Page 28 of Knot My Wonderland

“I need to know what I'm up against," I added, rolling my shoulders back to ease the tension that had built there. "So what exactly was that? That... different kind of command."

Chi circled me with renewed interest, his movements more predatory than before. "That, little Alice, was an intimate command. One designed to trigger your biological responses rather than just your actions."

Varik frowned, clearly still displeased with Chi's tactics. "When an Alpha seeks to claim an Omega, they often begin with commands that target your instincts—your need to please, to submit, to bond. These are far more difficult to resist than simple behavioral commands."

"They bypass your rational mind," Chi explained, stopping directly in front of me. "They speak directly to your body, to parts of you that evolved long before conscious thought."

I shuddered, remembering the hot wave of unwanted desire that had crashed through me at his command. It felt invasive, like he'd reached inside and pulled a string I didn't know existed.

"How do I defend against that?" I asked, wrapping my arms around myself. "It felt like drowning from the inside."

Varik's expression softened with sympathy. "That's where your connection to Wonderland's magic becomes crucial. The currents respond to your will, but also to your need. When truly threatened, they can become a shield that even biological imperatives cannot penetrate."

"You’d already began doing it," Chi added, his voice gentler now. "When you pulled on that silver thread, you were instinctively drawing Wonderland's protection around you. With practice, you'll be able to summon it faster, stronger."

I looked down at my hands, the silver glow beneath my skin now a subtle shimmer rather than the bright rivers from earlier. "I felt something... respond to me. Like it recognized me."

"That's precisely what happened," Varik confirmed, his wild eyes studying me with renewed interest. "Wonderland doesn't just allow you to use its magic—it offers it willingly. That's exceedingly rare."

Chi moved closer, his tail swishing behind him in thoughtful arcs. "And it's why the Queens and others will want you even more desperately. An Omega who can command Wonderland's currents rather than merely borrowing them... you represent power they can't access on their own."

I flexed my fingers, watching the faint silver light trace my veins. "So I'm not just valuable as an Omega, but as... what? A conduit?"

"More than that," Varik said, removing his hat to run a hand through his disheveled hair. "A partner.”

Varik replaced his hat, adjusting it with a precise movement. "Wonderland doesn't serve anyone—not truly. It allows us to channel its power, to borrow its energy, but always on its own terms. What you're experiencing is different. It's responding to you like..." he hesitated, searching for the right words.

"Like a lover," Chi finished, his teal eyes gleaming with fascination. "Eager, willing, almost desperate for your touch."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks at his choice of words. "That's a disturbing metaphor."

"But accurate," Varik said with a sigh. "The connection you're forming is intimate in ways few ever experience. It's why you adapted so quickly to the moonglow, why the currents rise to meet you without struggle."

I glanced down at the silver bracelet, watching the tiny crystals pulse with my heartbeat. "So what does this mean for my training? For my future here?"

"It means," Chi said, his tail flicking with excitement, "that we've been too cautious. You're capable of far more than basic defense."

Varik frowned, shooting Chi a warning look. "It also means we need to be even more careful. The stronger her connection grows, the more visible she becomes to those who can sense such things."

"Like a beacon in the night," Chi agreed, though his grin suggested he found this more thrilling than concerning. "The Red Queen's sentries will already be reporting disturbances in the magical currents."

I ran my fingers over the silver bracelet, feeling it's reassuring warmth. "So I'm running out of time before they find me?"

"Not necessarily," Varik said, his expression thoughtful. "But we should accelerate your training….I have a feeling we will need to gather allies quicker than we thought.”

Chi nodded, his usual playfulness subdued. "I've already made contact with a few potential allies. The Caterpillar has agreed to meet her."

I perked up at the mention of the familiar name. "The Caterpillar? The same one who spoke in riddles when I was a child?"

"The very same," Varik confirmed, "though as I mentioned, he's changed considerably since then. His metamorphosis altered more than just his physical form."

"What is he now?" I asked, curiosity temporarily overriding my exhaustion.

Chi's smile returned, enigmatic as ever. "Something between moth and man, wisdom and madness. He guards the oldest library in Wonderland—texts that existed before the first Queen ever took her throne."

"And he might know more about why Wonderland has chosen to bond with you this way," Varik added, with a frown adoring his troubled face.

“Anyone else?” I asked, trying to not let the anxiety building up in me show.

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