Escaping Wonderland Art 3

Here is the third illustration from Escaping Wonderland featuring Shadow from the end of chapter 4. I adore the way Shadow is grinning at Alice. I also love how he just blatantly claims here in this scene. The lighting and dark atmosphere is also so, so pretty!

Art by Donovan Boom
------
Scene Snippet:

“Would you help me escape this place?”

His thumb continued its gentle caress. “Escape? That seems a bit overly dramatic, doesn’t it?”

Alice’s brow lowered as she struggled to focus on the conversation, on the situation, and not on the way his tender ministrations made her skin tingle and warm—or how his other hand was moist and sticky with blood. She reminded herself for the thousandth time that this was not real.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Escape is such a strong word, Alice. I was just going to walk out the front door.” He looked away for a moment. “At least I think it’s the front. Sort of hard to tell by looking at the outside of this place, isn’t it?”

Without thinking, Alice lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek, turning his face back toward her. He didn’t relinquish his hold on her. “No, I don’t mean just this place, I mean the simulation.”

He stared into her eyes for several seconds as though searching for something. Then his brow smoothed, his eyes lit up, and his grin—which she should have found deeply disturbing rather than intriguing—only grew. “I’ve met a lot of crazy people in my time, Alice, but you may be the maddest of all.”

Alice dropped her hand from his face. “I’m not crazy, Shadow.”

Holding her gaze, he tilted his head to the side. “That’s exactly what a crazy person would say.”

Frowning, Alice turned away from him.

“And because that makes you the most interesting person here, I’ll help you, Alice.”

She looked back at him as hope sparked inside her. “You will?”

“Let’s see it through to whatever end we reach. It sounds exciting.” He leaned closer to her, his expression falling into that eyes-half-lidded smolder. “And it should give us some valuable alone time.”

Alice’s heart fluttered, and she blushed. “I’m not a…dolly, Shadow.”

Shadow moved closer still—close enough that she could feel the tickle of his warm breath against her skin. “No, you’re not a dolly, Alice. But you’re mine all the same.”

----
Please don't share these outside of Patreon. We'll be revealing them on our socials overtime. You guys just get the first look!