Page 27 of Knotted By the Demon

The crinkles at the corners of his piercing blue eyes softened the intensity that normally defined his face. That rugged, stoic mask he always wore was gone, replaced by something raw, something real. The curve of his lips, wicked and slightly uneven, was as intoxicating as the smoky, earthy scent that clung to him.

I wanted to reach out and trace that smile, feel the way it tilted at just the right angle to make my chest ache in ways I didn’t understand. I wanted to be the reason he smiled like that. Every day. Forever. My omega purred in agreement, a warmth spreading through me that made my knees weak.

Demon wasn’t just handsome; he was breathtaking. I’d thought his growly demeanor was captivating, that his raw power was what drew me to him. But this? This laughter, this softness? It made him irresistible. He wasn’t just an alpha who could protect us. He was someone I wanted to make happy, someone I wanted to cherish and be cherished by in return.

My omega stirred, a warm pulse that rippled through me, insistent and undeniable. My omega wanted to be closer to Demon, to touch him, to breathe him in. The alpha’s laughter softened into a smirk, the lingering trace of amusement dancing across his features, but my gaze remained glued to the way his lips moved, to the play of light in his eyes.

Laughter looked good on him, and now that I’d seen it, I craved it like air. I wanted to work together with Sofia to make him laugh again and again, to be part of a world where this alpha wasn’t just growls and tension but this softer, lighter version of himself. Demon shook his head slightly, seeming just as surprised by the laughter that had burst from him as we were.

But his smile didn’t fade. If anything, it grew wider, brighter. His teeth flashed, perfect and straight, and it did something dangerous to my already scattered thoughts. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away before I embarrassed myself further. My gaze dropped to the floor, but my traitorous eyes darted back up almost instantly.

I was utterly unable to resist the pull of that face, that laugh, that man. The way his shoulders relaxed, the tension melting away as if her joke had erased some invisible weight he’d been carrying or helped ease the tension in the room. I swear Sofia was a miracle worker. A beautiful, sweet-smelling miracle worker.

“Wow,” Sofia whispered, her voice laced with awe. “I didn’t know you had a laugh like that, big guy. If I’d known, I would’ve come onto your property and tried to fight you sooner.”

His smile turned into a wicked smirk, still watching her with that amused twinkle in his eyes. “It’s funny that you think youalmostbeat me up.”

“Oh, I did. You had to karate chop me, which is technically cheating, in order to stop me from taking you down.”

“Not true,” he told her. “I did that to keep you from hurting yourself and making me drop the omega... Greek.”

She shook her head. “I saw the fear in your eyes, big guy.”

“That was irritation, Little Fox.”

“Fox?” She said, smirking. “Is that because I called you a big bear of an alpha?”

Bear. Fox. How cute. I wanted one. I wanted a nickname.

“No,” Demon countered. “It’s because you’re sly, like a fox. You’ve been stealing from my traps for a while now, and I’ve finally caught you.”

Oh, wait. These two had history.

“You wouldn’t have caught me if I hadn’t stopped to help Greek,” Sofia countered.

“I’d planned to hunt you down last night, Little Fox. The only reason I didn’t was because I found Greek, unconscious and wounded, hiding in the bushes like a little rabbit. And I knew if I didn’t help him, he’d die.”

Little Rabbit. That was me. That was my nickname. And I loved it.A cute fox. A shy rabbit. And a growly bear.They had to see how perfect this was, didn’t they? It couldn’t just be me and my omega’s wild imagination. Right?

“You wouldn’t have caught me,” Sofia replied snarkily.

“Says the fox who has already been caught,” he smirked.

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted, mouth forming a perfectOas she realized she was indeed standing in a cozy, warm bear trap. I wanted to add something to the conversation, to tease them both or make them laugh. But my throat felt too tight. My chest felt too full. I was caught in the web of my own emotions, tangled up in feelings I hadn’t let myself dream of having.

No. Ihadlet myself dream. I’d dreamed of this, exactly this. I was happy. Neither of them was talking to me, and still, I was... happy. Their presence made me happy. This environment, with playful banter, cute nicknames, and laughter, made me happy. I... I truly hadn’t known this type of environment still existed in this cruel world.

Demon turned his gaze to me then, and I froze, pinned under the weight of his attention. His smile softened just a little, but it didn’t vanish. My heart did something strange, fluttering like it was trying to escape my ribcage and join his.

“You okay, Greek?” His voice was softer than I expected, almost gentle.

I nodded quickly, unsure if I could trust my voice. Okay? No. I wasn’t okay. I was falling, spiraling, and I didn’t know how to stop it. My omega didn’t want to stop. My omega wanted him—wanted us—to belong to him.

“I think you broke him, Demon,” Sofia said, grinning as she looked between us. “Your smile was too much for his poor omega heart to handle.”

Her words brought heat to my cheeks, but Demon’s chuckle brought something else entirely. That sound, low and rich, was like a warm hand brushing against my skin. I wanted to bask in it, to wrap myself in it, to hear it every day for the rest of my life.

Demon tilted his head slightly, his blue eyes narrowing as though he were trying to read my thoughts. I fought the urge to squirm under his gaze, but I couldn’t fight the small smile that tugged at my lips. He’d laughed, and it had been because of us. Because of Sofia, yes, but I’d been here to witness it, to feel it.

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