9. Theon

Theon returns home after meetings to find Tessa, Luka, Axel, and Katya setting dinner, with Ford sent away. Tension between Tessa and Luka lingers from halted training. Katya refuses to sit, fearing consequences for breaking decorum, revealing conditioning from estate life. Tessa and Axel reassure her, and Katya cautiously joins the meal.

Conversation shifts to plans: a normal day until Tessa’s next Mark at the Pantheon, then an immediate return home rather than staying overnight. Theon outlines leaving for Arius House the following morning, prompting Tessa’s visible anxiety. He steadies her through the bond while explaining the seven-day adjustment period and separate Source instruction.

Axel announces Katya will accompany them, per their father’s demand. Luka adds that their father wants Katya to spend time with Theon, which visibly upsets Tessa. A brief lodging dispute follows: Axel wants Katya in his rooms; Tessa suggests she and Theon host her; Luka volunteers to swap and stay with Theon and Tessa, overruling Tessa’s resistance.

Tessa refuses to eat further and leaves early, citing the need for rest before the Mark, deepening Theon’s worry. In her absence, Katya notes Tessa never left food uneaten at the estate, hinting at past deprivation and strict control. Pressed by Theon, Katya declines to share Tessa’s history, insisting it is Tessa’s to tell.

Theon drops the matter for now but privately decides that once Tessa receives the next Mark—and he can properly feel her emotions through the bond—everything will change. The chapter closes with strained relationships, looming ritual stakes, and Theon’s determination to bridge the emotional gap.