Page 20 of Accidentally on Purr-pose

"There." Freesia tied off the final stitch and reached for the clean bandages to wrap Reth's abdomen. "That should hold."

When she finally finished tending to Reth's wounds, she sat back on her heels, allowing exhaustion to show in her posture for a moment.

"We need to move him to the SUV now," Izei said, his tactical mind already shifting to their next priority. "More rogues could be coming."

"Agreed." Freesia stood, seemingly unbothered by her nudity as she prepared to help lift Reth again. "He's stable enough for transport, but we need to be careful not to tear the stitches."

Together, they lifted Reth's unconscious form from the bed, moving with the same fluid coordination that had served them so well in battle. Reth's head lolled against Freesia's shoulder as they carried him through the cottage and out to the waiting SUV. Then she climbed into the back seat, cradling Reth's head in her lap while Izei ensured his Beta was positioned safely for the drive home. Her fingers smoothed gently through Reth's dark hair, and Izei felt a surge of gratitude that his mate's compassion extended to his closest friend.

"I'll get dressed and help Aldric with his bags," he said, stepping back from the vehicle.

"Please grab my satchel. I dropped it in the living room during the chaos," Freesia said, then turned her attention to monitoring Reth's breathing, her protective instincts engaged despite having known the Beta for less than two days.

Izei headed back toward the cottage, his mind racing with tactical considerations. The attack confirmed his worst fears—whoever was hunting Freesia had resources, training, and inside information. But watching her save Reth's life had also confirmed something else. She wasn't just the woman he was bound to protect. She was the partner he'd been waiting for his entire life.

Twenty minutes later, Izei gripped the steering wheel tight as he guided the armored SUV along the winding country road leading back toward his territory. Aldric sat rigidly in the passenger seat with his weathered hands folded in his lap and his silver hair catching the afternoon light streaming through the tinted windows. Behind them, Freesia cradled Reth's head with surprising gentleness, and the blanket covering his unconscious body provided warmth against the cool leather seats.

The mate bond hummed constantly now, a frequency of awareness that let him sense her steady focus despite the chaos they'd just survived. She wasn't panicking or falling apart. She was calculating, planning, protecting—exactly as a true partner should.

Five rogues with military precision. Coordinated attack pattern. Knowledge of Aldric's location.

The pieces aligned themselves with disturbing clarity in his mind. Someone had been watching the cottage for days, possibly weeks, waiting for exactly this scenario. Waiting for Freesia to surface long enough to collect her trusted advisor.

"The attack wasn't random," Izei said quietly, his voice cutting through the vehicle's tense silence.

Aldric's blue eyes sharpened with understanding. "You think they were specifically targeting your arrival?"

"I know they were." Izei took a turn, the SUV's reinforced frame handling the maneuver with practiced ease. "Those rogues positioned themselves with a coordinated entry point. They'd clearly been casing your location long enough to map every approach."

Through the rearview mirror, he watched Freesia's jaw tighten as she processed the implications. Her fingers continued their gentle movement through Reth's hair, but her sapphire eyes had gone calculating and cold.

"Someone's been using Aldric as bait," she said matter-of-factly. "Waiting for me to show up exactly as I did."

Whoever was orchestrating these attacks understood the Waverly's weaknesses and their pride members intimately. That level of insight spoke to either extensive surveillance or inside knowledge. Neither possibility offered comfort.

"Cassian Vael," Aldric said quietly.

Izei had reached the same conclusion miles ago. Everything pointed toward the Vael Alpha—the patience, the strategic planning, the resources necessary to coordinate attacks across multiple locations. But understanding who was behind the threat and proving it were entirely different challenges.

"Possibly," Izei replied, though his tone suggested certainty rather than speculation. "The timing fits his operational patterns. Patient. Calculated. Willing to wait months for the perfect opportunity."

His hands flexed against the steering wheel as tactical scenarios played through his mind. If Cassian was indeed behind the attacks, then today's assault had been a test—a way to measure both Freesia's capabilities and the level of protection Izei could provide.

They underestimated us. Good. Let them keep underestimating us.

The wrought iron gates of his estate appeared ahead, their familiar silhouette offering the first sense of security he'd felt since leaving Aldric's cottage. Izei pressed the remote clipped to his sun visor, watching the heavy gates swing open with mechanical precision.

"We're home," he said, though the words carried weight beyond simple geography.

As they drove up the long, tree-lined approach toward the main driveway, Izei spotted Luka and Kenia standing together near the front entrance. His sister's animated gestures and Luka's easy smile suggested they'd been enjoying each other's company—a development that would require careful navigation later.

One crisis at a time.

The SUV crunched to a stop on the gravel drive, and Izei immediately shifted into command mode. "Use the blanket to cover yourself," he instructed Freesia. "I'll get Luka to help carry Reth inside."

She nodded without argument, grabbing the fabric off of Reth's unconscious body to ensure complete coverage while maintaining her protective hold on his Beta's head. Seeing her adaptability—the way she seamlessly shifted between warrior, medic, and tactical partner—sent satisfaction coursing through his chest.

She's exactly what I need.