Page 14 of Alec in Wonderland (Rainbow Tales #1)
Alec reminded himself for the fifth time that he wasn't there for romance. And if he was going to seduce the Knave of Hearts, he had to do so with information gathering in mind. So, as they strode through the corridors together, Alec concentrated on ways to bring up the Vorpal Sword without bringing it up. How could he get Bax to tell him where the Queen kept her most prized possession? It wasn't exactly pillow talk.
“This is the best guest suite we have.” Sir Baxenvir opened a door and ushered Alex inside. “I think you'll be comfortable here.”
Alec stepped past Bax, into the room, and looked around. It wasn't just one room but a suite, entered through a room Alec equated to a living room. It had the prerequisite couch and chairs along with a fireplace and some random tables. He went through the first room and into the bedroom beyond. The bed was something he expected to find in a castle—four posters, wood, carved, all the stuff. It even had curtains. The rest of the furniture featured a lot of hearts but, thankfully, wasn't red like most things in the fortress. The bed linens were white, very luxury-hotel.
French doors Alec him out to a balcony where the rose vines crept in from all sides. The top of the stone railing was blessedly free of plant life, so Alec could lean upon it and look out over the Card Kingdoms. Card Kingdom? He wasn't sure if they were still a plural or was now a single but he was leaning toward single. That's what happens when one country absorbs another right? Or maybe not. Ugh. Whatever the land was called, he liked the view.
To the left was the Tulgeren Woods, and somewhere within them, a branch of the White Chess Army waited for Alec to reach his full potential. Beyond that, the White Castle loomed, its spires glinting in the light. Alec thought that was unfortunate—the enemies within sight of each other. That had to cause mental issues. But directly ahead of Alec was a patchwork of villages and farms. So peaceful and not at all what he expected to find.
“Pretty, isn't it?” Sir Baxenvir asked as he leaned a hip next to Alec.
Speaking of the unexpected.
Alec looked over to find the knight staring at him. Oh, those eyes. Like a venomous snake and yet so beautiful. He knew they were a warning. The Knave of Hearts was poisonous. That's what his eyes said. He could draw blood in an instant. But that bright stare also promised Alec things he suspected they had never promised before. Things that would make poison palatable.
“Yes. It's a lovely view.” Alec turned to look at a better one. “How long have you been the Knave of Hearts?”
Bax frowned and swallowed. “A while.”
“That long, eh?” Alec teased.
One corner of the Knave's mouth lifted, as if it were relearning how to smile.
“You love her, don't you?”
The Knave lost that tremulous smile.
“It's not a critique,” Alec said. “I think it's admirable.”
“You do?”
“Yes. She's very lucky to have earned such unwavering love and loyalty from you.”
Baxenvir stared at Alec. “She . . . she has suffered. She needs love more than others.”
“Do you mean because of her husband?”
“Yes. She watched him die.” Bax turned to face the railing, his hands spreading over the stone. “We all did. And we all mourned our king. But Queen Satana has never stopped mourning. She can't let go.”
Alec cleared his throat. “Her name is Satana?”
“Yes. You didn't know?”
“I've only heard her referred to as the Queen of Hearts.” Alec pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
Satana? Really? Did Wonderland mimic his world? Or maybe tease it a bit? An evil queen dressed in red who went by the name Satana? Come on! And Alec had even seen some card soldiers carrying spears that looked a lot like pitchforks.
“Yes, I suppose there are few who use her given name.” Bax turned back to Alec. “You made her laugh. Thank you for that.”
Alec blinked. “She doesn't laugh?”
“No. Not genuine laughter. Sometimes she'll laugh cruelly or wickedly, but not with any real joy. Cheshire has made her laugh like that, but it's rare, and it took him a while to get her there. You, however, made her laugh within seconds of meeting her. Now, that's something I find admirable. Admirable and enviable.”
“I made you smile too.” Alec leaned in. “That was within seconds of meeting you. And I feel prouder about that.”
The Knave of Hearts focused on Alec, his chest rising and falling as his lips parted. Alec's stare dropped to those rosy lips. They looked velvet-soft. Probably the softest thing about the knight. Bax made a broken sound, tore his gaze away from Alec, and then strode into the bedroom.
Alec watched him go, wondering if that was a good sign or a bad one. He decided to find out. Striding in after the Knave, he asked, “Are you running away from me?”
The Knave froze in his tracks. The wings—Alec had a splendid view of them now and could see how they emerged from recesses in the armor—shivered again. Then Bax turned to face Alec. His eyes caught the sunlight and flashed neon green. It sent a thrill down Alec's spine, and he walked to the knight in a daze.
As soon as he was within range, the Knave struck, grabbing Alec by the chin. He turned Alec's head to the angle he desired and bent to claim him. And it was a claiming. Alec felt their kiss down to his toes. That demanding tongue lashed at his until Alec responded with a groan and wrapped his arms around the knight. He didn't care that cold metal met his questing fingers or that Bax's breastplate dug into him. He found the edge of the armor, hooked his fingers over it, and pulled harder. Drawing the Knave closer, Alec ground his sudden and startling erection against the curved metal covering Bax's crotch. No softness to be found except in those lips, just as Alec suspected. Just as he hoped.
The Knave brought his right hand to Alec's hip, holding him briefly there before sliding back. Down. And then a firm squeeze. Alec cried out into Bax's mouth. Why was that fucking leather so sexy? It was like making out with the Tin Man, but Alec loved it. And Bax sensed it. He growled in response. Slashed his mouth over Alec's. They clutched at each other. Fed from each other. Then Bax pushed Alec away.
The Knave of Hearts stared at his new obsession as he tried to find something sensible to ground himself with. But there was no sense to be found. As a child of Wonderland, this felt natural to Bax. He knew that when there was no sense, the brain could retreat and the heart take over. The problem was that the Knave had obsessed over his queen for so long that he didn't know how to let his heart take control. He thought she owned it. That she would be the only one to ever own his heart. Then this man sauntered into the fortress and suddenly, his queen was talking about Bax's heart being available for the claiming. Was it? If so, it had to be a withered, hardened thing. Would Mal even want it?
“I'll return in two hours to escort you to dinner.” Bax backed away, his hand reaching behind him to open the door. “Dress well. You'll be dining with the Queen of Hearts.” He paused, then added, “And me.” With that, he turned and left Alec's room.
“Well,” Alec said to himself. “That was interesting.”