Page 40 of Accidentally on Purr-pose

After three months of not knowing who was alive, who was safe, who was still scattered across Southeast Asia with nowhere to go, twenty of her people were finally coming home.

"Twenty," she whispered, sinking into the nearest chair as the magnitude of it washed over her.

"It's just the beginning," Aldric said gently. "Reth and I have leads on at least thirty more. It will take time, but we'll find them all."

Freesia felt tears prick her eyes, overwhelmed by gratitude and relief and hope so fierce it threatened to choke her. For once, she could envision a future where the Waverly pride wasn't just a memory. Where they could rebuild. Where they could heal. Where they could be whole again.

Everything is starting to fall into place, she thought, looking around at the people who had become her unlikely family. Finally.

When Izei finally entered the living room, carrying her leather satchel in his large hands, the energy immediately shifted. Luka's eyes widened first, his gaze moving from the satchel to Freesia's relaxed posture in the chair. Kenia straightened from where she'd been leaning against the wall, her dark eyes brightening with understanding. Reth paused mid-sentence in his conversation with Aldric, and even the elderly councilor's weathered face broke into a genuine smile.

"Well," Freesia said, unable to suppress her own smile at their collective expressions of surprise and delight, "I guess there's no point in denying it or hiding it. Last night, Izei and I completed our mate bond."

The response was immediate and overwhelming. Kenia actually clapped her hands together, her joy radiating across the room. Luka's grin was so wide it threatened to split his face, and he reached over to squeeze Freesia's shoulder in congratulation. Reth's normally stoic expression softened into something approaching warmth, and Aldric rose from his chair to bow his head respectfully toward both of them.

"It's about time," Luka said with characteristic bluntness. "I was starting to think you two were going to dance around each other for months."

"Congratulations," Aldric said formally, though his voice carried genuine warmth. "Queen Valeria would be honored to know her bloodline has found such a worthy mate."

The weight of those words settled over Freesia like a blessing. Through the completed bond, she could feel Izei's surge of pride and protectiveness, and the way her councilor's approval meant more to him than any formal recognition ever could.

"I'm going to put this away," Izei said, lifting the satchel slightly.

"I'll come with you," Freesia said, rising from the chair.

They left the living room together, the corridor leading to Izei's study feeling different now, less like she was a guest being escorted and more like she was walking through her own home.

Because it is my home now, she realized, the truth of it settling deep in her bones.

Izei soon pushed open the study door and stepped aside to let her enter first—a gesture of respect that would have seemed insignificant days ago but now felt monumental. Then Izei moved to what appeared to be an unremarkable bookshelf behind his desk, running his fingers along the spine of a leather-bound volume. There was a soft click, and the entire section swung inward like a door, revealing a reinforced steel vault hidden behind the false wall.

"This safe already protects the most sensitive documents related to Callel Security International's operations," he said, his fingers moving over a complex digital keypad. "Financial records, client information, intelligence reports—everything that keeps our people safe and our missions successful."

The vault door opened with a whisper of well-oiled hinges, revealing shelves lined with document boxes, hard drives, and other items she couldn't identify from where she stood.

But what struck her most was the reverence with which Izei approached the task of placing her satchel inside. He didn't simply set it down. He positioned it carefully on a shelf at eye level, ensuring it was secure but accessible. The weight of this moment crashed over her like a tidal wave. For three months, that satchel had been her constant companion. Now it rested in her mate's safe, in the estate that was becoming their home, surrounded by the security and protection of the Callel pride.

From being a woman on the run with that burden never leaving her body to watching it find sanctuary in their shared safe felt life-changing.

When Izei closed the vault and pushed the bookshelf back into place, she felt something shift inside her chest. The Waverly Compact had found its new home and so had she.

He stepped closer, his dark eyes searching her face with that intensity she'd come to love. "Are you okay with this decision?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation, reaching up to touch his cheek. "I am."

Before they could linger in the moment, his phone rang, the sharp sound cutting through the quiet intimacy of the study. Izei pulled the device from his cargo pants pocket, and when he glanced at the screen, his entire body went rigid.

"It's Cassian," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone.

Ice flooded her veins, but her tigress roused with anticipation rather than fear. "Put it on speaker," she said, moving closer so she could hear every word.

Izei's thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before he accepted the call and activated the speaker function.

"This is Izei Callel."

"Hello, Izei." Cassian's voice was measured and smooth, carrying that practiced charm she remembered from formal gatherings years ago. "It's nice to finally connect with you again. It's been too long since we last spoke."

Through their bond, Freesia felt Izei's fury building like a storm, though his expression remained perfectly calm. "What are you calling for?"