Oh, my God. A squirrel with a sword is judging me for kissing the Mad Hatter and my reaction is all, that's cool; just be glad the cat isn't gonna attack you. Could her total acceptance of the weirdness of Wonderland mean... She cut that thought off immediately. As soon as she had her hopes up, that's when the opposite of what she wanted would occur.
Is this what I want? Do I want to stay? She glanced at Hatter as he smoothed the front of his waistcoat, attempting to seem calm and collected after being caught kissing her.
Yes. She did want to stay.
It would mean leaving her parents, and possibly her sister, behind. Her future career. Her friends. Her past would no longer matter. Here, she would be known for whatever she did. If all she amounted to was Hatter's wife—should he want to marry her—could she live with that?
Yes.
He made her feel special. Wanted. Appreciated in a way none of her past boyfriends ever had. To them, she was another girl, a potential wife and mother. To Hatter she was...everything. She blinked rapidly at the threatening tears. This was why her sister had suffered. She ached for Cadence and for herself. Please, she begged her heart. Please choose well.
"We come with a message from Cadence."
Melody's heart stopped. Of course he had word about her sister! She'd been so caught up with her own stupid wants and desires she'd momentarily blanked out on the fact Devrel had taken Gareth to save her. I've already given up on my family and the choice isn't even made. "Is she okay?"
Devrel nodded. "She'd freed herself before we arrived." He quickly explained what happened, and what Gareth had done regarding the queen. "He and Cadence are inseparable right now. Though, if you are worried about her honor, I did hear the Red King telling someone if she was still in Wonderland by morning they were not to leave the castle without being wed. He will do right by your sister. He loves her. Truly. He gave up the Vorpal Sword for her, and that is the only possession he owns that matters. It defined him."
Hatter said, "What will Gareth do without his sword? How will he defeat another Jabberwock without it?" His tone was peculiar and Melody eyed him warily. She'd figure out why Hatter disliked him eventually and try to smooth it out.
Eventually. You're thinking like you're staying, and when you go home it's gonna hurt even worse. Melody pursed her lips. "Who says he has to do anything?"
The squirrel-creature drew his sword and chittered at her. Devrel twitched his tail and added, "Big, scary beastie. Last one traumatized three kingdoms."
"Is it hurting anyone where it is?" she pressed. If another Jabberwock had been around all this time, chances were something had drawn it out. "You said there is a wall around the ruins of the Queen of Heart's kingdom. If it's not bothering anyone, then there is no need to act."
The expression Hatter gave her made her stomach flutter. Raw desire was etched all over his face. His fingers twitched and he clenched his fists. Melody's throat went dry as she imagined things she shouldn't. Not yet, anyway. Not until she knew for sure they could be together always.
"I guess we'll find out in the morning," said Devrel. He glanced between them, as if he suspected where their thoughts were.
Hatter tapped his fist against his leg impatiently. "If that is all you came to tell us, we—"
"Not so fast." Devrel padded closer. "I have one final message for Melody."
"From my sister?"
He nodded. "Cadence left a recording of the rabbit hole on her phone. On it, she told your parents she suspected you and Sunny had fallen in based on footprints in the mud she had followed down the trail. She also found the rabbit's watch and put it with the phone before she left. Your parents have proof. They have some way of knowing. Cadence said this should ease any worries you may have."
Arms encircled her, and Melody realized Hatter had embraced her. She wiped her wet cheeks and leaned into his warmth. It did ease her, and she hoped, whatever happened, she and her sister would be together in it so she could thank her.
"Thank you, Devrel. It does help." She would always miss her parents, but at least they had proof, if they chose to believe it. She could focus fully on her desire to remain in Wonderland and her feelings for Hatter.
Devrel bid her a "mayhap" goodbye, and he and the judgey squirrel-thing disappeared.
Hours passed, and all Melody and Hatter did was talk. She'd sat curled up in his lap, and they'd held each other. It surprised her when Hatter said softly, "It's almost time." His eyes glittered.
"I'm not sleepy."
He'd told her she had to fall asleep and would wake up either still here or back where the rabbit hole had been without losing time. What if she couldn't fall asleep?
"You won't be able to fight it. It's best to prepare yourself so you don't end up unconscious and draped over a footstool."
Hatter led her to her bedroom, where they discovered Sunny already asleep on her pillow. Tears trailed down her cheeks, her body shaking. The great unknown beckoned, and it terrified her. What if she left and Cadence remained? Would she be happy, resentful?
"It's all right." He kissed her, stealing her thoughts and fears within an instant. He stepped away, and Melody almost broke down a second time as the sky through the window split down the middle between day and night.
It's time.
"Stay with me." She staggered, an overwhelming lethargy hitting her like a battering ram.
He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. "I want to, more than you know, but if I have to watch you fade away from me, the strength holding me together will break. It is better for us both if I go.
After he helped her into the bed beside Sunny, he gave her one more kiss before sleep took hold.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Hatter didn't sleep at all. He'd retreated to the hall and closed the door. Not sure how long he waited there—hand seared to the door knob as he warred between opening it and keeping it shut—he eventually released it and stepped back a few paces. Was she still in there, or did she leave him? He stalled his hand as he reached for the knob again. Despite curiosity and dread, he couldn't bring himself to look. Once he did, if she wasn't there, the reality would end his sanity. It would be best to put off the inevitable for a few more hours. He could pretend she hadn't gone yet, and all would be fine.
At some point, he returned to the sitting room and poured himself a cup of tea, but his hands shook too much to drink it. The air suffocated him, and the room closed in. Shedding his jacket, cravat, and other offending layers until he was down to his shirt and pants, he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and rubbed his face.
Waves crashing all around me. Pulled under. Tumbling. Tumbling.
His eyelids popped open. He was safely in his house but could taste the salt from the water and the sting of it in his eyes. His nostrils burned and he couldn't breathe.
Lightning struck the ship's mast, snapping it in half. The rigging caught fire. Not long after, the ship capsized. He couldn't find his parents in the wreckage. He couldn't find anyone. Clinging to a floating piece of driftwood saved his life.
Hatter remembered blacking out as the sea pulled him farther away from where the ship went down. It hadn't taken long to realize he would die before he was old enough to shave. Then he awoke, thinking he'd made it to the end of the world since one half the sky was black with thousands of twinkling stars that didn’t match the patterns from the night before, while the other half shone with morning sunlight. Bright rays warmed the water beneath him that had been so cold before. The waves were stronger, and the rocking had brought him out of his slumber. How he'd managed to hang on to the driftwood and not drown was beyond him.
An island had hovered in the distance that day. Waves crashed against the rocky structures before the shore. Cliffs rose high above the beach, and violet and blue trees cast a rainbow over the top. His throat dry from dehydration and saltwater, he'd believed the island no more than a mirage, but he started swimming anyway. He'd blacked out again the moment he reached the shore...
It was as though Hatter was back in the ocean, drifting into an unknown, but he was firmly anchored on dry land. He was no longer that boy, Byron, of a world he'd left behind at the bottom of an endless ocean. Yet he was still that boy, floating over an abyss waiting to tumble him into their dark fathoms. Melody was his driftwood. Once he let her go he would drown, but he would hold on to her as long as he could.
***
Scratching at the bedroom door interrupted Melody's dream. She'd fallen down a rabbit hole and was drinking tea with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. The Hatter had asked her to dance, and they'd done so without music under the stars. With each twist and twirl, their bodies pressed closer together. He dipped her backward, and when she came up he kissed her.
Sunny scratched at the door with more vigor, and Melody groaned. She must have forgotten to leave it open a crack so the cat could go to the litterbox.
"I'm up. Hold on a sec." The room was blurry when she opened her eyes so she rubbed them one-handed while sitting up and reaching for the lip balm she kept on her nightstand. Empty air greeted her. Frowning, she opened her eyes again and frowned.
This isn't my room.
Dumbfounded, realization slowly trickled back in. I'm still in Hatter's cottage!
She shot out of bed and ran to the door, flinging it open. Sunny darted down the hall with single-minded determination, and Melody headed for Hatter's bedroom. Only he wasn't there.
Stopping in the washroom to take care of her own business, she had a moment of doubt. Did he go ahead and leave for the Festival of Flowers, believing her gone for good?
No. He was either at his table or working to keep his mind occupied. She could feel it in her gut. Melody checked each room as she meandered through the winding halls, wondering how there were so many rooms inside what looked like a simple cottage. Eventually she located him in the sitting room from the night before, fast asleep in one of the chairs. His clothes were disheveled and mostly discarded. A frown worried his lips and an untouched cup of tea had been abandoned on the table.
Melody couldn't help but smile as she tiptoed close and gently shook his shoulder. His body warmed her palm through the material of his shirt and a sensation she could only describe as absolute joy coursed through her. Hatter groaned and swatted at her hand. Her grin grew as wide as Devrel's. "Hatter," she whispered. "Wake up."
He opened those gorgeous green eyes and their gazes locked. At first, there was no reaction, only the sound of their breathing.
"How?" he mumbled, his voice husky from sleep. He cleared his throat.
"Does it matter?"
Hatter slowly rose to his feet. Melody inched closer, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. That one, simple motion flared between them like lighting striking; he pushed her against the wall and kissed her deeply. His soft lips awakened a desire she'd barely contained since their first kiss the day before. His palms framed her face, tilting her head back to deepen their passion. He brushed the pads of his thumbs against the corners of her mouth, causing her to gasp as his tongue met with hers, and he groaned.
Melody wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him. All her life she'd dreamed of a fairytale romance, one that defied the odds and never fit in with her plans to become a lawyer and retire at a reasonable age. Happily ever after was the fairytale in her world, and between school, working crap jobs, and building a sustainable career for herself, there wasn't time for romance. There were hookups and temporary relationships, but nothing ever lasted when everything revolved around making the following month's rent.
Hatter wasn't kissing her for some one night stand. He needed her in his life as much as she feared she may need him. The revelation made her tremble, and she moaned from the sensations thrumming through her blood. Happiness at being given this chance warred with the frightening unknown. It provided a heady rush and incited the passion between them even more.
"Melody." His breathing was thick, heavy. A bulge pressed against her stomach and the tension in his shoulders spoke volumes. "I must have you, but I swear to marry you at the first opportunity. I didn't think, I never thought—"
"Shh." She pressed her fingertips to his lips. She giggled, nearly forgetting the archaic marriage practices. Marchy and Devrel had already seen them kissing. Not that she expected either would run to the marriage police and alert them to what had occurred, but she knew Hatter would hold true to the way of this world in that sense. Fortunately for him, she had no problem with it. "Why, Byron...are you asking me to be your bride?"
He cringed. "Please, don't call me that. I really do prefer Hatter. It suits me."
"So it does." Melody kissed the side of his neck and he allowed himself to run his hands over her hips and lower still.
"Are you saying you will be?"
"Always."
Hatter picked her up and carried her to his room, climbing into the bed with her across his lap. She couldn't unfasten his pants fast enough—they tied with a cord crisscrossing over the fly, and he'd triple knotted it. After fumbling over the many buttons down her spine, he actually tore the beautiful dress he'd created for her the day before. "I'll make you a new one."
When they were both naked, he eased her against the pillow, caressing her softly, taking his time in becoming acquainted with her body despite his obvious desire to take what he wanted. Every time she reached for him, to guide him into her, he pushed her hand away.
At last he brought their bodies together, and they fit perfectly. A cliché, sure, but there wasn't a better way to describe it. His gentle movements incited exquisite pleasure that coursed through her, building in momentum until they both were sated and spent.
He clung to her in the aftermath, and she listened to his steady heartbeat as she lay across his chest. She couldn't recall a time where she was happier. Her giddy, childhood self would have never dared to dream she'd have had tea with the Hatter and the Hare, only to become the Hatter's bride at the end of the tale. In the stories, the girl always returns home in the end. Wonderland, Neverland, Narnia... Yet she had stayed.
It hardly seemed fair to be so happy, but she belonged here with him. He ran his fingertips over her bare flesh and something she never knew was missing clicked into place. "I think I'm falling in love with you," she whispered, praying he didn't laugh at her vulnerability. Instead, he kissed her deeply, pulling her tightly against his chest.
"And I, you. Though I tried very hard not to, and in doing so, I behaved like an utter ass."
She giggled. He really had, but everything came together in the end.
"I should probably do the final touches on your dress for today, since I ruined this one. I started it in case..." He swallowed, touching her face like he couldn't believe she was really there. "We have to leave shortly. There will be food when we arrive."
Food sounded nice, but she wasn't ready to leave his cottage, his bed. "Do you think Cadence was able to stay with Gareth?"
"We'll find out soon. Up, up, up." He dragged her out of bed with every intention of bathing her. Nevertheless, they only made it to the next room before passion took over again.
They arrived to the castle late.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The festival ensured the flowers didn't launch spiteful attacks on boats passing down the rivers that circled their island. Dangerous beings with short tempers, the flowers were willing to cooperate with the White Queen so long as the citizens of Wonderland feared and respected them.
Even though the festival was more necessity than for celebration, Hatter couldn't stop smiling. Nothing could ruin his mood as they arrived at court to the pleasant surprise of Gareth and Cadence awaiting them. Melody pulled her hand from his and ran toward her sister, and they collided in sobs and hugging that resulted in them kneeling on the ground apologizing to each other and mumbling incoherently. Gareth turned a bewildered expression on Hatter and shrugged. His findling had part of her world with her, so all would be well.
"I brought something for you," the other m
an said, placing a hand into the pocket of the black jacket he'd worn over his white jerkin for the occasion. He pulled out five buttons, two thimbles, and a patch. He held them out on his palm.
Hatter laughed. Well, what do you know? "Thank you." He pocketed the goods. The day really was going well.
The White Queen made her entrance, doing the gown he'd created justice. The white dress sparkled in the light, sewn with hundreds of shimmering ivy leaves made from glittery fabric. She did a double take when she spotted the findlings and beamed proudly at the girls while all those present watched in wonderment and some apprehension.
"What grand surprise! It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Cadence. Please accept my heartfelt apologizes for what my sister put you through. I had no idea."
Cadence replied, but Hatter couldn't hear the words. Now that both sisters were together again, he could see their similarities. Melody's blonde hair and taller height being the most obvious difference. They had the same color eyes and the same shape nose. Cadence's face was rounder. The black dress she'd been given for the day was too baggy on her, though she didn't look bad. Melody, in comparison, looked like a queen in her ivory floral-lace gown, which fit to perfection. Satisfied with both his craft and his woman, he nodded. All was how it should be.
The queen turned to address those around her. She held Cadence and Melody's hands in hers, one on either side, and said, "People of Wonderland. Please welcome our newest citizens, Melody and Cadence. This morning Cadence and Gareth were wed in the Red Kingdom."
Cheers rang out, though more than one female present scowled in obvious disdain over being cheated the chance. Not like they'd had it, considering his betrothal in the Red Kingdom.
The White Queen glanced at Hatter and he nodded. She'd not wanted to assume anything and put him on the spot, but she knew him. He would do right by Melody, gladly.
The Unraveling (Wonderland Book 2) Page 13