Monsterland Mayhem (Fairy Tales With A Monstrous Twist)

15. Craze

15

CRAZE

It’s been a long fucking night.

But seeing Ailsa naked in the bed certainly makes it all worth it.

Krolic and Catum are off searching for a certain cat, their instructions clear— guard Ailsa .

I didn’t need to be told twice.

A single glance at the sheets—and one sweet inhale—told me they guarded her well overnight.

Our replete little Omega still has a pretty flush to her cheeks.

“She’s fucking beautiful when she comes” were Catum’s parting words. “Enjoy.”

Oh, I’ll be enjoying a whole hell of a lot.

But first, I want to scrub the stench of death off my skin.

It’s an aroma I wear with purpose. One meant to repel. Just like my mask.

It’s how I hide here.

I haven’t worn my real face in… ages. Centuries. Sometimes I wonder if my varying personalities are here to stay. They come so naturally now, rolling through my mind with a speed I can no longer track.

Ah, well. Such is life, I suppose.

I lock the suite door and set up a card trick that’ll ensure no one can come through without meeting a very quick, very deadly demise.

Then I arrange a similar trap by the master bedroom door—this one meant to ensnare my gorgeous little minx in case she decides to go wandering before I’m done showering. It won’t hurt her, just… capture her.

Which may actually prove to be quite fun. She looked all pretty whilst strung up in that Gum Tree; this would be even more accessible since it would basically tie her up against the door.

Hmm , I hum to myself, then dance off to the shower.

It’s as large as the bathtub beside it, making it a silly use of space. Who needs benches in a shower?

I cant my head. Well, actually… I can think of a few sensual purposes. Noting those ideas for later, I work on rinsing the paint from my skin. It feels weird to expose myself in this way, but I want Ailsa to know me. The real me. Whoever he may be.

Craze de Hatte.

Mad Hatter.

My lips twist. I’m not… insane. Of course, that’s exactly what someone who has lost his mind would think. Which makes it impossible to know.

So I’m about seventy percent sure I still have my sanity. Or maybe closer to sixty percent.

I shake my head. The fact that I’m even considering this is ridiculous enough. There’s a naked blonde in the other room, one who may wake at any moment. I would prefer that to happen when I’m stretched out beside her.

I want to see her reaction to my face.

The real me.

Craze. Just Craze.

Will she scream? Try to fight? Run away?

All notions are arousing.

I hum a tune under my breath, the song one I haven’t considered in years. It’s ancient, like me. Like Catum. Like Krolic.

Ancient compared to our Omega, anyway.

Whistling the hymn, I finish my shower and grab a towel, then saunter back into the bedroom where our sleeping beauty is resting in the large feather-padded bed.

Gorgeous is definitely the nickname I’m keeping for her.

Rabbit may need to go. She’s not very skittish. Dainty, yes. But there’s a strength to her that I find quite admirable.

It’s an impressive feat to fall down the rabbit hole into Monsterland and still retain a sense of wit.

I shake out the droplets from my hair, then head back into the bathroom to continue drying off.

The closet beside it is stocked with everything I could possibly need—pants, shirts, boots, undergarments.

However, I grab a pair of gray sweats and nothing else. I even leave my cards behind, choosing to be simply me for the first time in eons.

This morning—which is technically closer to noon—is all about relaxing.

Running my fingers through my still-damp hair, I waltz back into the bedroom and consider my gorgeous little vixen.

She’s going to be hungry when she wakes. Thirsty, too.

Wandering back to the door, I undo the magic trap waiting for her and head into the kitchen to place an order on the lily pad. It’s a computerized system highlighted with magic that lets me select all sorts of foods and drinks.

Not knowing what Ailsa will want, I basically order the entire list and send it off.

Catum or Krolic will handle the bill. Typically, they would use their magic to handle the order, too. But I told them I would do it.

They’ll probably regret that when they see I ordered, well, everything.

Whistling once more, I return to the bedroom to find Ailsa right where I left her.

She’s restless, though, likely from me making noise. Zipping my lips, I crawl into the bed beside her and move as close to her as I can without touching her.

Ailsa releases a soft little noise, one that sounds a lot like satisfaction, and snuggles back into her pillow.

I say nothing and don’t move, curious as to if she’ll rouse again. But instead, she falls into a deeper sleep.

Hmm . I suppose an hour or two of rest won’t hurt anything.

The food and drinks will keep in the dining area, thanks to special Tavern enchantments.

Yawning, I close my eyes.

And startle awake some time later when I hear a gasp from the female in my bed.

Peeking at her through long lashes, I turn and check the time. It’s only been thirty minutes. Snorting, I roll back to my side and shut my eyes again. “Go back to sleep, Ailsa.”

“ Craze ?”

“Hmm?” I hum, utterly knackered. Which is really her fault. Had she been awake when I snuggled into the bed, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep at all. But now that I’ve experienced a little bit of rest, I want more.

“Oh my Gods, it was real,” she breathes, the cover rustling as she flies upward in the bed. “I… It wasn’t… it wasn’t a dream at all!”

I peek at her again. “What are you going on about?”

“Master Pillar and Krolic kissed me!” she exclaims. “ Everywhere .”

Mmm, okay. I appear to be waking up again. Propping myself up on an elbow, I look up at her. “Care to elaborate?” I ask.

She blinks at me. “What happened to your skull face?”

“I washed it off,” I tell her before returning to the more important topic at hand. “So where exactly did they kiss you?”

“Why?” she asks.

“Because I would really like to know more about it.” I glance down at her exposed tits. “In full detail, please.”

“No, I mean, why did you wash it off?”

I slowly return my gaze to her pretty face. “Because I don’t have to hide here.”

She blinks again. “You normally have to hide?”

“Yes. My face is too easily recognizable without the disguise. And if someone sees me, they’ll know Krolic is still alive. Hence, I masquerade as the illustrious Mad Hatter.”

It’s the name everyone knows me as here, the one I’ve gone by for centuries.

Craze is reserved for the mate-circle.

And now, Ailsa.

Her brow furrows as she reaches out to touch my cheek, almost as though she doesn’t think I’m real. I don’t move. I barely even breathe. Because my chosen mate is exploring me.

“Your skin is so soft,” she whispers.

I don’t bother pointing out that it’s because I shave every day. The paint wouldn’t pair well with facial hair, making me a little jealous of Catum’s and Krolic’s trimmed beards. Perhaps when this is all done, I’ll grow one, too.

Or maybe not, since Ailsa seems to like my smooth jaw.

“It’s nice to see you,” she goes on. “The real you, I mean.”

I smile. “It’s nice to see you, too, Ailsa,” I murmur, my gaze dancing down to her breasts again. “ All of you.”

She frowns and follows my gaze, resulting in yet another gasp as she grabs the sheets to cover herself.

My smile disappears. “I was rather enjoying that view, Ailsa.”

She closes her eyes and pinches her arm. Hard . “Wake up, Ailsa. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up !”

I arch a brow when she peeks out at the room. “Still here, darling,” I drawl.

She yelps and scoots up to press her back to the headboard, the sheets going with her. “Yesterday really happened. I’m in Monsterland.”

“Indeed you are,” I murmur, slowly lifting myself up to mimic her position near the pillows. “You were hoping this has all been a dream?”

She doesn’t answer me at first, her gaze flitting around the room and going to the wall of windows decorating one side. The curtains are drawn, hiding the view of the clouds. Probably a good thing, given her current reaction.

“No,” she says, drawing my attention back to her mouth. “No, I… I wasn’t hoping that at all. I just assumed it wasn’t real.”

“Definitely real, gorgeous.” I reach out to tuck a strand of long hair behind her ear. “Sorry if that disappoints you.”

Her gaze finally returns to me, her blue eyes flickering with a myriad of emotions. “Disappointment is the furthest thing from what I’m feeling right now. Shock. Confusion. I’m definitely overwhelmed. More confusion.” Her lashes flutter as she starts searching the room again. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Well, right now, we’re sitting in bed. Next on the agenda is food. Then maybe I’ll give you a tour of?—”

An explosion at the front door has me leaping off the mattress, my bare feet hitting the ground in an instant. I whistle, calling the remainders of my card deck to my hand, and dash into the living area.

Orange slime covers the floor, the stench of rotting citrus clouding the air. Fucking orcs.

Caws echo in the hallway, the sounds crawling along my skin.

Those don’t belong to orcs.

Those belong to something far more deadly.

Jabberwaries.

Deadly fucking birdlike creatures with sharp beaks, large wingspans, and venomous spit.

I dart back into the bedroom and slam the door behind me, then cover it with explosive cards. That won’t hold for long, but it’ll have to do.

“Clothes,” I tell Ailsa and gesture wildly toward the bathroom. “In the closet. Now. ”

She doesn’t argue, her naked body practically sprinting across the room as she does what I say. I follow in her wake, grabbing the bathroom door and layering it with more cards.

I meet Ailsa in the closet, where she’s putting on a pair of underwear. I find the jeans and sweater that Catum bespelled for her and toss them her way. She catches the items and starts dressing.

I do the same, grabbing a hooded sweatshirt and swapping my gray sweats for a pair of jeans.

Ailsa gasps at some point, probably from seeing my knot. Or, more likely, all my piercings. But there’s no time to explain the purpose of a Jacob’s ladder right now.

Because the explosion just sounded from the bedroom.

The bathroom is next.

After stuffing my feet into a pair of socks and boots, I grab Ailsa by the waist and run for the glass windows lining the shower.

I don’t think; I just turn at the last second to ensure my back hits the panes, and down we go.