11. Tessa

At sunset, Tessa recounts how she escaped Theon’s suite by climbing down a trellis and slipping through powerful wards she can mysteriously evade. She heads into the mountain forest with minimal supplies, driven solely by the need to get away despite the Source bond’s painful pull to return.

Night falls and wolves close in, forcing Tessa to climb a pine. Theon and Luka arrive on massive horses with two black wolves, Kacela and Rigel. Theon uses shadow magic to wrench Tessa from the tree, heals her scrapes, and seats her before him on his horse for the long ride back, discussing hounds and stables with Luka while Tessa simmers.

At the stables, Theon manages restless horses and rewards his wolves, then sends Luka to kennel them, refusing further help. He escorts Tessa through the dark gardens to his suite, dismisses Axel despite Axel’s concern, and confronts Tessa. Instead of interrogation, Theon counts to three and kisses her, igniting intense, bond-amped desire that she does not stop.

Theon limits her movements, overseeing a brief shower and insisting she remain in sight. He denies her small room’s blanket—used to track her—and orders her to sleep in his bed, citing the bond’s demand for closeness after her hours away. He promises discussions and changes tomorrow concerning dinner, her flight, and future rules.

Held tightly, Tessa drifts toward sleep, torn between coerced longing and fear of punishment. After Theon sleeps, she lies awake and resumes a childhood coping method—counting seconds—until exhaustion overtakes her, bracing for the morning’s reckoning.