Craving Madness

CRAVING MADNESS RK PIERCE Craving Madness: Reclaiming Wonderland Book 1 © Copyright 2023 R.K. Pierce Check out other books by this author at www.amazon.com/stores/R.K.-Pierce/author/B09P44TZST All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher/author. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 Cover Design: Mc Damon Covers Interior & Formatting: YD la Mar CONTENTS Content Warning Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Author Note About the Author More Books by RK Pierce CONTENT WARNING Craving Madness is a paranormal why choose retelling that contains dark themes and strong sexual content. Triggering content within this book contains, but is not limited to: blood, gore, violence, mention of parent loss, death on page, sibling loss, murder, and coerced suicide. ONE ALICE “What do you think, Alice?” I scrunch my nose at the fake white blooms shoved in my face, wondering why on Earth my sister, Lorina, couldn’t pick something reasonable for her wedding reception like red. Or black. Even after a decade, I can’t shake my aversion to white roses. They remind me of a dream–a nightmare–that’s haunted my thoughts ever since I was a child, and I hate them. “Those are hideous.” “Alice,” my mother hisses, earning my attention. She stares down the bridge of her nose at me before tugging at the collar of her hot pink blazer like it’s suddenly gotten too hot in the room. “Be nice.” “She didn’t ask for flattery, Mother,” I say, waving the bouquet away from my face. “She asked for my opinion.” “It’s okay, Alice,” Lorina assures me, setting the flowers aside and moving to grab a roll of ribbon off the kitchen counter. “You don’t have to like them.” She’s wearing her favorite outfit, a pair of wide-legged trousers and a cut-off T-shirt that shows her midriff. Her waist-length blonde hair is braided back away from her face and tied into a messy knot on top of her head. Even dressed so casually, she’s beautiful, and I know she’ll make a stunning bride. I just wish I didn’t have to be a part of it. “There’s still so long until the wedding,” I blurt, eyes darting to the clock on the wall to check how long I’ve been in this event planning hell. Only an hour, but it feels like much longer. “Don’t you think doing all this so soon is a little uncalled for?” After all, so many things could transpire between now and then. They might change their minds about wanting a wedding. They might get in a fight and break up. A monsoon might hit the venue and wipe it away. So many possibilities, yet none of them seem to sway my sister. My mother huffs through her nose, but Lorina shakes her head gently before looking up at me. “Six months isn’t very long to get everything done,” she explains. “Besides, it’s better to have things done early than late. Don’t you agree?” I fight the urge to roll my eyes, still not understanding the whole wedding appeal in the first place. A celebration of commitment to another breathing being for all eternity seems nothing short of promoting imprisonment. But I can’t deny the truth in her statement: Being early is much better than being late. Just ask the White Rabbit. The words come suddenly and unexpectedly, sending chills racing down my arms. I shake my head to chase the thought away, but it’s too late. My mind twists with whimsical images and I can nearly hear a raspy voice whisper in my ear, “Be not late for your most important date, lest you wish to face a truly wicked fate.” The tug of nostalgia has goosebumps racing up my arms and my hair standing on end. The dream from all those years ago might not have been real, but the feelings it left behind certainly are. They’re burned into my cellular makeup and affect everything from the way I do things to the way I think. Everything has been different since then, but it makes me who I am. Luckily, Lorina knows that, and never holds anything against me. She understands and accepts my quirks, even though she doesn’t know where they stem from. My mother, on the other hand, hardly tries to empathize. “Are you sure you want Alice to be your Maid of Honor, dear?” she asks with a cluck of her tongue like I’m not even there. “I’m sure Nettie or Adalyn wouldn’t mind putting in the extra work?” “Yes, I’m sure,” my sister cuts her off. “There’s no one else I’d rather have at my side on my wedding day. And Alice agreed. It’s not like I’m forcing her to be here.” I fake a smile, even though the mushy sentiment makes me want to vomit. I don’t do well with affection, which she knows, but it’s in Lorina’s nature. She’s soft and kind and loving. Nurturing and compassionate. Everything I’m not. Together we’re like the sun and moon, day and night. Polar opposites, and yet somehow, we compliment each other. Sometimes. “You only had to twist my arm once or twice,” I jest, lips curling into a smirk.