Page 20 of Escaping Wonderland

The tips of his claws were settled lightly against her skin, his warm, hard body—including one particularhardpart against her belly—was flush with hers, and his tail was wrapped possessively around her waist. She should’ve been frightened—she should’ve foundhimfrightening. Shadow was an unsettling individual, and she should’ve been running from him as fast as her legs could carry her. Fleeing was logical. Fleeing wassmart.

But Alice didn’t want to run; she only wanted to getcloserto him. He was compelling, but more than that, she felt safe with him. And, for some inexplicable reason, her body reacted to him fiercely. She wanted to feel him,allof him—his lean muscles, his strong, long-fingered hands, his lips. Everything.

Maybe Iamcrazy?

She didn’t know who Shadow was or what he was capable of—apart frommurder. What would he do if she angered him, or if he grew tired of her? They were in an asylum. People would be unpredictable here, and she had a feeling he was even more unpredictable than most.

No, we’re notjustin an asylum. We’re in a simulation in an asylum. None of this is real. Even if I feel pain…he can’t actually hurt me.

Can he?

Alice cleared her throat and looked away from him. Though his hold was by no means painful, she could sense his dormant strength—he made Miraxis seem weak in comparison. If he didn’t want to let her go, she’d never escape his grasp. She needed to distract him if she wanted to open some space between them. “So where is this Jor’calla?”

His thumbs trailed over her cheekbones, and he shrugged. “In a house somewhere, I imagine.”

For a moment, she leaned into his touch, nearly letting her eyes drift shut. His caress shouldn’t have felt so good.

Focus, Alice.

She met his gaze, reached up, and took hold of his wrists, guiding his hands away from her face. “And you can find him, right?”

He didn’t resist, but neither did he remove his tail from Alice’s waist. “I always wind up where I intend to be eventually.”

“We should go now then, just in case the guards are still behind us.”

Shadow turned his head, glancing first over one shoulder and then the other. “Behind or in front. They’resomewhere, that’s for certain. I doubt they’ve followed us into the woods, though. Only a mad person would wander off the path.”

Alice pointedly looked at the grass-covered ground—there was no path in sight—before returning her eyes to his with one brow arched.

He raised an eyebrow in response. “Is something wrong?”

“We’renot on a path.”

“Ididalready mention I always make it to wherever it is I intend to be, didn’t I? I’m not the crazy one here.”

“Do you not realize how ridiculous that is? How you’re…contradicting yourself?”

“I do prefer to keep things interesting,” he said before turning away. His tail finally fell from her waist as he put his hands on his hips and scanned their surroundings, facing a different direction every few seconds. He hummed thoughtfully, his catlike ears drooping, and muttered, “If I were Jor’calla, where would I be?”

Alice watched him, unable to keep the smile from her face. There was something charming about him, something almost childlike.

But he’s a killer, Alice. Don’t forget that.

His ears perked. “Silly question, simple answer. I’d be exactly wherever I was. Let’s go, Alice!”

Shadow started off in a seemingly random direction, his long legs carrying him a great distance rather quickly.

Startled, Alice hurried after him. “Shadow! Wait! Slow dow—ouch!” She cursed as she stumbled and her foot bent to the side, sending a jolt of pain through her ankle. Gritting her teeth, she hopped on her other foot until she regained her balance before bending forward.

Something soft brushed down her arm.

“Are you all right, Alice?” Shadow asked from immediately beside her.

Alice blinked and glanced at the tail stroking her arm. She tipped her head back, brows high. How he’d get to her so fast?He’d been at least fifty feet ahead of her a second ago. She hadn’t even heard him approach.

“I’m fine. Just need to get rid of these.” She tugged one shoe off, lowered her leg, and kicked away the other. Her stockinged feet sank into the soft grass as she stood up straight.

“Now you’re even smaller than before,” he said, leaning closer to her.

---