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Theon glanced up at her. He was busy getting a tea bag placed in a charcoal grey mug as the teakettle began to whistle shrilly. He pulled it off the stove, pouring hot water into the mug. “Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. Allowing you to do so would be irresponsible of me.”

Tessa really was at a loss for words this time. She could only stare at him in utter disbelief as he came to her and set the mug of tea down by her soup bowl before sliding into the chair next to her. He had a pile of papers in his hand that he set down on the table and began going through. When she didn’t move, he reached over and slid her bowl forward an inch. “Eat,” he said before returning to whatever he was reading.

Tessa dutifully ate the entire bowl of broth and two pieces of bread—a habit from not knowing when she would lose food privileges again. The moment she finished, Theon was clearing her dishes and sliding the tea forward. When he returned to the table, he reached to smooth back a piece of hair, and Tessa flinched away. He sighed, lowering into his chair once more and turning to face her.

“Tessa, you realize that the only reason you slept so soundly for three days is because I rarely left your side, don’t you? If I did, it was for mere minutes. When I was beside you, some part of us was always touching, even if it was simply our arms brushing.”

Tessa stared down at her mug, watching the steam rise. That made sense, she supposed. She vaguely recalled waking at one point and feeling nothing but complete calm and contentment despite the pain her body was enduring.

“Where is Luka?” she asked.

“Luka does not need to be here, Tessa. You are not his Source. You are mine.”

Her eyes snapped to his, and she met emerald eyes bright with anger.

“Luka doesn’t get frustrated with me for having trouble dealing with the fact that my entire life was just stolen from me,” she retorted, glaring back at him.

“Can you just try, Tessa?” Theon said. “Can you try and let the Source bond do what it is supposed to do? Maybe you will find it is not nearly as bad as you are clearly envisioning. I have done nothing but take care of you and tend to your needs since Selecting you.”

“You are the reason you had to take care of me, Theon!” Tessa cried. “If you had not Selected me, there would have been no reason to take care of me and tend to my needs.”

“Aside from that unfortunate necessity, I have provided and will continue to provide everything you could ever need,” he argued.

“Unfortunate necessity?” Tessa scoffed in disbelief. “Leaving that convoluted argument alone for a moment, you are literally deciding what I eat. How is taking away my choices not that bad?”

“I am keeping you healthy.”

“You are keeping your prized pet in mint condition,” she sneered.

Theon stared back at her for a long moment before he turned and began gathering his papers. His voice was tight and his words clipped when he said, “Luka needed to get some air, so he went to his estate for the day. He will return this evening. You are free to do as you wish in here, but it is imperative that you do not leave our rooms.”

“Luka already gave me the lecture about not being allowed to leave the pretty cage,” she snapped.

Theon’s lips pressed into a thin line. He took a few moments, clearly trying to compose himself. “Rest. I am going to shower,” he finally said.

He left the room, leaving Tessa sitting at the table, her tea growing cold.

* * *

Five days.

It had been five days of being cooped up in these rooms. Tessa had read several books from the bookshelves, all of them some sort of history or textbook. That was all Theon appeared to have in here. She’d also watched more mundane television than she cared to ever watch again. She couldn’t even say she really watched it. She certainly hadn’t been invested in any of the shows. Sitting idle had never been her thing, and being stuck in the same space for too long made her stir-crazy. It was part of the reason she so often found herself in undesirable situations.

Luka had returned, but he kept his distance, encouraging her to try and follow the lead of the bond and connect with Theon. That just made her more agitated, so now she only spoke to either of them when absolutely necessary. She had insisted on sleeping in the uncomfortable bed in that tiny room, much to Theon’s annoyance and displeasure, and she took a small sense of satisfaction at denying the bond, despite the cord thrashing violently in her chest all night. Needless to say, she hadn’t slept well the last five days. She’d taken to napping on the sofa when Theon joined her. He would sit at one end, reading through papers or working on his laptop. His nearness would calm the thing enough that she could slip into sleep.

Tessa stirred her fruit, granola, and honey that he’d ordered her for breakfast, wishing it was pancakes topped with bananas, chocolate chips, and whipped cream. She was nestled in the bay window she’d found herself in more often than not. It overlooked a huge garden area behind the house. The gardens appeared to have paths going off in various directions, and she wondered where they all led to. Did any go up into the mountains? Or did they all just loop back in one giant circle? And what did anyone need gardens this big for anyway? Were there hidden areas to get lost in? Were there actual gardens with food and herbs?

She heard the door clicking as she took a bite. Assuming it was Luka, she was planning on dutifully ignoring him, but when the door opened, it was not Luka who came in.

The male who walked through the door was devastatingly beautiful, as attractive as Luka and Theon. He had thick dark hair with auburn undertones to it rather than the inky black of Theon’s hair. His hair was a little longer too. His eyes, though, were as green as Theon’s. He was only an inch shorter than him and appeared to be close to her age of twenty-three. That meant he’d already undergone his Staying so she couldn’t say what his age was for sure. Most Fae and Legacy went through their Staying in their early twenties, when the magic in their blood would keep their bodies from further aging. Tessa had undergone her own Staying at twenty years.

“Um, hi?” Tessa said as she swallowed a bite of blueberries, eyeing the newcomer. Luka had told her only a select few had access to these rooms, and so far, it had only been them.

The male had several small boxes in his hands as he studied her with curiosity in his bright eyes. He wore black pants and a white dress shirt with the top few buttons undone. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing muscular forearms dusted with dark hair.

“You must be Tessa,” he answered.

Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, she started to call for Theon, but his name got stuck in her throat.