Page 38 of Accidentally on Purr-pose

FREESIA

Sunlight flooded through the large windows of Izei's bedroom, painting golden stripes across the rumpled black sheets where Freesia lay wrapped in her mate's arms. The completed mate bond hummed between them, warm and electric and absolutely perfect. She could feel his emotions so powerfully now—his contentment, his fierce protectiveness, the way his love for her seemed to fill every corner of his soul.

This is what home feels like, she realized, breathing in his scent of sandalwood and rain.

Not a place. Not even safety. Just this—being completely known and completely accepted by someone who chose to stand beside her.

The mate mark on her left hip tingled pleasantly beneath the sheet, the pink scratches already healing but still tender to the touch, and the sensation reminded her of last night on the hilltop, of the moment she'd finally stopped running from the bond and embraced it completely.

She felt stronger and more focused this morning. As if sharing the burden of protecting the Waverly Compact had somehow multiplied her strength rather than diminished it. The power of their completed bond sang through her veins, giving her clarity she hadn't possessed in months. And with that clarity came a decision she'd been avoiding for far too long.

Her gaze drifted to the small leather satchel resting on the nightstand beside her pillow, where she'd placed it after their return from the hilltop. The Waverly Compact with its four hundred years of history and responsibility that she'd carried alone since the night her family died. The weight of it had become so familiar she sometimes forgot it was there—until moments like this, when she remembered what it represented.

Peace and hope for a future where three species could coexist without more bloodshed. Everything she and Izei were fighting to protect. But also everything that had made her a target, had cost her family their lives, had forced her to run instead of fight when every instinct had told her to stay and protect those she loved.

Izei stirred beside her, his arms tightening instinctively around her waist as consciousness returned to him. When his dark eyes opened and found hers, the smile that spread across his face was so brilliant it made her heart skip.

"Good morning, my queen." His voice was rough with sleep and satisfaction, the endearment carrying new weight now that their bond was complete.

Through their connection, she felt the rush of his emotions—love so fierce it took her breath away, joy at waking up beside her, and beneath it all, a desire that made her blood heat despite their activities the night before.

"Good morning."

She traced lazy patterns on his bare chest, admiring the way his muscles rippled beneath her touch. The mate mark on his hip was visible above the sheet, and the sight of it filled her with primitive satisfaction.

Mine.

But as much as she wanted to lose herself in the heat building between them, in the intoxicating pull of their completed bond, she knew they had work to do. Cassian and Mareth were still out there and still plotting. Her scattered pride members were still in hiding and still waiting for someone to bring them home. And she was still carrying a burden that belonged to both of them now.

"Izei." She sat up, the sheet pooling around her waist as she reached for the satchel.

His gaze followed the movement, appreciation flickering in his dark eyes before he registered the seriousness in her voice.

"What is it?" He pushed himself up, instantly alert.

She turned to face him fully, the leather satchel cradled in her hands like the precious artifact it was. For three months, it had never left her side. She'd slept with it, showered with it within arm's reach, and carried it without a second thought. Letting go of it felt terrifying and liberating in equal measure.

"I want you to put this in your safe." The words came out steady and certain. "I'm ready to share this responsibility with you."

The shock that flashed across his face was quickly replaced by something deeper—respect, relief, and a fierce protectiveness that caused her tigress to roar with approval.

"Freesia." His voice was rough with emotion. "Are you certain?"

She nodded, holding his gaze. "For three months, I've carried this alone because I thought that's what being the Keeper meant. But last night, when we completed the bond, I realized something." She paused, letting herself feel the truth of the words before speaking them. "Queen Valeria didn't create the Compact to be carried by one person. She created it to be shared."

Izei sat up straighter, his full attention focused on her with a piercing intensity.

"The burden was never meant to be mine alone," she continued. "And now that we're mated, now that our future is tied together, it belongs to both of us."

He reached out slowly, his large hands covering hers where they held the satchel. "I am honored to share this responsibility with you." His voice carried the weight of a vow. "I swear to you, Freesia—I will protect this with my life, just as I will protect you."

The sincerity in his words, the absolute certainty flowing through their bond, made her eyes sting with unshed tears. For the first time since her mother had pressed the Compact into her hands and begged her to run, Freesia felt like she could breathe fully.

"I know you will." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, soft and lingering. "That's why I'm ready to let you help me carry it."

He accepted the satchel with the careful reverence of someone handling a priceless relic, which technically he was. The original peace treaty that had ended centuries of war, signed by Queen Valeria Waverly and the founding Alphas of the Callel and Vael prides.

"I'll put this in the safe immediately," he promised.