10. Theon

Theon struggles through a meeting with his father Valter and allies Metias and Pavil, his thoughts fixed on Tessa’s breakdown after the humiliating dinner. He remembers her refusing his bed, her silence, and his belief that forcing her to kneel protected her from Valter’s worse punishments. He also recalls a charged moment before dinner when he begged Tessa to pretend to accept the bond for one night.

During the meeting, Metias’s comments about Tessa provoke Theon’s possessiveness, while Valter hints at “sharing” and praises discipline. Theon is further agitated by an urgent shift in the bond’s pull. Valter outlines limited early access to the Acropolis and Pantheon for Luka, with Theon and Axel to follow soon, then dismisses the group.

Theon rushes back, where Axel reports Tessa briefly emerged for water and an apple but remained withdrawn. When Theon goes to fetch her, he finds her rooms empty. Luka suggests Entrancing her, but no response comes, confirming she is gone. On the balcony, they discover a route across a ledge to lattice and vines, realizing Tessa climbed out toward the estate’s wooded mountains.

Determined to avoid alerting Valter, Theon rejects flying and opts for a ground pursuit. He and Luka arm up at the stables, scent their best hounds Kacela and Rigel with Tessa’s blanket, and ride out on Theon’s stallions, leaving Axel behind in case she returns. As they set off, Theon decides patience has failed; he will end her attempts to run and enforce obedience.