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The Fae bowed before taking her leave. Theon closed the door behind her, turning to face Tessa fully. She couldn’t help but take a step back from him as his eyes slid over her from head to toe and back up again. He took a step forward, but paused when Tessa took another step back.

“You are frightened,” he said, his head tilting to the side with a keen interest.

Tessa couldn’t answer, her mouth too dry. She didn’t know what to say anyway.

“If I were going to hurt you, I would have done so already,” Theon added. “You do not need to fear me.”

“I don’t,” Tessa finally managed to say.

He tsked at her, a knowing look entering his eyes. “We have already discussed you lying to me, Tessalyn.”

“Tessa.”

“What?”

“My name. People call me Tessa. Not Tessalyn.”

A brow arched. “You do not like your given name?”

“It is fine enough. I just prefer to be called Tessa.”

Theon’s eyes narrowed as if trying to figure something out, but he nodded in acquiescence. “Tessa it is then. Whenever possible.”

That was a weird caveat. Before she could dwell on it though, Theon took another step forward, and she took two more back. His lips pursed in frustration.

“You know we will need to get close to each other for the bonding to initiate, do you not?” he finally asked after several seconds of watching her warily.

She didn’t know that. They were never told how the bonding actually took place. Only that four Marks were given over the course of a year, strengthening the bond and connection of the Source and Master.

Gods, she had a fucking Master now.

When she didn’t answer, his brows rose in surprise. “You don’t know, do you?”

It was Tessa’s turn to purse her lips as she shook her head, her hands clenching at her sides.

“No wonder you are terrified,” he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. Then, a little louder, he said, “I am sorry, Tessa. I thought they prepared you better for this.”

“They don’t tell us much. I was not slated to be Selected, so I was not prepared like the other Selected Sources were,” she answered. Theon took another slow step forward, and Tessa backed up again, but she bumped into the wall. She had no other way to put distance between them now. “Why do you need bags?” she asked suddenly, and Theon paused his slow advance towards her.

“We both need bags,” he answered, continuing to observe her. “But mostly you do.”

“Me? Why?”

“You will want to change before your first Mark. It will be…exhausting. Furthermore, I do not think you want to travel in that gown, no matter how stunning you look in it,” Theon explained.

There was so much to unpack in that little explanation, but Tessa found herself saying, “I didn’t pack any bags. Everything I have is in the rooms I was assigned. I don’t have anything to change into. I was supposed to go get pizza and doughnuts after the Selection was done.”

Gods, now she was rambling. To the Arius Heir.

His brows knitted. “You were to go get pizza and doughnuts dressed like this?”

“Yes. My friends and I were. We’ve had it planned for months. Years, really,” she answered, lifting her chin slightly.

“You will not get enough to eat at the feast?”

“We weren’t planning to eat at the feast. It will be at least three hours before the Fae are remembered and allowed to eat.”

“So you were going to get pizza and doughnuts?”