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Why hadn’t she thought of this?

All the Legacy were given Matches— arranged marriages. They were carefully planned to ensure children produced were pure Legacy and only strengthened their bloodline, often matching a greater bloodline with that of a lesser god or goddess to make sure the greater bloodline’s power ran true and as strong as possible. Why had she never thought of the fact that the reason she was given a small bed in Theon’s suite was because he would eventually have a wife in his? He would be expected to produce the next heir for the Arius Kingdom. The Source bond would force Tessa to be his, but he would not be hers. That thought alone made her food lurch in her stomach. She didn’t want Theon, but being forced to give herself to someone and receive nothing in return?

But then another thought hit her. He wouldn’t make her stay in that room while… When they were…producing said heir. Would he?

At the thought, Tessa’s fork slipped from her fingers. It hit her plate with a clatter, rice scattering across the table. Silence fell, all eyes coming to settle on her.

“My apologies,” she said softly, beginning to clean up the rice, her cheeks hot.

“Theon, did we not have a discussion about your Source’s manners?” Valter asked, his voice a steely calm.

“We did. It was unintentional and will not happen again,” Theon said quickly, his hand coming to rest on her knee that had begun bouncing beneath the table.

“I should hope not, but you assured me of the same in our prior conversation. I clearly have a way of instilling obedience in my Source,” he said with a nod of his head in Eviana’s direction. She was eating her vegetables, eyes on her plate. “Perhaps you need assistance.”

“She is not your Source to discipline. I will take care of it when we return to our rooms,” Theon answered tightly.

Tessa didn’t know how to react to anything that was being said, but at Valter’s words of his “assistance,” Eviana had glanced up briefly, her face paling, before she reached for her water glass and took a drink.

“That may be the case, but she will not be permitted to finish eating at my table,” Valter said.

Tessa’s eyes were fixed on Theon, who was staring at his father. His words ran through her head.

Keep your eyes on me tonight.

Theon would fix this. He’d promised to take care of her. He’d fix this, and she’d apologize profusely later. She’d try harder. She’d figure out a way to make this bond thing work.

She watched that muscle feather in his jaw. His knuckles were white around his glass. She was beginning to think it was going to shatter in his hand.

“Tessa, leave the table,” he ground out. “Stand by the wall behind me until it’s time for us to go. Do not make a sound.”

She stared at him in complete and utter shock. “Because I dropped a fork?”

The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. Theon’s head whipped to her, his emerald eyes darkening a shade. No. They didn’t darken. Darkness swirled in them.

“She speaks back to you too?” Valter asked, his voice tight with rage. “I swear to Arius, Theon, if she is not under control—”

“She is under control, Father,” Theon interrupted, fury tinging his tone as he glanced over his shoulder at him. He brought his eyes back to hers. “Go, Tessa.”

“Th—” she paused, his name getting stuck in her throat. “I didn’t throw food across the table. I dropped a fork,” she hissed indignantly, trying to keep her voice down.

Eviana’s eyes had left her Master and were fixed on her, wide in horror at her outburst. Cressida was sipping on her wine, watching everything as if Tessa were the evening entertainment. Axel was giving her a pitying look, and Luka’s glare was telling her to move to the fucking wall.

“Theon,” his father growled from across the table, and that was darkness wreathing his hands.

“I have it handled,” Theon snapped. “Tessa, we discussed the behavior that was expected of you tonight. Either move to the wall, or you will sit at my feet for the remainder of this meal.”

“You cannot be serious,” she balked, her eyes widening at the threat.

“Serious as the Pits of Torment,” he replied coolly. Standing, he gripped her elbow, hauling her to her feet. He snapped his finger and a servant appeared. “Remove her chair.”

Ice cold fury raced through her veins. Theon’s eyes never left hers while his order was carried out. When the chair was removed, he said, “Kneel, Tessa, and not another word.”

His entire demeanor was possessive and dominating, and as Tessa lowered to her knees, something snapped in her, just like the day she’d screamed to the gods on the drive here. It was a thing that lurked inside her, that only one other had ever been able to help her control. Her lips curled up in a smirk as she whispered mockingly, “Eyes on you. For one night. Right?”

“Enough,” he snarled, the darkness in his eyes swirling faster. Dark mist appeared, hovering around him.

“Theon,” Axel said quietly from across the table, and it seemed to pull Theon back from a brink, the darkness dissipating.