Page 60 of Rain of Shadows and Endings

Current Location: Arius Kingdom

Theon St. Orcas, Master, took possession at Opening Selection Ceremony 5622, assuming complete dominium.

Theon had signed his name underneath in agreement.

Her hand shook when she moved to swipe the screen, but he pulled the tablet away from her before she had a chance to see anything else.

“What is that?” she rasped.

“Your documents. All the Fae have them.”

“Documents for what?”

“To keep track of you and which kingdom is responsible for you.”

She knew Fae were viewed as less than to the Legacy, but to have actual papers? Gods. The mortals had more rights than she did.

She couldn’t stop moving, growing restless as something pressed at her being, aching to be let free. She was shifting from foot-to-foot, a hand raking through her long hair and tugging lightly at the strands. Theon was watching her warily.

“Before we left the Acropolis. I had to sign transfer papers before I could take you from the Pantheon,” he said when she remained silent.

Documents. Transfer papers. He could call them something pretty, but it didn’t change what they were.

Ownership records.

When he spoke again, his voice was still quiet, but there was nothing gentle about it. “You are mine, Tessa. What you say and how you act reflect directly on me, and while you might not see it this way, everything I do is to protect you and care for you.”

“You only do so because I am your Source,” Tessa spat. “You do not do it because you care for me. You do it because you need me.”

“If that is what you choose to believe,” he said with a shrug. “But, even if that was true, this can be a mutually beneficial exchange. You provide me with what I need, and I provide you with everything you need.”

“And I am just to accept that I am a piece of property to be used and drained whenever you see fit?”

“It does not have to be that way. Why can’t you see that?” Theon asked, moving forward and snatching her hands when she started to reach for her hair again. Sparks of pleasure darted through her body at his touch, and she shivered. “See, beautiful?” His tone had taken on a low tone, full of dark promises. “I know you feel what I feel when we touch, when we’re close to one another.”

“Only because I am forced to feel that way,” she replied, trying to pull her hands from his, but admittedly not trying very hard. Theon tugged her closer instead, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his brow to hers.

“Let yourself be mine, Tessa. Give in to it. It will only get harder to resist, and eventually you will give in anyway. You will want everything I have to offer. Why put yourself through all this turmoil?”

Was he right? Would the pull get stronger and stronger with each new Mark? Would the agony of the bond become so great she would eventually just give in? Would this all be for nothing? Maybe he was right and this was her fate. Maybe it was all leading to this in the end…

“Stop thinking so hard,” he whispered into her ear. “For a few seconds, just feel what it could be like.” One hand slid up to her nape, while the other came to her lower back and pressed her flush into his body. She gasped as soft parts of her pressed into the hard planes of him. “It could be like this all the time,” he murmured onto her skin, his lips skimming up her throat. “You and me, little storm,” he breathed.

He was everywhere all at once, and she couldn’t think straight. Not with this damn bond urging her to give in. Begging her to let him have her. “I…”

“No, Tessa,” he whispered. “No thinking. Just feeling.”

He brushed his lips across hers in a feather-light kiss. Then he did it again to one corner of her mouth. Then the other. He moved to her jaw. Just the slightest touch of lips to skin.

“I…” she tried again.

Was it all the Source bond? There was no doubt Theon was attractive. More than attractive. There had been something there from the moment she’d seen him at the Pantheon. Maybe her own attraction was compounding with the bond and that’s what was making this so godsdamn hard. She just wished she could know for sure because he had cared for her. Granted, he was the reason she had been ill, and he’d taken her from all she’d ever known. It only seemed right that he provide her with clothing and a roof over her head. But he’d done other things too. He’d taken notice of her hatred of socks. He’d given her time and space, not forcing her to sleep beside him most nights and not entrancing her to obey him. He certainly hadn’t tried to force her into anything physical to appease the bond. Even last night, he had given her an out. He’d counted to three and given her time to say no. So why hadn’t she?

“I can hear the wheels turning in your mind,” he murmured.

She opened her mouth, not even sure what she was going to say, but a knock sounded on the main door and she tensed. Theon swore under his breath as whatever spell they’d been under shattered.

“Stay with me, beautiful,” Theon tried, long fingers gripping her chin and bringing her eyes back to his. “Ignore it. Stay where we were—”

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