7. Freesia
SEVEN
FREESIA
Freesia's boots struck the weathered wooden steps of Aldric's cottage with purpose, each footfall echoing her desperate need to see the man who had been more than advisor—he had been the steady heartbeat of her shattered world.
Behind her, Izei maintained a respectful distance of several feet, but she could feel his presence like a shield at her back.
His dark eyes swept the treeline with predatory focus because even in this remote sanctuary, danger could follow them, and his protective instincts refused to relax.
He never stops protecting, she thought, her tigress purring with appreciation despite her efforts to maintain professional boundaries.
The cottage door opened slowly before she could knock, revealing silver-white hair and familiar blue eyes that had guided her through every lesson of leadership and legacy. Aldric's weathered face transformed with disbelief, his hand gripping the doorframe as if his legs might give out.
"Freesia." His voice cracked slightly. "You're alive. You're really alive."
The sound of her name spoken with such raw relief shattered the careful control she'd maintained for months. She launched herself into his arms, wrapping him in a fierce embrace that spoke of sleepless nights and unanswered prayers.
"I thought I'd lost you too," she whispered against his shoulder, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. The scent of pipe tobacco and old books surrounded her—the smell of home, of safety, of everything she'd been forced to leave behind.
Aldric's arms tightened around her, his own tears dampening her hair. "My dear girl. My brave, fierce girl."
They held each other in the doorway, grief washing over them in fresh waves.
The attack on their territory. The royal compound in flames.
Her parents' bodies. Sasha's final scream echoing through smoke and chaos.
All the losses they'd carried separately for three months crashed together in this single moment of reunion.
"Please," Aldric said finally, his voice thick with emotion. "Come inside. Both of you."
Freesia stepped back, wiping her eyes as she gestured toward Izei. "Aldric, this is Izei Callel. He's offered to protect me and the Compact."
Izei moved forward, extending his hand in formal greeting. "Nice to meet you, sir."
Aldric shook Izei's hand and studied him with sharp intelligence, taking in the quiet authority and protective stance. "You're the Alpha of the Callel pride."
"Yes, I am," Izei replied, meeting the elder's gaze. "And I've vowed to protect the Keeper of the Waverly Compact and extend my protection services to you and any remaining members of your pride."
Aldric's eyes brightened with gratitude. "That's generous beyond measure."
"Aldric," Freesia said, her tone shifting to practical authority. "You need to come with us to Izei's territory where it's safe until we find out who's after me and who destroyed our home."
The old councilor nodded slowly, accepting the reality of their situation. "I understand. I'll just need to pack some things."
"Of course." Freesia moved toward the bedroom where she could see personal belongings scattered. "I'll help you gather everything."
Izei stepped toward the front door. "I'll wait outside."
The moment the door closed behind him, Aldric turned to face her with knowing eyes that had witnessed decades of royal secrets and political maneuvering.
"So," he said quietly, folding a worn sweater with methodical care. "Are you going to keep withholding the truth much longer?"
Freesia's hands stilled on the books she'd been stacking. Trust Aldric to see straight through any pretense.
"No. I just didn't want to blurt it out with Izei here." She took a breath, the words feeling both impossible and inevitable. "But yes, he's my fated mate."
Aldric's expression softened, holding more curiosity than anything else.
"And I know it seems impossible that a tigress royal could be fated to an Alpha panther. But it's true because the bond activated last night when we shook hands." The words tumbled out of Freesia's mouth in a rush.
"It's not completely impossible," Aldric said thoughtfully, continuing to pack with steady efficiency.
"Rare, certainly. But I've seen stranger things in forty years of service to your family.
" His eyes sparkled with something that looked like hope.
"Perhaps it's a symbol—the old bloodlines finding new ways to protect what matters most."
Freesia shoved another stack of papers into his bag with more force than necessary. "Right now, it's just inconvenient. We can't let the mate bond interfere with our objectives. Protecting the Compact, finding out who attacked our territory, and locating all the remaining pride members."
"I understand those objectives," Aldric said gently, his tone carrying patient wisdom. "But perhaps you should add building a relationship with your mate to that list. It might prove the better way to move forward."
Her tigress stirred with agreement, but Freesia's rational mind rebelled against the suggestion. She couldn't afford distractions. Not when everything depended on her staying focused.
"We'll see," she said curtly, helping him fold the last of his clothes with movements that spoke of barely contained frustration.
Building a relationship with her mate.
As if it were that simple. As if she could afford to open her heart to another devastating loss. But as Aldric's weathered hands finished packing the remnants of his temporary refuge, Freesia couldn't shake the feeling that avoiding the mate bond might prove more dangerous than embracing it.
"There," Aldric said, zipping the bag closed with weathered hands that had once guided her through lessons on diplomacy and duty. "I think that's everything."
Freesia shouldered his bag alongside her own small satchel. "Good. The sooner we get back to Izei's territory, the safer we'll all be."
Izei's voice cut through the cottage walls like a blade. "brEACH!"
The single word sent ice flooding through her veins.
Freesia's tigress surged to the surface instantly, her senses sharpening as adrenaline crashed through her system.
Someone had found them. After three painstaking months of successfully staying hidden, her enemies had finally tracked her to Aldric's sanctuary.
"Stay here," she commanded, dropping the bags and spinning toward the front door. "Hide in the back bedroom."
Aldric's face went pale, his blue eyes wide with the same terror she'd seen the night their territory fell. "Freesia, no. You can't—"
"I can and I will." She was already moving, her boots striking the wooden floor with purpose as she headed for the door. "I'll come back for you, I promise."
The cottage door slammed behind her as she burst outside, her eyes immediately scanning the treeline for threats, and what she saw made her blood run cold.
Five rogue jaguars were racing toward them at full sprint, their powerful forms cutting through the undergrowth with lethal grace.
These weren't random attackers—their coordinated approach and the way they'd managed to get this close without detection spoke of professional training and careful planning.
Reth had already shifted, his massive charcoal panther form positioning itself between the cottage and two of the approaching rogues.
But it was Izei who commanded her attention—his human form beginning the fluid transformation into his panther, muscles rippling beneath skin as his body prepared for battle.
They followed us here, her tigress snarled, fury and protective instincts merging into something primal. They're threatening our mate. They're threatening Aldric.
Freesia didn't hesitate. Her shift happened with the explosive speed of her royal combat training.
Bones elongated and reformed, muscles expanded with supernatural strength, and rich golden-orange fur with thick black stripes erupted across her skin as her human form gave way to the magnificent tigress that carried four centuries of Waverly warrior blood.
When her massive paws hit the ground, she stood nearly as tall as Izei's panther, her sapphire-blue eyes blazing with royal fury.
Every instinct screamed at her to protect—protect Aldric, protect the Compact, protect her mate.
Izei's panther noticed her arrival with a quick glance that held both admiration and frustration.
She could practically feel his desire to order her back to safety, but there was no time for territorial disputes. The rogues were closing fast.
With fluid coordination that spoke to his Alpha nature, Izei positioned himself between her and the two largest attackers—rogues whose scarred hides and battle-hardened movements marked them as experienced killers.
His message was clear: These are mine. Stay behind me.
But Freesia's tigress had other ideas. She launched herself at the smallest of the five rogues with the explosive power of her royal bloodline, her powerful haunches propelling her through the air like a golden missile.
The rogue barely had time to dodge before her claws raked across his flank, drawing first blood as they crashed together in a tangle of fur and fury.
This is what I was born for, she realized with crystal clarity as her opponent recovered and circled her with predatory intent. Not just to guard an ancient treaty, but to fight for the people I love.
The rogue lunged, jaws snapping toward her throat, but Freesia twisted away with the liquid grace her trainers had drilled into her since childhood.
Her counterattack was swift and brutal—claws finding purchase along his ribs as her powerful jaws clamped down on his shoulder.
The jaguar's roar of pain split the air, but she didn't relent.
Royal training had taught her that mercy in battle was often cruelty to those you were protecting.
Her claws found his throat, and with one decisive movement, the threat was eliminated.
Blood still warm on her muzzle, she spun to assess the larger battle.
Izei was engaged with both of his opponents, his midnight-black form moving with the deadly precision she'd expected from an Alpha of his reputation.
But even with his skill, fighting two experienced rogues simultaneously was taking its toll.
Without conscious thought, Freesia launched herself at the nearest of Izei's opponents.
Her tigress moved with instincts that seemed to anticipate his panther's movements perfectly, as if they'd fought together for years instead of meeting for the first time yesterday.
She struck the rogue's left flank just as Izei's powerful jaws closed around the throat of the other.
The synchronization was breathtaking. Where her mate moved, she followed. Where she struck, he supported. The mate bond sang between them, enhancing their natural combat abilities until they moved as a single, devastating unit.
This is what partnership feels like, her tigress roared with deep satisfaction as they eliminated the second rogue together. This is what it means to fight beside someone who truly sees you as an equal.
She marveled at how natural it felt—how right it was to trust Izei's instincts completely while knowing he trusted hers in return.
A pained roar from across the clearing shattered their moment of connection.
Reth was in serious trouble. The Beta had managed to kill one of his opponents, but the remaining rogue had gotten past his defenses.
Deep claw marks scored his charcoal fur, and bright red blood was pooling beneath him as he struggled to maintain his footing.
Freesia and Izei moved as one, racing across the clearing with the fluid coordination that had already proven so effective.
But as they closed the distance, she could see that Reth's injuries were severe—far worse than the relatively minor scratches she and Izei had sustained.
Within seconds, the final rogue fell beneath their combined assault.
But victory felt hollow when they all shifted back to human form and Reth's injured body was bleeding badly.
Nakedness meant nothing in the face of life-threatening injuries.
Freesia dropped to her knees beside the wounded Beta, her hands immediately moving to assess the damage while Izei positioned himself on Reth's other side.
"The wounds are deep," she said, her voice tight with concern as she examined the parallel claw marks across Reth's abdomen. Blood was flowing freely, and she could see the edges of torn muscle beneath. "We need to get him inside and stop the bleeding immediately."
Izei's jaw was granite-hard with controlled fury and worry. "Can you help me carry him?"
"Of course." She was already sliding her arms beneath Reth's shoulders, ignoring the way blood stained her skin. "Aldric will have medical supplies—he's always prepared."
Together, they lifted the wounded Beta, his weight distributed between them as they moved toward the cottage door with careful urgency.
The mate bond pulsed even in crisis, their movements coordinated by necessity and enhanced by the connection they could no longer deny.
However, Freesia's mind was already calculating—pressure points to slow the bleeding, which supplies they'd need, and how to keep Reth stable.
Yet beneath the clinical assessment, her tigress was still singing with the rightness of fighting beside her mate, of trusting him completely in battle and knowing that trust was returned without reservation.
This is what we could be together, she thought as they reached the cottage steps, Reth's life literally in their hands.