Page 12 of Howl About That

"I'm listening." Keiro's voice carried through the speaker, deep and measured and somehow managing to sound both patient and eager simultaneously. The sound of it made her lioness roar with satisfaction, which only irritated Poppy more.

She cleared her throat, buying herself a few more precious seconds to organize thoughts that refused to stay organized. This decision felt monumentally different from every other executive choice she'd made over the past eleven years. This felt like stepping off a cliff with no guarantee of safe landing.

But it's the only viable option left.

"I've decided to accept your proposition." The words came out much steadier than she felt, carrying the authority she'd cultivated through years of facing down challenges that should have destroyed her. "To become co-owner of that land and work with you to develop something that will benefit both of us."

Silence.

Then she felt it—a flutter of emotions bleeding through the mate bond like watercolors on wet paper. Shock rippled first, followed by relief so profound it made her breath catch. Then came something darker, hungrier, that made her skin flush with awareness she absolutely did not want to acknowledge. His desire hit her like a physical caress, followed immediately by concern that felt protective and possessive in equal measure.

Damn mate bond. Damn him for making this so complicated.

"I'm happy you've decided to accept the partnership." His voice carried a note of satisfaction. "I think this will be better than you expect."

The confidence in his tone should have annoyed her. Instead, it sent a thrill down her spine that she ruthlessly suppressed.She needed to maintain control of this situation, establish boundaries before things spiraled beyond her management.

"How about we meet tonight for dinner at my estate?" The invitation tumbled out before she could second-guess it. "To go over details and next steps."

"That sounds perfect." His response came almost too quickly, betraying an eagerness that matched the pulse of want she could feel through their connection. "Just text me your address."

A pause stretched between them, heavy with unspoken implications. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped to that low register that made her pulse quicken.

"Poppy." Her name on his lips sounded like a promise. "You won't regret this."

I already do.

The thought blazed through her mind, bringing with it a cascade of doubts and fears she'd been trying to suppress. Regret felt like too small a word for the magnitude of what she'd just committed to—a partnership with her fated mate, a wolf Alpha whose very existence threatened to upend the careful balance she'd maintained for over a decade.

"I'll see you at eight tonight." She forced the words out before he could say anything else that might crack her resolve further.

The line went dead as she ended the call, leaving her staring at the phone's dark screen like it might provide answers.

What have I done?

She'd just agreed to a business partnership with the man who'd simultaneously destroyed her life and offered to rebuild it in the span of twenty-four hours. The man whose touch had awakened parts of herself she'd buried beneath layers of responsibility and sacrifice. The man who made her want things she'd stopped allowing herself to want years ago.

Her lioness stretched with satisfaction, purring at the prospect of seeing their mate again so soon. The betrayal ofher own instincts made Poppy's chest tighten with frustrated anger. She should be focusing on pride business, on the financial projections and development timelines that would determine her people's future. Instead, she was thinking about the way Keiro's eyes had shifted from brown to molten gold when the bond activated, about the controlled power in his movements and the scent of cedar and rain that clung to his skin.

The doorbell's sharp chime cut through her spiraling thoughts, making her jump.

Her lioness immediately bristled, sensing trouble before her human mind caught up. The scent drifting through the heavy oak door made her stomach clench with familiar dread—leather, expensive cologne, and the particular brand of smugness that belonged to only one person.

Sander.

She pulled the door open with more force than necessary, the hinges protesting with a sharp creak that echoed through the grand foyer. Her cousin stood on the stone steps like he owned them, his designer suit perfectly pressed despite the late afternoon humidity. That practiced smile spread across his face—the one that had charmed pride elders and female lions for years, but never quite reached his blue-green eyes.

"What do you want, Sander?"

He stepped closer to the threshold without invitation, his presence filling the doorway like smoke. "I heard the most interesting rumor circulating today." His voice carried that warm, persuasive quality that made people forget he was a snake. "Something about last night's auction. About how you were publicly humiliated by a wolf Alpha who outbid you for our family's land."

The word 'our' hit like a slap. Poppy's fingers tightened on the door handle until her knuckles went white. Her lioness surged forward, demanding she show this pretender exactly whoheld the real power here, demanding she pin him against the stone wall and make him remember his place in the hierarchy.

Control yourself. Don't give him what he wants.

"I'm handling it." The words came out flat, controlled, carrying the weight of eleven years' worth of crises she'd navigated while he'd sat on the sidelines offering criticism. "Just like I've handled every crisis for the past eleven years."

Sander's smile widened, and she caught the flash of satisfaction in his eyes—the look of a predator scenting blood in the water. He leaned against the doorframe with calculated casualness, his gaze sweeping over her like he was cataloging weaknesses.