Page 14 of Howl About That

The numbers had been haunting her dreams for months, turning sleep into a luxury she couldn't afford.

Neve's expression softened with understanding, but her voice remained practical. "I don't understand how this partnership is going to stop the ninety-day countdown. Is he offering you five million dollars as well?"

"No." Poppy sank onto the edge of her four-poster bed, the antique frame creaking. Her hands twisted in her lap as she stared at the Persian rug beneath her feet. "But maybe I can work out some kind of arrangement with him. Ask for a loan. I hate to do it, but I don't know what else to do."

The admission tasted bitter. Asking for help went against every instinct she'd cultivated since becoming Alpha. Leaders solved problems on their own; they didn't beg for bailouts.

"Can you trust the guy?" Neve's question cut straight to the heart of Poppy's fears.

"That's what I don't know yet." Poppy stood and began pacing the length of her bedroom. "So, I think I'm going to wait before I ask for anything from him. I can't appear desperate or weak."

Too late for that. You already look desperate.

The thought made her stomach clench with familiar dread. How many people had witnessed her public humiliation at the auction? How many were already whispering about the Alpha who couldn't even afford to buy back her own family's land?

"Well, you better figure out something soon." Neve's voice carried that edge of concern. "You're running out of time. And Sander is making more moves to prove you're unfit."

"I know. He stopped by here today and made some idle threats." Poppy waved a dismissive hand, trying to project confidence she didn't feel. "But that's the least of my concerns right at the moment. Right now, I need to find something to wear for tonight. I may have invited Keiro over for dinner to discuss our partnership."

Neve's eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into her hairline. "You invited him to dinner at your place? Your fated mate? Alone in your den?" She shook her head with the expression of someone watching a train wreck in slow motion. "Poppy, that's just asking for trouble."

Heat flooded Poppy's cheeks, and she could feel her lioness stirring with interest. The mate bond hummed with anticipation, sending little electric shocks through her nervous system every time she thought about seeing him again.

"Nothing's going to happen." The words came out more defensive than she'd intended. "Just help me find something to wear."

For the next hour, Poppy's bedroom transformed into a battlefield of discarded clothing. Silk blouses landed on the antique chair, tailored blazers draped over the vanity bench, andelegant dresses pooled on the floor like fallen petals. Each outfit told a different story—too formal, too casual, too obvious, too severe.

"Try this one." Neve held up a light blue dress that had been hanging forgotten in the back of the closet.

The fabric was softer than silk, the color reminiscent of summer skies and deeper waters. When Poppy slipped it on, the dress hugged her curves like it had been designed specifically for her body. The neckline dipped just enough to remind anyone looking that she was undeniably female, while the cut remained sophisticated enough for business.

"Perfect." Neve stepped back to admire her handiwork, satisfaction evident in her voice. "The right combination of business and casual and slightly alluring. It says, 'I'm a competent Alpha who happens to be a beautiful woman,' without screaming desperate."

Poppy studied her reflection in the full-length mirror, turning slightly to catch the way the fabric moved with her body. The dress made her feel powerful and feminine simultaneously—a combination she rarely allowed herself to embrace.

He's going to take one look at you and forget this is supposed to be about business.

The traitorous thought sent heat spiraling through her core, and she ruthlessly suppressed it. Tonight would be productive and professional. Nothing more.

But as she smoothed the fabric over her hips, Poppy couldn't shake the feeling that this dinner might just make everything infinitely more complicated.

SIX

KEIRO

Keiro gripped the Bentley's steering wheel as he stared at the imposing stone facade of the Mintz estate. Fifteen minutes he'd been sitting here like some nervous teenager picking up his prom date, when he should have walked up those steps the moment he'd arrived. His wolf prowled restlessly, demanding action while his human mind cataloged every possible way this evening could go catastrophically wrong.

Get a grip. You've negotiated billion-dollar deals. You can handle dinner with one lioness.

But this wasn't just any lioness. This was his fated mate—a reality that still felt surreal despite the constant pull in his chest drawing him toward the house. Three hours ago, when Poppy's voice had come through his phone saying she'd agreed to their business partnership, his wolf had howled with triumph. But the moment she'd invited him to dinner at her place, he couldn't accept fast enough. When the call had ended, he'd rushed through a shower and changed clothes with an urgency that bordered on embarrassing.

Now, sitting in her circular driveway surrounded by ancient oak trees and manicured gardens that spoke of centuries of pride history, Keiro couldn't shake the feeling that he was walkinginto something far more complex than a simple business arrangement.

Cross-species partnerships don't exactly have a stellar track record.

The political ramifications alone made his head spin. A wolf Alpha doing business with a lioness Alpha would send shockwaves through the shifter community. The old prejudices ran deep—territorial disputes, cultural differences, and the kind of generational mistrust that had led to the Accord Table's formation in the first place. Not to mention, his father's refusal to join that alliance had already left the Izell pack politically isolated. So adding a controversial lion partnership to the mix could make things exponentially worse.

But his wolf didn't care about politics or prejudice. His wolf only cared that their mate was in trouble, that she needed help, and that every instinct demanded he provide it.