Page 25 of Accidentally on Purr-pose

His panther stirred restlessly, wanting more than this quiet contentment. The beast craved the completed mate bond—the marking that would announce to every shifter in Singapore that Freesia Waverly belonged to him and he to her. But Izei forced that primitive urge down. She wasn't ready for that level of commitment yet, not with danger still stalking her and the weight of her responsibilities pressing down on her shoulders.

Soon, he promised his panther. When the threat is eliminated, she can breathe freely again.

Through the bond, he felt her consciousness beginning to stir, her emotions shifting from peaceful sleep to gradual awareness. There was a moment of disorientation—she was clearly remembering where she was and who she was with—followed by a complex mixture of contentment, desire, and that ever-present thread of worry that seemed woven into her very essence. But beneath it all, he sensed something new. Trust. Real, deep trust that hadn't been there before last night.

Her eyes fluttered open, those striking sapphire depths immediately focusing on his face. For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke, simply taking in the reality of waking up together, of having crossed a line there was no going back from.

Then she smiled. It wasn't the polite, diplomatic smile she wore for others, or even the genuine but guarded expression she'd shown him before. This was something entirely different—soft, intimate, and so beautiful it made his chest ache. This smile was meant only for him, the kind a woman gave her mate in the quiet sanctuary of their bed.

"Good morning," she said, her voice husky with sleep.

"Good morning," he replied, unable to keep the satisfaction from his tone as he tightened his arms around her. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have in months." She stretched against him like a contented cat, and his body responded immediately to the feel of her curves pressing against him. "No nightmares. No waking up every hour to check the locks. Just..." She paused, seeming to search for words. "Peace."

The simple honesty in that admission made something fierce and protective flare in his chest. "Good. You needed that."

Her hand moved to rest over his heart. "I can feel you so strongly now through the bond."

"Does that bother you?"

She considered the question seriously. "No. It's... grounding, actually. Like having an anchor when everything else feels uncertain."

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her palm. "You're not alone anymore, Freesia."

Something flickered in her eyes—hope warring with old fears—but before she could respond, he felt her attention shift. Her focus was moving away from their intimate bubble toward the responsibilities waiting beyond the bedroom door.

And there it is, he thought with a mixture of fondness and frustration. Duty calling her back.

"So what's our next move?" she asked, unconsciously echoing his thoughts as she reached for the satchel, checking that the Compact was still secure.

"Well, Luka is going to put us in contact with his brother Angus, who's still Gamma in the Vael pride. We need to arrange a meeting with him—see what insider knowledge he can provide about Cassian's behavior and the pride's dynamics. Any information could be crucial right now."

She sat up immediately, the sheet pooling around her waist. "Yes, we need to contact him immediately. If Angus is willing to meet with us⁠—"

The guest room door swung open without warning.

"Freesia, I thought you might want to know that Reth is—oh." Kenia stopped dead in the doorway, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her.

Freesia yanked the sheet up to cover herself, her cheeks flushing pink, while Izei sat up more slowly, entirely unbothered by his sister's sudden appearance but protective of his mate's modesty.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," Kenia said, though her tone suggested she was anything but sorry. In fact, there was a distinctly pleased note in her voice.

She's been waiting for this, Izei realized. Waiting for me to find someone who could make me happy.

"Well, I guess you should know that Freesia is my fated mate," he said simply, deciding there was no point in trying to hide what was already obvious.

Kenia's face broke into a brilliant smile. "Well, that certainly explains a lot." Her gaze moved between them with obvious approval. "The way you two have been circling each other, trying so hard not to touch... I was wondering how long you were going to keep pretending there wasn't something between you."

"Kenia," Izei warned, though there was no real heat in it.

"What? I'm just saying it's wonderful." She grinned at Freesia, who was still clutching the sheet and looking mortified. "When you two are decent, I made breakfast for everyone. Luka, Aldric, and Reth are already in the dining room."

"How is Reth feeling?" Izei asked, guilt hitting him as he realized he'd been so consumed with his mate that he'd forgotten to check on his injured Beta.

"Much better. He's already complaining about being confined, which means he's definitely on the mend."

"We'll be down shortly," Izei said.