Page 31 of Accidentally on Purr-pose

Home.

Even through her shock and grief, the concept settled into her chest with surprising warmth. Because that was what Izei's estate was becoming—not just a refuge or a strategic position, but the first place in three months where she could imagine building something lasting.

As the SUV pulled away from the safehouse, carrying them back toward Callel territory, Freesia closed her eyes and let Izei's steady presence anchor her against the storm of betrayal and loss. She had answers now. She just wasn't sure she was strong enough to face what those answers meant.

TWELVE

IZEI

The morning sun filtered through the study's tall windows, casting long shadows across the mahogany desk where Izei sat surrounded by scattered intelligence reports and tactical assessments. Twenty-four hours had passed since their meeting with Angus at the northern safehouse, and Freesia hadn't emerged from her guest room once after they got back home.

Not for meals. Not for conversation. Not even when he'd knocked on her door three separate times yesterday, each attempt met with silence so complete he might have believed the room was empty if not for the mate bond thrumming between them.

Through that connection, he felt everything she refused to share—waves of grief so raw they left him breathless, fury that burned like acid in his chest, and confusion that caused his panther to prowl restlessly. The revelation about Mareth had shattered something inside his mate, reopening wounds that had barely begun to heal.

She's processing. She needs space, he reminded himself, though his protective instincts screamed at him to break down her door and drag her into his arms.

But knowing what she needed and accepting it were two entirely different things.

A soft knock interrupted his brooding. Reth stepped into the study, moving with the careful precision of someone still recovering from serious injury.

"You look like hell," Reth observed, settling into the leather chair across from the desk.

"Good morning to you too," Izei muttered.

"When's the last time you slept? Actually slept, not that thing you do where you pretend your eyes are closed."

Izei's jaw tightened. "I'm fine. I took a short nap."

"Right. That seems healthy." Reth leaned forward, his expression growing serious. "She's not going to disappear if you allow yourself some rest."

"You don't know that."

"Well, I know she's not leaving this estate without saying goodbye to Luka. Which means you have time to figure out how to help her instead of wearing a hole in the carpet with your pacing."

Before Izei could respond, the study door opened again. Aldric entered with measured dignity, followed by Kenia, whose normally bright expression carried an undertone of concern.

"Any word from Freesia this morning?" Kenia asked.

"Nothing." Izei pushed back from his desk, frustration bleeding through his carefully maintained composure. "She won't answer when I knock. I can feel her pain through the bond, but she's locked me out completely."

Aldric's weathered features softened with understanding. "The revelation about Mareth has reopened every wound. Learning that someone who shared her bloodline participated in the massacre..." He shook his head slowly. "That kind of betrayal doesn't simply require processing. It requires rebuilding one's entire understanding of family, loyalty, and trust."

"How long will that take?" The question came out rougher than Izei intended.

"I don't know." Aldric's blue eyes held the patient wisdom of someone who had weathered countless storms. "But that doesn't mean we sit idle while she grieves."

Kenia moved to the window, her gaze fixed on something in the distance. "She's going to need her people when she's ready to emerge. Her pride. Her family. The survivors who are still scattered, wondering if their Queen is alive."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Izei straightened, his strategic mind latching onto something concrete he could control. "We can't force her to heal faster, but we can make sure she has something worth healing for when she's ready."

The study door burst open without ceremony, and Luka strode in with the easy confidence of someone who had never bothered with formal protocol. His green eyes swept the room, taking in their serious expressions and tense postures.

"Let me guess," he said, dropping into the remaining chair with characteristic directness. "We're all worried about Freesia, nobody knows what to do about it, and everyone's pretending they have a plan when really we're all just hoping she comes out of that room before we lose our minds."

"Succinct as always," Reth murmured, though there was approval in his voice.

"I prefer honest." Luka's expression grew serious. "Look, I've watched her process trauma for three months. This is how she handles betrayal—she pulls back, she thinks, she works through every angle until she can function again. The difference is this time she has more people who care about her instead of just me."