Page 17 of Accidentally on Purr-pose

They held each other in the doorway, grief washing over them in fresh waves. The attack on their territory. The royal compound in flames. Her parents' bodies. Sasha's final scream echoing through smoke and chaos. All the losses they'd carried separately for three months crashed together in this single moment of reunion.

"Please," Aldric said finally, his voice thick with emotion. "Come inside. Both of you."

Freesia stepped back, wiping her eyes as she gestured toward Izei. "Aldric, this is Izei Callel. He's offered to protect me and the Compact."

Izei moved forward, extending his hand in formal greeting. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Aldric shook Izei's hand and studied him with sharp intelligence, taking in the quiet authority and protective stance. "You're the Alpha of the Callel pride."

"Yes, I am," Izei replied, meeting the elder's gaze. "And I've vowed to protect the Keeper of the Waverly Compact and extend my protection services to you and any remaining members of your pride."

Aldric's eyes brightened with gratitude. "That's generous beyond measure."

"Aldric," Freesia said, her tone shifting to practical authority. "You need to come with us to Izei's territory where it's safe until we find out who's after me and who destroyed our home."

The old councilor nodded slowly, accepting the reality of their situation. "I understand. I'll just need to pack some things."

"Of course." Freesia moved toward the bedroom where she could see personal belongings scattered. "I'll help you gather everything."

Izei stepped toward the front door. "I'll wait outside."

The moment the door closed behind him, Aldric turned to face her with knowing eyes that had witnessed decades of royal secrets and political maneuvering.

"So," he said quietly, folding a worn sweater with methodical care. "Are you going to keep withholding the truth much longer?"

Freesia's hands stilled on the books she'd been stacking. Trust Aldric to see straight through any pretense.

"No. I just didn't want to blurt it out with Izei here." She took a breath, the words feeling both impossible and inevitable. "But yes, he's my fated mate."

Aldric's expression softened, holding more curiosity than anything else.

"And I know it seems impossible that a tigress royal could be fated to an Alpha panther. But it's true because the bond activated last night when we shook hands." The words tumbled out of Freesia's mouth in a rush.

"It's not completely impossible," Aldric said thoughtfully, continuing to pack with steady efficiency. "Rare, certainly. But I've seen stranger things in forty years of service to your family." His eyes sparkled with something that looked like hope. "Perhaps it's a symbol—the old bloodlines finding new ways to protect what matters most."

Freesia shoved another stack of papers into his bag with more force than necessary. "Right now, it's just inconvenient. We can't let the mate bond interfere with our objectives. Protecting the Compact, finding out who attacked our territory, and locating all the remaining pride members."

"I understand those objectives," Aldric said gently, his tone carrying patient wisdom. "But perhaps you should add building a relationship with your mate to that list. It might prove the better way to move forward."

Her tigress stirred with agreement, but Freesia's rational mind rebelled against the suggestion. She couldn't afford distractions. Not when everything depended on her staying focused.

"We'll see," she said curtly, helping him fold the last of his clothes with movements that spoke of barely contained frustration.

Building a relationship with her mate.

As if it were that simple. As if she could afford to open her heart to another devastating loss. But as Aldric's weathered hands finished packing the remnants of his temporary refuge, Freesia couldn't shake the feeling that avoiding the mate bond might prove more dangerous than embracing it.

"There," Aldric said, zipping the bag closed with weathered hands that had once guided her through lessons on diplomacy and duty. "I think that's everything."

Freesia shouldered his bag alongside her own small satchel. "Good. The sooner we get back to Izei's territory, the safer we'll all be."

Izei's voice cut through the cottage walls like a blade. "BREACH!"

The single word sent ice flooding through her veins. Freesia's tigress surged to the surface instantly, her senses sharpening as adrenaline crashed through her system. Someone had found them. After three painstaking months of successfully staying hidden, her enemies had finally tracked her to Aldric's sanctuary.

"Stay here," she commanded, dropping the bags and spinning toward the front door. "Hide in the back bedroom."

Aldric's face went pale, his blue eyes wide with the same terror she'd seen the night their territory fell. "Freesia, no. You can't⁠—"