Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy #3)

35. Tessa

35

TESSA

P ropped against her headboard, Tessa turned the phone over and over in her hands. She hadn’t powered it on. In fact, ever since Theon had given it back to her, it had sat in the back of her nightstand drawer. Out of sight, out of mind type of thing. Except now it wasn’t out of mind. Ever since Axel had tracked her down at that restaurant a few days ago, she’d been thinking about it.

The help was for Kat. Not me.

She wanted to ask Luka what was going on with Kat, but she couldn’t. That would show she cared, and she couldn’t care. Caring led to feelings, and feelings were a distraction from her purpose, but this was Kat . She wasn’t a Legacy. She was as innocent as the Fae had been at the Villas, so what did Axel need her help with?

That was what had her digging the phone out and debating whether or not to turn it on. Would Axel even answer if she called now? Or would she have messages waiting for her from when he was trying to get in contact with her?

Her thumb hovered over the power button, and she glanced over to the seating area where Dex was sound asleep in an armchair. He stayed in here every night, and it was annoying. However, he also rarely slept, and she wondered how his kind refilled their power. If they stole a Fae power, did it refill in the same manner as the Fae? Something to ponder another night, she supposed.

Her thoughts returned to the phone, and she was just about to turn it on when movement caught her eye. Luka stood in her ensuite, his stare boring into her. She’d felt him on the other side of her shields, asking her to lower them. He felt different from Theon. Theon was dark and possessive, always intense and anxious. Luka was dark and possessive too, but in a different way. A way she couldn’t explain. Where Theon was intense and anxious, Luka was a solid presence. Calm and stoic, but intense and commanding all the same.

A balance she didn’t understand, but some days she desperately wished she did.

Luka tapped the side of his head, and she rolled her eyes, lowering her shields.

About godsdamn time, Luka grumbled down the bond.

If you’re solely here to complain, you can leave , she retorted flippantly.

His eyes narrowed. Get your ass in here.

She arched a brow, but quietly slipped from the bed. Tucking the phone into the back of the nightstand again, she made her way to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

“What?” she whispered, crossing her arms

He looked her up and down, gaze lingering on her bare legs in her short sleep shorts.

“Dex is sleeping?” Luka asked, finally bringing his eyes to hers.

“Yes, but I don’t know for how long.”

A rare half-smile curled on his lips. “I may have made sure he drank some of your tea tonight.”

Her mouth dropped open because that was…brilliant.

“Why?” Tessa asked.

“Because Theon may have found some information about your visions. I’m going there now and thought you might want to tag along,” he answered.

“He did?” she asked, excitement bubbling.

Luka nodded. “If I take you with, you are agreeing to be in the same space as Theon.”

“Obviously,” she drawled.

“And it’s not just him. Razik and Eliza will be there too.”

“The one that looks like you?”

Luka nodded. “It sounds like he’s my brother.”

“Like a real brother?”

“As opposed to a fake one?” Luka countered.

Tessa brought her hand dramatically to her chest. “By the gods, he jokes.”

“Shut up, temptress,” he muttered.

Then he looped his arm around her waist, pulling her into him, and her entire body forgot how to function. She hadn’t been expecting that, but she was fairly certain her heart stopped for a few seconds at the same time she forgot how to properly breathe.

Before she could come to her senses, she was standing in a different room. She immediately recognized it as Luka’s. The warm and earthy decor. Trinket boxes everywhere that she was betting held rings. Random empty frames scattered throughout the room and adorning the walls.

“Do you want different clothes?” Luka asked, bringing her back to herself.

“What?”

He was smirking now. “Do you want different clothes?”

She looked down at her night clothes. “I’m not bothered by them. Are you?”

“No. I’m only bothered that others will see you in them.”

“Like Theon?”

“No,” he scoffed. “I’m well aware he’s already seen everything, and even if he hadn’t…”

She waited, but he didn’t continue. “Even if he hadn’t what?”

Luka only shrugged before he disappeared into his closet.

What the fuck did that mean?

He returned with a hooded sweatshirt and tossed it to her. Scowling, she held it up and then said, “Absolutely not.”

“It’s a sweatshirt, Tessa.”

“It’s a Firewings sweatshirt, Luka,” she retorted.

“That you’ve worn before.”

“And once was enough.”

“It’ll do the job for tonight.”

A hand on her hip, she asked, “And what job is that? Making me sick?”

“No. It will cover your nipples,” he replied casually, heading for the door. “Let’s go.”

She looked down to find her nipples indeed peaked against her thin top, and she cursed under her breath as she pulled the sweatshirt on. “Now it looks like I’m not wearing anything underneath it,” she grumbled, stalking over to him. Of course it was huge on her and hung nearly to her knees.

“But at least what you are wearing is Firewings apparel,” he returned, pulling the door open for her.

She glared, flipping him her middle finger as she passed. “Are we going to Theon’s rooms?”

“Actually, we have one stop to make first,” Luka said, falling into step beside her.

“Kat?” she asked hopefully.

Luka glanced down at her. “No. She is not here.”

“What do you mean she is not here?”

“Apparently she left with Axel.” Before she could ask, he added, “None of us know much.”

He stopped outside another room, knocking twice, and a moment later, the door opened, sky-blue eyes connecting with hers.

“Lange,” she breathed, launching herself at him.

He chuckled as he caught her. “Hey, Tessa.”

“Where’s Corbin?” she asked when he set her back on her feet.

Lange looked over his shoulder into the darkened room. “He’s not feeling the greatest.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked, trying to peer past him.

“A headache or something,” Lange said. “Anyway, what are you doing here?”

A headache? Fae rarely got sick, let alone suffer from ailments like a headache.

“Theon has some information for us, I guess,” she said absent-mindedly, her thoughts still on Corbin.

“He’ll be okay, Tessa,” Lange said gently. “Just needs some rest.”

She nodded again, worrying her bottom lip as she looked up at him. “And you? You’re good?”

He smiled. “Yes, Tessa. It’s actually not so bad here. Comfortable rooms. Food. Protection.”

“Those are basic necessities, Lange,” she deadpanned.

“And they’re provided for us here and more,” he replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorjamb. “There aren’t any added expectations. It’s like we can just…live. We have privacy. We can be together.” He shrugged again. “I don’t think we’ll get that in another kingdom. I know we’ll be expected to contribute and all, but it’s different from what I thought it’d be.”

They wouldn’t be getting that at all if Valter were still ruling. But that also meant that Theon was giving them that little bit of freedom.

And she was going to take that all away when she came to fulfill her purpose.

Clearing her throat softly, she offered him a weak smile. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“And you?” he asked, everything about his demeanor was kind, like it always had been. “You coming back soon?”

“I don’t really think I belong here anymore,” she answered, almost inaudibly.

“We didn’t think we belonged here,” Lange replied. “Things change. The winds shift.” He shrugged again. “New beginnings. A genesis and a new dawn.”

She laughed. “You’ve started speaking nonsense in your time here,” she teased.

He bent and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll let Corbin know you missed him. Stop by again, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said faintly. “I’ll do that.”

Lange backed away, the door closing, and she turned to find Luka leaning against the opposite wall. She’d forgotten he was even there.

“Thank you for that,” she said softly.

He only nodded and pushed off the wall, leading her down the hall once again. As they descended the stairs, she heard voices coming from the dining room, and they followed them. Books were everywhere on the table, Theon and two others seated around them. Theon was on his feet before she stepped a single foot into the room.

“Tessa,” he breathed, heated emerald eyes sweeping over her. “Did you see Lange and Corbin? I told Luka to take you there first.”

“You did?” she asked, glancing up at Luka for a moment. “I mean, yes, I did.”

“Good,” he said, slipping his hands into his pants pockets.

Still in dress pants, the top few buttons of his shirt were undone. His tie was draped over the back of his chair, and his sleeves were rolled back. He’d definitely been running his hands through his hair, and of course, he still had shoes on.

Clearing his throat, he said, “This is Razik Greybane and his…mate, Eliza.”

“We sort of met already,” Tessa said, stepping farther into the room.

“If we could keep the destruction to a minimum tonight, that’d be great,” Razik muttered, not looking up from his book.

At least not until Tessa said, “You are Luka’s brother?”

That had his head snapping up. “You are very blunt.”

“I’ve found it’s the best way to get information from your kind,” she said casually, her fingers brushing over books as she moved along the table. She knew without looking that both Luka and Theon had their eyes fixed on her, and she ignored the way that was making her feel.

“My kind,” Razik repeated deadpan.

“Mhmm,” she hummed, flipping open a book. “Sargon Legacy. Speaking of, how far down the Sargon line are you?”

“What?” Razik asked tightly.

Tessa gestured to Theon. “Theon is so far removed from Arius, it’s really just a fancy title at this point.”

“Careful, beautiful,” came an icy warning, and gods, it sent chills up her spine.

“Just stating facts,” she replied, managing to keep her voice casual. Looking back at Razik, she said, “Well?”

She recognized the look on his face. Broody. Annoyed. It was a mirror of Luka’s usual expression.

“Well, what?” Razik asked, a growl in those two words.

She huffed a dramatic sigh. “You know my cousin, yes?”

“Unfortunately. You appear to have the same flare for unnecessary dramatics that they do,” he retorted.

“Razik,” Eliza hissed, elbowing him hard.

“They?” Tessa asked, her head tilting at the word.

“Scarlett has a brother,” Razik said tightly.

“Interesting,” she murmured. “Anyway, you were saying?”

“I wasn’t saying anything.”

“By Anala,” Eliza interrupted, clearly exasperated. “His father was one of Sargon’s sons.”

“One of?” Theon asked sharply, but Tessa was looking at Luka. Who was staring back at Razik. His features were taut, and Tessa was worried he was going to crack a molar. It was all she needed to see to know Razik hadn’t told him this.

But all this meant that Xan was Sargon’s son, making Luka the grandchild of a god. Not of Firsts like she was, but the direct descendant of a god nonetheless. Which made so much sense. It explained why Luka was stronger than other Legacy. How he could train her and help her manage her power. He wouldn’t be as powerful as her, but more powerful than any Legacy in Devram.

“Sargon had seven children,” Razik said, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms. “Each of those children comprises one of his seven bloodlines.”

“Greybane and Mors,” Theon clarified.

“Are two of those lines,” Razik confirmed.

“And your mother?” Tessa asked.

“A shifter,” he answered. “It is why we can isolate the shifts.”

“What does that mean?”

Razik sighed as though this was the most inconvenient conversation he’d ever had. “Sargon can isolate the shift like we can. Just wings or eyes, for example. He can do that because he is a god. Some of his children, however, cannot. Some are either in their human forms or their dragon forms. All or nothing, so to speak. Because our mother was a dragon shifter and not a mortal, we can isolate our shift.”

“How fascinating,” Tessa said, dropping into a chair and propping her chin on a fist. Drumming the fingers of her other hand, the bands around her wrists flared slightly.

“You are unnerving,” Razik said frankly as she studied him.

Her smile was pure wildness when she replied, “I like it that way.”

He gave her a sardonic smile. “Let’s talk about your lineage.”

“What of it?”

“Luka told us of your visions,” Theon cut in, drawing her attention to him. “How he has been getting pulled into them.”

She listened while he filled her in on their trip to the Ekayan Island. Luka had told her much of this already, but the brief refresher was nice.

“So what does all this mean for me?” Tessa asked, flicking through pages of notes.

“That you are not supposed to exist,” Razik said.

Theon and Luka both rumbled a sound, and Tessa dragged her eyes to the male across the table.

“If she can be blunt, so can I,” he said, completely unfazed. “It was not meant to be an insult. It is simply a fact. You are the combination of four powerful bloodlines. Two of those lines were never meant to cross. It makes sense that crossing those powers would alter others.”

“What do you mean alter powers?” Tessa asked, sitting back in her chair and drumming her fingers again.

“The gifts from the Achaz line and Zinta line are clear,” Theon explained. “But that is only half your heritage, Tessa. You have Arius and Serafina gifts as well.”

“I’m aware,” she replied coldly.

“Are you? Because you never use them.”

“That you know of.”

Theon smiled, something razor sharp. “I don’t think you are always aware when you are using them either, clever tempest.”

She stayed silent, waiting for him to continue, but it was Razik who spoke.

“Arius and Serafina had two children together: Saylah and Temural. But Saylah and Temural’s gifts are simply extensions of Arius and Serafina’s,” Razik said. “Saylah is the goddess of night and shadows, which are extensions of Arius’s gifts of death, darkness, and endings and Serafina’s gifts of dreams.”

“And Temural?” Tessa asked.

“I admittedly do not know him as well.”

Her brow arched. “You know Saylah?”

“Better than I’d like to,” Razik muttered. “But Temural is the god of the wild and untamed. Both could conceivably come from Arius and Serafina’s gifts, which brings us to your gifts.”

“Have you ever had visions when you aren’t sleeping?” Theon asked.

Tessa’s brow furrowed. “No. That’s why I always thought they were dreams.”

“Exactly,” Theon said, and she almost smiled at the excited note that had entered his voice. “The visions of your Zinta bloodline merged with the dreams of the Serafina bloodline.”

“And we think that because…?” Luka asked, having taken a seat between her and Theon.

“Because one of Serafina’s gifts is being able to walk among dreams,” Razik said. “But because the powers were altered in Tessa’s case, she is pulling others in to walk her dreams. Or in this case, her visions.”

The room fell silent as they let all this sink in. Tessa had to admit in some ways it made sense, but in others, it still didn’t.

“Then why is it only Luka?” she asked. “Why did I never pull Theon or Axel into a vision? Or anyone else, for that matter?”

“Because you trust Luka the most,” Theon said, his emerald eyes already on her when she met his stare. “You feel safest with him. When was the first time this happened?”

“After the Tribunal Hearing,” Luka said. “She didn’t trust me then. She wasn’t even speaking to me.”

“But you showed up,” Theon said. “And you’d been showing up before that. You’d found her by the river after everything with Felicity. You’d been training her. You found her when the Augury attacked. You bought her the fucking flip-flops.”

Tessa blinked as she stared at Theon, seeing a side of him she’d never noticed before. He was more observant than she gave him credit for, and…

There was a reason he’d sent Luka to her. Not to watch her or report her movements. But because he was right. Some part of her had trusted Luka, even if she’d still harbored suspicions. Even if she still had reservations now.

She swallowed thickly, tearing her gaze from his when Eliza said, “The only thing we haven’t been able to piece together is your Arius gifts.”

But Tessa knew exactly what gifts she’d received from her paternal grandfather. It was the way her light took life from others. It was what fed her magic, made it stronger.

Because life always fed death.

Life must give, and death must take.

“And where the weather manipulation comes from,” Razik added.

“No, but I have a theory on that,” Theon said, bringing all their attention back to him. “I think it has something to do with your mother. The only piece of all this that we don’t know.”

“Right,” Tessa murmured, lost in her own thoughts, because she knew where to find those answers.

She glanced at Luka, who was staring at his brother.

She cleared her throat, turning to Eliza. “You are a fire Fae? Like Katya?”

Startled at the change in subject, Eliza said, “Yes and no. My father was a fire Fae. My mother was earth.”

“Was?” Tessa asked.

Eliza smiled darkly. “Another killed them. I killed him.”

“Sounds satisfying.”

“It was,” she replied.

Turning back to Theon, she asked, “Luka said Katya left?”

Theon nodded, darkness drifting across his eyes. “Apparently with Axel.”

“And you don’t know where they went?”

Theon and Luka exchanged a glance before Theon said. “We’re assuming the Underground. Axel…” He pushed out a harsh breath, pulling on the back of his neck. “He’s transitioning into a Night Child.”

Tessa stared back at him, blinking several times before she said slowly, “I don’t understand. Axel is going to be a vampyre?”

“Yes,” Theon answered.

“And he took Kat with him? How is that safe?”

But he’d come to her. Axel had come to her to ask for her help, and she’d sent him away.

When no one answered, she said, “So Axel won’t be a Legacy anymore?”

“No,” Theon answered tightly.

She didn’t expect the flood of relief that coursed through her. She wasn’t supposed to care, but she did. She cared that she wasn’t going to have to kill Axel. Gods, she cared.

“He’ll take precautions to not hurt Katya,” Theon said, mistaking her sudden rush of emotions for worry.

Tessa nodded. She believed that. He’d come to her for help, and she’d dismissed him.

“And I’ll figure out a way to bring them both home,” Theon added.

She didn’t reply because in the end she still had to kill him. In the end, there wouldn’t be a home to bring them back to.

Because while they were her villains, she was theirs.

It took her a minute to realize that Luka had Traveled them back to his room and not hers when they went back to Faven. He dropped her hand and went into his ensuite without a word. She stared after him, unsure of what was happening. He hadn’t spoken much at the Arius manor, especially after learning he was a grandchild of Sargon. It had mainly been Theon and Razik tossing around theories and history with occasional insight from Eliza. Tessa had listened to every word, absorbing it all.

You are not supposed to exist.

Those had been Razik’s words, and they’d stung. She’d been told her entire life she was wrong. An inconvenience. Wild and reckless and difficult.

Not supposed to exist.

Just like Arius and Serafina weren’t supposed to have children.

But if that was the case, and Serafina was to be with Achaz, was that not the same plan? Would that not also have upset the very same balance? Would Arius then have the same vendetta against Achaz?

None of it added up.

She wandered to the dresser along the wall, pulling open the top drawer. She’d expected to find socks or underwear, not…rings.

Rings being corralled in place by an empty picture frame.

She picked up one of the rings. It was simple. A solid silver band. Nothing special.

Replacing it, she picked up another. This one was more intricate. Fine detailing was etched into the bronze band with tiny red rubies interspersed.

The frame itself was nothing special either. Ivory and gold. Like everything else in the Faven Palace.

She closed the drawer when she heard the bathroom door open, and she turned to find Luka leaning in the doorway. He’d changed into loose pants, and he was shirtless.

His eyes narrowed when he found her near the dresser. “What are you doing?”

“Wondering why you brought me back here instead of my room,” she replied, leaning back on her elbows where they rested on the dresser. His gaze roamed over her, but when he didn’t say anything, she found herself saying, “Do you want to talk about it?”

His eyes snapped back to hers. “Talk about what?”

“Being the grandchild of a god.”

“No,” he growled immediately.

“Then what do you want?”

His hair was down, the strands falling to his shoulders. It was rare to see it completely down like that, and she suddenly wanted to run her fingers through it. That was always comforting to her.

And why was she thinking of a way to comfort him right now?

But his gaze was fixed on her bare legs again, and she suddenly knew exactly what he was looking for.

A distraction.

He didn’t want to think about Razik or his heritage right now. He didn’t want to contemplate being the grandchild of a god or what that could mean. He wanted to think about anything but that. Get lost in something that wasn’t their wretched reality.

One of her hands dropped to her side where she toyed with the hem of the sweatshirt. Because for whatever reason, she wanted to be the one to make him feel better. She wanted to be the distraction.

“You have to ask for it,” she said, her voice sultry.

“Ask for what?” Luka replied, but she watched his pupils shift to vertical slits. Watching his eyes glowing softly only spurred her on.

“I owe you,” she said. “But I’m not going to make such a hard decision for you. You need to ask for what you want.”

Recognition of his own words flashed across his features, and a small, cold sneer curled on his lips. “And if I asked you to crawl across the floor and beg sweetly from your knees?”

“This is about what you need right now,” she retorted. She watched him swallow down whatever he was going to say next, and when he didn’t speak, she added, “Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?”

“Taking me with you tonight. I know you didn’t have to.”

“That was Theon.”

She arched a brow. “Really?”

“Yes. He told me to ask you if you wanted to be included.”

“So I should be thanking him? Asking him what he wants?”

“No,” Luka growled.

She smirked, and he straightened to his full height. All dominance and predatory, and something inside of her lifted its head to meet the challenge. She knew her eyes were glowing to match his, and every part of her wanted this as much as he did now.

Her head tilted as she watched him. “Are you worried about Theon finding out? Is that why you won’t ask for it?”

Luka didn’t say a word, and she knew that was exactly what was stopping him.

And she didn’t give a fuck.

If it pissed Theon off, good. He deserved every bit of it.

But if Theon approved…

Gods, the very idea made her entire body hot . Desire coursed through her, and fuck it.

She was wild and impulsive and uncontrollable. May as well lean into it.

Theon? she asked down the bond, a disapproving rumble coming from Luka across the room. But the dragon didn’t move. Didn’t tell her to stop.

Tessa? Are you all right? came Theon’s reply.

I am, she replied. But Luka isn’t.

What happened? he demanded.

She held Luka’s stare the entire time when she answered, He wants me to crawl across the floor and beg him sweetly from my knees, but he’s afraid you’ll disapprove.

The silence down the bond was deafening, and she watched the taut tendons in Luka’s neck while they both waited to see what Theon was going to say next. It didn’t matter to her. If Theon said no, she’d let him feel every bit of her emotions as she openly defied him. And if Theon said yes… Well, she’d let him feel every bit of her desire then too, knowing exactly what it would be doing to him hundreds of miles away.

And what do you think about that, little storm? Theon finally asked, and she couldn’t decipher the emotions that accompanied those words.

Will you hate it, and wish it was you? she retorted.

Always, he answered. But is the only reason you’re debating it to punish me?

Luka’s eyes narrowed at that question, and she knew he wanted that answer as much as Theon did.

No, she replied.

It was one word, but the feral want that flooded down the bond made her press her thighs together beneath Luka’s sweatshirt.

Then on your knees, clever tempest, Theon answered. But Tessa?

Yes? And her voice was breathy even down the bond.

Only him. If anyone else touches what is mine, death will be a mercy.

She ignored that comment, still focused on Luka across the room, as she dragged his sweatshirt over her head and let it drop to the floor beside her.

Then she slowly sank to her knees.

I’m not there, but I feel Luka, little storm. Gods, you must look stunning, Theon said, and the praise… She knew what this was. Theon valued control. He knew she wanted this. Knew Luka wanted this. And the only way he could give it to them was to still be involved. Still have some type of control over all this. And while she didn’t care, Luka clearly did. Luka’s loyalty was both a blessing and a curse to him, so she let Theon have this. Not for him, but for Luka.

For Luka who came for her again and again. For teaching her to defend herself. For believing she was worth it. For not demanding her trust, but earning it slowly over time. For letting her rage, but also insisting she learn control. For understanding that sometimes she needed someone else to take control, but that she also needed to learn to take it for herself. For letting her make that choice. For taking her to Theon when Roan was dying. For coaxing her through the dark and cramped tunnels of the Underground.

For the fucking flip-flops.

Her eyes stayed on his as she crawled across the floor, and she could feel him. Wild yet controlled. Untamed yet steady. Impulsive yet restrained.

She stopped directly in front of him, sitting back on her heels and looking up into glowing sapphire eyes. His hand trembled as he lifted it, fingers caressing her cheek.

“Ask me.”

It was a whispered command, and she watched his throat bob. She’d never felt more powerful as she watched him watch her. She didn’t have to do this. No master was forcing her to her knees. No one was ordering her. She wanted to do this, and knowing Luka wanted her for no other reason than because she was who she was? Gods, this wasn’t a thank you for taking her with tonight. This was thanking him for always accepting her as she was while simultaneously encouraging her to never settle.

He swallowed again, his fingers trailing along her jaw before his thumb brushed over her bottom lip. “Have you done this for Theon?”

She shook her head. “He wishes.”

Luka’s chuckle was dark. “I bet he does, temptress.” His thumb brushed over her lip again. “I want that bratty mouth of yours around my cock, baby girl.”

Her smile was all sin as she slid her palms up his thighs, and it grew when she felt his entire body shudder under her touch. This power was more intoxicating than the rush of knowing people feared her. When she reached the band of his pants, she watched his stomach cave as she dipped her hand inside and pulled out his cock.

She couldn’t help but compare him to Theon. Theon was longer, but Luka was thicker. Already hard, it jutted up, and she gave it a couple of slow strokes before she leaned forward and swirled her tongue around the tip. The bead of precum was salty, and she felt his sharp inhale in her core. Then she sank forward in a wet-hot glide. The sharp inhale became a groaned curse, and she smiled around him when his hand slipped into her hair.

She didn’t stop, letting him hit the back of her throat where she lingered. It wasn’t until she was feeling light-headed from the lack of oxygen that she pulled back just enough to get some air. Then she took him even deeper, hollowing her cheeks and sucking hard.

“Fucking Sargon,” Luka spat, his fingers tightening in her hair. They alternated between massaging along the back of her head and fisting to the point of pain. It was barely controlled restraint, and gods, she wanted to take that from him too. Have him completely undone and at her mercy.

She looked up to find his jaw slack, and she swallowed around him, his eyes rolling back. Then he thrusted forward, down her throat, and she let him. Because this wasn’t him taking what he wanted. This was her giving it freely.

“Gods, you can be such a good girl when you’re not being a brat,” he rasped out on ragged breaths, thrusting into her mouth again and again.

What does she look like? came Theon’s strained voice down the bond.

Like a fucking goddess, Luka answered. Her mouth was made for this.

She pitched forward, meeting his thrust this time, and the barked “Fuck!” as she gripped the backs of his thighs to hold herself deep on him had her clenching her own thighs together.

“Godsdammit,” he rasped out, tugging on her hair to pull her back.

Tessa gasped, feeling the wetness on her face as her eyes watered. The look in his eyes was nothing but awe and wonder. He wrapped her hair around his fist, hauling her mouth back to his cock. Her wet gasps mixed with his soft, grunted praises until she felt him swelling in her mouth.

His release hit her tongue as a tight, guttural sound filled the room. She tried to sink deeper, but his grip was holding her back, keeping her from burying him in the back of her throat.

Don’t swallow, little storm . Not yet, Theon commanded as Luka finished emptying himself onto her tongue.

Are you touching yourself, Theon? she taunted.

Beautiful, I just came all over my stomach knowing what you are doing to Luka.

Luka was breathing hard when his grip loosened on her hair, his cock slipping from her lips.

Show him, Tessa, Theon ordered.

Her eyes widened, but the hungry look on Luka’s face told her this was something he craved. Theon clearly knew that.

Sitting back on her heels once more, Tessa opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, letting him see his release sitting there. Then, holding his stare the entire time, she closed her jaw and swallowed.

Before she knew what was happening, Luka hauled her up. Her feet left the ground, wrapping around his waist, and his mouth crashed into hers. Something about him licking into her mouth and tasting himself made her even hotter, and she pressed herself to his chest, just wanting to feel him. She wasn’t seeking release or looking for anything in return for what she’d just done for him. Because there was freedom in being able to choose to give this to him.

Her choice.

Him looking at her with that rapture in his eyes, seeing her as someone worthy for simply existing? Tonight, that was more than enough.

“Stay with me tonight,” she breathed into his mouth. “It’s a lonely club being the grandchild of gods, but we don’t have to be alone anymore.”

He kissed her again. “I’m not supposed to want you like this,” he murmured. “But I don’t think I care anymore.”

“Please stop caring,” she whispered.

“We should go to your rooms so Dex doesn’t lose his shit when he wakes.”

She nodded, resting her head against his chest, her legs still wound tightly around his waist as he Traveled them.

She didn’t have to be alone anymore.