Page 49 of Escaping Wonderland

Emboldened, she moved her hand lower and wrapped it around his already erect cock, which twitched in her grasp. Shadow groaned, eyelids fluttering shut.

“You seem to be a new woman today, Alice.”

She stroked her hand up and down, relishing his response and the feel of him—warm velvet over steel—against her palm. An empty, needy ache, acravingfor what was in her hand, grew between her legs.

And the look on Shadow’s face said he’d give her exactly what she wanted without resistance. That made her feel…powerful. Confident. Desired.

“What do you mean?” she asked, tightening her fingers infinitesimally.

Shadow’s lips parted with a soft hiss. His eyes opened halfway and met hers. “Until this morning,Iwas the one seducingyou.”

Alice grinned and placed her other hand on his shoulder, pushing gently until he rolled onto his back. Without ceasing the motion of her hand around his cock, she swung her leg over him and straddled his thighs. Her hair fell around her shoulders and brushed over her nipples, which were already tight and achy. As Shadow’s gaze roamed over her, Alice’s desire only increased, flooding her with heat. He settled his warm palms on her hips and curled his fingers around her possessively. The soft fur of his tail ran down her spine, toward the cleft of her ass.

Lifting herself up on her knees, she shifted forward and positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. “I decided to let go and take what I wanted. And I want y?—”

A door opened and closed downstairs, followed by an agonized cry.

Alice gasped and turned her head toward the bedroom door, which was still open. Her heart now raced for all the wrong reasons.

“Sounds like our host has returned,” Shadow said.

Alice looked down at him; his devilish grin was back in place, but there was a decidedly annoyed angle to his brows, and his eyes lacked their usual humor. He gently guided her off him and sat up, leaning toward her to peck a quick kiss on her lips.

The voice from below—Miraxis’s—increased in volume as it neared.

Shadow slid toward the edge of the bed. “Cover up.”

Eyes wide, Alice grabbed the blankets and pulled them up over her breasts. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m just going to greet our generous host.” Shadow stood up; in that same instant, Miraxis entered the bedroom. His already light skin was paled in horror, and his pink eyes were rounded.

“What is this?” Miraxis demanded. “What are you?—”

Shadow leapt across the distance separating him from Miraxis, tail trailing behind him. The praxian had time enough only to widen his eyes further—to the point at which they seemed ready to bulge out of their sockets—before Shadow was upon him.

“Stay away!” Miraxis yelped.

Alice couldn’t really consider what ensued in those moments a fight—Miraxis wasn’t trying to battle Shadow as much as he seemed desperate to avoidallcontact with him. The praxian squirmed, wiggled, and writhed as Shadow—sometimes phasing into different positions—grabbed his limbs and, eventually, restrained him.

The struggle ended a few seconds later with Miraxis face down on the floor and Shadow—still totally naked—sitting on his back, holding Miraxis’s arms together at their wrists.

“Get off, get off! No, let go, go away,get out,” Miraxis cried.

Clutching the blanket to her chest, Alice eased toward the edge of the bed to look down at them. Sympathy stirred within her, but she quickly dashed it away. She knew what it felt like to be in Miraxis’s position, to feel so powerless, weak, and vulnerable, because she’d been put in a similar position at the Hatter’s Tea Party—andMiraxishad been the one to bring her there, knowing what awaited her.Hehad been the one to restrain Alice and pry her jaw open so Cecilia could drug her.

“Welcome home, Miraxis,” Shadow said. “Hope you don’t mind that we’ve made ourselves comfortable.”

Miraxis groaned pathetically. “Please, go. Go! You’ve soiled everything. Ruined everything.”

Shadow’s tone was almost disturbingly casual when he said, “Listen, Miraxis, Iknowyou’re capable of speaking coherently. Take a few breaths and steady yourself.”

“You’re naked,” Miraxis whined. “You were naked in my bed. What did you do?” He turned his face toward Alice, cheek pressed against the carpet. “What have you done? Why did you bring this filthy dolly to my house?”

Alice glared at him. “I’mnota dolly.”

“Just a plaything no matter what they call you. A dolly. Property.”

“She isnotthe Hatter’s, and she isnotthe king’s,” Shadow growled.

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