Page 22 of Knot My Wonderland

I moved into the room, my fingers trailing over the soft fabrics. Something deep inside me responded to the space—a primal part of my Omega nature recognizing a perfect nesting ground.

"It's beautiful," I whispered, already feeling the pull to burrow into those blankets and cushions.

"It's protected," the Hatter corrected, though his eyes crinkled with pleasure at my approval. “Now get some sleep.”He paused for a moment, "The magic will settle more easily if you rest," the Hatter added, his voice softening further. "We'll continue your training when you've recovered your strength."

I nodded, already moving toward the bed as if drawn by an invisible thread. The exhaustion was bone-deep now, my limbs moving through molasses. The Hatter backed toward the door, watching me with those wild green eyes that somehow managed to convey both madness and kindness simultaneously.

"Sleep well, little Alice," he murmured while he closed the door behind him as I let sleep take me.

Chapter Nine

Hatter

Iwatched Alice's door close, waiting until her breathing settled into the deep rhythm of exhausted sleep before I turned away. The house creaked around me, its wooden bones settling protectively around our newest resident.

"She's stronger than she realizes," Chi's voice came from behind me, though I hadn't heard him approach. Typical.

"And more vulnerable," I replied, adjusting my gloves with a precise movement. "The magic is taking to her quickly. Too quickly, perhaps."

Chi materialized fully, leaning against the wall with that casual grace that always seemed both calculated and effortless. "You worry too much, old friend. Her adaptation is a blessing."

I shot him a sharp look. "It draws attention. The forest already whispers her name."

"The forest has always whispered her name," Chi countered, examining his nails with feigned disinterest. "Since she was a child.”

“And I can tell you are more interested in her than I would like.” I mutter

Chi's eyes flashed, the teal irises briefly brightening with an inner light. "Jealous, Hatter? How unlike you."

"Protective," I corrected, turning away from him to descend the winding staircase. "She's not just another curiosity for you to toy with and discard when you grow bored."

I could feel him following, his presence a shimmer of barely-contained chaos at my back. The house creaked around us, adjusting to our movement like a living thing. In many ways, it was.

"You think so little of me," Chi murmured, materializing at the bottom of the stairs before I'd taken three steps. "I have no intention of toying with your little Alice."

"Don't you?" I reached the landing and brushed past him, heading toward my workshop. The door recognized me instantly, its locks clicking open with soft, mechanical sighs. "You toy with everything, Chi. It's your nature."

Chi followed me into the workshop, his form flickering slightly at the edges as he moved through the doorway. The room beyond was a testament to ordered chaos—workbenches cluttered with half-finished inventions, walls lined with tools that defied conventional description, jars of strange ingredients glowing softly in the dim light.

"Perhaps," Chi admitted, his voice dropping to that silken purr that always meant trouble. "But even I know when something—someone—deserves more careful handling."

I snorted, moving to the largest workbench where a delicate contraption of silver gears and crystal lay partially assembled. "Since when?"

Chi materialized on the opposite side of the bench, those unsettling eyes studying me with too much perception. "Since I felt the magic respond to her. It wasn't just reaching out, Hatter. It was embracing her. Like an old friend. Like family."

I paused, my fingers hovering over the intricate mechanism I'd been working on. "You noticed that too."

"Hard to miss," Chi replied, idly touching one of the crystal components, making it chime softly. "The currents practically sang when she reached for them. I've never seen anything like it—not even with other Dreamers."

I gently moved his hand away from my work. "Don't touch. And yes, it's... unusual."

"It's more than unusual," Chi said, his form shifting slightly, becoming less solid at the edges. "It's unprecedented. The magic doesn't just recognize her, Hatter. It claims her."

The implications sent a chill down my spine. I'd suspected as much when I first saw the silver light tracing through her veins, but hearing Chi confirm it made the reality of Alice's situation all the more alarming.

"If the magic has claimed her," I said carefully, selecting a tiny silver gear from a nearby dish, "then others will sense it. The Queens. The Duchess. Even the White Rabbit, cautious as he is."

"Undoubtedly," Chi agreed, his tail—which had materialized without warning—swishing behind him in agitation. "The stronger her connection grows, the brighter she'll shine to those with the senses to see it."

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