Rain of Shadows and Endings (The Legacy)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

“Are you hiding in an alcove eating chocolate?” Tessa froze at the sound of the low voice, said chocolate halfway to her mouth. She thought she’d been hidden well enough. Obviously not. Damnit. She quickly turned, hiding the chocolate behind her back. Which was stupid. He’d already seen it.

Heheh

Tessa hated the very idea of it. She didn’t want to be in anyone’s head, and she sure as shit didn’t want anyone inside her head. She didn’t even want to be inside her own head most days.

Real

His touch was somehow right and unnatural all at once, and she was fairly certain she hadn’t taken a full breath since he’d called her name.

“So…you are hungry?” Theon asked, cocking his head to the side and studying her as if he couldn’t figure out a puzzle. “Yes. I’m hungry. You took my chocolate,” she snapped, and Theon’s eyes widened at her tone. “My apologies,” she added quickly, lowering her gaze to the floor. “No need to apologize. It is good to know you get irritable when you are hungry.”

Her eyes snapped up at his almost teasing tone, and she found him standing directly in front of her. She gasped in surprise, bumping back against the wall and tripping on her dress. “Easy, beautiful,” he murmured, reaching out to steady her. “Come sit. Have a glass of water.”

Be what they want you to be now, so you can be who you were meant to be later.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Theon demanded when the Legacy carried Tessa into the small suite. He set her gently on the sofa and stepped aside as Theon dropped to his knees before her. He gripped her face in his hands, smoothing hair back from her face. “You could have fallen, Tessa. Someone other than us could have found you. Do you have any idea what could have happened?”

Is it just me or does he actually cares?

“Tessa, are you all right?” Theon said, turning back to her and ignoring his question. Concern filled his features, but it was concern for his source of power, not for her. She knew that. “Godsdamnit, Tessa,” he swore, moving one hand to grip her chin and hold her in place. “Tessalyn, speak. Are you all right?” “No,” she answered, the entrancing pulling the word from her lips. He leaned back to look her over. “Where are you hurt?” His hands left her face, reaching under the jacket and running down her arms, turning her hands over. He instantly healed a small cut he found on her palm before continuing to check her over. She hardly noticed his hands brushing down her ribs and along her hips, moving her gown aside to check her shins and knees. “Anywhere else?” he demanded, lifting her leg to check the soles of her feet.

Cute

“I am aware of that, but she does not need to be in pain,” Theon argued. “I do not want to see her in pain when I can do something about it.”

There was so much she wanted to say to him. So much she wanted to scream at him. She wanted to shove him away for doing this to her. But even the thing inside her had gone quiet, all the fight going out of her. So instead she sat with her eyes closed until the next round of vomiting and pain consumed her.

He wanted to tell her to come back to him, but thought better of it.

Quote

Theon sighed for the millionth time and pulled his t-shirt over his head. He lowered down before Tessa, reaching out to lift her chin. She winced at his touch, which was the exact opposite of how his body reacted to him touching her again. His bond purred and hummed in pleasure. He held up the shirt to show her.

Quote

Theon turned her once more so she was facing the mirror that had been hung on the wall. She had to admit the dress was beautiful. If it didn’t feel like she was wearing shards of glass right now, she would say she actually liked it. She met Theon’s gaze in the mirror and found his eyes dark, his pupils dilated as he drank her in. They lingered on the plunging neckline before dropping to her legs. The dress stopped just above her knees, and she felt far too exposed. She had never worn anything like this. When he finally dragged his eyes back to hers, his voice was thick as he said, “You are stunning, Tessa.” His hands were still on her waist where he’d placed them to turn her, and now they slipped down a few inches to her hips, his thumbs running along the upper swells of her backside. “Simply stunning.” Her eyes narrowed on his in the mirror. “I look like a gutter rat, Theon,” she replied, noting her limp and messy hair and tired eyes. “No, beautiful,” he said, shaking his head. “You look like salvation and temptation all rolled into one.”