Page 41 of Knotted By the Demon

I had no reason to think they’d suddenly show up here. Lawrence, the store owner, would’ve warned me if there’d been any sniffing around. He’d been reliable so far, feeding me information in exchange for cash. That thought soothed some of the panic, enough to keep me moving.

I pushed the cart forward, forcing myself to continue shopping. And then I saw it: the aisle of knick-knacks. My cart stalled as I stood there, staring at rows of little figurines and trinkets that seemed so out of place in my life. Yet I couldn’t pull myself away. My fingers twitched as I reached for a small ceramic fox.

Its sly grin and pointed ears reminded me of Sofia.My sly fox. I turned it over in my hands, tracing the smooth edges of the figure before placing it in the cart. Next was a rabbit, its ears drooping, its expression soft and shy. The resemblance to Greek was ridiculous, but it also felt... right.

I picked it up, the delicate porcelain fragile in my large hands. My chest tightened as I imagined him smiling when he saw it. I added it to the cart without another thought. I shouldn’t have stopped. I should’ve walked away from this aisle and kept things practical.Food. Clothes. Nothing more.

But my hand hesitated again, landing on a bear figurine. A gruff-looking thing, stocky and solid, its tiny eyes almost the same color as mine. Sofia had called me a bear.A nickname. Itshouldn’t have mattered, but it did. More than it should have. The bear went into the cart, too.

I stood there for a moment, staring down at the figurines nestled between cans of soup and folded sweaters. They looked ridiculous. I looked ridiculous. What the hell was I doing? I wasn’t the type to pick out gifts, let alone obsess over which trinkets my future bond mates might like.

But the idea of seeing Sofia’s mischievous grin widen when she spotted the fox or Greek’s shy, surprised expression at the rabbit made me happy I’d chosen the items. It wasn’t just about the gifts. It was about the thought of them staying. Of giving them a reason to stay. No, it wasn’t even just that.

I wanted them to be happy. I wanted to be the reason they were happy. I wanted them to be happy to be with me. Was that even possible? With a frustrated grunt, I pushed the cart forward. I hated how much this mattered to me. How much they mattered. I hadn’t even known either of them for a full twenty-four hours.

Yet the beast within me had already proclaimed themMINE. At the register, the store owner, Lawrence, was waiting. The older man nodded as I approached, his salt-and-pepper hair cropped short, his muscular frame still imposing despite his age. The tattoo on his neck peeked out from the collar of his shirt, an old military insignia.

“Good timing,” Lawrence said, his deep voice calm. “Storm’s coming in fast. I’m about to board up the place.”

I grunted, placing the items on the counter. Lawrence raised an eyebrow as he rang me up, his eyes flicking to the fox, bunny, and bear figurines. He didn’t say anything, but the corner of his mouth twitched like he was holding back a smile. I ignored it.

“Got a few more jugs of water in the back,” he said, nodding toward the storage room. “Flashlights too, if you need’em.Should’ve come earlier. Most of the shelves have been wiped clean.”

“I’m good,” I replied, though I let him grab the water and flashlights anyway.

It wasn’t like I was running low, but having extras wouldn’t hurt. Especially now that I was no longer alone.

As he loaded the jugs onto the counter, I asked, “Any chatter I should know about?”

Lawrence paused, his brow furrowing slightly as he scanned the last of my items. “Nothing local. But I heard something about a pack compound getting hit a town over. Black Fang Pack.”

“Who attacked them?”

“Don’t know yet,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Got a guy looking into it. They were a nasty bunch, though. Full of alphas who thought they ran the world. I heard they’d been trying to breed omegas. Good riddance, if you ask me.”

I nodded, wondering if that was where Greek had escaped from. Not likely. How would he have made it this far in his condition? I didn’t ask about my issue. If anyone were sniffing around for me, Lawrence would know.

For now, I was safe. I paid for the items, then added a little more for the information and helped him load my stuff into my truck. As I climbed into the driver’s seat, Lawrence waved me off.

“Stay safe, Demon. Storm’s gonna be a bad one.”

I nodded and drove off, the backseat of the truck loaded with pillows, blankets, food, snacks, and those damned trinkets. The trinkets.A fox, a rabbit, and a bear. My chest felt lighter than it had in days, and I couldn’t stop the small smile that crept across my face. The thought of seeing Sofia and Greek again filled me with something I couldn’t quite name.

All I knew was that I was already counting down the minutes until I could get back to them. Until I could get home.

***

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SOFIA

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The oversized clothing hung off me like I’d raided a giant’s wardrobe. The white t-shirt, soft and worn, billowed around my frame, the hem nearly brushing my knees. It wasn’t entirely a bad look, but it needed something to stop me from drowning in the fabric. Grabbing the back of the shirt, I pulled it tight and then twisted it into a knot, tying it securely to give it some semblance of shape.

The transformation wasn’t revolutionary or worthy of a photoshoot, but at least I didn’t look like I was playing dress-up in Demon’s clothes. The pants were another challenge entirely. The waistband was comically loose, sliding down to my hips with every step. I folded it over once, twice, then a third time until it sat snugly enough to stay put.

The length was another issue. They pooled around my feet like puddles. I rolled the cuffs up as high as they would go, but they still dragged slightly. I could work with it, though. The cozy material felt nice against my skin, and I couldn’t help butimagine Demon wearing these clothes, his scent lingering faintly on the fabric.

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