Page 42 of Knot My Wonderland, Part Two (Fairytale Omegaverse #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Six

ALICE

G iven how tired I was I couldn’t seem to fall asleep and I tried everything, even counting sheep, but nothing worked.

With a dramatic sigh, I sat up, and made my way through the silent cabin.

Hopefully being outside I can think and make myself tired.

I moved to the tree that wasn't that far away, rested my back against it, and looked at the dark sky with stars.

Even though this was a time pocket, but it still had days and nights.

The pattern beneath my skin pulsed gently in the starlight, silver and gold threads weaving lazy spirals across my arms as I sat beneath the crystal tree.

The artificial night sky above was beautiful in its own way—constellations that shifted slowly, painting stories across the darkness that seemed to respond to my emotional state.

I'd thought the evening's warmth and companionship would’ve settled my restless mind, but instead it had stirred up new questions.

Three days left in the pocket. Three days before we returned to face whatever chaos the Queen had sown in our absence.

Three days before I had to complete the Void bond with Seth.

The thought of Seth made the incomplete connection pulse with anticipation, shadows gathering at the edges of my vision despite the starlight.

Even here, in this protected space, I could feel his presence like a distant echo—patient, watchful, waiting for my decision.

"Can't sleep either?" I jumped at the sudden sound of Hearts.. I blinked up at him standing there with an eyebrow raised as he looked at me.

"You startled me," I said, pressing a hand to my racing heart. "I thought everyone was asleep."

Heart settled beside me beneath the crystal tree, his golden patterns casting warm light against the silver bark. "The bonds make it difficult to rest when one of us is restless," he explained gently. "Your thoughts have been... active."

I winced, remembering what they'd said about the pattern making emotions visible. "Sorry. I didn't mean to keep anyone awake."

"Don't apologize," Heart said, his shoulder brushing mine as he leaned back against the tree. "What's troubling you? Besides the obvious."

I considered his question, watching the shifting constellations overhead. "I just couldn’t make my mind go quiet. I just feel restless.”

Heart gave a hum, moving his arm as he grabbed me as he pulled me in his lap. I settled my back against Heart's chest, feeling his warmth seep through me as his arms encircled my waist. The golden bond between us pulsed with contentment, his steady heartbeat a calming rhythm beneath my ear.

"Better?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through his chest.

"Much," I admitted, letting myself relax into his embrace. The pattern beneath my skin responded to his proximity, silver and gold light flowing more harmoniously where we touched. "You didn't have to come out here."

"Yes, I did," Heart said simply, his chin resting atop my head. "The bond doesn't just carry emotions, Alice. It carries need. And you needed comfort."

Through our golden connection, I felt his certainty in those words—not obligation, but genuine desire to provide solace. His patterns wrapped around mine like a protective cocoon, shielding me from the rest of the world, even if just for this moment.

"It's strange," I murmured, watching our intertwined patterns of light dance across our skin. "How quickly this has become normal. Us. The bonds. Everything."

Heart's arms tightened slightly around me. "The pattern accelerates adaptation. It's a survival mechanism—allowing its bearers to adjust quickly to new realities."

"Is that all it is?" I asked quietly. "Just magical adaptation?"

I felt rather than saw his smile, a warm pulse through our bond.

"No. That's just the pattern's contribution.

The rest is..." he paused, searching for the right words, "genuine connection.

Something that would have happened regardless, though perhaps more slowly.

" The constellations above shifted in response to our conversation, stars rearranging themselves into patterns that echoed the light beneath our skin.

"What happens after?" I asked quietly, watching our shared light dance across our skin. "Assuming we defeat the Queen. What comes next?"

Heart was silent for a moment, his arms tightening slightly around me.

"Healing," he said finally. "For Wonderland. Though we may have to deal with the other kingdoms depending where they stand. The Diamond Kingdom and the Clubs Kingdom. Seth is King of Spades so we know there will be no resistance from him.”

"I'd assumed Seth's position would make things easier," I said, though the thought of facing the other kingdoms sent a chill through me. "What are they like? The Diamond and Clubs rulers?"

Heart's golden patterns flickered with uncertainty. "The King of Diamonds has always been about preservation and wealth rather than conquest…and he is a coward…though he does have power behind him. He likes to know how things work and loves knowledge."

"And the Clubs Kingdom?" I asked, trying to imagine these monarchs.

"More complicated," Heart admitted, his voice growing tense. "The Queen has old grievances against my mother, but she's also suspicious of any change to the current balance. She might see your rise as a threat to her own power…she also resists change in general."

The pattern beneath my skin darkened slightly with worry. "So we could end up fighting on multiple fronts."

"Possibly," Heart said, his arms tightening protectively around me. "But that's a later worry. My mother is the one that is the biggest threat.”

"And she's enough to worry about already," I sighed, leaning back against him. The pattern rippled beneath my skin with uneasy pulses, reflecting my anxiety about what lay ahead.

Heart's fingers traced soothing patterns along my arm, leaving trails of golden light in their wake. "One battle at a time, Alice. The Queen first. Then we'll deal with whatever comes next."

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the artificial stars shift and dance above us. The night was peaceful in the pocket, untouched by the corruption spreading through Wonderland. I tried to memorize this feeling—safety, connection, the steady beat of Heart's pulse against my back.

"Tell me something good," I said suddenly. "Something about Wonderland that isn’t battles and surviving.”

Heart's chest rose and fell beneath me as he considered my request, his golden patterns brightening with what felt like fondness.

"There are gardens in the Heart Kingdom," he said softly, his voice taking on a dreamy quality I'd never heard before.

"Crystal roses that sing when the morning light touches them.

The melody changes with the seasons—joyful in spring, languid in summer, melancholy but beautiful in autumn. "

I closed my eyes, letting his words paint pictures in my mind. "What do they sound like?"

"Like wind chimes made of laughter," he murmured, his fingers continuing their gentle patterns on my arm. "The First Queen planted them as a gift to my great-great-grandmother. They've been singing for over three centuries, never the same song twice."

The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with warmth at his description. "Do you think they still sing? Even with everything that has happened?"

Heart was quiet for a moment, his golden patterns dimming slightly. "I don't know," he admitted. "My mother's corruption has spread so far... but the crystal roses are old magic, protected by deep enchantments. I hope they survive."

Through our bond, I felt his uncertainty mixed with fierce longing. The gardens represented something precious from his past—a connection to the Heart Kingdom before it became a place of fear and blood magic.

"We'll find out together," I said firmly, turning in his arms to face him. "When this is over, you'll show me those singing roses."

His ruby eyes met mine in the starlight, hope flickering in their depths. "Promise?"

"Promise," I whispered, sealing it with a soft kiss that made our golden bond flare brilliantly between us.

When we broke apart, Heart's expression had transformed—no longer shadowed with worry but alight with something that made my breath catch. His golden patterns pulsed in perfect harmony with the silver and gold light beneath my skin, our magic intertwining like lovers embracing.

"Alice," he whispered, my name carrying reverence I'd never heard before. His hand came up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing across my lower lip with exquisite tenderness.

I turned my face into his touch, feeling the golden bond between us deepen with each heartbeat. The pattern beneath my skin responded eagerly, reaching toward his golden light with delicate tendrils that seemed to dance wherever we touched.

"I want to show you everything," Heart murmured, his ruby eyes holding mine in the starlight. "Not just the roses, but all of Wonderland as it should be—as it will be again.”

The depth of longing in his voice made something flutter in my chest. Through our bond, I felt his vision—not just the crystal roses, but markets bustling with laughter instead of fear, courts united in celebration rather than divided by terror, children playing freely without glancing over their shoulders for the Queen's guards.

"I'd like that," I whispered, my hand covering his where it rested against my cheek. "All of it."

Heart's golden patterns flared brighter, and suddenly the space between us felt charged with more than just magical energy. His thumb traced my lower lip again, this time with deliberate intent that made the pattern beneath my skin sing with anticipation.

"Alice," he breathed, leaning closer until I could feel the warmth of his breath against my lips. "May I...?"