20. Keiro #3
Around them, the clearing filled with the sounds of transformation as fifty wolves and lions took their true forms, creating a unified force that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago.
They stood as one unit behind their Alphas—a living testament to the future Keiro and Poppy were building together.
The rogue lions soon crashed into their line like a breaking wave, but Keiro's attention was immediately claimed by three massive rogues who broke away from the main group, clearly targeting him specifically. Sander's strategy was obvious—eliminate the Alpha and watch the resistance crumble.
Keiro's wolf smiled, baring teeth like ivory daggers.
These rogues had no idea what they were dealing with.
The first attacker lunged with claws extended, aiming for his throat.
Keiro sidestepped with fluid grace, using the rogue's momentum against him as he clamped powerful jaws around the lion's neck.
The satisfying crack of vertebrae told him everything he needed to know about that particular threat.
The second rogue tried to attack from his blind side, but Keiro's years of combat training served him well.
He spun with devastating efficiency, his massive paws catching the lion across the face with enough force to send him sprawling.
Before the rogue could recover, Keiro was on him, ending the fight with brutal finality.
The third lion proved more cautious, circling with the wariness of a predator who'd realized his prey was more dangerous than anticipated.
But caution didn't save him—not when Keiro's wolf was running on the protective fury of a mated Alpha defending his territory and his mate.
He felt Poppy's presence before he saw her, her lioness moving to fight beside him with the seamless coordination of a true partner.
Together, they were magnificent—a force of nature that moved with deadly precision, each covering the other's vulnerabilities while maximizing their combined strengths.
They carved through the rogue forces like fire through dry grass, their bond allowing them to anticipate each other's movements with supernatural accuracy.
This was what they were meant to be—not just lovers, but warriors fighting side by side for their shared future.
Around them, the battle raged as wolves and lions proved that unity made them stronger than the sum of their parts. Sander's rogues, for all their numbers and desperation, were being systematically destroyed by a force they'd never anticipated.
Keiro watched Sander's golden form prowling the edges of the battle, clearly realizing his plan was failing catastrophically. The coward had hung back while his followers died, but now desperation was making him reckless.
When Sander's lion finally charged, it wasn't toward Keiro—it was straight for Poppy.
Every protective instinct Keiro possessed screamed at him to intercept, to place himself between his mate and the threat.
But something deeper held him back. This was Poppy's fight.
Sander represented eleven years of doubt, undermining, and manipulation.
She deserved to face him on her own terms. Keiro positioned himself close enough to intervene if needed, but far enough back to let Poppy lead. His role was support, not salvation.
Poppy's lioness met Sander's charge with devastating force, their collision echoing across the clearing like thunder.
She was magnificent in her fury—every inch the Alpha she'd proven herself to be.
Sander was larger, but Poppy was smarter, faster, and driven by righteous anger.
She danced around his clumsy attacks with lethal grace, landing precise strikes that slowly wore him down.
Then through their telepathic link, Keiro heard her voice, tight with rage: Sander just admitted to killing my father.
Her words hit him like lightning. Eleven years of her wondering, of her carrying that unresolved grief, and now the truth was finally revealed in the worst moment.
It's your choice, he projected back. Kill him or punish him another way. I'll support whatever you decide.
Poppy's response came not in words but in an explosion of fury that made the air itself seem to vibrate.
Eleven years of suppressed grief and rage erupted outward like a dam bursting, and she lunged for Sander with the focused violence of a natural disaster.
Her powerful jaws clamped around Sander's throat with the finality of justice long delayed.
Keiro watched as the life drained from his enemy's eyes, feeling nothing but satisfaction that his mate had finally claimed the vengeance she deserved.
When Poppy's lioness finally released Sander's lifeless body, she stood motionless for a long moment, processing the magnitude of everything. Keiro's wolf approached slowly, giving her the space she needed to absorb this pivotal moment.
Finally, he stepped close enough to nuzzle her neck, offering the comfort of his presence without words. She nuzzled him back, and through their bond, he felt her grief, her relief, and her profound sense of closure.
The threat was eliminated. Now they could truly focus on building their beautiful future together.