“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 ass**le 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.

Fergus’s fear was the strongest of all.

The whole place stank of terror, enough to gag him. If Liam killed all of them, except Kim, he could get rid of the smell.

A little corner of his brain tapped him. What the hell is the matter with you? Sean was right—it hadn’t been like this before the Collar. They’d lived freely, hunting when they wanted to, going hungry when there was no food to be had. They’d huddled together—three brothers, father, and mother—warming one another, playing together in the good times, sticking together in the bad. Loving each other.

Now Liam hated every Shifter in this room, Fergus especially. He didn’t hate Kim, but she drove him the most crazy. He wanted to get her away from the others, to keep her safe. They wanted her—Shifters needed mates, and Sean had never claimed a mate. Sean was a danger.

The cub was a tiny thing, no threat, but it was the offspring of another Shifter. Kill it, Liam’s senses whispered.

Fergus wanted Liam to kill the cub, then kill Sean. Liam knew it, and he didn’t know how he knew it.

Fergus wanted power, Fergus wanted Kim, and most of all, he was afraid of Liam.

Ergo, Fergus should die first.

“The Collars were programmed to suppress everything that makes us who we are,” Fergus was saying. “The Fae who made them hated Shifters. And understood them. Removing the Collars will remove that suppression and make us powerful. Unstoppable.”