Rain of Shadows and Endings — Chapter no 5

5 THEON

T heon sat in the back of the SUV with Tessa spread across the seat beside him. She was asleep, her head resting in his lap. She had vomited for nearly three hours before finally falling asleep. It had been the middle of the night when Luka had helped him change her out of her sweat-drenched clothing and dress her in fresh ones before Theon had scooped her up and carried her through the portal into the Arius Kingdom. They only allowed portals to open in specific locations within the kingdom, so they still had a good day of travel to Arius House. They’d arranged to have the vehicle waiting for them, and now they’d been driving for nearly two hours.

The Acropolis was in the middle of Devram, and all the kingdoms had portals to and from the sacred city. While the other kingdoms had several portals throughout their lands, the Arius Kingdom only had two; both of which were heavily guarded and monitored. If anyone was entering their lands, they were doing so on foot or by vehicle unless they had a direct invitation. And even then, his father tended to make them traverse the Ozul Mountains and Shade Plains rather than let them use the portals.

Luka hadn’t said much from where he sat behind the wheel. The male was usually a broody ass, but this was more than that. He was clearly upset about how the evening had played out. He knew Luka thought he should have chosen someone else. Theon may not have visited the four Fae Estates to observe his options the last several years like the other heirs had, but he had done his research. They’d had information gathered and sent over on all the Fae that would be eligible for Selection, and Theon had poured over documents and reports for months, narrowing down options based on what he needed. He couldn’t count how many nights he, Luka, and his brother, Axel, had spent holed up in his rooms, drinking and debating the merits of various Fae. At one point, an entire wall had been covered with photos and information about prospective Sources. His father had his opinions, of course, and Theon had pretended to take them into consideration.

Tessa thought their meeting in that corridor was random. It was anything but. He’d had his choices narrowed down to five, and he’d sought them all out in the hours before the Selection Ceremony. She had been the last one he’d tracked down. He’d never expected her to be hiding in an alcove out in the corridor. Then again, maybe he should have based on the number of times she sneaked off the Fae Estate in the Celeste Kingdom.

The Fae could leave the Estates, of course, especially as they got older. The Estates were essentially boarding schools for the Fae until they came of age for Selection at twenty- three years. It was just that few of them actually left the sections of the kingdoms where the Fae lived, and those who did were always tracked. Wards alerted the governing Legacy when they came and went. But when Tessa would leave the Celeste Estate, she somehow avoided the wards and left undetected. Numerous times. Sometimes with others, and sometimes by herself. It wasn’t detailed in her file full of information. In fact, this particular skill was only mentioned in one small section in passing, which was curious in and of itself.

It was a skill he was eager to learn more about though.

And it was a skill that would come in handy during the next year they would be spending in the Acropolis.

Theon had tried to sleep once they’d entered the Arius Kingdom, but he was too worried about the Fae sleeping beside him to let himself drift off. If she woke, he wanted to know. The faster this bond settled into place, the better. If there was something he could do

to hasten it along, he’d do it. From everything he’d read about the bonding process, he didn’t anticipate it taking long, and once her gifts emerged in a few weeks, they could really

move ahead with their plans.

That first Mark though?

That had been unexpected. He’d anticipated some resistance from her dormant element, but fuck. He could still feel the shocks and flares of power as it had battled his own. It had drained him more than he’d liked, which meant he’d need to ask his father for an extra ration or suffer for the next two days.

He’d rather suffer.

He reached for a bottle of water and found Luka’s sapphire gaze settled on him in the rearview mirror.

“You still think this was the best plan?” Luka asked grimly.

“Not much I can do about it now, is there?” Theon retorted, tossing the bottle onto the empty front seat.

“No, but how we carry on with everything else could still be changed,” Luka said, switching lanes to pass a car as he reached for the water bottle.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Theon,” Luka sighed. “You should have Selected someone else if you wanted everything to go to plan. I’ve told you from the beginning she was not the one for this. You insisted on keeping her in the running. You found her hiding, away from the other Fae, eating food she’d obviously stolen. I told you she was going to be too hard to control, which will be a problem for you in and of itself.”

“She will be fine. As the bond grows stronger, she will be more obedient. She will start to want what I want,” Theon argued, looking down at the sleeping female. “Besides, she did not lie to me in the corridor before she knew who I was. You think she will start now that she knows I am the Arius Heir? She is not stupid, and I’m not going to base the choice of my Source on some intuition you think you have about her.”

“It is not intuition when she has dozens of infraction reports from her Estate Mother.

She is the exact opposite of stupid. She did not lie to you because she knows when and how to avoid making a scene. How do you think she avoided being looked at twice by the other heirs? She is clever, and she is too wild, Theon,” Luka said, his eyes flicking to Theon’s in the rearview mirror. “We needed someone with more self-control for this.”

“We need a little wildness for this to work,” Theon countered.

“I did not say her wildness was a bad thing. But to make her be what you need her to be…”

“It won’t be like that,” Theon insisted. “She will want to please me. She will want to obey me, Luka. It is how the bond works. You know this.”

“She pushed you away, Theon. She chose to feel immense pain rather than have you touch her.”

“She is adjusting,” he replied shortly, his fingers curling possessively around Tessa’s shoulder. She’d been shivering when they had changed her clothing, so they’d added a thick sweatshirt over the shirt they’d put her in. He had the fleece blanket from earlier draped over her as well, since the air conditioning was on full blast to keep him and Luka cool.

They may have been at a higher elevation, but the Ozul Mountains still saw the high temperatures that accompanied the end of the summer season.

Theon and Luka had changed out of their formal clothing before they’d left. Theon was in far more comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. He carved his hand through his hair, the cord connecting him to Tessa humming contentedly in his chest.

After several minutes of tense silence, Luka said, “She is fighting the bond, Theon.

You would have been better off choosing a Fae who wanted this life. You should have dismissed her as an option the moment she told you she did not find being a Source the honor it is portrayed to be.”

Theon ground his molars, a muscle flexing in his jaw. Luka had tried to tell him this on more than one occasion. He had sent Luka to look in on the various Fae when they had narrowed the list down. He had also had him gather information on the Fae the other heirs were leaning towards. That had to account for some of Tessa’s resistance. The other heirs had spent the last few years building relationships with their potential Sources. Those Fae had been expecting this, already trusting their heir. It hadn’t come as a surprise like it had for Tessa.

Luka had pointed out the various Fae to Theon as they’d watched them mill about in the hours before the Selection Ceremony. They left the Arius Kingdom so rarely that few would recognize him. And with the excitement of the Selection in the air, they easily went unnoticed.

Luka had pushed for him to choose a male named Jaxson Caeso. The only mark he’d had against him was that he was likely to emerge with the air element. Well, that, and he was male. Theon was leaning towards a water elemental, and a male Source wasn’t ideal in his case. But he could get creative about the physical side of the bond if needed. They could bring others into the bedroom to satisfy that need. Even observing the male when he’d sought him out made him the more logical choice. He had a warrior’s build, perfect for the role of protecting and defending. Theon knew the Falein Heir and the Serafina Heir had watched him for a while as well. Jaxson would be perfect for them, but Theon didn’t need a guard of any sort. Not like the other heirs did.

He had been ready to agree with Luka, ready to make his choice, but he’d insisted on finding Tessalyn first. Just to make sure. She’d been the only one he hadn’t been able to track down. It had been pure coincidence that he’d stumbled upon her on his way back from washing his hands after another Legacy had bumped into him and caused wine to spill over the side of his glass and all over his hand.

He’d watched as she’d slipped from that side door, looking stunning in that black and emerald gown that fit her body like a glove, showing off every dip and curve. And then she’d flitted into that alcove faster than a hummingbird, piquing his curiosity even more.

She’d been tucked so far back that if he hadn’t seen her go in there, he wouldn’t have noticed her when passing by. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he’d found her smuggling chocolate of all things. He’d been irritated when she’d acted surprised at getting caught.

He’d been annoyed when she wouldn’t speak, more than ready to walk away and choose Jaxson.

Then he’d been intrigued beyond all reason when she did open her mouth and wave that piece of chocolate in his face. Five minutes in that alcove with her and he’d known she’d be coming home with him.

He’d lost track of her when she’d gone back to the grand hall. When he’d told Luka of her, Luka had insisted they look over the files one last time. But when Theon’s gaze had

landed on her, when he’d found her leaning against another male and he’d felt the prickle of irritation at seeing another’s hands on her, he’d known it was over.

He’d watched as a small smile had graced her full lips when she’d said something to the male, and then her eyes had connected with his. Turbulent grey eyes the color of stormy skies. He could see them clearly from across the room. They widened slightly at being caught not paying attention to the entering ruling families, and he’d smirked at her, giving her a slight nod.

Luka had pulled her file from the space between realms with his magic, opening it quickly while cursing under his breath about not being able to use their tablets in the Pantheon. It was tradition to keep the sacred ceremony as similar as possible to the first one centuries ago. The Priestesses begrudgingly allowed phones to receive incoming calls in case of emergencies, but that was it.

He’d scanned the documents in the folder. Tessalyn Ausra. She’d come to the Celeste Estate when she was eight like most other Fae. Before that, she’d been housed in one of the estate group homes, which wasn’t all that uncommon. Only a quarter of the Fae were raised in a familial home, and most of those were in the Anala Kingdom. Her marks throughout lessons were some of the highest among her peers. She was clearly clever to evade the wards. She had air element tendencies, which was disappointing. But if he had to choose between having a male at his side for the rest of his life or a female, the choice was obvious.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Theon,” Luka had said. “She’s not going to want this life. She told you that. She’ll become a hindrance to the plans.”

“How could she not want this life? She’ll be provided with everything she needs.

She’ll be taken care of and protected. It is a Fae’s greatest honor to be Selected as a Source,” Theon had countered, his eyes landing on her once more. Ignoring the fact that she had told him just that in the alcove— that she did not wish to be Selected, would not find it honorable. They’d begun drifting towards the entrance, knowing his parents would arrive at any moment. Normally Axel would be here as well, but there was opportunity to be had when all the ruling families were preoccupied with this. Opportunity they planned to capitalize on, so Axel had been doing just that while they’d all been at the Acropolis.

“Go with Jaxson,” Luka had hissed under his breath as they’d moved.

“No. I am going to go with her,” he’d replied, pulling his tie from the pocket between realms and looping it around his neck.

“Fuck, Theon. Think with your head, not your dick. I get that she is more desirable than a male. Maybe you can still fuck her before we leave, but she is not the one for this,”

Luka had argued. “Think about this before you make your choice.”

And he had. He’d thought about what he knew about the bond. He’d spent as many hours researching the bond as he had debating options. It would demand closeness— emotionally, mentally, and physically. He knew the Source and Master craved each other on an intense level. More than once he’d caught his father and his Source in…intimate situations. If this bond was going to come to that, he’d rather have it with her than Jaxson Caeso. The bond would make her want that too, so he’d Selected her.

And then she’d tried to godsdamn run from him.

He’d run into Luka in the corridor, two overnight bags in his hands. The male had arched a brow at Theon’s obvious fury, and when Theon had told him Tessa had climbed

out a fucking window, Luka had sighed, shoving the bags at him.

“I told you to pick Jaxson,” Luka had said, before turning and setting off to track her down.

Staring out the window now, he watched the scenery pass by. Vegetation was green as one would expect at the end of summer despite the black mountains and grey plains. They just didn’t have to endure the stifling heat some of the other kingdoms had.

Theon turned his phone over in his hand, finding no new notifications. “Have you heard from Axel?” he asked Luka, who was messing around with his own phone and

switching the music.

“No.”

“Are you going to be a moody bastard the entire drive?”

“Probably.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Theon muttered under his breath, bringing up his message thread with his brother.

“Don’t bother him right now,” Luka said.

“What if something is wrong?”

“What are we going to do about it from here?”

He had a point. There was nothing they’d be able to do until they were back at Arius House. Axel could handle this, and if he was in the middle of something important, they didn’t need to be interrupting him. He may be gone on business for his father, but he was also working on things for their own plans. If he got caught doing any of that… Once this Source bond was in place, it wouldn’t matter.

“Once we get home and get Tessa settled, I’ll get in touch with him,” Luka said after a tense moment.

“Yeah, all right,” Theon muttered, flipping his phone over again and checking for any new messages.

Tessa began stirring beside him, and Theon tensed, preparing for the worst. “Get ready to pull over if needed,” he said to Luka, who nodded in acknowledgement.

Tessa’s eyes fluttered open, and she ran a hand down her face. Her makeup was smeared, and she had dark smudges of eyeliner and mascara across her cheeks.

“Where are we?” she murmured.

“We are on our way home,” he answered softly. “How are you feeling?”

She was quiet for a long moment before she answered, “My entire body hurts, and my throat is on fire.”

“Are you going to be sick?” Theon asked, helping her as she struggled to sit upright.

“I… I don’t think so,” she replied, pulling the blanket tightly around herself and putting space between them. The cord in his chest immediately tightened in protest at the distance. He knew they were both in the adjustment period, and that eventually they’d be able to spend periods of time apart without the bond being so intense. But right now, he just wanted her next to him. He wanted to feel her against him to appease the bond.

“Where are we going?” she asked, huffing a piece of hair from her face and pulling

him from his distracted thoughts.

“Home,” Theon answered.

“Where is your home located?”

Theon shifted, his fingers flexing as he fought the urge to reach for her. “The House of Arius is in the Ozul Mountains.”

“I figured as much,” she replied dryly. “Where in the mountains?”

“North of a small town called Castle Pines, which is about an hour from Rockmoor.”

“Hmm,” was her only response.

“But you are not allowed to reveal that to anyone, and I will need—”

“I am sure I will need to swear some type of oath to make sure I don’t reveal your secrets,” she interrupted, turning to look out the window. She was right, so Theon didn’t say anything in response to that. “It’s dark out,” she muttered, frowning slightly.

“It is nearing dawn,” Luka said.

Tessa nodded, wincing at the movement.

“You are in pain,” Theon observed.

“I just said my entire body hurts,” she said flatly. “How much longer will we be traveling?”

“Half the day at least, depending on how often we need to stop,” Luka answered.

Tessa nodded again, sliding down the seat some more and resting her head against the window, her eyes drifting closed. Every inch she moved away from him, Theon felt the bond tighten in his chest. He wanted to tell her to come back to him, but thought better of it.

He wasn’t entirely sure how she would react, and if he were being honest, her lack of impulse control intrigued him. He needed to learn how to read her, to anticipate her actions.

Silence fell, and Luka kept glancing back at them in the rearview mirror. After a few minutes, she lifted her head and looked down, shifting the blanket. “I’m in different clothing.”

“Yes,” Theon confirmed. “Your other ones were soaked in sweat from the vomiting and…everything else. We thought you would want fresh clothing.”

“You changed my clothing?” she gasped, clearly horrified.

“Luka and I did.”

“Oh my gods,” she moaned, dragging a hand down her face. “That crosses so many boundaries, Theon.”

He couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine when his name fell from her lips.

“You are my Source, Tessa. I am going to take care of you.”

She stiffened at his words. Luka sighed from the front seat, shaking his head. Theon reached down to the small cooler on the floor, pulling out another bottle of water. He removed the cap before handing it to her. “Drink. You need to rehydrate after all the vomiting.”

Tessa took the water without a word, sipping at it and wincing with every swallow.

Eventually she handed it back to him and rested her head against the window, closing her eyes once more.

“You should lie back down. Rest some more,” he encouraged.

“I need to get out and move around,” she answered. “I need… I just need to get out.”

“We can’t stop—”

“There is a small town coming up,” Luka cut in from the front seat. “We can stop there

for a few minutes.”

“Thank you, Luka,” she murmured.

Theon glared at him, catching his gaze in the rearview mirror, and Luka gave him a look that said, ‘Really, you jackass?’ A short time later, they pulled into a small convenience station. This was a predominantly mortal town, and there were already people moving about before sunrise.

This wasn’t a total waste of time, he supposed. They could refuel the vehicle and get breakfast to eat as they continued on their way.

Luka slid out of the driver’s seat, pulling open the back door and reaching for Tessa’s hand to help her out. Theon exited out of the other side, quickly rounding the back of the vehicle to take her from him. She was weak from everything, and she practically fell into Luka’s arms.

“Easy, little one,” he murmured, his hands holding her tightly around the waist. “Let me know when you’re steady.”

Theon gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay back and wait.

Until he saw the silent tears tracking down her cheeks.

“Tessa,” he breathed, stepping forward and reaching for her, but she shrank away from him, recoiling into Luka’s chest.

He stilled. He had no idea what to do. She was his Source. Why was she leaning on Luka? Why was she letting him support her? The bond was thrashing in his chest, demanding he take her back.

“Tessa, come here,” he demanded, holding out his hand to her. “Luka needs to refuel the vehicle.”

“Give her a minute, Theon,” Luka said. “She is obviously in pain.”

“And it would lessen if I were touching her. The bond would at least settle down, easing some of the discomfort,” Theon retorted. “Give her to me.”

“Give her a fucking minute. She doesn’t even have shoes on to be walking around out here. Get yourself under control.”

Theon glared at him before glancing down at her bare feet. His lips pursed, turning and stalking to the back of the vehicle. He opened the back, grabbing a pair of socks and sneakers from one of the bags.

When he rounded the vehicle once more, Luka was murmuring something too low for him to hear. Theon cleared his throat. “Shoes,” he said, holding them up for her to see.

“I don’t want to put on socks,” she replied, shaking her head. “Don’t you have a pair of sandals I could slip on? Flip-flops or something?”

Flip-flops? As if she’d ever be allowed to wear something so informal again. Not as an heir’s Source. She was as royal as a Fae could get now.

“No,” Theon answered. “All I have for you right now are these or the heels you wore for the Selection. You will have more options when we get home, although still no…flip- flops.”

Fresh tears pooled in her eyes, and Theon could not understand for the life of him why she was crying about having to put on shoes. He sighed. “Tessa, just come here. You can sit, and I will put them on for you.”

“Just go in and buy her a pair of flip-flops, Theon. It’s a convenience store. I am sure they have a pair somewhere,” Luka said, still supporting Tessa as she clung to him.

“I am not buying a pair of godsdamn flip-flops,” he snarled. “These shoes are perfectly acceptable.”

Luka bent his head, murmuring something into Tessa’s ear. She nodded before he helped her back into the vehicle and shut the door. He stalked past Theon.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Theon demanded.

“I’m going to buy her a pair of godsdamn flip-flops, Theon,” he retorted, not bothering to look back at him.

How in the fuck had he become the bad guy over a pair of godsdamn shoes? Flip-flops couldn’t even be considered shoes.

He prowled to the backseat door and yanked on the handle, but she had locked it.

“Tessa,” he called out. “Unlock the door.” No clicking sounded to tell him she’d obeyed. “Tessa,” he growled again. “Do not make me force you to do this.”

Still silence greeted him.

“Tessalyn, unlock the door now,” he snarled, forced to entrance her. A few seconds followed before a faint click sounded. He tugged on the door handle, but it was still locked.

Theon turned and yelled a curse to the sky as he realized she’d outmaneuvered the entrancing and unlocked the door on the opposite side of the vehicle. He slammed his fist into the windshield washer fluid container, knocking it clean off the pole it was poorly attached to.

“That will definitely make her more comfortable around you,” came Luka’s voice from behind him.

“Do not fucking talk to me, asshole. You are interfering with the bonding,” Theon snapped, whirling on him. He held a pair of bright purple flip-flops in his hand.

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re doing a fine job of interfering with the bonding all on your own, jackass,” he retorted, brushing past him.

“Not with you being the fucking hero, coming to her rescue, and buying her godsdamn flip-flops.”

“You could have been the hero and gotten her the godsdamn flip-flops yourself,” Luka shot back, tapping gently on the window and holding said flip-flops up for Tessa to see.

He heard the lock click, and Luka pulled the door open. He slid the things onto her feet, then helped Tessa out of the vehicle once more. She seemed a little steadier, but she still clung to Luka, glancing at Theon nervously from behind thick lashes.

“Go stretch your legs with Theon while I refuel the vehicle,” Luka encouraged gently, guiding her towards Theon. She resisted, but she was so weak, it did nothing. “I’ll be right here, little one,” he added, and Theon clenched his teeth at the fact that Luka had to persuade his own godsdamn Source to come near him. She was supposed to want this as much as he did.

Finally relenting, she allowed Theon to slip an arm around her waist, the bond immediately calming down in his chest and resuming its contented hum. She walked slowly, gingerly placing her feet down while she went. He couldn’t help but think that the sneakers he had for her would be more comfortable than fucking flip-flops, but he bit his tongue, not wanting to drive her away from him again.

They didn’t say anything as they walked beneath the obscenely bright lights, but she wouldn’t let him steer her too far from Luka. When Theon couldn’t stand the silence anymore, he asked, “Is it helping? Walking around and stretching your legs?”

“Mhmm,” she hummed, stumbling a bit and causing Theon to tighten his grip on her.

“Careful, beautiful. You don’t want to overdo it. Maybe we should head back to the

vehicle.”

“I need to use the restroom.”

Theon sighed internally. Why hadn’t he thought of that? They could have been making their way there. He whistled low at Luka and jerked his chin at the convenience store, and Luka nodded in acknowledgement that he’d meet them inside.

It took a few minutes to make it to the building and then make their way to the restrooms in the back. He opened the door to follow her in, but she pressed a hand to his chest.

“You’re not coming in here,” she said, her eyes saying there was no negotiating on this.

“Tessa, you cannot even stand on your own,” he argued anyway.

“No. Absolutely not. It’s bad enough you changed my clothes while I was unconscious. This is not happening.” She may have been arguing with him, but she sounded utterly exhausted. Smoothing back her hair, the black Mark, his Mark, stood out starkly against her fair skin.

“Five minutes, Tessa,” he finally agreed.

“Turtles move faster than me right now. I’m going to need more time than that,” she

sighed.

“Fine. Seven.”

Tessa sighed heavily again, shrugging out of his hold. “Whatever.”

The cord in his chest immediately went taut when the door closed behind her. He tried to keep himself busy, perusing the coolers and shelves of junk food, but still found himself checking his watch every thirty seconds. Luka showed up when she was four minutes into her allotted seven.

“Want one?” he asked, holding out a bag of doughnuts sprinkled with sugar.

“Those aren’t good for you,” Theon replied.

“Legacy,” Luka said mockingly, jabbing a thumb into his chest. “This is not what’s going to kill me.”

He made a valid point. With their extended lifespans and self-healing abilities, Legacy weren’t susceptible to the diseases and ailments that plagued the mortals. The Fae were generally healthy, too, as well as having extended lifespans, but they still fell ill from time to time. He’d make sure Tessa ate well and ate properly to ensure she stayed healthy. He told her he took care of what was his, and he meant it.

The seven minute mark hit, and she didn’t emerge.

Then eight minutes.

Then nine.

At ten minutes, even Luka began looking concerned and agreed they should check on her. Theon didn’t waste a second, knocking once before pushing open the door to the restroom.

“Tessa? I gave you ten minutes,” he called out, immediately looking around for windows, relieved when there were none. He probably should have checked for those first given her earlier disappearing act, but since she could scarcely move, he hadn’t been overly concerned.

The sound of sniffling and soft whimpering came from the last stall in the row, and he followed it. “Tessa?” he called again, pushing on the door. Of course it was locked. “Tessa, are you all right?” When she didn’t answer, he sighed. “Tessa, unlock the door.”

The sound of the latch sliding followed a moment later, and he pushed the stall door open. Tessa was sitting on the closed toilet lid with tears streaming down her face. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself, and she was doubled over, rocking back and forth.

Theon lowered into a crouch before her, taking her face in his hands. “Tessa, what’s wrong?”

“It hurts,” she whimpered. “Everything hurts.”

“Tessa,” he sighed, pulling her into his arms, but she stiffened against him.

“My skin hurts. My hair hurts. I didn’t know hair could hurt, but mine does. These tight clothes against my skin hurt. It’s why I didn’t want to wear the sneakers. I didn’t want the feel of the socks on my skin. I wasn’t trying to be a pain in the ass,” she sobbed into his shoulder, her entire body tense and rigid against him.

“Shh,” he said, trying to soothe her. “It’s okay, Tessa.”

“It’s not okay,” she cried. “None of this is okay. I’m miserable. I feel like I was hit by a truck. Now I have to travel for hours. Can’t you use your magic and heal me like you did before?”

He shook his head, the bond humming at her closeness despite her obvious misery. “I can’t, Tessa. Your body is reacting to my magic. If I flooded it with more, it would make it worse. Any magic right now would make it worse.”

She didn’t say anything. Just kept sobbing into his shoulder. He pulled his phone from his pocket, sending a quick message to Luka asking him to get his sweatshirt from the vehicle.

“We can stop as often as you need to if it helps to get out and move around,” he said when he finished.

“Gods, Theon,” she bit out. “Don’t act like you actually care.” She pushed off of him, struggling to her feet.

“Of course I care. I am here, aren’t I?” he retorted, getting to his feet and backing up so she could exit the stall. When she made it past him, she moved to the sink, turning the tap on and splashing water across her face, wiping at the ruined makeup. Theon retrieved paper towels for her, handing them over.

As she wiped her face, he took a breath and tried again. “I care, Tessa. You are my Source. I take care of what is mine.”

She whirled on him, nearly falling over as she lost her balance. Theon shot forward, catching her before she hit her head on the basin, but she shoved his hands off of her, backing up against the wall.

“I am not yours,” she snarled, her features twisting into a fury that was really quite remarkable considering how weak she was.

“Of course you are mine, Tessa. I Selected you. You bear my Mark,” he retorted, nodding at her right hand.

She looked down, staring at the back of her hand. Fresh tears fell onto the black Mark as she stared at it, slowly sinking down to the floor when it became too painful to remain standing. She didn’t even look up when Luka came through the door, Theon’s sweatshirt in

his hand. He threw Theon an accusatory glare, coming to a halt at the sight of Tessa sitting on the dirty floor of a convenience store bathroom.

Theon sighed for the millionth time and pulled his t-shirt over his head. He lowered down before Tessa, reaching out to lift her chin. She winced at his touch, which was the exact opposite of how his body reacted to him touching her again. His bond purred and hummed in pleasure. He held up the shirt to show her.

“Let’s put this on. It will be big on you, so the material won’t rub on your skin. I do not have looser pants for you though,” he said. Tessa just stared back at him, and something seemed fractured in the grey eyes that held his own. When she said nothing, he reached for the hem of the sweatshirt she was wearing. “Let’s get this off, okay?”

As gently as he could and touching her as little as possible, he removed the sweatshirt, then the shirt beneath it. He didn’t offer to remove the bra, assuming she wouldn’t appreciate that after her reaction to them changing her clothing earlier. Theon slipped his shirt over her head, guiding her arms through the sleeves. Then he reached behind him for the sweatshirt Luka still held.

“Do you want this?” he asked, holding it up. She nodded once, and he helped her into it. “Are you ready to stand?” She bit her bottom lip, her eyes falling to the floor, and Theon glanced up at Luka who just shrugged, clearly not knowing what was going on either.

“Tessa, are you ready to go?” Theon tried again.

“I’m tired, and my skin hurts,” she murmured, drawing her hands into the sleeves of his sweatshirt that was far too big for her.

“I know. We can go,” he replied. “I will help you up.”

She let him pull her up and loop an arm around her waist again, but when she stumbled three times just crossing the restroom, Theon stopped and scooped her into his arms. She didn’t protest, settling against his bare chest.

Luka helped him get her back into the vehicle. Theon moved to put the clothing she’d been wearing into the back and dug out another shirt for himself, then moved to get in on the other side. But when he opened the door, he froze. She was in the process of peeling the

black leggings off.

“What are you doing, Tessa?”

“My skin hurts,” she whimpered, ripping the material off her foot before moving to the other leg and trying to work the fabric down.

Luka was already sliding back out of the front seat and opening the back door, helping her slide the leggings the rest of the way off. She sighed in relief, Theon’s sweatshirt pooling in her lap. Her bare legs captured Theon’s attention, and all he could do for a moment was stare.

Luka reached over her, grabbing the fleece blanket and draping it over her lap.

“Better?” he asked gently.

Tessa nodded, and Theon climbed into the backseat. They had been stopped longer than he’d wanted, and the sun was already breaking the horizon. They wouldn’t be getting back to Arius House until evening at this rate.

Tessa leaned her head against the window again, her eyes drifting shut.

“Tessa, come lie down. You will be more comfortable,” he said, reaching for her.

“No,” she murmured, not even opening her eyes to look at him.

“Damnit, Tessa. It will help with the pain. It is part of the bond,” he replied, trying not

to lose his temper again.

“I’m fine, Theon.”

“Tessa.”

“Theon,” she parroted.

He was done messing around. She made him feel like he had no control. The Source bond was jerking in his chest, demanding he close the distance between them, despite having just carried her to the vehicle minutes ago.

“Tessa, do not make me force this. Come here.”

And that’s when Tessa lost her fucking mind.

Her hands came up into her hair. She grabbed fistfuls of the golden locks and pulled, tilting her head back and screaming in utter rage and ruin to the heavens.

“Holy fuck!” Luka cursed, swerving over to the side of the road. Big, fat drops of rain had begun falling against the windows, sounding like rocks each time one hit. Theon’s eyes were wide as he watched his Source utterly fall apart.

“Theon, do something!” Luka barked, staring at Tessa in disbelief. “She’s going to rip her hair out.”

“Tessa, stop it!” Theon snapped, flying across the seat and reaching for her wrists. But that caused her to grimace, and instead of screams of rage, she cried out in pain, keeping her hair firmly in her grasp. The rain was pouring now, making all the noise in the vehicle chaotic. Theon had to yell to be heard over her screaming and the pounding rain. “Tessalyn, stop it! Stop!”

Her screaming ceased immediately, and she released her hair, collapsing against him.

He gathered her into his arms, leaning into the seat and resting his head back, closing his eyes as she panted against him. This would forever go down as being the longest day of his life, and he’d had some pretty shitty days.

Eventually, the rain let up some, and Luka eased back onto the road. Tessa’s breathing evened out. He was exhausted. He couldn’t imagine how Tessa felt. Although to be fair, Theon and Luka had made it a point to sleep most of the afternoon yesterday before the Selection Ceremony began. Neither of them had been entirely sure how the bonding would play out, but he knew neither of them had expected anything like this.

Mile after mile passed, and Tessa didn’t stir in his arms. He couldn’t get the image out of his head of her pulling at her hair and screaming. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her doing just that, so he gave up on closing them, watching the familiar scenery pass by the window.

Tessa had become so still, he thought she had fallen asleep. So when her voice drifted up to him, hoarse from screaming, as they neared Sinvons Lake, he stiffened.

“Is this how it’s going to be? When I don’t act the way you desire, you will just entrance me?”

His jaw clenched. “If you would simply listen when I ask you to do something, this would not be an issue, Tessa,” he finally ground out. He felt her tense at his words and try to push away from him, but he tightened his hold, keeping her in place. “Don’t, Tessa.

Don’t do this. The bond wants us touching right now. It is how it strengthens and forms.”

Still she struggled against him, and Theon couldn’t believe she was fighting him on this yet again. “For the love of the gods, yes! If you are going to act like a petulant child, I

am going to treat you like a petulant child. Stop or I will force you to stop.”

She sucked in a sharp breath at the words and stilled in his arms. After a full minute of silence, he heard her whisper, “As you wish, Master.”

Luka was shaking his head, his shoulders tense and eyes fixed on the road, clearly disapproving of everything that had just happened. Theon rested his head back against the seat once more, closing his eyes. He had a Source, yes, but so far, that was the only thing that had gone according to his plans.