Rain of Shadows and Endings — Chapter no 24

24

THEON

H e let Tessa sleep until Luka knocked softly on the door. Luka had bags of clothing and other items in his hands that he set on the small table near the window. He hung a garment bag in the closet as well, which Theon assumed held Tessa’s dress for dinner tonight.

“How is she?” Luka asked, his eyes going to where she still slept on his chest.

“I don’t know,” Theon sighed, his fingers brushing gently up and down the sleeve of her robe. “She hasn’t said much. She only asked me to sleep with her, that she needed the comfort of the bond.”

“You think she is accepting it?” Luka asked, his brow arching.

“Gods, I hope so. I’d hate if this is what it took, but if she is finally accepting the bond and welcoming it, it was worth it.”

“Perhaps,” Luka said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the table.

“You think otherwise?”

“I think her time with Pavil and Metias was just as traumatizing, if not more so judging by her display of power, and that didn’t cause her to accept a godsdamn thing.”

Theon mulled that over a moment before he replied, “Maybe it’s been building and building, and today was the final push she needed.”

“Perhaps,” Luka said again.

“What are you and Axel going to do while we are at dinner?” Theon asked, changing the subject. Debating this wouldn’t serve any purpose at this point.

“He is bringing his laptop. We will work on alliance possibilities out in the vehicle. Do some research on what these things could be that crawled out of that crevice. If we can figure out what they are, maybe we can figure out Valter’s angle,” he answered with a shrug. “Then there’s a Chaosphere game on.”

“Sounds exhilarating.”

“Considering we are not quite sure how the evening will play out, we didn’t think it would be a good idea to leave you without a ride.”

Theon nodded in agreement. “I better wake her so we can get ready. Dinner is in two hours,” he said, wishing they could simply stay in this bed until morning.

Luka took the hint, leaving the bedroom. Theon let out a long breath, then gently shook Tessa’s shoulder. It only took a moment, and she was blinking open her eyes, tilting her head to look up at him.

“We need to get ready for dinner,” he said by way of explanation.

“Okay,” she rasped, her voice still somewhat hoarse from sleep and the events of the

day.

Neither of them made to move.

After another five minutes, Theon said, “Ready?”

She nodded mutely, pushing herself off of him and clutching the robe closed before it could gape open. Theon slid from the bed, following after her. He had packed some cosmetics for after the assessment, or rather Pen had, and he pulled them from the bag along with various hair items.

“Do you want my hair done a certain way tonight?” she asked.

“You can decide what would look best with the dress. It is hanging in the closet.” He nodded towards the open door. He never gave Pen instructions on how to do her hair, so he wasn’t going to start now.

She crossed the room silently, forgetting about the items he held, and unzipped the garment bag. He couldn’t see much of the dress, but she apparently saw enough, and he followed her into the bathroom, setting her things on the vanity. He left her to it, going back out to the bedroom and putting his suit back on. Luka had ordered him a black tie to go with his entirely black suit and shirt. He took the dress from the closet and brought it to the bathroom.

She was perched cross-legged on the counter. He hung the dress on a hook before approaching, stopping directly behind her.

“Am I taking too long?” she asked, looking down to dig through the bag.

“No, beautiful,” he answered, pressing his lips to her neck, unable to help himself. She leaned back into him, her head immediately falling onto his shoulder, allowing him better access to her throat. He groaned at the action. “Why do we always have some place to be at times like these?”

Stormy eyes met his in the mirror, and a soft, almost-smile tilted up the corner of her mouth. That smile nearly undid him, and it could scarcely be classified as a smile. He’d never been on the receiving end of the real thing from her.

“Are you even a little interested in meeting your potential Match?” she asked, leaning forward and digging through her bag again.

“No,” Theon answered instantly, watching her dust some sort of shimmery powder on her eyelids.

Her eyes flicked to him briefly in the mirror before she returned to digging through the bag once more. “Why?”

“I have other things to worry about right now. My Match is not at the top of that list.”

She pulled some contraption from the bag and squeezed her eyelashes in it. “What other things?”

He paused for a moment. She’d never been interested in what he did or what he was working on. This was new. It was almost as if she was…trying. Trying to build something between them.

“Work for my father. My own plans,” he answered vaguely.

“You don’t have time to invest in a relationship then. That is what you’re saying?”

Tessa asked, lining her eyes in black.

“No. I do not have the time to invest in a relationship with a potential Match right now,” Theon answered. “I have business alliances to focus on. Not to mention you.”

Tessa stilled at the last word, slowly dragging her eyes back to his in the mirror. She stared at him for a moment before not saying anything and applying mascara. When she was done, she spun around on the vanity, hopping down and walking over to the dress. She unzipped the garment bag, and before Theon had a chance to realize what was going on, she dropped the robe she was wearing. He could only stare at her as she stood naked before him, pulling the dress from the hanger. He had already been half hard just from sleeping beside her, but this added a whole new level to his arousal. It was almost painful.

Theon swallowed thickly, his voice gravel when he said, “Undergarments. I forgot to grab them for you.”

He made to leave the bathroom, but Tessa looked at him over her shoulder, that same almost-smile tugging at her lips as she stepped into the gown. “This dress isn’t made to be worn with undergarments, Theon. Lines would show.”

Fuck. Me.

He watched as she shimmied the dress up and over her thighs and hips. She rolled it up her torso and over her chest, sliding her arms into the fitted sleeves that stopped just above her elbows.

“Zip me?” she asked, pulling her hair off her neck so it was out of the way.

He stepped forward wordlessly, his fingers brushing bare skin as he zipped the dress.

She turned when he was finished, looking up at him beneath her lashes. “I just need a few more minutes to do my hair.”

He reached for her, his hand cupping her cheek. His other hand gripped her waist, tugging her into him. She gasped when her front collided with his, his now fully hard cock pressing into her stomach.

“Are you really going to make me sit through an entire dinner I do not wish to be at knowing you are not wearing anything beneath this dress?” he asked, his voice low and rough because he sure as fuck wasn’t going to be able to think about anything else the entire night.

She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes darting to the side. “I don’t have any other dress options here.”

“Indeed,” he answered, releasing her. “Come out to the sitting room when you are ready. I will set your shoes out for you.”

She nodded, and he took a step away from her, backing slowly out of the bathroom.

Theon finished getting ready, forcing himself to calm down before he went out to the living room to find Axel and Luka dressed in jeans and button-down shirts.

“So fancy, brother,” Axel teased with a smirk.

Theon raised his middle finger, walking to the liquor cabinet and finding a small bottle of whiskey. He downed the entire thing.

Axel tsked at him. “You are so dramatic sometimes.”

“Talk to me when Father is sending you to meet your first potential Match,” Theon answered with a growl. His attention was fixed out the window, and he was contemplating getting another bottle of liquor.

“I don’t know why you are complaining,” Axel retorted. “Not when you get to spend the evening with this exquisite creature at your side.”

Theon turned and found Tessa standing there, a slight flush to her cheeks at Axel’s words. The black heels raised her up several inches, her gown just brushing the floor now, and her hair was braided in some intricate way over her shoulder. He didn’t know how she’d managed to do something like that to her hair in just a few minutes. Her lips were painted bright red, and she slid her eyes to Theon before looking at the floor.

Axel had crossed the room to her and held out his hand. “Spin, baby doll. Show us everything.” A small huff of laughter left her, and she let him spin her in a slow circle. He dramatically clutched at his chest before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

“You look stunning, Tessa.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, giving him a small smile.

“How are you feeling?” Luka asked from where he sat on the sofa. His eyes were roaming slowly over her too, but his brow was furrowed, as if he were confused or contemplating something.

“I’ll be fine,” Tessa said nervously. She reached up as though she was going to fiddle with her hair, but then seemed to remember it was styled. “We all found our ways of dealing with the assessments.”

“And how do you deal with them?” Luka asked, his head tilting as he continued to study her.

She shifted her weight from foot-to-foot, and beneath it all, she still looked tired.

Theon hated that he had to force her to go out tonight.

“In the past, my friends and I would sneak off the Estate to deal with them, but since I doubt you all are going to let me sneak off, I’ll figure out some other way,” she answered, glancing at Theon.

“That would be an accurate assumption,” he replied, finally moving from where he’d been rooted to the spot. When he reached her side, he slid an arm around her waist, his hand resting on her hip, and she immediately leaned into him. He could have sworn he felt her let out a little sigh of relief at the contact. “Are we ready?” he asked, looking at Luka and Axel.

They all filed out of the room, and Theon didn’t miss the various looks Tessa received while they stood in the lobby waiting for the valet to fetch their vehicle.

“I’m not going anywhere, Theon,” Tessa whispered.

“What?” he asked, glaring at a guy who was blatantly staring at her, his eyes roving freely.

“If you tighten your grip on me any more, you’re going to leave bruises,” she teased, and he snapped his gaze to her at the tone. He hadn’t realized he’d been pulling her in closer and closer the longer they stood there.

“I don’t like them looking at what is mine,” he ground out.

Again that almost-smile graced her lips, and she turned into him. She reached up and straightened his tie before she tilted her chin to meet his eyes. “Let them look,” she replied.

“You are clearly the only one who gets to touch.”

Theon bent down so his mouth hovered just over her lips. “How much will you let me touch tonight, Tessa?”

Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t pull away. She didn’t even flinch. “I told you the other night, Theon, only mortals get to touch me like that.”

With that, she pushed away from him just as the doorman pulled the door open. She didn’t wait for him as she followed Luka and Axel down the steps to the vehicle. He hurried

after her, slipping into the backseat.

Only mortals get to touch her?

Fuck that. That wasn’t an option. Not again. Never again. If that was her wish, she was never going to be touched again. She had told him she would sneak off the Estate regularly to meet up with mortals, but she’d also just said the same thing about dealing with the assessments.

Tessa hadn’t slid across the seat like normal, instead scooting into him as soon as he entered the vehicle. He brought his lips close to her ear, his arm holding her to him. “You do know that no mortal will ever touch you again, right?” Her lips pressed together tightly, and when she didn’t speak, he went on. “How did you deal with assessments before, Tessa?” But she didn’t answer. She just shook her head a few times in refusal. He would get the answer from her sooner or later, but right now, he needed to cover something else. “You know what is expected of you tonight?”

She stiffened beside him, and he knew if he hadn’t been holding her so tightly to him, she would have pulled away.

“Yes, Theon. I know what you desire of me tonight,” she answered, her eyes falling to her lap.

“If you need the comfort of the bond at any time—”

“I won’t,” she interrupted, sitting up straighter. “I’ll be fine. I will figure something out.”

He reached up and gripped her chin, forcing her eyes to his. “Tessa, you told me earlier the Source bond is helping. Are you going to try and tell me that is not true now?”

“I am telling you that I know what type of behavior is expected of me, and I will not do anything that may result in me possibly spending the evening sitting at your feet,” she retorted.

Axel glanced back over his shoulder, quickly looking forward again. They were clearly listening to their conversation.

“That…” He paused, forcing himself to take a deep breath. She had yet to let him explain his reasoning for the events of that dinner. They’d been too busy struggling for the upper hand ever since. “We will finish these discussions later,” Theon finally said, and Tessa crossed her arms.

The rest of the ride was silent, a tenseness emanating from the backseat that even had Luka and Axel holding their tongues. When they pulled up to the restaurant, Theon got out and reached for Tessa’s hand. As she stepped to the curb beside him, he leaned down to whisper, “Behave.”

She frowned up at him. “What, exactly, do you think I am going to do?”

Theon arched a brow as he escorted her into the elite restaurant. “I never know what you are going to do. It is infuriatingly intriguing.”

The hostess informed them Felicity was already there and waiting at their table, leading them through the restaurant to the back. As they approached a table, a place setting was being added on a second table that had clearly been brought over to go with the table for two.

A beautiful female with shining chestnut brown hair stood as they approached. Her brown eyes held a warmth Theon hadn’t been expecting, and her dress was tasteful. There wasn’t an overt amount of skin on display, but what was on display was golden-tan, suggesting she had spent lots of time in the sun this summer. That made sense since she lived in one of the Southern cities of the kingdom. She was a few inches taller than Tessa, and she bowed deeply to him.

“Heir St. Orcas, it is an honor,” she greeted, her voice as warm as her eyes. She stood and stepped forward, her hand outstretched. “Felicity Davers.”

“Theon,” he replied, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. His other hand was still on the small of Tessa’s back, and he ushered her forward. “This is Tessa, my Source.”

“It is a pleasure,” Felicity said, reaching to shake Tessa’s hand. “Your dress is stunning.”

Tessa smiled politely but didn’t say anything in return, for once appearing to remember how a Source was to act in public.

Felicity returned her attention to Theon. “I hope I did not overstep, but they did not have a place set for your Source. I know the bond is new, and I did not think you would

want to be too far from her, so I arranged for another table to be brought over.”

She was watching him somewhat nervously, clearly unsure whether she should have interfered. Theon was more surprised than anything. He hadn’t expected her to think of his Source at all. To be honest, he had anticipated her trying to flatter and seduce him in an attempt to worm her way into a Match contract. But she actually seemed…pleasant.

“That is very considerate of you,” Theon answered. “Thank you.”

Faint color flushed along her cheeks, and she cleared her throat softly, clasping her

hands in front of her.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the table.

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I could never sit before you, my Lord.”

“I insist,” Theon answered, ushering Tessa to the table. He slid into his own seat across from Felicity before he added, “You as well, Tessa.” She nodded, slipping into the seat beside him, and he could almost feel her relief at being off her feet.

A server appeared instantly to take drink orders. He ordered himself a whiskey on the rocks, and Felicity ordered a glass of wine.

When the server turned to Tessa, she glanced at Theon. “I would love a glass of wine tonight,” she said tentatively.

“I do not think that would be wise. Not after the day you have had,” Theon answered, returning his attention to his menu.

“Water please,” she replied tightly to the server, who nodded and left to get their drinks.

“Have you been unwell today?” Felicity asked, directing the question to Tessa.

Tessa glanced at Theon again, and he stepped in. “She had some assessments done at the health compound today,” he explained. “The assessments can be intense, and she has slept most of the day. It is why we needed to change this meeting from lunch to dinner.”

“My goodness,” Felicity replied, her hand fluttering to her chest. “We could have rescheduled for another time, my Lord. The health of your Source is more important than this dinner.”

Theon sat back in his seat as the server placed his drink down in front of him. This was unexpected. The Legacy notoriously cared little about the Fae. Fae were servants, created by the gods to serve a Legacy’s every whim and desire. Rarely was their comfort considered.

“Tell me about yourself,” Theon said, taking a drink of his liquor.

Felicity flashed him a pretty smile as she set her wine down. “I was born and raised in Raven Harbor. My father is of the Gracil bloodline, but my mother is of the Rai bloodline.”

“Your father is the governor of Raven Harbor,” Theon said, having learned all these details from the file his father had put together.

Raven Harbor was their port city located at the mouth of the Night Waters where the small river of dark water met the Asning Sea. No one knew why the waters of the Night Waters turned dark as the night sky when they flowed east from the Fractured Springs, but they returned to the blue of the sea the moment they met with the Asning.

“He is,” Felicity answered. She shifted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I have two younger sisters as well.”

“Will they be at the Acropolis with you?” Theon asked.

“No. They will stay back. They will attend the next Selection year,” Felicity confirmed, sipping her wine once more.

“And if you and I are Matched, who takes over for your father when the time comes?”

Theon asked.

For a split second, Felicity’s smile faltered, but her bright smile was back in place a moment later, and she answered, “Whomever my middle sister, Eleanor, is Matched with.”

“You are upset by that?”

“Of course not, my Lord,” she answered quickly. “It would be the greatest of honors to be your Match.”

Before Theon could ask another question, Tessa shifted beside him, drawing his attention to her. “Are you all right?”

Tessa nodded, but Theon could see her white knuckles as she clenched the arms of her chair. He reached over and pried off the hand closest to him, intertwining his fingers with hers. The cord sparked between them, and she visibly relaxed a touch.

Felicity asked, “Are you looking forward to the Selection rounds this year?”

“I attended the last Selection with my father,” Theon answered, trying to shift his focus back to her, but the bond had other ideas. He found his thoughts wandering to the lack of undergarments beneath the dress Tessa was wearing. He cleared his throat. “He will not be attending the entire year, as he has other matters to tend to. He has entrusted the task to me and my younger brother.”

The server returned to take their orders, and he ordered an herb-crusted steak for himself and a shrimp pasta dish for Tessa along with salads. She had tried to tug her hand back, but he’d tightened his fingers around hers. She clearly needed this, whether or not she wanted to admit it.

When the server left, she said, “I need to use the restroom.” He moved to stand, but she tsked under her breath. “I am simply going to the bathroom. Stay and visit with Miss Davers.”

“Ten minutes, Tessa. Do not make me come looking for you,” he conceded, but he didn’t like it, especially not after everything she’d been put through today. He watched her make her way across the restaurant.

“It is admirable how much you care for her,” Felicity commented, finally drawing his gaze back to her. If she was jealous or feeling slighted by the lack of attention, she didn’t show it.

“She is my Source. I take care of what is mine,” he replied, grabbing his glass and taking another drink.

“Out of duty or because you care for her?” Felicity questioned, bringing her wine back

to her lips.

“Can it not be both?”

“It can be, but is it?” she asked, with a tilt of her head.

“Are the Fae at your family home taken care of out of duty, or because you care for them?”

Felicity shrugged. “There are a few I am fond of,” she answered. “I think we all have favorites when it comes to those who serve our families, but I would say the Fae are cared for primarily because it would be an inconvenience to have to care for ill Fae or find replacements.”

“Fair enough,” Theon conceded.

“But,” Felicity went on, “I can only assume it is different with a Source and the bond.

What is it like? Having a Source?”

“I do not think I can accurately answer that seeing as we only have the first Mark,”

Theon answered, glancing at the time. Tessa had six minutes left.

“What has it been like so far?” Felicity pressed.

“Very different from what I thought it would be,” he admitted. “And I do not know if that is simply because we are not completely bonded yet, or if it is because of something

else.”

“It is not going well?”

“No, that is not what I mean,” Theon amended. “I thought the Source bond and everything it entails would instantly snap into place as soon as everything was initiated, but it does not.”

“Maybe you are right,” Felicity supplied. “Maybe once the Marks are in place, and she has emerged, it will be different. Easier. For all involved.”

Not wanting her to think he wasn’t in control of his Source, he took another sip of his drink before saying, “They come to love the hand that feeds and cares for them.”

“I suppose that is one way to look at it,” Felicity said thoughtfully, her eyes flicking to something over his shoulder. “Like your famed hunting hounds in a way.”

“My hounds cannot talk back to me,” Theon muttered.

Felicity let out a soft laugh at that. “I am sure you took care of any resistance quickly and effortlessly.” She paused before adding, “I thought maybe it would be different since you will eventually be able to read her emotions and thoughts. Is it not odd to have someone constantly with you at all times?”

Theon shrugged a shoulder. “Perhaps, but considering I will be able to draw from her power after the bonding is completed, I would rather have her with me than anywhere else.”

“Of course you would want to protect one of your most valuable assets,” Felicity said with a nod.

“She is definitely that,” he agreed, sinking the last of his drink.

The server arrived with the salads and bread, and a moment later, Tessa was sliding back into her seat beside him. He turned to speak with her and found her pale, her cosmetics too dark against her skin. There was almost a greenish hue to her skin tone.

Theon leaned towards her. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” she answered tightly, pulling her napkin into her lap. She reached for her water glass, her hand trembling slightly.

“Tessa.” He brought his hand up to touch her, and she closed her eyes, clearly fighting the urge to pull away from him. Her entire body was rigid and taut. Her breathing was shallow. What the fuck had happened while she was gone? “Did someone do something to

you?”

She shook her head.

“What do you need?”

He shot a quick glance at Felicity, who was politely trying to look anywhere else as she ate her salad. Beside him, Tessa took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before pushing the air back out of her lungs. She finally opened her eyes again, her gaze fixed on the salad plate before her.

“I apologize,” she said. “It has been a long day, but I am fine…Master.”

The muscle ticked in his jaw at the title, and he sat back some. Gesturing to her salad, he said, “Eat, Tessa. You have not eaten all day.”

She dutifully picked up her fork and stabbed some lettuce and croutons, bringing the bite to her nearly bloodless lips. He reached for the bread, buttering a slice and placing it on her plate. She glanced at it briefly before bringing another bite of salad to her mouth. If possible, her face turned a little more green, and she reached for her water once more.

“Tessa…”

“I’m fine!” she snapped, and her eyes widened as she lost control of her tongue. Her gaze dropped to her lap. “My apologies,” she gritted out.

But it was a lie. Her tone told him she wasn’t sorry at all. Theon’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced at Felicity out of the corner of his eye. She was eyeing them now, her fork halfway to her mouth with her last bite of salad. He couldn’t let this go. He couldn’t let a public outburst at him go without consequence.

But what was he to do with her here?

He reached over, his hand capturing her chin and turning her face to his. “Do you not remember our discussion of stated expectations, Tessalyn? Particularly the portion of what will happen if those expectations are not met?”

Her eyes went wide. “I— Yes, of course,” she replied, stumbling over her words. A mixture of panic and fury entered her eyes.

“And would you agree expectations are not currently being met?”

Thin pools of silver began to well in her eyes, and he knew they were not tears of regret but anger as she blinked them back.

“Answer me,” he ordered.

“I would agree.”

“And when we discuss the repercussions later tonight, you will remember this moment?”

He could see all of her rage and humiliation and helplessness playing out in her stormy eyes, and when faint traces of violet sparked across her irises, it took everything in him not to react. He had not been imagining it all those times. What kind of power would make her eyes do that?

“Verbal acknowledgment, Tessa,” he murmured softer than he’d intended, his thumb gently sweeping along her jaw.

Her throat bobbed. “Yes, I will remember. I will remember all of it.”

She held his stare, her eyes hardening. The traces of violet were gone, but the storm of malice remained.

He released her chin as he said, “You look unwell. I will have soup brought for you.”

She shifted in her seat, her teeth clenching as she worked to control herself this time.

“I am fine, but that would be lovely.”

That would be lovely?

Why did those four words make him feel so…unsettled?

The server appeared to clear their salad plates, and then nodded when he reached for Tessa’s with a questioning glance. “Was the salad not to her liking, my Lord?”

“The salad was fine. She is feeling unwell. Can you cancel her order and bring a soup instead? Some type of broth, if possible.”

Tessa stiffened beside him.

“I am sure the kitchen will prepare something for you, my Lord.”

Theon nodded in acknowledgment, and as Tessa reached for her water again, he leaned over to whisper, “When we have our discussions later tonight, you would do well to remember not to lie to me.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but immediately snapped it shut.

And that was all the confirmation he needed to know she was keeping even more secrets.