Page 42 of Knotted By the Demon

Greek wasn’t faring much better. His t-shirt hung off his lean frame, the neckline slightly too wide, exposing one sharp collarbone. The pants he wore had been folded at the waist so many times that they looked bulky, and the legs still bunched at his ankles despite his best efforts. I took a step closer to him, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

“Hold still,” I said, grabbing the fabric and tying a knot at his side to make it fit better on his shoulders. It wasn’t a knot like mine, but it helped. While working, my fingers brushed his waist, and his cheeks flushed a delightful pink. “There. Now you look less like a kid swimming in his dad’s clothes.”

Greek ducked his head, mumbling a soft, “Thanks.”

His shy smile tugged at my heartstrings, and I had to resist the urge to ruffle his hair. Once we’d wrestled our outfits into some semblance of order, we decided to explore the bedrooms. The guest room was first. It was plain, almost sad in its simplicity. A standard-sized bed sat in the center of the room, draped in brown sheets without so much as a comforter to make it inviting. In the corner, a lone chest stood, its wooden surface scuffed and worn.

I wrinkled my nose. “Well, it’s functional, I guess.”

Greek ran his fingers over the chest, but he didn’t open it. “It’s... not bad.”

Those words made me wonder how bad his living conditions had been. But he was right, this wasn’t bad at all. And I needed to make sure I didn’t scoff or frown at anything in Demon’s home. I didn’t want to offend him or Greek. Not everyone had grown up like I had. I needed to remember that.

“Let’s check Demon’s room,” I suggested, already tugging him by the hand.

He followed without protest, his warmth a comforting presence at my side. Demon’s room wasn’t much more impressive. However, it had a certain charm to it. The king-sized bed immediately caught my attention, its sheer size making me pause. That was a bed all three of us could roll around in without anyone falling onto the floor.

I liked it. I liked it a lot. There was also a dresser against one wall, and a chest similar to the one in the guest room sat at the foot of the bed. Everything was simple, practical, but it was the faint trace of Demon’s scent that made the room feel more alive.

I grinned, nudging Greek with my elbow. “We could all fit in that bed, you know.”

Greek’s face turned crimson, his ears practically glowing as he stammered, “S-Sofia!”

I laughed, flopping onto the bed and inhaling deeply. Demon’s scent was there, faint but unmistakable. It wrapped around me like a warm hug, though the lingering scent of blockers dulled the full effect.

“His bed smells like him,” I murmured, shivering at the thought of catching his true scent.

Greek hesitated, then sat beside me, his hands folded neatly in his lap. “This room feels... safe,” he said softly, and I knew then that we’d made our choice.

We would sleep in this room! We left the room and returned to the living room, where Greek perched on the couch. I sat down beside him, then noticed one of his bandages slipping loose, the edges curling away from his skin.

“Hold still,” I said, nodding to the bandage. “Let me find the kit.”

It didn’t take long to locate the supplies Demon had used to patch him up. The closet was small and organized, and the bandages and antiseptic were neatly arranged. I returned toGreek, kneeling in front of him as I carefully peeled away the old bandage.

“I-I can do it,” Greek stammered.

“Do you want to do it, or would you like me to take care of you?” I asked, wanting him to stop thinking he had to do everything for himself. “If you don’t want me to do it, I won’t. But if you like having me do it, then I’ll gladly do it,” I added.

“I don’t want you to get tired of me or think I’m weak.”

“Never,” I told him.

The wounds beneath were already healing, the edges knitting together in a way that made me envy omega and alpha biology.

“You’re healing fast,” I remarked, cleaning the area before reapplying fresh bandages. “I wish I could heal like this.”

Greek tilted his head, a small smile playing at his lips. “Betas who’ve been claimed by alphas heal faster, too.”

I couldn’t stop my grin. “Then maybe I’ll heal faster soon.”

His blush returned, but he said nothing, letting me finish. Once I was done, I returned the supplies, washed and dried my hands, and then sat beside him again. He seemed more relaxed now. But the silence in the room was driving me crazy.

To fill the silence, I launched into a story about my family, describing my parents and their careers, painting a picture of the loving chaos I’d grown up in. Greek listened intently, his eyes bright with curiosity. When I told him about leaving home to find my own way, his expression softened.

“That was brave of you,” he muttered.

“Brave or stupid,” I teased, though my smile faltered as I recalled the hunger that had driven me to steal from Demon.

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