Free Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley Page A

there. "You need to stay."
    "The Shifter wolf is dead. You and Sean killed him. I'm safe now."
    Finally the thing niggling at her broke through the fog in her brain. "Liam, how were you able to kill him? Your Collar should have stopped you from fighting, even against another Shifter. Right?"
    Liam said nothing. She felt Sean standing above her, Connor's awkward uneasiness, and Dylan's strong silence.
    "Liam?"
    Liam's eyes were blue, hard, holding her gaze. "I'm sorry, love. That's why we can't let you go."
     

 

     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    She took it well. Liam had to give her that.
    No screaming, no outraged swearing, no gibbering in terror. Kim simply looked at him, her eyes unreadable.
    "Why not?" she asked steadily. "If I can prove that Brian had nothing to do with the murder, it won't matter whether his Collar can malfunction. I have no reason to share the information far and wide."
    "You should let someone else take over Brian's defense," Dylan said.
    Now the anger came. "Oh, no, no, no. This case is going to make my career. Besides, I'm your best hope of springing him."
    Dylan's eyes were hard. "Brian understands the need to protect the Shifters."
    Kim struggled from Liam's embrace and sprang to her feet. "Are you saying you'd let him go down? Make him pretend his Collar malfunctioned to keep everyone from knowing the Collars don't work at all?"
    "This isn't about the Collars," Liam said. "And anyway, the Collars do work."
    "You're crazy. If Brian's found guilty, he gets the death sentence for Shifters. Do you know what that means?"
    "He won't die at the hands of the human government," Dylan said. "If he's convicted, we'll take care that he doesn't face an executioner."
    "What, you'll send Sean to turn him to dust?"
    Sean looked away, unable to meet her eyes.
    "No, not Sean." Liam stood up beside her. "It's not his job."
    Kim gave him an uncomprehending look; then her eyes widened. "You mean it's yours? Oh, Jesus effing Christ, Liam."
    "It's a Shifter problem," Dylan said in his quiet voice.
    "And now I'm a Shifter problem? You can't take my word that I won't tell anyone? Liam, you saved my life tonight. I owe you."
    "It's not up to us," Sean broke in. "We don't make the law."
    "The oldest excuse in the book. Aren't you the leader around here, Dylan? Can't you make, you know, an executive decision?"
    Dylan shook his head. "These are clan matters and Shifter secrets.
    Only Fergus can override the law."
    "Who the hell is Fergus?"
    "The leader of the South Texas clan," Liam answered. "Dad thinks you should have a hearing with him. I don't agree."
    "Why not? Maybe this Fergus will see reason."
    "Fergus? Reason?" Liam wanted to laugh. He thought about the big man with the long black braid, the thugs he surrounded himself with. Fergus hadn't been happy when Kim managed to get Brian a jury trial. He'd wanted Brian to plead guilty and be done, the human prodding into Shifter business over. Liam still didn't understand why Fergus was so ready to wash his hands of Brian, but Brian had been ready to obey.
    Until Kim had persuaded Brian to fight. Of course she had. Kim was a fighter. Fergus had been livid when he learned Brian had a competent defense attorney.
    "He's dangerous, Kim," Liam said, his voice sharp with worry. "All Shifters are dangerous, Fergus especially so. You shouldn't have come to see me at all."
    "I owe it to my client to try to help him get free."
    "And now you know too damned much."
    "Keep it quiet, Liam," Dylan growled. "I can contain this, but not if the neighbors hear you..."
    Kim looked wildly out the window to the house next door. "What? What happens if the neighbors hear?"
    "They might go to Fergus," Sean said. "We might not be able to stop them. We're your best protection."
    "You can't keep me here." She had good lung power for such a small woman.
    "We can and we will," Dylan said, eyes glittering. "We protect the clan."
    Connor looked distressed. "Stop it, Grandda'. You're scaring her.
    She's going