3. Poppy #2
"Poppy, darling! Right on time." Gerri's handshake was firm, confident, and accompanied by the faint scent of vanilla and ozone that seemed to cling to her. "I'm Gerri, as you've probably figured out by now. Thank you for trusting me enough to come."
Poppy found herself studying the older woman's face, searching for clues about what kind of game they were all playing. "Who are we meeting exactly? And how could anything possibly fix what happened last night? I don't have ten million dollars lying around."
Gerri waved a dismissive hand, her eyes sparkling with what looked suspiciously like amusement. "Trust me, darling. I think the gentleman you'll be meeting with today isn't particularly interested in money right now."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
But Gerri was already checking an elegant gold watch, her expression shifting into something more businesslike. "We really must hurry inside. The Alpha of the Izell pack doesn't like to be kept waiting too long, and punctuality is rather important when you're asking for favors."
Poppy's steps faltered slightly. The Izell pack—she'd heard the name in shifter political circles, knew they controlled significant territory in the Catskills, but she'd never had direct dealings with their leadership. "How exactly is a wolf Alpha supposed to help me with my problem?"
But Gerri was already moving toward the entrance with the kind of purposeful stride that brooked no argument, leaving Poppy little choice but to follow.
The building's lobby was a testament to corporate excess—marble floors that reflected the morning light, abstract sculptures that probably cost more than most people's houses, and a reception area that looked like it had been designed to intimidate visitors into submission.
Her lioness stirred uneasily as they crossed the vast space, instincts prickling with the sense that they were walking into someone else's territory.
Everything about the building screamed power and wealth, the kind of casual display of resources that made her own financial struggles feel even more acute.
"There's nothing to worry about, dear," Gerri said softly as they approached the elevator bank, apparently reading Poppy's tension with unsettling accuracy. "I think you'll find this meeting very enlightening."
The elevator that arrived was mirrored and carpeted, rising smoothly toward the forty-fifth floor while Poppy tried to steady her breathing and project the kind of confidence that had carried her through eleven years of leadership challenges.
She was an Alpha. She commanded respect from her own pride and grudging acknowledgment from every other shifter leader she'd encountered.
Whatever was waiting for her upstairs, she could handle it.
You've survived financial crises and Sander's political maneuvering. One meeting with a wolf Alpha shouldn't be enough to break you now.
The elevator opened onto a reception area that screamed understated luxury—rich wood paneling, leather furniture that looked like it cost more than her car, and floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view of Manhattan stretching out below.
The nameplate beside the elevator read "Izell Financial" in elegant script, and suddenly several pieces clicked into place.
Not just a wolf Alpha. A CEO of a major financial firm.
The receptionist, a polished woman in her thirties, looked up with a professional smile that managed to be both welcoming and slightly intimidating. "Ms. Wilder, Ms. Mintz. He's been eagerly expecting you both."
He knew about this meeting before I did. Interesting.
Gerri led the way down a hallway lined with abstract art and glass-walled conference rooms, her heels clicking against the hardwood floors with military precision. Poppy's heart started to race as they approached the corner office, and a strangely familiar scent filled the space.
When they finally reached the door, the gold nameplate made Poppy's breath hitch unexpectedly—Keiro Izell. The name felt important somehow, though she was certain they'd never met before.
Gerri knocked twice, and a voice from inside called, "Enter."
The voice was deep, measured, and sent an unexpected shiver down Poppy's spine. Something about it resonated in her bones, triggering recognition before her conscious mind could catch up.
Gerri pushed open the door, and Poppy's heart nearly stopped.
It's him.
The man behind the massive mahogany desk was the same one who had destroyed her life the night before with a casual ten-million-dollar bid.
Broad-shouldered, frustratingly attractive, and wearing a perfectly tailored charcoal suit.
His dark hair was immaculately styled, and his brown eyes were sharp with intelligence and something that looked like carefully controlled emotion.
And that familiar scent—cedar and spice mixed with something wild and distinctly wolf—was so strong and intoxicating in this confined space that it made her lioness surge forward with recognition and need.
Our mate. He's right here.
Poppy slammed down hard on her lioness's excitement, fury rushing in to fill the space where hope had briefly lived.
This was the man who had humiliated her in front of hundreds of powerful shifters.
The man who had made her cry herself to sleep and spend the morning running desperate calculations that all led to the same conclusion—failure.
The man who was supposed to be her perfect match and yet had just delivered the killing blow.
"You," she said, the word coming out sharp with fresh fury.
Keiro rose from behind his desk with the fluid grace of a predator, and Poppy's breath caught despite her anger.
He was even more imposing up close—broader, taller, radiating the kind of controlled power that made her lioness pace restlessly.
His dark eyes fixed on hers with an intensity that felt like being evaluated, cataloged, and claimed simultaneously.
"Ms. Mintz." His voice was measured and infuriatingly calm. "Thank you for coming today."
"Don't." Poppy's hands clenched into fists, her control hanging by a thread. "Don't you dare thank me for anything. Do you have any idea what you did last night?"
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, the only sign that her words had landed. "Yes. I made a mistake."
"A mistake?" The words came out sharp enough to cut glass.
"You destroyed my life with your mistake.
That land—" Her voice cracked slightly, and she hated herself for the weakness.
"That was my pride's land. And you threw around ten million dollars like it was pocket change just to—what? Prove a point?"
Keiro's eyes flashed molten gold for just a moment before he controlled himself. "I was trying to help."
"Help?" Poppy laughed, the sound bitter and raw. "You helped me right into bankruptcy. You helped me prove to every male in my pride that I'm exactly as incompetent as they always suspected."
Her lioness snarled at the admission, furious that she was showing this much vulnerability to anyone. But the exhaustion and desperation had stripped away her usual careful control.
Keiro moved around the desk with deliberate steps, his scent growing stronger as he approached. "Poppy—"
"Don't." She backed up a step. "Don't come any closer."
"I bought that land for you," he said quietly.
Poppy stared at him, certain she'd misheard. "What?"
"I bought it for you." Keiro's voice remained steady, but she caught the faint tension in his shoulders. "When I realized how desperately you needed that land, when it seemed like you were risking too much, I reacted without thinking."
Her world tilted sideways. "Why would you do that?"
"Because you're my fated mate," he said simply, as if it explained everything.