Jennifer Ashley - Pride Mates

Kim stood up. Michael clung to her, whispering, "The bad man. The bad man."

"What bad man, Michael?"

He didn't answer. The tether let her carry him just inside the shaded doorway. A wide warehouse floor opened out in front of her, an empty room a couple of stories high. Texas dust coated the floor and hung in the air.

Sean stood over a body sprawled in the middle of the floor. The man was large and naked, with shreds of clothes around him. Kim couldn't see his face, and fear stabbed through her.

"Liam?" she asked, heart in her throat. Please, please, no.

"No," Sean said. "I've never seen him before. But he's Shifter, and he's dead."

Sean solemnly raised the sword, point down, the hilt between both hands. He whispered words Kim couldn't catch as he brought the blade down into the Shifter's chest. Air around the fallen man seemed to shimmer. Then, as had the Shifter who'd attacked Kim in her bedroom, its body crumbled to dust.

"He was feral." Liam's rich voice rolled out of the shadows. Sean straightened and turned, and Liam himself walked toward them from the back of the warehouse. Kim went slack with relief. "He told me Fergus and Brian were experimenting on him," Liam went on. "They found a way to remove his Collar. That's what Brian was doing the night his girlfriend was killed, and that's why he couldn't tell anyone where he'd really been."

Kim put Michael down on the cool pavement, smoothed his hair, and reassured him she'd be right back. The boy lay down and curled into a ball, and Kim hurried inside. "Liam."

Sean put a large hand on Kim's shoulder and yanked her back. Kim collided with Sean's chest, and his hard hand kept her pinned.

"What are you doing? Let go of me."

Sean didn't release her. Liam kept walking toward them. He was shirtless, and angry scratches bled across his chest. But he didn't move as if he was hurt; he walked slowly, like a lion stalking its prey, every step deliberate, focused.

"Don't touch her," Liam said clearly to Sean.

Kim tried to start forward again, but Sean's iron grip held her back. "No," he said in her ear.

Liam stopped. "I said, get your fucking hands off her."

Kim went ice-cold. Sean let go of Kim's shoulder, but he didn't step away. "Let her take Michael home."

"Better idea. You run like hell and leave Kim and the boy to me."

Kim's heart pounded. "Liam, what is the matter with you?"

Liam walked into the light. His eyes were fixed, glittering, wrong. Around his throat was an angry red line where his Collar had been.

"He's feral," Sean said grimly.

"Oh, God."

Kim's heart pounded. No wonder Fergus wanted Brian dead; no wonder he'd told Brian to plead guilty and face the consequences. Fergus couldn't risk that Brian wouldn't tell a courtroom about their experiments on the Collars. Shit .

The Liam who stood before them was nothing like the Liam Kim knew. His warm smile, his loving blue eyes, the compassion that usually radiated from him--all had been wiped away. This man had hatred in his eyes, primal rage, the need to kill. He'd killed the feral in there and left Michael chained.

"Liam," she whispered.

The Lupine who'd invaded Kim's bedroom had terrified her. Having Liam's white-blue gaze trained on her now was ten times scarier. No other Shifter was powerful enough to stop him, and Liam knew it.

"Run away, Sean Morrissey," he said. "Or I'll kill you too."

"I have to stay. I'm the Guardian." Sean went on in a low voice, "I already sent one of my brother's souls to eternity, Liam. Please, please don't make me have to do it to you."

"You stood back and let him die."

Kim gasped. "Liam."

Sean flushed. "How the hell would you know, Liam? You weren't even there."

"I know you, Sean."

Sean's rage crackled, and the storm outside answered with a rumble. "Fuck you, Liam. Kenny died while you played good little deputy to a man you loathe."

"And Fergus will pay for that."

"Stop it!" Kim put herself between the two Shifters--not a reassuring place to be. "I know you're not thinking clearly right now, Liam, but fighting Sean isn't going to help. Kenny died, and I'm sorry, but you two killing each other won't bring him back. Do you think that's what he would have wanted, you remembering him by blaming each other?"

Liam's gaze swiveled to her. Being pinned with that stare had to be one of most frightening things that had ever happened to her.

She'd had sex with this man, watched him while he slept, held him when he hurt. Somewhere inside that walking menace was the Liam who mourned his dead brother, who teased Kim and worried about the missing Michael, who grieved that he'd hurt his father.

Please don't let that all be a sham. Please let that man still be in there.

Please let me reach him.

"Don't leave me," she said to him. "I love you."

Liam didn't move, didn't betray any emotion. "It's not love. You're my mate. We have the mate bond."

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a Shifter, thank you very much. I have emotions, not instincts, not mate-bonds. If I say I love you, that's what I mean. At least, I love Liam."

"Emotions are instincts. You dress them up and write songs about them, but that's what they are."

"Oh, way to romance a girl. I liked you better with the Collar."

"Of course you did. Because you could control me."

"Like anyone could ever control you, Liam Morrissey. The man who does whatever he pleases, Collar be damned."

Sean leaned down to her. "Do me a favor and run like hell instead of provoking him."

Liam roared. "I said, don't touch her!"

Michael started crying. Sean backed off. Kim headed for Michael, and found Liam blocking her way. She hadn't seen him move, but suddenly there he was, right in front of her.

"Michael's hurt and scared," Kim said to him. Right there with you, kid. "Let me take him home. His mother is worried."

"Sean, get the boy out of here. Before I give in to my instincts and kill him, and you."

Kim folded her arms, trying a glare. "What, you mean you haven't given in to your instincts already?"

"No. Sean, do it."

Kim sent Sean a shaky look. "I agree with him. Please get Michael out of here."

"And leave you here with him? Are you insane?"

"Liam is right about the mate-bond thing," Kim said. "I don't think he'll hurt me."

"You don't think so?" Sean asked. "Not very convincing."

"Stop arguing. Michael has a mother worried sick about him, and he needs to go home. I'll be fine." She glanced at Liam. "I'm pretty sure."

"Kim, I've never seen him like this. He wasn't like this before we took the Collar. This is--something else."

"The instincts are enhanced," said a new voice.

Fergus pushed himself from the wide door frame where he'd been leaning and strolled inside. His own Collar was still intact, thank goodness, but he moved confidently, as though he knew he'd done something clever.

"See, this is why you shouldn't argue," Kim said to Sean. "You lose your window of opportunity to get away."

"Says the woman who never shuts up," Fergus said.

Kim turned what she hoped was a fearless gaze on Fergus. "Just what I need. Another asshole to make my day complete."

"Your mate has a mouth," Fergus said to Liam. "You need to teach her manners. If you don't, I will."

Liam pivoted to face Fergus, his boot heel turning on the gritty cement floor. Fergus stopped, his body coming alert.

"Then again," Kim said. "I might enjoy this."

The world had gone to hell. The smell of death clogged Liam's nostrils, despite Sean already sending the feral's body to dust. He smelled fear as well. Watery terror from the cub. Fear from his own brother. Fear from Kim, his lover, his pride mate.