then drifted lower, his thumb grazing my jawline as he cleaned me. I held myself completely still, not moving, not breathing, unable to believe an alpha was cleaning up my mess.

His fingers shifted lower, wiping at the droplets on my chest and stomach, and then...

I stiffened as his hand grazed over my boxers, still cleaning me. His thumb accidentally brushed over my cock. The shockof that touch sent a spark racing through my veins. A strangled noise slipped out of my mouth, a groan, low and needy.

Demon's hand stilled, his eyes widening as he looked down, realizing where his fingers had settled. I felt my cheeks flush as his hand remained where it was, unmoving over the outline of my hardness. Part of my swollen tip was peeking through the slit in my boxers. And that just so happened to be the part his hand landed on.

His napkin was on my boxers, but his hand, his palm, was slightly touching my cock. His fingers twitched as if he couldn’t believe what he was feeling, the warmth of my arousal hot against his skin.

I shivered, trying to swallow down the tremors running through me. I wasn’t in heat. And yet, here I was, desperate for an alpha’s touch, wishing he’d slide his hand into the slit of my boxers and grip my cock.

Just thinking that had me leaking.Damn it!This was new, unexpected, and so unlike me. I knew the moment he felt the wetness against his hand. Demon’s expression shifted, a flicker of something primal crossing his face before he quickly pulled his hand back. With his hand gone, I suddenly felt cold. A whimper escaped me before I could swallow it down.

Demon rushed to his feet, grabbing the tray as he muttered, “I’ll take that glass if you’re done.”

My heart still pounded, but I nodded, my gaze never leaving him. Moving slowly, I reached out to hand him the glass, our fingers brushing. It was the slightest contact, but I felt it reverberate through me, every nerve in my body flaring at his warmth. His gaze flicked to mine, and I caught the faintest growl, low and vibrating, spilling from his lips.

Then, as quickly as he’d touched me, he withdrew, his jaw clenched as he all but bolted from the room, leaving me to stare after him, his scent growing stronger, defying the blocker tryingto suppress it. My mouth watered, and I shuddered to think how delicious he’d smell once that blocker wore off. I didn’t look away until Sofia’s voice broke the silence.

“Now that was hot,” she murmured, her voice laced with amusement.

My cheeks flamed with embarrassment, but when I glanced her way, I saw the glint of teasing in her eyes. A smile tugged at my lips, realizing she’d thrown my words from earlier back at me. Words I’d spoken while I thought I was dreaming. This was no dream. That was hard to believe since my reality hadn’t felt as warm as this in a very long time.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, leaning forward, her gaze warm and genuine.

I hesitated, caught off guard by the question. No one had truly cared about my well-being in, well... a long damn time. It took me a moment to find my voice. But instead of answering, I asked a question of my own.

“How areyoufeeling?” I countered, my gaze drifting down to the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles.

She laughed, rolling her eyes as she glanced down at her restraints. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to demand he free me as soon as he returns.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. “But if I’m honest, I don’t think he tied me up to be mean or kidnapperish. I think he restrained me to keep me from attacking him.”

A memory rushed back to me from brief moments of consciousness. A memory of me being slung over the alpha’s shoulder while Sofia’s voice rang out, fierce and furious, as she demanded he release me.

“Thank you,” I said softly, meeting her gaze. “Thank you for fighting for me.”

A hint of a smile touched her lips as she gave me a shrug. “Anytime. Sorry, I didn’t win.”

I smiled back at her, feeling something warm unfurl in my chest. She’d fought for me, protected me even though she barely knew me. Though I was thankful, a small, selfish part of me felt grateful she hadn’t won. If she had, we wouldn’t be here, where it was warm and where there was food and an alpha to protect us.

Though I was still nervous of Demon, my body knew he wasn’t like any alpha I’d ever encountered. For starters, he seemed just as skittish around me as I was around him. Plus, when I made a mess,he’dcleaned it up instead of yelling or hitting me. Then there was the way he listened to the beautiful beta, doing as she said without reprimanding her for ordering him around. I’d never met an alpha like him before.

“Thinking about our alpha?” she asked, voice low.

Our alpha.I blushed. I couldn’t help it. Her words and her chuckle were so damn sweet.

“He’s kind of hot, isn’t he?” she asked.

Hot?Yeah, he was kind of hot! He was huge, his body a wall of muscle that looked carved from stone, every ridge and scar a story I’d never have the courage to ask about. His skin was tan, marked with faint scratches and deep scars that told of battles I couldn’t imagine surviving.

His face was strikingly handsome. A jagged scar ran along the side of his jaw, adding a layer of menace to his chiseled features. His nose had been broken at least once, slightly crooked but somehow perfect for him.

His stubble was dark and rough, matching the shadows lurking in his piercing blue eyes – eyes so bright they seemed unnatural, like shards of ice that could cut through you with a glance. They made me feel exposed. Made me feel like he could see every broken part of me.

His hair was wild and dark, just long enough to curl at the edges. As he’d fed me, I’d wanted to reach out and touch it, to seeif it was as soft as it looked, but I didn’t dare. Every part of him radiated power, but not the kind that begged for attention.

It was effortless, dangerous, as if he didn’t have to prove how strong he was because the world already knew. I’d never felt so small, so safe, and so terrified all at once. Hot? Yeah, the alpha was hot. But he was also so much more.

---