Page 46 of Knot My Wonderland, Part Two (Fairytale Omegaverse #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

ALICE

I woke slowly the next morning having felt Heart get up and tell me to go back to bed.

I blinked a few times before drifting off again.

I didn’t know how much time passed before I was woken up again by light touches on my face.

Opening my eyes I was greeted with Chi sitting next to me on the bed, his finger ghosting over my cheek as he gave me a soft smile.

"Good morning, beautiful," Chi murmured, his teal eyes bright with affection as he studied my face. Through our silver bond, I felt his gentle amusement mixed with something deeper—approval, perhaps, or satisfaction at the changes he could sense in me.

I stretched languidly, immediately aware of the pleasant ache in my muscles and the warm pulse of the mating mark on my neck. Chi's eyes tracked the movement, his tail swishing as he took in the golden light now permanently woven through the pattern beneath my skin.

"How long did I sleep?" I asked, my voice still rough from the night's activities.

"Most of the morning," Chi replied, his fingers continuing their gentle exploration of my face. "Heart insisted we let you rest. Something about 'recovery time after significant magical bonding.'" His tone carried a hint of teasing that made me blush.

"You felt it.” I said, not really a question. The mark on my neck pulsed with gentle warmth, and I saw Chi's gaze flick to it with unmistakable approval.

"All of us did," he confirmed, his tail swishing lazily behind him. "The mating bond creates quite the resonance through the network. Heart was practically glowing when he came out for breakfast this morning."

I groaned, pulling a pillow over my face to hide my embarrassment. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?”

Chi's laughter was warm and rich as he gently tugged the pillow away from my face. "Oh, but why would you want to live it down?" His teal eyes sparkled with mischief as his tail curled around my wrist. "The way Heart described it, last night was rather... memorable."

"He told you details?" I squeaked, mortification flooding through me.

"Not specifics," Chi assured me quickly, though his grin remained wicked. "Just that you were... enthusiastic. And loud enough to wake half the forest."

I buried my face in my hands with another groan. "I'm never leaving this cabin again."

"Nonsense," Chi purred, his fingers working to pry my hands away from my burning cheeks. "You're forgetting—we're all rather invested in your happiness. Heart's satisfaction affects us all positively through the bond."

"I'm not sure that makes it less embarrassing," I muttered, though I allowed Chi to pull my hands away from my face. His teal eyes studied me with genuine warmth that helped ease my mortification.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," he said softly, his tail tightening reassuringly around my wrist. "The completion of a bond is beautiful. Sacred, even. We're happy for you both."

Through our silver connection, I felt the truth in his words—no jealousy or resentment, just sincere pleasure at the strengthening of the bonds between us all. The pattern beneath my skin responded to his emotions, silver and gold light reaching toward his silver glow with eager tendrils.

"It feels different," I admitted, watching our patterns intertwine where his tail wrapped around my wrist. "Not just the bond with Heart, but... everything.”

Chi nodded, his expression turning thoughtful.

"The first completed bond changes the entire network.

It's like... the difference between a sketch and a painting beginning to take on color.

" His fingers traced the golden light now permanently woven through my silver patterns.

"You're more stable now. More anchored."

I felt the truth of his words through our connection. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with a steadiness that hadn't been there before, as if Heart's golden bond had provided a foundation for the others to build upon.

"Does it change things between us?" I asked quietly, studying Chi's face for any sign of disappointment or regret.

His lips curved into that familiar mischievous smile.

"Only for the better, little Alice." His tail unwound from my wrist to trace the line of my jaw with surprising gentleness.

"Each bond is unique. What you share with Heart doesn't diminish what any of us have with you. We will be a pack with you at the center of it.”

"A pack," I echoed, the concept strong since I never thought I would have one mate and now I will end up having five if everything goes as planned. "I'm still getting used to all of this."

Chi's tail brushed against my cheek affectionately. "And you're doing remarkably well. Most would have lost their minds by now, faced with multiple magical bonds and an impending confrontation with the Queen of Hearts."

I laughed despite myself. "When you put it that way, maybe I am handling it well."

"More than well," Chi said, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "The completed bond with Heart has stabilized your magic significantly. The Tweedles were analyzing the pattern resonance this morning—they say your control should improve dramatically during today's training."

"I hope they're right," I said, finally sitting up fully as I readjusted my clothes I had put back on half asleep last night before Heart and myself made our way to bed late into the morning.

Chi's tail flicked with amusement as he rose from the bed, extending a hand to help me up. "They're rarely wrong about magical theory. Come, everyone's waiting for you. Heart made breakfast, and he's been insufferably proud of himself all morning."

I accepted his hand, wincing slightly at the pleasant soreness in muscles I hadn't known existed before last night. Chi noticed immediately, his teal eyes dancing with mischief.

"Ah, the physical aftermath of mating," he teased, steadying me as I stood. "Should I carry you to the table?"

"Don't you dare," I warned, though I couldn't keep from smiling. "I can manage walking, thank you very much."

"Pity," Chi sighed dramatically. "I do so enjoy carrying you."

As we stepped into the main room of the cabin, I was immediately greeted by the sight of Heart at the stove, his golden patterns glowing brighter than usual as he hummed softly to himself.

The scent of something delicious filled the air—eggs and what smelled like bacon, though knowing Wonderland it could be anything.

"There she is," Heart said without turning around, though I could hear the smile in his voice. "Perfect timing. Everything's almost ready."

The Tweedles looked up from where they sat at the table, their silver eyes assessing me with interest. Through our bonds, I felt their satisfaction at whatever changes they could observe in my magical signature.

"Fascinating," Vee murmured, his gaze tracking the golden threads now permanently woven through my patterns. "The stabilization is even more pronounced than our calculations predicted."

"Indeed," Dee agreed, adjusting one of his temporal devices.

"The probability matrices for successful magical control have shifted dramatically overnight.

" I felt my cheeks warm under their analytical scrutiny, but their fascination seemed purely academic—focused on the magical implications rather than the intimate act that had caused them.

"Good morning to you too," I said dryly, sliding into an empty chair at the table. "I'm glad my love life is providing such interesting data points."

Heart chuckled as he brought plates to the table, pausing to press a kiss to my marked neck that sent a pulse of golden warmth through our bond. "They've been theorizing all morning.”

"Theorizing about what, exactly?" I asked, though I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know the answer.

Vee's silver eyes gleamed with scientific interest. "The exponential increase in magical stability that occurs when a primary bond reaches full completion”

"You're treating me like a research subject," I protested, though there was no real heat in my voice. Through our bonds, I felt their genuine care wrapped around their intellectual curiosity.

"A fascinating research subject," Dee corrected with one of his rare smiles. "The temporal resonance patterns are particularly intriguing. Your timeline branches have stabilized significantly - fewer chaotic variables, more predictable outcomes."

Heart set a plate before me, his golden patterns pulsing with amusement at my expression. "They mean it as a compliment," he assured me, "Though I admit their bedside manner could use work."

Chi settled beside me at the table, his tail curling contentedly around the back of my chair. "What they're trying to say, in their typically clinical way, is that you're stronger now. More anchored. The wild fluctuations in your magic should calm considerably."

I took a bite of what turned out to be something similar to scrambled eggs but with a subtle sweetness that made the pattern beneath my skin hum with pleasure. "So no more accidentally exploding shields during practice?"

"Unlikely," Vee confirmed, though his tone carried the careful precision of someone hedging their bets. "The mating bond provides a stable foundation for the others to build upon. Think of it as... magical scaffolding."

"Romantic," I said dryly, earning a snort of laughter from Chi.

Heart's hand found my shoulder, his touch sending a pulse of golden warmth through our bond. "There are significant practical advantages to what happened between us," he acknowledged, his voice carrying a hint of pride. "But I hope you know it means far more than just magical stability."

I leaned into his touch, feeling the truth of his words through our deepened connection. "I know," I said softly, the mark on my neck pulsing with gentle warmth that echoed the love flowing between us.

The moment was broken by Chi's dramatic sigh. "And now we'll have to endure months of sickeningly sweet exchanges," he teased, though his tail flicked with what felt like genuine pleasure through our bond.

"Years," Heart corrected, his ruby eyes meeting mine with such intensity that my breath caught. "Centuries, if we're fortunate."

I felt my cheeks warm at the implication—that we might have centuries together, that this wasn't just a fleeting connection born of extraordinary circumstances.

Through our golden bond, I felt Heart's absolute certainty in those words, his vision of a future that stretched far beyond the coming confrontation with the Queen.

"Centuries," I repeated softly, testing the word on my tongue. The concept felt both impossible and inevitable, like something I'd always known but never dared hope for.

"Assuming we survive the next few days," Dee interjected with his typical bluntness, though his silver eyes carried warmth that softened the harsh reality of his words.

Chi's tail flicked with annoyance at the temporal twin. "Must you always be so cheerfully pessimistic about our chances?"

"I prefer 'realistically optimistic,'" Dee replied, adjusting one of his devices. "The probability matrices have improved significantly, but variables remain."

"Speaking of variables," Vee said, his silver eyes growing serious as he set down his fork. "We need to discuss the remaining training schedule. Two days left in the pocket, and there are still techniques that require mastery before we face the Queen."

I felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle over me, though it felt more manageable now with Heart's steady presence anchored in my consciousness. "What still needs work?"

"Integration," Heart said, his hand still resting on my shoulder. "You've learned creation, defense, and offensive techniques separately. Now you need to weave them together seamlessly."

Chi nodded, his tail swishing with anticipation. "Combat magic isn't about individual techniques—it's about fluid transitions between them. Creating a shield while simultaneously preparing an attack, for instance."

"And temporal awareness," Dee added, his temporal devices humming softly. "You need to sense when the Queen's blood magic is building before she can fully manifest it. The pattern can show you the temporal distortions her corruption creates, but only if you're trained to recognize them."

I nodded, feeling the weight of what they were describing. "How long does integration training usually take? Will we have time?"

The Tweedles exchanged one of their silent communications before Vee spoke. "For most magic users? Months. For someone with your level of pattern integration..." He paused, calculating. "Perhaps days, if we push hard enough."

"Which we will," Heart added firmly, his golden patterns pulsing with determination.

"The Queen won't wait for us to be perfectly prepared.

" I finished my breakfast, feeling strength flow through me with each bite.

The mark on my neck continued to pulse with gentle warmth, a constant reminder of the bond now anchoring me.

I knew the next three days would be hard, but I knew it would be worth it in the end.