«We need to decide if ma petite is too dangerous to go out among the other Masters of the City.»
Auggie nodded again. «I'll help you figure it out, if I can. I owe you for the breach in hospitality. I owe Anita for what I tried to do to her.» He looked away from both of us, staring at nothing. «It's been a long time since I've felt the full weight of my own power. I'd forgotten how much it fuckin' hurts.»
«Excuse me.» Noel was standing beside us.
We both turned and looked at him. I don't know what he saw on our faces, but he backed up fast until he was out of reach of both of us. «May I approach?»
«No,» Auggie said.
«Yes,» I said.
We looked at each other.
Noel dropped to all fours. He didn't bow, just dropped to all fours where he was standing. «I don't know what to do; I can't please you both.»
«What is your problem, Auggie?» I said.
«He asked a question, I answered it,» Auggie said.
«Fine, you answered it for yourself, not for me.» I stepped away from Auggie, closer to Noel. Auggie grabbed my upper arm.
I tensed, but didn't try to pull away. I knew I'd lose if it was just brute strength. I looked at him, then at the hand on my arm. I looked back at him. «You did not just do that.»
«And you did not just step away from me to go to anyone this submissive.»
«Do you ever want to experience the ardeur again, Auggie?»
He looked puzzled for a moment, but I knew in a way that that was an act. He might have been truly puzzled, but he worked at human facial expressions. «You know I do.»
«Move the hand, or you won't ever touch me again.»
We stared at each other for a moment, then he let me go. «I heard you were dangerous, powerful, and quick to kill. What none of my spies caught, is that your force of will is the most dangerous thing about you. God, your eyes, the determination in your eyes.» He shook his head. «You mean it. You would truly cut me off because of this.»
«Damn straight.»
«Why, because I grabbed your arm?»
«Because you're acting like you own me. Nobody owns me.»
Micah got off the love seat and started toward us. It drew Auggie's gaze to him. «Your lion injured Travis and abused Noel. I think you owe them some consideration.»
«Spoken like a leopard,» Auggie said, «so practical, so willing to negotiate.» He made those all sound like bad things.
«You really are very much your animal to call, aren't you?» Micah said.
Auggie nodded.
«For those of us who are confused, could you explain a little more?» I said.
Micah said, «Lions are the most aggressive society among all the cats. To be a lion is to be always ready to defend your place in the pride. Unless you are very dominant or very strong, or make people fear you enough to be left alone. Noel and Travis are lesser, and Auggie treats them as if he were a dominant lion. A few dominant lions in most prides mate with all the females.»
«Joseph's pride isn't run like that,» I said, «it's closer to how the leopards run things.»
Micah nodded. «Joseph's pride is the exception, Anita. Remember, I spent years trapped with a mixed group. It can take forever to do business with lions because everything is a pissing contest. Joseph thinks more like a leopard — very reasonable, especially for a lion.»
«Pussy-whipped is what I heard,» Auggie said. «His wife wouldn't tolerate sharing.»
«You know, Auggie, almost everything coming out of your mouth is just digging the hole deeper.»
«What does that mean?»
«You're on her shit list,» Micah said, «and you keep digging yourself a deeper pile of shit.» He actually smiled.
«What are you smiling at?» Auggie asked.
«I thought you might be a threat to our domestic arrangement, but you won't be able to behave yourself long enough to be a threat to any other man in Anita's life.»
«Jean-Claude has already invited me down to sample the wares again.»
«Sample the wares,» I said, «what the fuck does that mean? Am I wares, things to be sampled? I don't fucking think so.»
«See,» Micah said, «you keep this up and you won't ever get the ardeur again.»
Jean-Claude joined us. «You are being exceptionally careless with your words, Augustine. It isn't like you to be so impolitic.»
«He's scared,» Nathaniel said. He came in behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his nakedness against my back. I didn't have to see his face to know the look. It was a look he'd only recently worn around me. Possessive, it said, mine, it said. I'll share, but it's mine. He usually only brought the look out when someone was behaving badly, or he didn't like them. I think we were all agreed on what we thought of Auggie. He was such bad news.