7. Poppy
SEVEN
POPPY
The crash of shattering glass exploded through the estate, yanking Poppy from the intoxicating spell of Keiro's nearness.
One moment she'd been drowning in cedar and rain and the impossible pull of their mate bond, her exhausted walls crumbling as she leaned into the promise of his lips.
The next, her lioness surged forward with predatory fury, demanding to find the threat and eliminate it.
Poppy jerked back from Keiro so abruptly she nearly knocked over her wine glass, the romantic haze evaporating like smoke. Her heart thundered against her ribs as another crash echoed—the unmistakable sound of someone forcing entry through her front door.
Not tonight. Not when everything was already falling apart.
She hadn't faced a break-in since those first chaotic months after becoming Alpha, when every challenge to her authority had felt like a test of survival. The timing couldn't be coincidental. A wolf Alpha on pride territory would draw attention, and not all of it friendly.
Poppy spun toward the dining room door, her body already preparing for combat mode, but Keiro's hand shot out to catch her arm.
"No. Stay here. I'll handle it."
The command in his voice—that Alpha authority she recognized too well—made her lioness snarl. She whirled to face him, her eyes blazing with indignation.
"Like hell you will. This is my home, my territory, and I'll protect it with my life."
Keiro's expression darkened with concern and something fiercer—the unmistakable look of a male who'd found his mate and would die before letting harm reach her.
His protective instincts were practically radiating off him in waves, but she could see the moment he recognized the futility of arguing with another Alpha about defending their own land.
At least he's not completely stupid about territorial law.
"Fine," he growled, his voice dropping to a dangerous register that made her pulse skip. "But I'm going with you. I'm not letting you handle this alone."
Before she could argue—and part of her wanted to, just to maintain the principle—another crash rang out, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps on marble. Her lioness roared for action, demanding she end whatever threat dared invade her sanctuary.
They moved together through the estate's corridors with fluid efficiency, Poppy leading since she knew every shadow and corner of her ancestral home. The scent hit her nostrils as they approached the grand foyer—lion, but wrong somehow. Rogue. Unknown.
The sight that greeted them when they rounded the corner into the main hall made her blood run cold.
A massive lion shifter in human form stood amid the glittering remains of her antique stained-glass window.
Behind him, two more lions had already shifted to their animal forms, their golden eyes reflecting the chandelier light with predatory hunger.
Three rogues. In my home. Clearly not here for a friendly visit.
Her lioness exploded forward, demanding immediate transformation.
The shift rippled through her like liquid fire, bones reshaping and muscles expanding until she dropped to four powerful paws. Her massive lioness form—larger than most females, built for combat rather than grace—filled the space with golden fury.
Beside her, Keiro's transformation was equally swift and far more intimidating.
His wolf form was enormous, substantially larger than any wolf she'd ever seen, with midnight black fur and molten gold eyes that promised death to anyone threatening his mate.
The sight of him should have been terrifying.
Instead, her lioness roared with satisfaction at having such a powerful ally.
Focus. Fight.
The remaining rogue shifted with a snarl that echoed off the high ceilings, and then all hell broke loose.
The first lion lunged at her with claws extended, but Poppy was ready.
She'd fought male lions before—territorial disputes, dominance challenges, regular sparring sessions.
Size meant nothing if you were faster, smarter, and more experienced.
She twisted away from his initial attack and landed a devastating blow to his ribs with her powerful hind legs, sending him stumbling backward toward the shattered window.
Around her, she could hear Keiro engaging the other two rogues with brutal efficiency.
His movements were controlled and economical, never wasting energy, each strike calculated for maximum damage.
The sound of claws meeting fur and the sharp yelps of pain filled the air as they worked in surprising synchronization.
We fight well together. Too well for strangers.
Poppy drove her opponent back through the broken window frame and onto the front lawn, where she had more room to maneuver.
The rogue lion was quick and aggressive, but she was quicker.
Years of combat training and proving herself had honed her into a weapon.
She feinted left, then struck right, her claws finding purchase along his flank as he roared in pain and fury.
Behind her, Keiro's deep growls mixed with the sounds of the other fight. When she risked a glance back, she saw him standing over one wounded rogue while the second rogue circled him warily. Blood matted his dark fur, but he moved without favoring any limbs.
Her opponent took advantage of her momentary distraction, lunging forward with jaws aimed at her throat. Poppy twisted away, but not quite fast enough. Claws raked across her shoulder, tearing through fur and flesh in a line of fire that made her vision blur for a moment.
Stupid mistake. Pay attention.
Fury at her own carelessness fueled her next attack.
She launched herself forward with explosive force, using her powerful hindquarters to drive her full weight into the rogue's chest. They went down in a tangle of claws and teeth, but Poppy's superior training won out.
Her jaws found his throat, and she applied pressure until he went still.
I don't like killing. But they came here to kill us.
When she looked up, Keiro was finishing with the second rogue, his massive jaws crushing the life from the intruder with methodical precision. The third lion was limping rapidly toward the treeline, clearly deciding discretion was the better part of valor.
Coward. But smart enough to run when outmatched.
Keiro started to give chase, his protective instincts clearly demanding he eliminate all threats to his mate, but he stopped when he caught sight of her. Even in wolf form, his concern was obvious.
The shift back to human form left Poppy naked and bleeding on her front lawn, warm blood trickling down her shoulder from the gashes the rogue's claws had left.
This definitely wasn't how she'd imagined Keiro seeing her naked for the first time—covered in blood and grass stains, with her hair tangled and her body marked by violence.
So much for romantic fantasies.
Keiro shifted back as well, his human form just as impressive as his wolf—all lean muscle and controlled power, with his own collection of bleeding scratches across his chest. His dark eyes immediately focused on her shoulder, his expression shifting from post-battle alertness to sharp concern.
"We need to get you inside now and tend to that wound."
"I'm fine," she said automatically, though the throbbing in her shoulder suggested otherwise. "Plus, you have wounds to tend to as well."
"Mine aren't as serious as yours." His voice carried that Alpha authority again, but softer this time—less command, more genuine worry. "Just let me help you. Please."
The word 'please' from a man like Keiro Izell hit her unexpectedly hard.
Alphas didn't say please. They gave orders and expected compliance.
But something in his tone, in the way his eyes tracked the blood running down her arm, felt different from the controlling behavior she'd spent years fighting against. This felt like care. Like devotion.
Her shoulder was beginning to throb in earnest now, and the adrenaline was wearing off enough for her to feel the full extent of the damage. Something about accepting his help didn't feel like weakness. It felt like partnership.
"Fine," she said finally, pressing her palm against the bleeding gashes.
She started walking toward her front entrance, acutely aware of Keiro following close behind her, his presence both protective and reassuring as they left the carnage of their first battle together scattered across her lawn.
The grand foyer felt cavernous after the violence, marble floors gleaming under the chandelier despite the scattered glass from her ruined window.
Poppy's bare feet moved carefully around the shards as she retrieved her torn dress, the light blue fabric now bearing testament to their battle.
The silk felt strange against her skin as she put it back on, too delicate after the raw power of her lioness form.
Behind her, she could hear Keiro gathering his own clothes and putting them back on—the soft rustle of fabric and the quiet efficiency of a man accustomed to post-battle routines.
When she turned, Keiro was buttoning his white shirt, the fabric hanging open to reveal the scratches across his chest. His slacks were torn at the knees, and his hair had lost all pretense of corporate perfection, the dark strands falling across his forehead in a way that made him look younger, more approachable, and infinitely more dangerous to her carefully constructed walls.
"I keep my medical supplies in the kitchen," she said, her voice breathier than intended.
She turned and headed deeper into her estate as she reapplied pressure to her bleeding shoulder, and he followed close behind. She tried to focus on the task ahead of tending to their wounds, and not on how the mate bond was pulsing between them with their shared protective instincts.