6. Keiro
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 walking into 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.
But she won't make this easy.
That much had become crystal clear during their brief encounters.
Poppy Mintz was fierce, independent, and stubborn enough to make a mountain seem flexible.
She'd rather fight losing battles alone than accept help that might make her appear weak.
The very qualities that made her a formidable Alpha also made her nearly impossible to assist.
Keiro glanced at his watch—eight o'clock exactly. Time to stop overthinking and start acting. He'd spent the entire two-hour drive from Manhattan telling himself to keep things simple tonight. Explain the business aspects and brainstorm revenue-generating ideas for the land.
Professional. Straightforward. Manageable.
He climbed out of the Bentley, his expensive shoes barely making a sound as he stepped onto the stone driveway.
The evening air carried the scent of wildflowers and something distinctly feline that made his pulse quicken.
As he climbed the stone steps and approached the massive oak door with its brass fixtures and family crest, his wolf surged forward with anticipation.
Keep your wolf under control. Focus on business. Simple.
The doorbell's deep chime echoed through what sounded like a vast interior. Then footsteps approached—light, confident, unmistakably hers. But when the door swung open, every rational thought fled his mind.
Poppy stood framed in the doorway wearing a light blue dress that should have been illegal.
The fabric hugged every curve of her athletic frame while the neckline offered just enough glimpse of cleavage to make his mouth go dry.
Her dark hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, and those bright blue eyes that had haunted his thoughts all day were now focused entirely on him.
His wolf slammed against his control, demanding he pull her into his arms, claim those lips that looked impossibly soft, forget dinner entirely and spend the evening learning every inch of her skin.
His eyes darkened as molten gold bled through the brown, his carefully constructed composure cracking under the weight of pure want.
Get yourself together. She's not some conquest—she's your equal.
But equal or not, the way she was looking at him suggested she was fighting the same battle.
Her pupils dilated as she took in his appearance—the charcoal slacks that emphasized his powerful thighs, and the crisp white shirt with the top buttons undone to show just enough skin to appear casual.
Her breathing quickened, and she leaned forward slightly before catching herself.
"Come in." Her voice carried that same breathless quality from their phone call.
He forced himself to step forward and put respectable distance between them, surveying the space with genuine appreciation.
The interior of her estate spoke of power and legacy—high ceilings with crown molding, polished marble floors, and oil paintings of previous Mintz Alphas watching from gilded frames.
Not ostentatious, but unmistakably the home of a family that had wielded influence for generations.
"Did you find my place okay?" she asked, leading him deeper into the house.
"Yes, though I got the distinct impression that the people I passed on your pride lands weren't entirely sure what a wolf was doing here."
A faint blush colored her cheeks. "About that… I didn't exactly mention our business partnership to anyone except my Beta, Neve. I was hoping to get more details tonight before I told the elders about the situation."
Smart. No point in stirring up trouble before we know if this will actually work.
"That's understandable. No worries." He kept his voice carefully neutral, though part of him wondered what kind of reaction their partnership would provoke. "Let's just try to enjoy dinner and figure out the next steps."
She guided him through a series of elegant rooms to a formal dining room dominated by a mahogany table that could easily seat thirty. Two place settings waited near the head—hers at the position of honor, his adjacent. The food was already plated and steaming, wine chilling in a silver bucket.
"This looks incredible. Did you make it yourself?"
Pink flooded her cheeks again. "I may have had it catered. I'm not exactly the best cook."
The admission was so endearingly honest that Keiro found himself smiling—not his usual controlled expression, but something softer, more genuine. "That's perfectly fine. Lucky for you, I'm actually a pretty good cook."
Smooth, Izell. Already implying future meals together.
The words had slipped out before he could stop them, carrying implications he hadn't intended to voice. Her eyes widened slightly, and he cleared his throat.
"I mean, if we ever get the chance to share another meal."
Stop making this worse.
But instead of looking annoyed by his presumption, she smiled—a real smile that transformed her entire face from beautiful to absolutely radiant. The expression hit him unexpectedly hard, making him want to do whatever it took to see it again.
He moved to pull out her chair, ignoring whatever Alpha protocols might say about her capability to seat herself.
Some instincts ran deeper than politics, and everything in him demanded he show her the courtesy she deserved.
She settled into the chair with fluid grace, and he caught another wave of her scent—wildflowers and rain and something uniquely her that made his wolf rumble with satisfaction.
"Thank you," she said softly.
After taking his own seat, Keiro reached for the wine bottle, filling both their glasses with steady hands despite the chaos swirling in him. Then he raised his glass, meeting her eyes across the intimate space between them.
"To our new partnership. May it be everything we hope it can be."
Wow, could you be more obvious?
But she raised her glass without hesitation, her blue eyes holding his with an intensity that made the air crackle between them.
"To a successful and lasting partnership."
The word 'lasting' hung in the air between them like a promise, and his wolf practically howled with joy.
They touched glasses with a soft chime, then settled into eating the perfectly prepared chicken pasta.
The silence stretched between them, filled with the weight of everything unsaid—the mate bond humming like a live wire, the impossible attraction neither could deny, and the dozen complications that made acting on any of it right now seem like madness.
One step at a time. Figure out if you can work together before you start planning a future.
Minutes later, Keiro could feel the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air like a storm about to break.
Every casual glance Poppy sent his way sent heat racing through his veins, and the way she occasionally caught her bottom lip between her teeth when she thought he wasn't looking made his wolf restless.
Keep your head straight.
But keeping his head straight proved impossible when she was sitting close enough that her wildflower scent wrapped around him like a drug, when the soft lighting cast golden highlights in her dark hair, and when every instinct screamed at him to close the distance between them and claim what was his.
Poppy finally set down her fork, her blue eyes meeting his. "So, what do you envision this partnership looking like?"
The question hit him with layered meaning that made his mouth go dry. She was talking business—he knew that logically—but the way her voice carried that breathless quality and the way her gaze lingered on his mouth suggested she was thinking about far more than land development.
Keep it professional. Don't read into things.