Atticus followed Edgar in silence, ignoring the side looks his older brother gave him, and concentrated on keeping the lion under control. As much as Sophia calmed him, her challenges and questions and that look on her face that telegraphed how betrayed she felt set his lion into chaos as well. He focused on keeping his breathing slow and even, despite that his heart raced and his skin prickled. He'd admitted his control issues to her and she finally saw the hypocrisy.
Edgar paused next to Logan's office, eyeing him. "You sure you're okay? Need a break?"
"I'm fine." God, he was tired of saying that. Atticus clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Just tired."
Edgar didn't believe him, but he opened the door and walked in. Logan and Benedict spoke in low tones near Logan's fancy desk, but they cut off when Atticus walked in. His heart sank and he braced for the worst. They'd noticed, finally. Noticed and decided to do something about him. Maybe put him in a cage forever or start dosing him with the drugs that prevented shifters from changing forms. Or maybe they'd just kill him.
Stress gathered in the lines around Logan's eyes as he pointed at the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat, little brother."
Atticus walked on stiff legs to take a chair, wary as Edgar lounged on the chaise near the door. Benedict sat next to him, though, holding a stack of official-looking papers. Logan sighed as he eased into his own seat and leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The Council met last night, Att, and again this morning. A couple of issues came up but the leopard was high on the list of things to address."
Issues. As if she were a business deal that needed ironing out. He braced his hands on his knees and concentrated on keeping himself aloof and unconcerned. "Oh? What's the verdict?"
The alpha took a deep breath and fixed him with a level gaze. "They gave her a week to get the shifting under control and demonstrate she can both trigger and recover from a shift on her own. Unaided and unprovoked."
The world narrowed in until all Atticus saw was Logan, the words dropping like rocks around him. A week to learn control that took a lifetime for everyone else to accumulate? He felt slow, like he moved through deep water as he leaned forward. "And if she can't after a week? What then?"
"Put down." Logan studied him, and real regret colored his tone. "It's getting more and more difficult to keep the humans from learning we exist, and to have a leopard running around unrestrained... It's just not possible, Atticus. I'm sorry."
Sorry. Like he wasn't talking about murdering Sophia. Atticus cleared his throat, a knot making it difficult to speak or breathe. "Why not the drugs? If she can't shift at all, that might —"
"I asked." Logan shook his head. "Because she's inclined to run, we can't guarantee that she would continue to take the meds or that she'd stay around so we could monitor her progress. Same with caging her or keeping her in the mansion. She's tried to escape at least twice that you've admitted, and I'm guessing there were a couple of other times when she tried."
Atticus wanted to deny it but they all knew Sophia wouldn't just sit quietly. Even Edgar was impressed with her single-minded determination to free herself. As irritating and dangerous as that was. So he just stared at a spot on Logan's desk and tried to imagine the world without Sophia. "She's pretty determined."
"Yeah." Edgar snorted from behind him. "That's an understatement."
"She'll be ready." Atticus said it with as much conviction as he could muster. There really wasn't an alternative. She had to be ready. She had to survive. "A week? That's it?"
"Four days, actually. The week started when we found her. The Council thought any longer would be unfair. Might give her false hope. And more opportunities to escape." Logan drummed his fingers on the desk. "Here's the thing, Atticus. Because we found her and we're sheltering her, she falls under our jurisdiction for justice. Which means we're responsible for her punishment and ..."
"Execution," Atticus finished, when Logan couldn't get the word out. Four days. "Her execution. You'll be executing her. Murdering her."
"She poses a threat to every —"
"She didn't even know what she was until three days ago." Atticus gripped the arms of his chair until the wood creaked under the stress. "And now she has to figure all of this out in a couple days."
"It's not fair," Edgar said, quiet and right behind him. He gripped Atticus's shoulder and eased into the chair next to him. "I know. It's not fair to her or you."
"Don't worry about me." Atticus fought back whatever emotion wanted to pour forth at the thought of someone executing Sophia. Panic. Rage. Hatred. "It's about her. She's trying. She is. But she's not there yet."
"Will she be ready in time?" This from Logan, impassive.
"She has to be."
"Atticus —"
"What's the alternative?" He pushed to his feet. "She has to be ready."
"Or what?" Edgar stood in his way.
"Or I'll have to kill her." Atticus stared at his brother, ready for the fight that would ensue for challenging Edgar so blatantly. Maybe that would quiet his lion enough for him to face Sophia again. "And none of us want that."
"I'll do it," Logan said. "I'm the alpha."
Atticus didn't look away from Edgar but shook his head. "I'm the enforcer. It's my job to protect the pride. If she can't control her shifting by Tuesday, I'll do it."
"Atticus," Edgar said, the edges of his teeth showing. "Don't be a hero."
"No danger of that." Atticus smiled tightly as he nodded to Logan. "She'll be ready." He turned on his heel and left, unable to stay there another minute. His skin crawled and his lion raged against the threat of anyone hurting her. And nearly lost his damn mind at the thought that he might be the one to hurt her. To kill her.
He shut the door behind himself before bending over in the hall, fists clenched against his head as he gritted his teeth and the world grew dark around the edges. The lion wanted to break free, to race back into the office and show his brothers how he felt about them — about anyone — threatening Sophia.
Maybe if he told them she was his mate, they would protect her. But the Council was so new, if Logan refused to comply the entire thing would fall apart. He knew how important the Council was to Logan and Edgar and Benedict — there was finally a way to cut off the stupid feuds and fights and vengeance that split the shifter community for so long.
Atticus couldn't move as his vision spotted and his skin crawled and he waited for an uncontrolled shift to take him. Soft steps in the hall made him brace for accusations or a nervous servant, but instead Eloise, Benedict's part-gorgon mate, appeared next to him. She touched his shoulder. "Come on, Atticus."
"I'm fine."
"You can lie to them," she said very quietly, dark hair twining and untwining itself in ropey strands around her head. Her gray-silver eyes searched his face when Atticus dared look at her. "But you can't lie to me. Let's go."
He forced himself upright and dragged after her as Eloise led the way through the halls to the first floor kitchen. He almost turned on his heel and went back to face Edgar and Logan when he saw Natalia, Logan's human mate, cooking in the kitchen. Eloise braced her hands on his back and shoved him forward with a laugh. "No you don't, you big goof. Get in here and sit."
She steered him to a stool at the island, and handed him a cup of hot chocolate before pouring herself one. "So. Start talking."
"About what?"
Eloise gave him a sideways look and Natalia, still busy at the stove, said, "Maybe he doesn't know."
"He knows." The gorgon shook a spoon at him, then dipped whipped cream into his hot chocolate. "Don't you."
It wasn't a question, but damned if Atticus knew what they were talking about. "What are you on about?"
Eloise nudged him. "The girl."
His heart sank. He'd wondered when they would make a fuss about his leopard. "Sophia. What about her?"
"How's she doing?" Eloise stirred her drink with a thoughtful frown on her face. "Bennie won't say anything, so I figured it's not going as planned?"
Bennie. Atticus wiped at his mouth to hide his smile. She did it just because it irritated Benedict, not that he would ever make her stop. He was more smitten than Logan was with Natalia, and they were all pretty sickening. It made Atticus just the smallest bit jealous. He leaned his elbows on the island and stared into the swirling chocolate. "She's struggling. We have until Tuesday."
"And then?" This from Natalia, wielding a spatula as she lifted profiteroles off a cookie sheet and set them out to cool. "What happens on Tuesday?"
His heart sank. "If she can't control herself, they'll kill her. Well, I'll kill her."
It hurt to say the words, even if he knew he would never be able to do it.
Both women faced him with hard expressions. Eloise's eyes swirled silver as some of her gorgon magic got worked up. "I beg your pardon?"
Atticus covered his face with his hands, wanting to laugh. "Talk to your mates about it. It's not my call. The Council decided it."
"This fucking Council," Natalia said under her breath, and tossed the spatula aside. "Unbelievable. And yes, I will have a word with that overgrown housecat you keep calling my mate."
Eloise fixed him with a penetrating stare. "Is Sophia your mate, Atticus?"
He choked on a sip of chocolate, coughing to buy time. He couldn't look at her. "I don't know."
"That usually means yes," the gorgon said to the other woman. "He's being coy."
"I'm not —" Atticus held up his hands in surrender. "I don't know. She doesn't know anything about this stuff and it's already difficult for her to understand. I'm not going to tell her she's supposed to be mine and we only have four more days together."
Natalia frowned, watching him, then made up her mind about something. The spatula made a complex figure in the air before it pointed at him once more. "Very well. Tonight, we get her for a girl's night."
"A what?"
"Good idea." Eloise sat forward to take one of the profiteroles off the cooling rack, though she made a face when she bit into it. "A girl's night. She's got to be tired of only being around dudes. And why don't these taste better, Nat?"
"Because they aren't full of custard." The chef rubbed her forehead and rolled her eyes. "Since they aren't done yet, you scavenger. Jesus Christ." Natalia looked at Atticus. "We'll pick her up at four-ish. Dinner, movies, chocolate, gossip... Good times. And you are not allowed."
Atticus finished the hot chocolate in one long gulp, wondering if Sophia would want some. It might make a reasonable peace offering. "Logan was pretty strict about who could —"
"He'll agree." Natalia sounded grim, and Atticus hid another smile as he caught her determined expression. Logan didn't understand what he signed up for when he chose the feisty chef. Natalia blinked, then slanted a look at Eloise. "You get Benedict in line. And paralyze Edgar if you have to."
"Finish these cream puffs," Eloise said, tossing the half-eaten profiterole at her. "And I might. But I don't turn on the mojo for just anyone, sweetheart. It'll cost you."
Atticus got up to put his cup in the sink and rinse it out. He liked them both, very much, but part of him wanted to keep Sophia all to himself. Every moment they had was precious. He hesitated and took a deep breath. "Look, she really can't control herself if she gets worked up or frightened or angry. And she's a leopard — there isn't a person there, even riding shotgun. It's all predator. So if something happens, Eloise, you really might have to —" He cut off, paralyzed himself at the thought of the gorgon having to paralyze Sophia, and held up his hands. "I can leave you with the tranquilizer gun too."
"We'll be fine." Natalia handed him a giant travel coffee mug and a plate with three profiteroles, filled with custard and drizzled with dark chocolate. "These are test cream puffs, so you both need to try them. And I've no doubt she'll need hot chocolate."
He tried to smile, "Thanks." But Natalia only waved him off and swatted Eloise away from the chocolate and custard.
Atticus ambled out of the kitchen and headed for the suite next to his where Sophia stayed. It was about time to stop for lunch. They could try another shift after the chocolate and then reevaluate. She could do it. He just had to believe she could do it.