City Shifters by Layla Nash

Author:Layla Nash
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ravenheart Publishing
Published: 2022-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

ATTICUS

Dinner lasted an eternity. After a while, it seemed like no one wanted to be the first to leave the table, because that meant the night would be nearing its end and the morning on its way. And with the morning would come the Council meeting and the decision about Sophia's fate. Atticus kept drinking, hoping it would take some of the grief out of the hours they had remaining. Finally, Natalia pushed back from the table. "I'm falling asleep, so I'm going to call it a night."

Logan immediately stood and helped pull her chair back. "It's late, you need to rest." She smiled and waved goodnight, and Logan paused in the door only long enough to say, "We'll leave tomorrow at nine," and then he, too, went to bed.

The others retreated, Benedict still muttering about how he would punish Eloise for teasing him about Todd Evershaw, until only Edgar, Sophia, and Atticus remained. Edgar scavenged a piece of pie crust from the tin and shook it at Atticus as he stood. "Don't stay up too late. Everyone needs to be rested."

Atticus waited until his brother left to look at Sophia, his heart in his throat. "Hey."

"Hey," she said, eyes drooping.

"Let's go to bed." He picked her up, loving that she looped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, and carried her back to his room. She didn't let go even as he turned off the lights and lay her on the bed.

Sophia pressed her cheek to his. "Say you love me."

"I love you," he said, and kissed her.

She released him long enough to wiggle out of her clothes and pull at his, and Atticus complied. They didn't speak. His heart ached as he stroked her sides, her smooth skin, the gentle swell of her hips. She sighed and murmured under his hands, fingers working into his hair to draw his mouth to hers, and lifted her hips to meet him. Atticus entered her slowly, gently, and the soft sigh she made as his stomach met hers almost put him over the edge. He kissed her, nibbled down her throat to her shoulder, as he moved.

They made love in the dark, almost melancholy despite the passion that carried them both away too soon. It felt like goodbye. After he shuddered through his own climax, Atticus rested his forehead against her shoulder and tried to breathe her in. Tried to call the leopard to the surface so everything would go fine the next day.

Sophia lay beneath him, eyes closed as her fingers trailed up his spine, and almost smiled. "I love you too."

Atticus squeezed his eyes shut to block out regret. She would be fine. She would survive. They both would. He took a deep breath and went to his elbows over her, studying the strong line of her jaw and the delicate curve of her ear. His lips brushed hers, and he whispered, "You should run."

Her eyes flashed open, blue-gold enough to be the leopard, but it was only Sophia who raised her eyebrows.

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