Logan listened without comment as Carter tried to explain the last couple of weeks – his relationship with Ruby, the conflict with Evershaw, and the earlier confrontation over Eloise's favor. The gorgon hovered near the door of Logan's office, her hair out of control as she hugged herself and paced. Carter tried to keep emotion out of his voice, but his heart broke, and his lion mourned. His mate felt betrayed. By him.
Logan leaned his elbows on his desk and covered his face, sighing so heavily Carter thought he might deflate. The alpha spoke to no one in particular. "I just sent Edgar to O'Shea's to tell Rafe and Ruby about the emergency Council session tonight. The coyotes agreed to join the Council, and will take the oath."
Carter shook his head, lurching forward. "They can't. Evershaw is using them to get a majority…"
"We've demanded all shifters in the city cooperate with the Council, or pay the price. We can't turn the coyotes away when they've finally agreed to do what we told them to do." Logan massaged his temples.
Eloise cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Logan. I promised him a favor but I didn't think —"
"It's not your fault." Logan leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. "Go check in with Benedict, El. So he doesn't kill Carter for taking you to see Todd Evershaw."
She made a face and reached for the door. "Jesus Christ, will I never live that down?" She slammed the door behind her without another word or a backward glance, and something in Carter's chest eased. He could be more honest with just Logan in the room.
His eldest brother fixed him with a no bullshit look. "The whole story, Car. Not the after school special version."
"She's my mate." The words escaped in a rush and a weight lifted off his shoulders. Finally, finally, he could say it aloud in front of others. He lurched to his feet and started pacing. "Ruby is my mate. She's…worried about what it would look like, if we were together, so I agreed to a trial run. Evershaw wants her as a business deal, a way to consolidate power without giving a shit how she feels. I went with Eloise to protect her, but also to…look out for Ruby."
"Evershaw wouldn't look past the opportunity to make the choice easier for her. As long as it was the choice to go with him." Logan stifled a groan.
"Yeah." Carter shook his head, wishing he had something to hit. "And when she came in, she heard enough that she thought…she had to think I betrayed her trust and went to Evershaw on her behalf. I didn't, Logan. I wouldn't."
"I know, Carter."
"What do I do?" Carter faced his brother in desperation, hands clenched at his sides. "Logan, how do I fix this? She's my mate. I can't lose her."
Logan's stoic expression softened a touch, and he took a deep breath. "Well, I sure as shit don't know how to calm a furious woman down. Why do you think I'm here so much? Half the time I say the wrong thing and hide out here until Nat forgets about it, or the flowers and chocolate distract her."
Carter frowned at him, wanting real advice, but Logan held up his hands. "So keep that in mind. Give her a little time to cool off. Talk to Natalia about what to say. Maybe call Rafe. And then you have to talk to Ruby, brother. You can't force her to accept you. A woman like that, an alpha…she'll just dig in her heels if you try to convince her. But you have to fight for your mate."
Carter stared at him, a thousand possibilities running through his mind, and tried to imagine a future where Ruby wasn't part of his life. "Can I get her back?"
Logan picked up his cell phone and fussed with it, finally holding it up to his ear though he spoke to Carter. "Let's find out."
It rang for a long time before Natalia picked up, and from the look on Logan's face, she wasn't happy. The alpha even held the phone away from his ear so Carter could hear Natalia ranting about jackass lions, and insensitive pricks, and belligerent males always interfering in her business. Logan listened for some time, making agreeing noises whenever Nat paused to take a breath, and eventually she trailed off to only spitting curses.
Logan sounded mild and barely interested. "Babe, please listen to me."
From the way the alpha flinched, the response was not positive. Carter held his breath. Logan rubbed his forehead and rolled his eyes, still trying to sound soothing. "I know, babe. I know. We can talk more about that later, okay? Now, though, I need you to listen to me. What happened wasn't what Ruby thinks happened."
And again Logan held the phone away from his ear as Natalia's voice gained both decibels and octaves. Carter leaned back against the wall and stared out the enormous windows behind Logan's desk at the city below. Maybe it was over. He would have to leave the city. Maybe the country. And that wouldn't be enough distance to forget the scent of Ruby's perfume, the feel of her skin. He would have to die inside, just to keep breathing.
Logan watched him, then said to the phone, despite that Nat continued shouting at him, "Ask Eloise. Eloise was there. If you don't believe me, your mate, call the damn gorgon. I love you, even though you're being completely unreasonable, and I will see you at home tonight." Then he hung up and shoved to his feet, striding over to Carter. "Brother, don't look like that. Please don't look like that."
And then his arms crushed around Carter and Carter couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. He stared over Logan's shoulder as the alpha tried to squeeze the grief right out of him, and managed to say, "What if I lose her?"
"You won't." Logan pounded his back. "You won't. Come on, man."
Carter didn't believe him.