She turned just as he reached the kitchen, but it wasn't the same as the other uncontrolled shifts he'd seen Sophia go through over the last few days. This one looked tortured — slow, grinding, bones snapping and popping.
But it gave him time to shift as well, and meet her lion to leopard. Natalia had long since retreated to safety but Eloise remained, crouched on the kitchen counter out of the way but with her eyes shooting lightning. Atticus wished she'd just run, like Natalia — Benedict would kill him if Eloise got so much as a scratch on her. So he charged Sophia as soon as the leopard stood, and distracted her from any other targets.
When she yowled, pain and fear echoed in the sound. Her eyes flared gold and blue, and something else lurked behind them. Nothing human, despite how desperately he hoped, but a deep knowledge of her own mortality. Natalia hadn't explained exactly what happened when she called him, but told him that Sophia knew about the Council and the deadline. He could guess what put her over the edge.
She attacked immediately, her claws shredding his side as he turned to absorb the impact. He grunted but leaned into her, knocking her off balance, and was grateful her leopard half didn't know any of the dirty tricks her human half used. He shouldered her back and back until he pinned her against the wall and she writhed, swatting at his head and throat and legs. Pain erupted across the full length of his body and blood dripped to the floor from his shredded skin, but that didn't matter. He'd survive.
Sophia, on the other hand...
Atticus braced himself as a distant roar rocked the house — Logan, arriving to find chaos and his mate recently in danger. Atticus used his greater bulk to lay across Sophia, despite how she snarled and dragged her claws across his belly, and protected her as Logan in lion form crashed through the door and took out half a wall of cabinets.
He roared again, mane shook out in a cloud of black-striped gold, and everything in the mansion went still. Logan snarled and loomed over his brother, growling so loudly it rattled the teeth in Atticus's head.
Atticus braced for the attack, grateful that Sophia froze the moment the other lion entered the room so at least he wouldn't be torn up from both sides at the same time. But Logan didn't move. He just breathed and snarled. Atticus dared a look up and saw only his brother's teeth, a hair's breadth from his face. Edgar, Carter, and Benedict, all in human form, stood back in the kitchen to watch. Atticus hoped they would intervene if Logan went after Sophia.
Something moved underneath him and Atticus grumbled a warning, wishing he could tell Sophia to remain still or Logan would tear her apart, but then fingers dug into his side and he groaned. She'd shifted back to human and made herself even more vulnerable. As she struggled out from beneath his bulk, Logan snarled again and started to retreat. Atticus remained between his brother and Sophia as she huddled behind him, naked and afraid.
Edgar cleared his throat. He was the only brother brave enough to talk when Logan went into full alpha mode. "Okay. Logan, please go check in with your mate. She keeps calling me to find out what's going on." He held up his phone as it chimed. Then he turned his attention to the other brothers, despite that Logan didn't move. "Ben, take Eloise somewhere else. Her hi-beams are on and I don't want a bunch of statues by accident."
The half-gorgon muttered something unkind but silenced as Benedict threw her over his shoulder. The lawyer looked pretty pissed himself, and as he stalked out, he started reading her the riot act for staying in the kitchen while an uncontrolled leopard charged around. No doubt they would both have a lot to say about when and where she put herself in harm's way.
Then Edgar looked at Atticus, and he took a deep breath. "Change back, get dressed, get her dressed, meet me in the office." His attention shifted to their middle brother. "You too, Carter."
Before Atticus could move or think, Edgar turned on his heel and marched out, though he kneed Logan in the side on his way. The alpha snarled once more for good measure before stalking after his security chief, his tail lashing the air. Atticus waited until they, and Carter, disappeared, before he dared shift back to human. Sophia huddled against the wall, looking numb and traumatized as she stared at him. Blood smeared all over her and his heart stopped. Maybe he'd hurt her. Maybe he'd pushed her too hard or his claws accidentally...
Atticus changed back and crouched next to her, ignoring his own pain from all the damage she'd done. "Are you hurt?"
She stared at his throat, her arms pulling her legs to her chest, and her voice hushed out. "No."
"All the blood..." He shook his head and reached out to check her himself, needing to feel that her skin remained whole. But she jerked away from his touch and he froze.
Sophia's expression and intonation remained flat. "It's yours."
That he didn't care about. Atticus sighed as he shoved to his feet. When she didn't look inclined to follow, he caught her arm and drew her up. Whatever fire animated the leopard, it had completely died out of Sophia, and she trudged beside him until he opened the door to her room and sent her in. "Take a shower and get dressed. We have to see Edgar."
She went without another word, and Atticus stared at the door as it shut in his face. Something changed. Only a few hours earlier, he drilled her in the shower and now something happened so she wouldn't even look him in the eyes. Atticus squeezed his eyes shut as he limped to his room next door, the breath hissing through his teeth as he climbed in the shower and hot water flayed the many wounds she'd left.
They'd only partially healed by the time he got out and toweled himself dry, pulling on old jeans and a sweatshirt that wouldn't cling to the slices in his back and chest. His hair was still damp as he went next door and knocked on Sophia's door. No telling how long Edgar would wait without getting irritated, and he needed Edgar in the best mood possible. When Sophia didn't answer, he stuck his head in and called her name. Nothing.
His heart sped up. He hoped she hadn't done something crazy. He limped through the kitchen and living area and into the bedroom. She stood naked in the steamy bathroom, unmoving. At least she'd cleaned all the blood off. He waited in the doorway for her to acknowledge him or move or say something, but she didn't even blink.
Atticus cleared his throat. "Sophia, are you ready?"
She finally looked at him, her hazel eyes unfathomable pits. "Are you really going to kill me?"
He felt each word like one of her right hooks. And made a mental note to have a conversation with Natalia and Eloise about what they decided to tell his mate. Atticus rubbed his temples and handed her pants and t-shirt. "Edgar will explain."
She faced him full on, no shame in her nudity or the birthmarks that decorated her smooth skin. She didn't take the clothes, though her fists clenched at her sides. "Answer me. Three hours ago, you fucked me in this shower. And the whole time you knew you'd have to kill me if I couldn't figure out how to shift. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I know you can do it." He tossed the clothes across her shoulder and turned away. "So I wasn't worried about it."
"And what if I can't?" She stormed after him, fighting into the t-shirt until her breasts bounced under the thin cotton, and Atticus had to concentrate on something else as she shoved her leg into the workout pants. "What then? You'll go ahead and off me? Fuck me one more time and wait until I fall asleep before you kill me?"
"No." He gritted his teeth but it still came out loud enough to send her back a step. He struggled with his own control, the lion on edge with the pain from his wounds and the lust of watching the soft fabric hug her curves. He fought for a normal tone, gesturing at the door to the hall. "Let's go."
She jammed her feet into some cheap flip-flops and pulled on a bulky sweatshirt, taking care of one of his distractions, and followed him into the hall. They reached Edgar's office in silence and Atticus shoved the door open without bothering to knock. Carter stood near the desk, not looking at the cage where Sophia spent so much of her time, and tried a smile when he saw them. "Hey. How's it going, Sophia?"
"She's a little on edge, Carter." Edgar answered before Sophia could, his eyebrows raised as he rose from behind the desk. "And we're going to do our best to get through this with everyone staying human. Right?"
She shot him a look of pure venom, and her lip lifted in a snarl. "Sure. Why not."
Atticus caught her arm to drag her back as she lurched toward Edgar, but Sophia wrenched away and hugged herself, retreating until she could lean against some of the bookshelves. She watched all of them as if they would rush to cage or kill her.
Edgar remained unruffled as he studied her. "Natalia filled me in on what happened. Let's be clear, Sophia. The Council's position remains unchanged — uncontrolled shifters will not be tolerated. You've got a few more days to prove you can control yourself in leopard form and successfully transform back to human within a reasonable amount of time. Failing that, the Council will likely decide to have you ... put down."
"This isn't my fault."
"No, it's not." Edgar held his hands up. "But that doesn't really matter at this point. Because you're a feline shifter, you fall under our pride. Atticus, as the enforcer, would normally be the one to deal with issues of this type. So technically Atticus could be the one to kill you, if it comes to that."
Her mouth thinned to a knife-slash of disapproval and a growl rattled in her chest. Atticus felt numb, watching all the promise of their relationship fall apart right in front of him. He wanted to punch Edgar but couldn't make himself move.
Edgar took a deep breath, his gaze traveling from her to Atticus. "I have been remiss, I think. I should have known that strong emotions would make it more difficult for you to control yourself, and once it became clear that Atticus and you — well. Carter will work with you over the next few days. Perhaps a different approach will help make clear what you need to do."
Atticus immediately shook his head. "No. No way. I'll —"
"That's not a suggestion." Edgar's words rumbled in his chest, and his eyes shone gold. The intensity of his stare pinned Atticus across the room. "Carter will help her. He communicates differently, it might make the difference between life and death."
Atticus snarled, fighting his brother's compulsion to obey, and wanted to tackle Carter. Wanted to hurt him even though he knew his older brother hadn't asked for it. Carter wouldn't do anything to her, wouldn't try to seduce her, wouldn't even say anything bad about Atticus. But the thought of them fighting, wrestling, meditating... He roared, the veins standing out in his arms as he lurched forward.
And then Sophia stood in front of him, the fury in her expression matching his. She slammed a punch into his chest, hard enough to get his attention. "You want to hurt someone?"
His lips peeled back in a snarl but no words formed.
"Well?" She did it again, voice sliding up several octaves into something like a yowl. "You want to hurt someone? Go ahead. Hurt me."
"No," he snapped. It took all his control not to grab her shoulders and shake sense into her, make her realize what a dangerous situation they all faced.
"Why not?" She landed a left hook in his side, right in one of the deeper cuts her claws left earlier, and he grunted. "You punched me a couple of days ago. Someone offered you enough money and you did it. Why not now?"
"I didn't love you then." It hurt to admit, even though it felt like lies. He'd always loved her. Even when he didn't know her.
"But you love me now. Just in time to kill me." Her laugh turned brittle and angry, and when Edgar opened his mouth to interrupt, Sophia silenced him with a single dark look. She faced Atticus again, lip curling. "Why? Why do you love me?"
"Because —" Atticus cut off, furious that his brothers witnessed his admission, and gave in. He caught her by the shoulders and held her at arm's length, staring at her face as he tried to memorize every detail. "Because you make me want to be better."
"A better what? A better fighter?" She struggled against his hold, trying to hit him again, and her eyes reddened. "A better lion?"
"A better man." His fingers dug into her warm flesh through the shirt and he tried to crush her against his chest. "You make me want to be a better man, Sophia."
She fought, breath hitching in her throat, but he pulled her to him and she gave in, let him wrap his arms around her. His chin rested on the top of her head and he stared across the office, unseeing, as Edgar and Carter waited. He wanted to get her alone, really explain what he meant and where he saw them in the coming months. She would survive. She had to.
Sophia hiccuped and pushed against his chest, trying to get distance, and her voice came out surprisingly small and vulnerable. "That's the nicest thing anyone ever said to me."
"Then I will spend the rest of my life coming up with nicer things." Atticus dug his fingers into her back where the muscles knotted and tensed, closing his eyes as he thought of the way she'd massaged his back. When she remained still and silent in his arms, he tugged on the ends of her damp hair.
She took a shaky breath, retreating enough that he could see her face. Tears streaked her cheeks but she looked angry more than sad. Which was reinforced when she jammed her fingers into his sternum and said, "I want you to be a better man, too."
It hit him deeper than any punch she'd ever thrown. Her words ripped out his heart, tore it to shreds, and stomped on the pieces. He stared at her, struggling to form a thought or a response. Nothing worked. His throat burned and for a moment he feared he might embarrass himself further.
Sophia turned on her heel and fixed Carter with a hard look. "Tomorrow morning at six. I'll meet you in the gym."
Then she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
They stared after her, and after a long silence, Edgar took a breath. "That went... well."
Carter, always the peacemaker, glanced at Atticus. "Look, man, I won't touch her. You can be there if you —"
"No, he can't." Edgar returned to his desk. "He'll distract her. Atticus, your place of duty for the next two days is downtown. You'll ride to work with Benedict."
Atticus started to argue, his heart in his throat, but Edgar scowled and pointed at the door. "It's not a fucking request. Get out before I throw you out."
Atticus snarled but staggered out of the office and back down the hall, not noticing that Carter walked with him until Atticus reached his room. He looked at the closed door to Sophia's room.
I want you to be a better man, too.
He scrubbed his face and hovered on the verge of a total breakdown, the lion raging against his hold until fur tickled down his back and his teeth grew too large for his mouth. Carter gripped his shoulder, voice hard. "Go to bed, Atticus."
He started to argue but knew he just wanted to pick a fight so he could hurt someone. So Atticus wrenched his door open and slammed it shut behind him. He put his fist through the wall half a dozen times before the rage began to subside, but none of it helped when he heard Sophia through the wall, sobbing as if her heart were broken. He crouched in his living room, leaning against the shared wall so he was as close to her as possible, and spread his hands on the smooth plaster. She needed him and he couldn't reach her. He cursed Edgar and Logan and the entire Council, and wracked his brain for a solution as his fingers dug into the wall. He could still save her.