Page 42 of Howl About That

The need to protect his mate overwhelmed every other consideration. Keiro slammed the laptop shut and headed for the door. He had to reach Poppy, had to warn her about the danger lurking in her own bloodline.

An hour later, he pulled through the open gates of Poppy's estate, his Bentley's engine purring with controlled power. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the manicured grounds, but something felt off. Too quiet. His wolf's hackles rose as he scanned the territory.

Poppy's SUV was nowhere to be seen. Then a figure emerged from the treeline—a woman moving with the fluid grace of a predator conducting a perimeter sweep. As she approached his vehicle, Keiro realized this had to be Neve.

He rolled down his window as she reached the driver's side, her expression curious but cautious.

"So, you must be the infamous wolf Alpha who captured my best friend's heart," she said, a hint of amusement coloring her voice.

Keiro extended his hand. "Keiro Izell. You must be Neve."

"The one and only." Her handshake was firm. "Nice to finally meet you properly. Poppy's mentioned you once or twice."

"Only once or twice?" Keiro raised an eyebrow.

Neve's smile was sharp with knowing humor. "I suppose a bit more than that. What brings you by?"

"I just forgot to give her something," he said, the lie feeling awkward on his tongue.

Neve's expression shifted, her perceptive gaze reading between the lines with uncomfortable accuracy. "You seem a bit tense. Are you sure that's all you're here for?"

Keiro's facade cracked slightly. "Not exactly. I have some concerns about Sander, and I wanted to discuss them with her."

Something flickered in Neve's eyes—recognition, confirmation of suspicions she'd clearly harbored for years. "Sander is bad news, but he's generally harmless. He's just positioning himself to become Alpha, undermining Poppy every step of the way so he can get what he wants."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Keiro said carefully. "But I don't think Sander is harmless."

Neve's entire demeanor sharpened, her lioness rising to attention. "What do you mean?"

Before Keiro could respond, the sound of an approaching engine drew their attention. Poppy's SUV appeared, moving with the controlled speed that suggested its driver was either deep in thought or barely containing frustration.

The vehicle came to a stop near the main entrance, but Poppy remained seated behind the wheel, her silhouette tense against the afternoon light filtering through the windshield.

Did she already suspect something? Or did she suspect Keiro overstepped again?

SEVENTEEN

POPPY

Poppy sat frozen in the driver's seat of her SUV, her hands still gripping the steering wheel despite the engine being off for several minutes. Through her windshield, she watched Keiro leaning out of the driver's window of his Bentley and talking to Neve while she stood beside the vehicle. The afternoon sunlight caught the dark strands of his hair, and even from this distance, she could see the tension radiating from him.

Why is he here?

They'd parted ways only hours ago after their magical morning exploring the retreat land together and their disastrous confrontation with Sander. Keiro hadn't mentioned anything about stopping by her estate, and in all their days of partnership, he'd never shown up unannounced like this. The uncertainty gnawed at her, mixing with the emotional storm that had been simmering since Sander's vicious words earlier.

Because for the past few hours, waves of fury and concern had crashed through their mate bond—emotions so intense she'd nearly left the elders' meeting altogether. But she'd assumed Keiro was still processing the encounter with Sander, his protective instincts locked in overdrive. The wolf in himprobably couldn't stand the thought of someone threatening his mate, even verbally.

But Sander's words had found their mark, burrowing deep into the insecurities Poppy had spent eleven years trying to bury. Her lioness snarled at the memory, but the human part of her—the part that had been questioned and doubted since she was twenty-one—couldn't quite silence the poisonous whispers.

What if Sander was right? What if she was clinging to Keiro and this partnership because he represented safety and security she'd never had? What if these intense feelings were just her desperate heart latching onto the first person who'd made her feel protected since her father's murder?

Stop.Her lioness protested, demanding she quit overthinking what her instincts knew to be true.Trust the bond. Trust him.

Through their mate bond that was growing stronger with each passing day, she could feel Keiro's emotions as clearly as her own now—his devotion, his fierce protectiveness, his genuine care for her wellbeing. There was no deception there, no manipulation. Just a man who'd found his mate and wanted to keep her safe.

But maybe that's the problem,the traitorous voice in her head whispered.Maybe you're rushing into this because it's the first time you've felt truly safe?—

"Enough," she muttered, finally releasing her death grip on the steering wheel.