Page 28 of Knot My Wonderland, Part Two (Fairytale Omegaverse #2)

Chapter

Sixteen

ALICE

I sat under a tree, its silver and blue leaves keeping my attention as I wondered.

I was told to take a break but I felt like I was wasting time.

The pattern hummed beneath my skin, responding to my restless energy with gentle pulses of encouragement.

Even during this enforced break, it was showing me things—fragments of technique, glimpses of how previous bearers had channeled its power in moments of crisis.

But unlike the chaotic visions I'd experienced after the temporal bonding, these felt purposeful, educational.

"You're not wasting time," Heart's voice came from behind me, his footsteps soft on the silver grass as he approached. "Your mind needs space to process what you've learned."

I didn't turn around, still watching the crystalline leaves shift in the pocket's strange breeze. "People are suffering while I sit here. The Queen is spreading her poison through Wonderland, and I'm... resting."

Heart settled beside me and sighed, before pulling me into his lap, Through our bond, I felt his understanding mixed with concern. "Alice, you've been training non-stop for six days. Even the pattern needs time to integrate the new connections you're forming."

I leaned back against his chest, feeling the golden warmth of our bond pulsing between us.

The past six days had been intense beyond anything I could have imagined—communion with the pattern for hours at a time, learning to channel its ancient knowledge into practical application.

My progress had surprised everyone, including myself.

"I keep seeing them," I admitted quietly, watching silver and gold light trace delicate patterns across my fingers. "The people the Queen is hurting because of me. The scrying sphere shows me more each time I create it."

Heart's arms tightened around me, his chin resting on top of my head. "Not because of you, Alice. Because of her obsession, her refusal to accept loss."

"The distinction feels meaningless to those being dragged from their homes for questioning," I replied, silver and gold light flickering beneath my skin in response to my emotional turmoil. The pattern sensed my distress, offering wordless comfort like a friend placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"I know," Heart said softly, his golden patterns pulsing in harmony with mine. "The guilt is natural, but it's also misplaced. My mother has been building toward this moment for centuries. You're not the cause—you're the first real hope we've had to stop her."

Through our bond, I felt his absolute certainty in those words, his faith in me unwavering despite everything. It helped, but didn't completely banish the knot of responsibility coiled in my chest.

"The pattern is showing me things," I said, flexing my fingers to watch the light respond. "Possibilities that are... terrifying in their scope. I could reshape reality itself, Heart. I am scared.”

Heart's fingers traced gentle patterns on my arm, his touch warm against my skin. "Of course you're scared. That kind of power should be frightening. It's those who aren't afraid of it that we should worry about."

"Like your mother," I murmured, watching our combined light create intricate geometries in the air between us.

"Precisely." His voice was gentle against my hair. "She sees power as her right, control as her inheritance. You see it as responsibility—that's why the pattern chose you."

I closed my eyes, feeling the pattern's presence like a warm current flowing through my veins.

Since our first true communion, it had become less a separate entity and more an extension of my own consciousness—not controlling, but enhancing, offering perspectives and memories that spanned millennia.

"What if I'm not ready when the time comes?" I whispered, my emotions everywhere as I talked, "What if I am not strong enough to face her when it matters?"

Heart's golden patterns flared with protective warmth.

"Then we'll face her together. You're not meant to carry this burden alone, Alice.

" Through our bond, I felt his absolute resolve—not just to protect me, but to stand beside me when the moment came.

The pattern responded to his certainty, silver and gold light weaving between us in configurations that spoke of unity rather than isolation.

"She will try to separate us," I said, the knowledge flowing from the pattern's accumulated wisdom. "It's her oldest strategy—divide and conquer, isolate and control."

"Let her try," Heart growled low his grip on me tightening, “I know myself and the others wouldn’t let that happen.” I gave a nod, curling more into him at his words.

"Besides," Heart added, his voice lightening slightly, "you've made remarkable progress. The communion with the pattern is deeper than anything the Tweedles have witnessed before. Even Chi is impressed, and you know how difficult that is to achieve."

I smiled despite my worries, remembering Chi's grudging admission yesterday that my reality-phasing exercises were "adequate for a beginner." From him, that was practically effusive praise.

"The Void bond is strengthening too," Heart continued, his ruby eyes studying the faint threads of darkness that occasionally wove through my silver and gold patterns. "Seth's connection to you grows each day, even without formal completion."

I tensed slightly at the mention of Seth.

The incomplete bond with him was... complicated.

Unlike the warm certainty of my connections with Heart, Chi, and the Tweedles, the Void bond felt like standing at the edge of an abyss—not threatening, but profound in its implications.

Every time I touched that connection, I glimpsed facets of Seth that others rarely saw—the ancient loneliness beneath his calculated facade, the fierce protectiveness he concealed behind cryptic remarks.

"I don't know if I'm ready to complete that bond," I admitted quietly, watching the occasional shadow weave through my light patterns. "The Void Court... there's so much I still don't understand about them."

"The Void bond is different from the others," Heart acknowledged, his fingers tracing circles on my arm. "It requires a deeper surrender, a willingness to face aspects of yourself you might prefer to ignore."

I nodded, remembering what little Seth had shared about the Void Court's nature.

They existed in the spaces between defined realities, in the shadows that gave form to light.

Their magic wasn't about creation or connection, but about balance—ensuring that for every beginning there was an ending, for every light a darkness.

"I trust Seth," I said, surprised to find I meant it completely. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to face what the bond would reveal about me."

Heart's hand stilled on my arm, his voice thoughtful. "The pattern seems to think otherwise."

He was right. Whenever I communed with the pattern, it showed me configurations that included all five bonds—heart, mind, time, earth, and void. The ancient consciousness seemed to believe that complete balance required all aspects, not just those I found comfortable.

"Five days left," I murmured, watching the impossible sky above us where sun and stars coexisted in peaceful contradiction. "Do you think it's enough time?"

"For complete mastery? No," Heart answered honestly. "For what you'll need to face my mother? I believe so."

I shifted in his lap so I could straddle him and we could be facing one another while we talked.

Heart's hands settled naturally on my waist as I repositioned myself, his ruby eyes studying my face with gentle intensity.

The golden bond between us pulsed with warmth, carrying undertones of affection that made my breath catch.

"You've changed," he observed quietly, his fingers tracing the silver and gold patterns that now glowed more visibly beneath my skin. "Not just the magic—you. There's a confidence there that wasn't present before."

I considered his words, feeling the truth of them. The frightened girl who had stumbled into Wonderland seemed like a distant memory now. The pattern's influence had awakened something fundamental in me—not just power, but purpose.

"The pattern shows me who I could become," I said, my hands finding their way to his chest where his own golden light pulsed beneath the fabric of his shirt. "Sometimes I think it sees me more clearly than I see myself.”

Heart's ruby eyes softened, his golden light pulsing brighter where my fingers touched his chest. "That's its gift—perspective beyond our limited vision. It sees the threads connecting all possibilities."

"Including us?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended. The question had been hovering between us for days, unspoken but present in every shared glance, every lingering touch.

Heart's hands tightened slightly at my waist, his expression growing serious.

"Especially us." Through our bond, I felt a surge of emotion—not just affection, but something deeper, more complex.

"The pattern has shown me things too, Alice.

Not like it shows you….but it has given me hope…

possibilities that I never dared hope for. "

My pulse quickened as I leaned slightly closer, the silver and gold light beneath my skin responding to my emotions with gentle waves that reached toward his golden patterns. "What kind of possibilities?"

Instead of answering with words, Heart leaned forward, his lips finding mine in a kiss that felt like coming home.

The golden bond between us flared brilliantly, warmth flooding through my veins as our patterns synchronized in perfect harmony.

Unlike our previous hesitant moments, this kiss held certainty—a declaration rather than a question.

I melted against him, my hands sliding up to tangle in his hair as the pattern beneath my skin responded with joyful intensity. Silver and gold light spiraled outward from where our bodies connected, creating a cocoon of radiance that transformed the air around us into a shimmering possibility.

"This," Heart whispered against my lips when we finally broke apart. "Us. A future where we stand together, not just against my mother, but for Wonderland's renewal. You and all of us that are bound to you, whole."

Through our strengthened bond, I felt the depth of what he was offering—not just affection or desire, but partnership in its truest sense. Smiling, I leaned forward this time, kissing him with all the emotions that I have bottled up.

Heart's response was immediate and overwhelming, his hands sliding up to cup my face as he deepened the kiss.

The golden bond between us sang with harmonious resonance, our patterns weaving together in configurations I'd never experienced before.

This wasn't just affection—it was recognition, acceptance, the profound relief of finding someone who understood both the power I carried and the person I remained beneath it.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, I rested my forehead against his. The silver grass around us had grown brighter, responding to our combined magical resonance with gentle luminescence.

"I can see myself fall in love with you," I whispered, the words carrying more weight than I'd expected. Not just the emotion, but a commitment—to this moment, to him, to whatever future we might build together.

Heart's ruby eyes blazed with an intensity that took my breath away. "And I can see the same. Though, I know you will be the same with the other four as well.” He paused, giving me a soft look, “Though, as long as I have a piece of your heart I find I don’t mind.”

The words sent warmth cascading through me, not jealousy or possessiveness but genuine acceptance. Through our bond, I felt his truth—he understood that the pattern had chosen me for bonds with all five courts, and rather than resenting that destiny, he embraced it.

"The Heart Court has always believed in abundance rather than scarcity," he continued, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my cheek. "Love shared doesn't diminish—it multiplies."

I kissed him again, softer this time, tasting gratitude and wonder on his lips. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with contentment, recognizing the harmony between us as something it had long hoped to witness.

"Alice." Chi's voice came from somewhere behind us, carefully neutral but tinged with something that might have been approval. "The Tweedles are requesting your presence. Something about temporal resonance patterns."

I reluctantly pulled away from Heart, my cheeks flushing as I turned to face Chi. His form flickered slightly, teal eyes gleaming with barely concealed amusement as his tail swished behind him.

"I can tell them you're otherwise occupied," he offered, his voice carrying a teasing lilt I rarely heard from him.

"No, it's fine," I said, sliding off Heart's lap with as much dignity as I could muster. The pattern beneath my skin continued to pulse with contentment, silver and gold light dancing in intricate patterns that reflected my emotional state. "Temporal resonance patterns sound important."

Heart rose beside me, his golden light still intertwined with mine where our hands remained connected.

"The Tweedles don't request things without reason," he agreed, though reluctance colored his tone.

Through our bond, I felt his desire to continue our moment together warring with practical understanding of our limited time.

Chi's tail curled in amusement. "Don't worry, Heart. I'm sure Alice will find time for... further discussions with you later." His teal eyes met mine with knowing warmth. "Though I hope you'll reserve similar conversations for the rest of us as well."

I blushed deeper, realizing that through our silver bond, Chi had likely sensed the emotional shift between Heart and me.

"Of course," I said, surprised by how much I meant it.

The pattern beneath my skin pulsed in agreement, reminding me, once again, that balance required all five connections, not just the ones that felt easiest.

As we followed Chi across the silver meadow toward where the Tweedles waited, Heart's hand remained firmly in mine, our patterns flowing together in harmonious light.

Through our strengthened bond, I felt his contentment mixed with anticipation—not just for our personal future but for the challenges we would face together.

The realization brought a smile to my lips despite the gravity of our situation.

Whatever came next, I wouldn't face it alone.