WONDER ( Twisted Forbidden Tales ) Book Three

Blooming Seduction Part One

HANK

The rain falls gently, yet with purpose, patterning the ground with a delicate symphony of pitter-patter. Where the droplets land, the air fills with a sweet, intoxicating scent, reminiscent of citrus and spring blooms. As the rain continues to fall, the space just outside the Mushroom and flower-filled garden transforms, as if a veil of enchantment has been lifted.

I wasn’t dead after all, the Tantric Flower Trap Elixir in the stew brought to me a silver lining. I was poisoned true enough but because of my cat transformation beforehand some how merged with the poison and returned me to my original body as Hank. Now I stood here in all my naked glory as droplets of orange blossom rain fell upon my skin.

Patches of the black fur that was my visage as Happy looked especially disturbing sprinkled across the grass when I awakened to find myself in my original body full of life and boundless energy.

This time the change in me was different, I could feel it. I looked down to glance at the sleeping Alissa in my arms. The old man had sent a magic pigeon letter to the Porcini giving them instructions to help Alissa and me, as well as what we needed to do once we were inside the Tantric Gardens. I didn’t know my left foot from my right in Wonder Kingdom, but it was clear that Alissa didn’t have a clear mind when it came to this place. I didn’t ask for specifics but I was smart enough to guess why things would be so for her with Enzo, Zuri, and that D’Angel woman being put into the mix.

We had to take it to the hut on the map Elder Shitake and the Porcini's had given us. Well, more like Alissa as it was stuffed into her backpack along with several other things we would need on this journey. I frowned thinking of how far we had deviated from the original plan of meeting up with Haku. Was he safe? Or had he too become one of the missing? As Wonder Kingdom kept rerouting us, I couldn’t help feeling that everything was not a coincidence at that maybe an unseen party was secretly guiding us. A lot of unexpected things happened here for me but I had to admit the best thing out of all of it was meeting Alissa and discovering her hidden identity as the Mad Bandit.

As the rain kisses the earth, it transforms the space around it, unveiling the entrance to a hidden secret garden within the wacky world of Wonder Kingdom. The ground shimmers with a golden hue as the garden emerges, revealing large and tall, unique flowers, plants, and trees unlike anything seen before. Tiny flying creatures, their wings shimmering with iridescent hues, dart among the blooms, adding to the enchantment of the scene.

“Well, this world doesn’t disappoint,” I whispered, holding Alissa more securely as I placed my feet upon a beautiful garden trail that wound its way into the heart of this secret haven, beckoning me with its twisting path. But, I knew to not be deterred despite my strong curiosity. What initially appears as a modest entrance soon expands into a vast expanse of botanical wonders, far larger than I could have imagined.

Amidst this wondrous landscape, as I walked the trail that appeared before me, the magical hut soon appeared after some time as if it awaited us, its presence blending seamlessly with the natural beauty that surrounded it. From the exterior, it appeared almost as if it had grown from the very earth itself, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and ivy that crept along its surface. While the door stands invitingly ajar, beckoning me inside.

Inside the Hut I’m greeted by a warm and inviting interior. The walls, painted in soft pastel hues, seemed to radiate with a gentle glow, casting the room in a warm and inviting light. The kitchen boasted countertops adorned with freshly picked fruit, while the dining room featured a table set with delicate china and sparkling crystal.

These things I had no time to take the head off as my feet guided me to the bedroom like they had a mind of their own. Tucked away in a tiny alcove, I laid Alissa on the bed beneath a canopy of silken drapes. I would watch over her until she woke up and give her the letters written by Elder Shitake and the Porcini’s, for she knew this world more profoundly than I did and could make sense of the things I couldn’t understand that were written.

As Alissa slept I made my back toward the kitchen and used the time waiting to prepare a small light dinner for the both of us. The kitchen boasted an array of culinary delights, with fresh fruits and herbs from the garden outside. That included the stocked fridge of meats and vegetables as it put my mind at ease and I quickly got to work. As the food simmered and stewed, an array of exotic herbs and spices, filled the air with their intoxicating aroma. I took a look at the magic hut we were to house ourselves in while searching for the antidote within the Tantric Gardens.

I walked over to the dining area to set the table when a glint flashed the side of my face causing me to look through the window nearby. At the center of the garden stood a very familiar ancient wisdom tree, its gnarled trunk reaching toward the sky like the outstretched arms of an old friend.

“Talia, what and you and that old kicker up to now? Better yet, I should ask is there something you need to tell me?” I whispered as I looked at the familiar presence of the tree with a smile. It had become a physical presence now in this realm. Would Talia and my niece Snow be showing up soon? It was unclear right now, the old wisdom tree had not yet granted entry. Meaning something in my mission as Kingdom ambassador was nearing completion but hadn’t reached the end peak yet.

I studied the tree noticing that here indeed the old wisdom tree was different, blending in with the wackiness of Wonder Kingdom its leaves shimmer with an otherworldly luminescence. Around its base, wildflowers and weeds weave a tapestry of color and life, their roots intertwined with the very heartbeat of the earth.

In this hidden haven, time seems to stand still, and worries melt away like dewdrops in the morning sun. However, I was more than aware of the tribulations yet to come, but Alissa wouldn’t be facing them alone this time, she had me her Happy, her man, and Knight in shining armor.

Soft footsteps sounded behind me, followed by a pair of warm slender arms wrapping around my waist as Alissa hugged me from behind making me freeze in action. Uh, I was still naked and hadn't found time to find clothes for myself. I wondered if she was sleepwalking as she had no issues with her way around this hut.

“Mmm, Hank you smell good. I’m glad you’re back. If this is a dream I don’t want to wake up. Do you know what I want to do?” Alissa asked her, voice slightly hoarse and throaty from slumber. I wasn’t awake yet when Mrs. Porcini gave her something to drink. Everything that happened from the Inky Cap Mushroom hideout until I woke up in my body was blank until I woke up by the hidden entrance to the Tantric Gardens. Alissa’s hands began to wander from around my waist up to my abs and chest.

“Umm, Issa girlie! You okay?” I asked in amusement as I caught her wandering hands in mine and turned around to face her from my setting of the table. She looked at me with a lazy seductive smile on her face. Her hair was messy from sleep but framed her face in the most adorable of ways.

“Hey, I wasn’t done having fun yet! What kind of dream is this huh? You are supposed to ask me what I want to do. Hank this is my dream, so you have to do what I say!” Alissa retorted albeit sleepy as if she were both in between sleepiness and drunkenness. Her supple pink lips sported a pout as she retorted and diverted my question. I willed every fiber of my being to kiss her in this moment.

“Issa, this isn't a dream, wake up love okay hmm. It's good to know you dream of me, but I like my woman clear-headed no matter how willing you are right now.” I said as I kept her hands clasped to my chest as she pulled back against me to free herself from my grasp. What is the blimey Blooming Seduction was this? And what exactly was it that she drank inside the cup Mrs. Porcini had given her?

I regretted not finding clothes first before any of this came about. Alissa’s constant movement against my naked skin was of no help to the fire that had begun to brew inside me. If she didn’t stop moving so much, she can't blame me for taking her fair and square on this damn table.

“You really smell so good! I bet you taste even better!” Alissa said ignoring my words. Before I could respond, she had already leaned in and licked out her tongue, to flick across my collarbone.

“f**k Issa! Are courting death!” I said my tone becoming a bit more forceful in an attempt to wake her. But I should have known it would not be that easy for she just smirked and kept at it.

“Oh no handsome, I’m courting more of a Bang wish here, so can we get on with that in this dream? It’s becoming a drag Hank, and I know you're much more capable than the nagging show you’re putting on here hmm,” she said with a chuckle. Her words made me raise an eyebrow forgetting her hands were held down by me and with her clever words she was free.

“You think this is a dream, Issa?” I asked as I let her hands wander over me now.

“Eh, if it is or isn’t doesn’t matter right now Hank, what matters is you let the rain touch us. It’s the rain of the Tantric Gardens, don’t tell me you don’t feel it. They build up the smoldering ache. I want you! Dare you admit the same?” Alissa's voice was as clear as day when she said this. But her beautiful blue eyes told a different story glazed over with a slight haze. She wasn’t wrong I had felt it the moment I carried her in my arms. Why did the name have to mean what it said?