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“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.