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Theon moved to stand beside her, sliding his phone back into his pocket. “You will be tied to me in every way, Tessa. That Bargain Mark does not make a difference, and taking what is yours will not make a difference either.”

“I do not want it.”

“The phone call?”

“Sure. We’ll go with the phone call.”

He reached out, unable to stop himself as he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look up at him. “I know it makes me a bastard, but I stand by what I said. I will have each and every piece of you. I can wait until you are ready to give some of those pieces.”

“And the pieces I won’t give?”

“I always find a way to get what I want, Tessa.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she held his gaze. A faint ring of violet glowed around her pupils, and it was not fleeting this time. It stayed, staring back at him.

“What are you thinking right now?” he murmured. When she didn’t answer, he stepped into her, his front brushing hers.

“That I do not know how I will survive a lifetime with you,” she answered.

“You survive it by not being stubborn simply to prove a point.”

Her grey eyes hardened, the violet flaring a little more. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means if you are refusing this phone call simply to prove that you can, you are only hurting yourself. Dig your heels in on things that matter, Tessa. Be smart about it,” he replied, releasing her chin as a gust of wind swept around them. Thunder rumbled off in the distance, and Theon watched the violet flash like a streak of lightning across her irises.

What Fae element did that? He’d be spending some time researching tonight, but all the texts that would likely help him were back at Arius House.

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.

“I already told you. I want us to be feared, Tessa. Your lessons and training here won’t just be in your element. I need you to be smart about when and where you exercise your obstinate tendencies.”

She stared back at him, and he could practically hear the debate playing out in her head.

“If declining this phone call will serve a purpose beyond thinking you are proving something to me—which I assure you, you are not—then by all means, dig in those heels, Tessa. Or take what you earned. Take what’s yours to claim.”

He let silence fall between them for a full minute before he pulled his phone from his pocket once more. “I will ask you once more. After this, consider it forfeit. Would you like to make the phone call you earned?”

She swallowed thickly, scowling as though she hated that she’d let him talk her into this when she reached for the phone. “Can I still video call them?”

“Yes,” he said, fighting back his smile of victory.

“Can I speak to them privately?”

“No.”

“Fine,” she huffed, brushing past him and moving into the room. She dropped onto the sofa in the bedroom’s small sitting area, where a television hung above the fireplace.

A moment later, she had her knees pulled to her chest, his phone balancing atop them as he dropped down beside her. He wouldn’t sit here the entire time. Just until he got what he wanted. He may have just told Tessa to take what she’d earned, and he’d meant it, but he would also teach her to take advantage of every opportunity presented to her. Some of those opportunities would be shit, but there would always be a way to take something away from it.

And right now, he was going to get what he wanted from this opportunity.

The voice call rang out, and she bit her lip as she thumbed open his messages. She sent one to the same number. It was only two words.

Theon: It’s me.

Then she sent the video call through again.

It was answered immediately.