5. Freesia #2
Her tigress, on the other hand, stirred with satisfaction, completely unrepentant about the bond's activation.
The beast had been purring contentedly all night, basking in the certainty of their mate's presence somewhere in the estate.
Unlike Freesia's rational mind, her tigress saw no complications—only the simple rightness of finally finding their other half.
Freesia pushed herself upright, running her fingers through her hair that had escaped its braid during the night, and that familiar weight of responsibility settled across her shoulders.
The Compact. Her scattered pride. The unknown enemy hunting them.
Those priorities hadn't changed, even if everything else felt fundamentally different now.
She climbed out of bed and moved to the dresser where she'd carefully arranged her limited belongings the night before.
She pulled out a pair of clean cargo pants and a black long-sleeved shirt—the same practical uniform she'd worn for the past three months.
She quickly got dressed and laced up her worn boots, the familiar ritual of getting ready grounding her in the aftermath of the bond's activation.
The small satchel came last, its strap settling across her body with comforting weight. Four centuries of history rested against her, and she pressed her palm briefly against the ancient document hidden within.
Queen Valeria's legacy. Her family's sacrifice.
Freesia felt the familiar tightness in her chest—the fear that had become her constant companion since that terrible night three months ago.
She'd already lost everything once. The idea of opening her heart to Izei, of allowing herself to hope for something beyond mere survival, felt like tempting fate.
She left her guest room and knocked softly on Luka's door, needing his steady presence before facing whatever came next. The door opened almost immediately, revealing her friend looking more refreshed than she'd ever seen him.
"Well, look at you," she said, stepping into his room. "You actually look like you slept for once."
"Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep in an actual bed.
" Luka gestured around the spacious guest room, where he'd already made himself completely at home.
Their weapons were arranged on the dresser with military precision, medical supplies organized on the small table, and his few changes of clothes hung neatly in the open wardrobe. "I'd forgotten what that felt like."
Freesia closed the door behind her. "I need to tell you something. And you're probably going to think I've completely lost my mind."
Luka settled into the room's single armchair. "What happened?"
"Well, last night, when Izei and I were talking..." She began pacing the length of the room, unable to stand still under his knowing gaze. "We agreed to focus on protecting the Compact, to not let the mate bond interfere with what's important. Very mature. Very professional."
"Sounds reasonable so far."
"Then we shook hands to seal the agreement." The words tumbled out in a rush. "And I knew that touching him would activate the mate bond. But I did it anyway."
Luka was quiet for a moment, his expression shifting from surprise to something that looked suspiciously like sympathy. "Freesia..."
"I know what you're going to say." She stopped pacing, turning to face him. "That I'm an idiot. That I just made everything impossibly complicated for no good reason."
"Actually, I was going to ask when you're going to stop trying to manage this mate bond and just let it unfold naturally."
The gentle accusation hit harder than any criticism would have. "I'm not managing anything."
"Really?" Luka's eyebrows rose. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you're working overtime to control every aspect of this situation. The bond, your feelings, his feelings, the timing, the circumstances—"
"That's not—" She stopped, the protest dying on her lips as she realized he was absolutely right.
"Freesia, I get it. You lost your family, your home, everything that mattered to you.
The idea of caring about something else, someone else, feels terrifying because you can't bear the thought of losing anything else.
" His voice was gentle. "But denying something that could be really great seems a bit excessive, don't you think?
You're cheating yourself out of happiness and hope when it's right there in front of you. "
The truth of his words settled in her chest like a physical ache. "That's exactly why I'm avoiding it, Luka. I can't fall in love with Izei and then lose him too. Not when my life is in danger and everything is so volatile right now."
"Look, I'm probably not the one to give advice on love since I don't have much experience myself.
" Luka leaned forward, his expression earnest. "But I know when I see two people who could be really great together, and I know they're both letting fear make their decisions.
And honestly, I don't think letting fear win is the right call here. "
Frustration bubbled up in her throat, mixing with the vulnerability she'd been trying so hard to suppress. "Then what is the right call? Because I'm drowning here, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."
"Trust your heart."
The simplicity of it was almost insulting.
Three long months of survival, centuries of responsibility on her shoulders, and he made it sound like the easiest thing in the world.
But as the words settled, something clicked into place—a memory of her mother's voice, speaking about Queen Valeria's greatest strength.
Queen Valeria didn't create peace through strategy or force. She created peace through courage and trusting her heart—trusting to believe that people could choose something better than what they'd always known.
Maybe that was the real lesson of the Waverly legacy. Not just preserving what came before but having the courage to build something new by trusting your heart.
Freesia launched herself forward, wrapping Luka in a fierce hug that caught him completely off guard. "You're a genius."
He laughed, returning the embrace with familiar warmth. "I've been waiting three months for you to say that."
She pulled back, feeling lighter than she had since activating the bond. The fear was still there but it no longer felt paralyzing. "Come on. Let's go find Izei."