19. Poppy
NINETEEN
POPPY
Consciousness drifted back to Poppy like sunlight filtering through deep water—slow, warm, and utterly peaceful.
She'd never experienced anything quite like it, this bone-deep contentment that seemed to radiate from her very core outward.
The completed mate bond thrummed between them, a golden thread of connection that made her feel simultaneously grounded and weightless.
A shadow fell across her closed eyelids, and she became aware of Keiro's presence before she even opened her eyes. His scent—cedar and rain and that indefinable something that was purely him—wrapped around her like a cocoon.
"What time is it?" she mumbled against the pillow, her voice still thick with sleep.
"Nearly ten o'clock."
Her eyes snapped open. "Ten?" She pushed herself up, blinking in disbelief. "Ten in the morning?"
Keiro stood beside the bed, already dressed in tan slacks and a crisp white shirt that made his dark hair look even more striking. His expression held a mixture of amusement and something deeper—a possessive satisfaction that sent heat curling through her belly.
"Yes, I didn't want to wake you sooner. I figured you needed the rest." His voice carried that Alpha authority she'd grown to love. "I've never seen you so peaceful."
Embarrassment heated her cheeks. In eleven years of leadership, she'd never slept past six-thirty.
Her internal clock was merciless because her responsibilities were endless.
But last night, after they'd completed the bond, after she'd finally allowed herself to choose him fully, she'd fallen asleep in his arms with a comfort she'd never known existed.
And that should have terrified her, but instead, it filled her with joy.
"I can't remember the last time I slept that deeply," she admitted, sitting up fully.
The sheet pooled around her waist, and she caught the way his eyes darkened as they tracked over her bare skin. Even after everything they'd shared, the hunger in his gaze made her pulse quicken.
"Maybe because you finally stopped carrying the world alone." His hand reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face, the gesture achingly tender. "Your lioness knew she was finally safe."
The truth of it settled into her bones. For the first time since her father's death, she'd truly rested and felt at peace. No hypervigilance, no mental catalog of threats and responsibilities cycling through her mind. Just profound peace.
"Let's get some breakfast here on my pack territory," Keiro said, his tone shifting to something more businesslike, though warmth still threaded through it. "Then afterward, I want to introduce you to my pack."
Nerves fluttered in her stomach. Meeting his pack as his mate felt monumental, official in a way that made everything real. "How do you think they'll react?"
His smile was pure Alpha confidence. "They'll respect you because I do. And if any of them have a problem, they'll have to deal with me directly." He paused, considering. "Plus, this will be the perfect opportunity to invite them to tomorrow's groundbreaking."
The idea sparked in her mind, expanding into something larger.
"I should bring you to meet my pride afterward.
We can invite them too." She sat up straighter as the vision took shape.
"What if we turn the groundbreaking into something more?
A ceremony celebrating not just the retreat, but what we represent? "
Keiro's eyes lit with fierce approval. "You want to make a statement."
"I want to show everyone that we're stronger together. That what we're building will make everyone stronger." The words came out charged with conviction. "Let them see that unity isn't weakness—it's evolution."
"Brilliant." He leaned down to brush his lips against her forehead, the kiss soft but claiming. "Tomorrow will be the beginning of something extraordinary."
When he straightened, his smile turned mysteriously pleased. "Speaking of which, I may have gone into town while you were sleeping this morning and bought you a little something."
"Keiro—"
He moved to the chair near the bed, retrieving an elegant shopping bag. "Consider it a small gift for our new beginning."
Poppy accepted the bag with raised eyebrows, her fingers finding tissue paper that rustled with expensive whispers.
She pulled out a sundress that made her breath catch—pure white linen that managed to look both innocent and sophisticated, with delicate embroidery along the neckline that would complement her skin perfectly.
"I figured we should match today," he said, gesturing to his white shirt and tan slacks. The combination made him look like he'd stepped out of some impossibly elegant magazine spread.
"You didn't have to do this." But even as she protested, she was running her fingers over the soft fabric, imagining how it would feel against her skin. "But thank you. It's beautiful."
"You're beautiful." The simple statement carried such conviction that it stole her breath. "And besides, I want to spoil you. I want to take care of you and watch you realize that you deserve everything and more."
The words hit something deep and vulnerable inside her, a part that had been starved for exactly this kind of attention and devotion and care. Not because she was useful or competent or strong, but simply because she existed and was loved.
"Get cleaned up," he said, his voice lowering to that commanding register that made her toes curl. "I'll meet you downstairs in thirty minutes."
He moved toward the door with that predatory grace but paused at the threshold to look back at her. The intensity in his dark eyes made her feel simultaneously exposed and treasured.
"Poppy?"
"Yes?"
"Last night changed everything. For both of us." His smile was slow and devastating. "I hope you're ready for the world to see exactly how powerful we are together."
Then he was gone, leaving her alone with racing thoughts and a dress that represented so much more than fabric and thread.
It was a symbol of the life she was choosing—one where she could be both strong and soft, where she could lead and be led, where she could finally stop proving her worth and simply exist.
She rose from the bed, her body still humming with the aftereffects of their bonding, and headed for the shower. Today would mark the beginning of their public life together. And for once, the future felt like a gift rather than a burden.
Two hours later, Poppy found herself standing beside Keiro's Bentley outside the weathered brick building that served as the Izell pack's town hall.
The structure looked like it had witnessed centuries of pack meetings, its windows glowing warmly against the afternoon light.
Her stomach churned with a mixture of anticipation and dread—introducing herself to an entire pack of wolves as their Alpha's mate felt like stepping onto a stage where half the audience already wanted her to fail.
The white linen dress Keiro had chosen for her felt perfect against her skin, the fabric flowing as she moved, but it also made her hyperaware of every detail. She was representing more than just herself now; she was representing the future they were trying to build together.
Keiro's fingers intertwined with hers, his grip firm and reassuring. "Relax," he murmured. "They'll soon see everything I see in you, and they won't be able to help but love you as much as I do."
Despite her nerves, his words drew a genuine smile from her. The completed mate bond hummed intensely, carrying his confidence and devotion, wrapping around her like armor. "Easy for you to say. You're not the lioness walking into a room full of wolves."
"No," he agreed, bringing their joined hands to his lips to press a soft kiss against her knuckles. "But you're not just any lioness. You're their Luna now."
The absolute certainty in his tone steadied her resolve. This was their chance to demonstrate that the old divisions between their kinds were nothing more than outdated prejudices. That unity wasn't just possible—it was powerful.
Keiro guided her through the heavy wooden doors into a space that smelled of old leather, pine, and decades of pack meetings.
The main hall stretched before them, filled with rows of folding chairs occupied by wolf shifters of all ages.
Conversations died as they entered, replaced by the weight of dozens of curious stares.
Most faces showed genuine interest, some carried skeptical expressions, but one glare cut through the room like a blade.
An older man with silver-gray hair and pale blue eyes that seemed to burn with disapproval sat in the front row, his weathered hands gripping the arms of his chair like he was restraining himself from action.
That had to be Helias, the pack elder Keiro had mentioned.
The man who'd helped raise him and now clearly viewed her as a threat to everything he held sacred.
Poppy lifted her chin, letting her lioness's natural authority surface. She'd faced down rooms full of doubters before. This was just another test, another opportunity to prove herself worthy.
Keiro's hand settled at the small of her back, a gesture both protective and claiming as he guided her to the front of the room. The conversations had completely ceased now, the silence thick with anticipation.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Keiro began, his voice carrying easily through the space with the kind of commanding presence that made people instinctively listen. "I've called this meeting to share news that will shape our pack's future."
He paused, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on her with such fierce pride that her heart stuttered. "I have completed the sacred mate bond with my fated mate, Poppy Mintz, Alpha of the Mintz pride."