“Just try reducing it.” Theodore’s voice turned gritty. “We aren’t just going to let you get sick and die. But yes, five is approximately four more than usual.”
“There aren’t strict rules, exactly.” This came from Teak, who had pulled a seat to the side of the bed, waiting for the nurses to finish their examination. “It’s more that surrogates should mirror a proper mate as much as possible, with two notable exceptions. Sex and—”
“Marking,” Theodore supplied.
Teak looked impressed.
“The others did some research,” he muttered.
“Hmm.” Teak crossed one tanned leg over the other, her skirt catching at her knee as she relaxed back into the chair. “The ‘others’ are correct. While only a permanent marking can complete a bond, sex will bring a half-bonded pair much closer together. If a surrogate permanently marks a bonded or half-bonded person or has sex with them, it is considered an egregious disrespect to the bond, and could result in a minor tear.”
“Tear,” Isobel echoed, peering down at the arms the nurses were now lightly bandaging.
“A soul infraction,” Teak specified. “They happen in varying degrees of severity. Some soul infractions can kill a person. It’s very important to avoid them. If a soul infraction kills an Anchor, the Tether will also die. Being intimate with someone outside of your bond isn’t likely to cause you much damage, but if you have a strong emotional connection with that person, the bond may see it as a defilement. Accidental markings might have no effect at all, but deliberate markings can have very serious consequences. In your case, since you haven’t even met your mate and you’re only half-bonded, it’s highly unlikely that sex will cause any sort of soul infraction, but permanent markings and …” She motioned to Isobel’s arms. “Direct assaults on the bond magic are a different story, no matter how close to your mate you are.”
When Isobel looked back up, Teak’s eyes had filled with tears, but the bond specialist managed to blink them away so fast that Isobel started to doubt she had seen anything at all.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Teak whispered, her voice cracking before she cleared her throat delicately. Her next words were smooth and even. “Most people don’t survive such a serious soul infraction. Some believe it’s a rupture of the soul itself, and if the body doesn’t shut down from the abuse, the mind will. But you seem …” She shook her head, a small smile trembling on her lips. “You must have an incredibly strong mate to sustain you through such an event, and to continue to sustain you even without being by your side as you heal. I bet they’re an Alpha.”
“Yeah,” Isobel agreed hollowly. “Maybe.” Or there were ten of them.
“I should caution you, though.” Teak straightened in her chair, flicking her eyes to Theodore briefly, though the Alpha behind Isobel was keeping quiet. He seemed to be monitoring what the nurses did to her very closely. “With your bond still unformed, your mind and soul will take longer to heal than your body. There will be side effects.”
“I love side effects,” Isobel said dryly, but the joke didn’t really land. Not when her voice was so raspy and her mouth was still pinched in pain.
Theodore was the only one who reacted, his soft exhalation against the back of her neck sounding like the beginning of a laugh.
“Would you like to discuss everything later?” Teak asked, surveying Isobel with concern.
“Am I getting out of here tonight?”
“If you’re cleared,” Teak hedged.
Isobel sighed, sinking back against Theodore, most of the strength sapping out of her. “Might as well get it over with, then.”
“I’m sorry.” Teak patted her hand. “You probably just want to sleep.”
“I’ve been asleep for … days?”
“Over a week,” Theodore corrected her.
“Over a week,” she repeated numbly. “So … actually I am tired. Why am I so tired?”
“One of the side effects,” Teak explained. “You’re going to sleep a lot, and you’ll be weak. Your appetite will disappear, but you need to force yourself to eat. A man suffering from a soul infraction once died of thirst without even realising he hadn’t been eating or drinking. So, sip water regularly and eat at your usual mealtimes even if it’s only a little. Do light exercise regularly—”
“Can I dance?” she interrupted, her heart jumping into her throat and pounding there viciously.
Teak swallowed, looking down at her lap for a moment. “No strenuous exercise. I’m sorry. Walking and stretching only for now. Your body might appear fine, but you need to very carefully monitor yourself for a little while to make sure your symptoms are getting better instead of worse. Of course, if we knew who your mate was, you could simply complete the bond and you would heal much faster.”
“What if I don’t want to complete a bond?”
The nurses all stiffened, glancing at each other. One of them diverted his attention to Teak. “She’s clear to go tonight. Should we inform her father?”
Teak waved her hand. “I’ve been in touch with him. I’ll inform him.”
The nurses quickly scrambled out of the room, and Isobel sighed, sitting up straight and crossing her legs, examining the bandages on her arms. She was so dizzy, so tired already. “What did my father say?” She fiddled with the bandages, not having the heart to look up at Teak as she asked the question.
She wasn’t surprised to wake up and find her father missing.
“He asked if you were fit to return to a full filming schedule,” Teak replied firmly, a hint of emotion catching in her voice, which she cleared her throat to cover. “He was called away for work, but he wants you up and running as soon as possible. He’s asked for me to arrange extensive physiotherapy and counselling to minimise the damage.”
Isobel scoffed, glancing back up. “And my other question?”
Teak stiffened, shifting in her chair. “What if you don’t want to complete a bond?”
Isobel nodded, waiting.
“Well …” Teak blew out a heavy breath. “I’m not sure you’ll have a choice. That’s the storyline Ironside is chasing. They’re very impatient to find your mate, though the Alphas are, admittedly, providing plenty of entertainment in the interim.”
“We’re very entertaining,” Theodore agreed, but his usual charming tone was dulled, his voice carrying a subtle strain of some kind.
“But you aren’t her mate,” Teak said, digging into the inside pocket of her jacket.
Isobel watched the other woman’s hand, throwing her walls down with a wince and reaching out carefully to test Teak’s emotion. Suspicion. She sipped at it, drawing it in as slowly as she could. It was painful. The effort to use her ability and the concentration required for her to wield it with so much control was almost too much. She could feel her energy slipping away with every second, but she refused to go any faster. If Teak felt her intrusion, she would do far more harm than good.
Teak pulled out a little torch and Isobel pretended not to notice it. Even Theodore seemed to be pretending not to notice it. She could feel most of his muscles against her back, shoulders and arms, and he kept his entire body deliberately relaxed, curved around her in a calm, loose way. Apparently, both of them had been thinking of the possibility that Teak might try to test Theodore’s eyes at some point. They were both prepared … but a few minutes of preparation didn’t really amount to much.