Page 30 of Howl About That

"Very well," Leon said, his voice carrying the finality of judgment. "You have ninety days to prove this partnership with Keiro Izell is viable and sustainable. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to reevaluate your effectiveness as Alpha."

The words hit like a dagger to her heart. Poppy had known this possibility existed, had felt it lurking beneath every financial decision and political maneuver for years. But hearing it stated so bluntly transformed abstract fear into concrete reality.

Ninety days to save not just her pride, but her very identity.

"Thank you for your support and consideration," she managed, her voice steady despite the earthquake happening inside her. "I will keep you updated on the progress of the partnership."

She stood and walked from the room with measured dignity, each step carefully controlled until she reached the building's entrance. Only when she was far enough from the town hall did she allow herself to lean against an ancient oak and release a shaky sigh that carried eleven years of accumulated pressure.

The mate bond pulsed through her like a second heartbeat, reminding her that somewhere out there, Keiro existed as both her salvation and her greatest complication.

How could she prove their partnership would work while fighting the very connection that made it possible? How could she resist a bond that grew stronger with each passing hour, especially when her lioness demanded she claim what belonged to her and damn the consequences?

How is she going to survive this?

TWELVE

KEIRO

Keiro had been pulling on his jacket, keys already in hand, when his phone buzzed against the granite countertop of his family estate's kitchen. The sight of Poppy's name on the screen sent his pulse spiking with an intensity that should have embarrassed him. Instead, he answered before the second ring.

"This is Keiro," he said with careful neutrality, fighting the urge to tell her he missed hearing her voice.

"I want to meet at our land," she said without preamble, her voice carrying that crisp authority that made his wolf sit up and take notice. "I think we should walk the space together and brainstorm on the actual property."

Our land.

The phrase hit him like a lightning bolt, flooding his chest with something dangerously close to recognition. Through their deepened mate bond, he caught fragments of her emotions—determination blazing bright, anxiety threading between that, and beneath it all, a want so fierce it made his breath catch.

"That's a great idea," he managed. "I'll be there in forty-five minutes."

The moment the call ended, Keiro was moving with purpose that bordered on desperation. He took the stairs to his childhood bedroom two at a time, muscle memory guiding him to the oak desk where he'd spent countless hours as a teenager sketching buildings that would never exist, designing spaces for a life he'd never get to live.

The leather-bound sketchbook sat buried beneath years of accumulated papers. His fingers traced the worn cover with something approaching reverence—this tangible connection to the boy who'd dreamed of creating rather than controlling, who'd imagined buildings that served beauty instead of just function.

When he'd proposed sketching the designs for their land at dinner the other night, something long dormant had stirred to life. Now, pencils clutched alongside the precious notebook, Keiro felt that awakening spread through his chest like wildfire. For the first time in sixteen years, he was going to create something.

The drive to Hudson Valley passed in a blur of anticipation and nervous energy. Through the mate bond, Poppy's emotions bled into his consciousness with increasing intensity—her determination to make their partnership succeed, concern about something he couldn't quite identify, and fear that tasted like vulnerability she refused to acknowledge. But underneath the storm of complicated feelings, her desire for him burned steady and strong, a beacon that made his wolf howl with satisfaction.

She still wanted him, even after pushing him away yesterday.

The gravel road leading to their property soon crunched beneath his Bentley's tires as he rounded the final curve. Poppy stood beside her modest SUV, her dark hair catching the morning sunlight, and the sight of her made his chest tighten with an emotion too complex to name. She'd dressed practicallyin dark jeans and hiking boots, but somehow managed to look both capable and devastatingly beautiful.

But what made his wolf preen with possessive pleasure was the detail she probably thought he wouldn't notice—two coffee cups balanced on her SUV's hood, steam still rising from both.

She'd been thinking about him, anticipating his needs.

Keiro parked and emerged from his car with the sketchbook and pencils in hand, his predator's grace automatic even as his pulse hammered with mate bond intensity. Poppy approached with measured steps, her expression carefully neutral, but he could feel her excitement bleeding through their connection despite her professional mask.

"Good morning," he said, accepting the coffee she offered, his hand lingering against hers. "Thank you for this. You must have read my mind."

More like she could read his emotions through their bond just as clearly as he read hers.

Heat flashed across her features before she schooled them back to business-appropriate distance. "I figured we'd both need caffeine for this." Her voice carried that clipped professionalism that meant she was fighting their connection with every breath. "I want to walk the entire space and really understand what we're working with."

They started into the woodland, boots crunching against fallen leaves and forest debris. Ancient oaks and maples created a cathedral of green overhead, dappling the ground with shifting patterns of light and shadow. The air smelled of rich earth and growing things, a wild beauty that made Keiro understand why Poppy was so passionate about preservation.

"I really want to preserve most of this natural woodland area," she said, her professional mask slipping as genuine love for the land colored her voice. "I understand we need to buildsomething that will generate revenue, but I don't want to destroy what makes this place special."