Page 176 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

“I felt her, Luka,” Theon said, toeing off his shoes. “I know what she was feeling.”

Hurt.

Betrayal.

Anger.

So much fury.

“It’s all too coincidental, right?” Theon said, untucking his shirt before quickly unbuttoning it and slipping it off. “My father calling in the bargain. Tessa coming home early. Us being called away when she arrives.”

Luka rubbed a hand along his jaw. “Dozens of people were killed. You think it was all a set-up? For what purpose?”

“I don’t think it was a set-up. Iknowit was,” Theon replied, lowering himself to Luka’s bed. The male slept on a mattress on the floor, for fuck’s sake. Theon hated it.

“What are you doing?” Luka said, watching him warily. “I’m telling you, do not wake her up, Theon.”

“I’m not going to wake her.”

“I promised her she’d wake up here. She didn’t want to wake up upstairs.”

“I’m not moving her,” Theon replied, settling down beside her.

She immediately turned to him, seeking him out in her sleep like she always did. He wasn’t fooling himself. He was well-aware this was the bond, but he also knew what he felt from her tonight. If the bond would comfort her enough to let her sleep soundly, then he’d let her take what she needed. She’d endured enough this past week, let alone whatever had happened tonight.

“Felicity was in our room,” Theon said.

“What?” Luka asked, lowering to the other side of the mattress.

“I felt her enter the wards,” he went on. “Tessa found her up there.”

“Fuck,” Luka muttered, shifting onto his back.

“It was her suggestion to drop her off here when I got the call. In my hurry and the chaos, I just agreed. I wanted her out of my hair so I could focus on Tessa, and…” He smoothed a hand down Tessa’s hair.

“You think Felicity is in on whatever this is,” Luka finished for him.

“I haven’t figured it all out yet, but it won’t matter in the end,” Theon said as Tessa shifted, her brow pinching.

“What do you mean?” Luka asked, extinguishing his dark flames.

“She won’t believe anything I have to say. I’ve never given her a reason to.”

He slept. He shouldn’t have been able to knowing what this morning would bring, but he’d been so exhausted, and Tessa had been back. He woke with her head nestled on his shoulder, and her hand on his chest. And he savored it, not opening his eyes until he heard movement; then he found Luka on the sofa.

“That bed is not made for three,” Luka grumbled, noticing him awake. He was already partially dressed for the day.

“If you didn’t have so many godsdamn pillows and blankets everywhere, there’d be more room,” Theon retorted in a whisper, pulling one of the blankets up over Tessa’s shoulder as she shivered against him.

Luka muttered something under his breath, propping a foot on the coffee table. “Ford is bringing coffee up.”

“That will be good,” Theon said, gently brushing his fingers up and down Tessa’s arm.

The quiet lingered between them until Luka said, “She’s going to say some things, Theon. You can’t get frustrated with her. She’s… In all the shit we’ve put her through, I’ve never seen her like that.”

Silence fell again, and it wasn’t until the knock sounded from Ford with the coffee that Tessa stirred. Not knowing what to expect from her, Theon gently worked his arm out from under her. From what he could gather, she would not be pleased if she woke up nestled into him. He slid from the bed, feeling rested for the first time in a week. His reserves were still low, painfully so, and he knew he’d be drawing from Luka if he used any more of his magic.

He swiped up his phone, scrolling through emails and messages as he sipped on a mug of coffee, but he sensed the moment she fully woke. The bond seemed to sit up straighter, as if waiting for her to acknowledge it.

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