Page 49 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
"And as mates?" I asked, my voice barely audible even in the quiet clearing. "What would that mean?"
The vision’s smile held secrets older than Wonderland itself. "Balance in all things. Where you create, I preserve. Where you heal, I protect. Where you forgive, I remember." His shadows curled around my wrist, not restraining but caressing. "The Void Court doesn't love like Heart's people, with open passion andgolden fire. We love like the night sky loves the stars—vast, patient, and absolute."
The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with recognition, silver and gold light dancing more eagerly where his shadows touched me. Through our incomplete bond, I caught glimpses of what completion might feel like—not just magical partnership but soul-deep understanding, the recognition of something essential that had been missing.
"He's waiting for you to decide," the vision said, his form beginning to fade as the pattern's projection reached its limits. "But don't wait too long, Alice. The Queen moves quickly now, and balanced opposition is the only hope Wonderland has."
As he dissolved into wisps of shadow and light, I felt the incomplete bond pulse once with surprising strength. Not pushing, not demanding—simply reminding me of its potential.
I remained in the clearing for a long time afterward, watching crystal flowers shift through impossible colors while I processed everything. The five mate bonds weren't just about romance or even just about magic; they were about healing Wonderland itself. Each bond represented a different aspect of balance that the Red Queen had systematically destroyed through centuries of isolation and control.
The pattern beneath my skin stirred, showing me fragments of the First Queen's reign—five courts united through love and purpose, working together to maintain harmony throughout Wonderland. Not perfect, not without conflict, but balanced in a way that allowed magic to flow naturally through the realm.
I stood, brushing silver grass from my clothes as I made my decision. The clearing seemed to brighten around me, crystal flowers turning toward me like I was their sun. The pattern sensed my resolve, silver and gold light pulsing with approval beneath my skin.
"Balance in all things," I whispered, echoing the vision’s words. The incomplete Void bond thrummed in response, a whisper of potential waiting to be fulfilled.
“Alice?” I jumped hearing a voice to glance to see Chi who was standing a few feet away, his tail flickering with a nervous energy behind him even his ears were drooping a bit.
"Chi," I said, surprised to see him looking uncertain. "Is everything okay?"
He stepped into the clearing his eyes one me as he moved closer. "I wanted to make sure you were alright. Your emotions have been... fluctuating through our bond."
I smiled faintly, gesturing for him to join me. "I've been having a conversation with the pattern about Seth. Well, not Seth exactly, but the pattern's projection of him."
Chi's ears perked up with interest as he settled beside me. "The pattern created a manifestation for you? That's interesting."
"It wanted me to understand the Void bond better," I explained, watching silver light dance beneath my skin where it met his silver energy. "To help me make a decision."
"And did you?" Chi asked, his teal eyes studying my face with careful neutrality. "Make a decision?"
I nodded slowly, ”A little. I am still not sure how this will all work out…”
Chi laughed softly before he moved to pull me into his embrace, his tail wrapping around me and securing me to him.
"You overthink everything," Chi murmured against my hair, his voice carrying the familiar teasing tone that had become so dear to me. "The pattern chose you, Alice. We chose you. The only question is whether you'll choose us back."
I melted into his embrace, feeling the silver bond between us pulse with warmth and certainty. Through our connection, I sensed his complete acceptance—not just of me, but of thecomplexity of what we were building together. Unlike the vision of Seth, Chi was solid and real, his heartbeat steady against my ear.
"I'm scared," I admitted quietly, my hands fisting in his shirt. "Not of any of you individually, but of what it all means. Five mates, healing Wonderland, facing the Queen and possibly the other monarchs... what if I'm not enough?"
Chi's tail tightened around me, his voice firm. "Thenwe'llbe enough, together. That’s what mates are for, Alice. No one person carries everything alone." His words resonated through our bond, silver light pulsing between us with renewed strength.
I looked up at him, finding his teal eyes watching me with an intensity that made my breath catch. Unlike Heart's open passion or Seth's contained power, Chi's affection had always been quieter, expressed through protection and steady presence rather than grand gestures.
"When did you know?" I asked, curious about when he'd realized the bonds were leading toward something deeper than magical partnership.
Chi's ear twitched, his tail loosening slightly around my waist as he considered the question. "I suspected from the first touch and our magic responded between us," he admitted, one hand coming up to brush a strand of hair from my face.
“That long?” I was genuinely surprised at how long he had suspected this was happening.
Chi nodded, his eyes softening as he traced a gentle pattern on my cheek. "The silver bond formed too easily, too naturally. It's rare for me to connect so deeply with anyone, let alone a dreamer." His tail tightened slightly around my waist. "But I didn't know for certain until I saw you after the Queen took you—when you were separated from us…from me.”
"What happened then?" I asked, leaning into his touch.
"I felt your emotions as if it were my own," he said quietly. "Not just through our bond, but in my soul. That's when I knew this was more than a magical connection. The mate bond had already begun forming without either of us realizing it. I am pretty sure it started forming the moment I kissed you."
I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The silver bond between us pulsed with comfortable warmth, carrying emotions too complex for simple words.
