Liam had gotten to his feet with her. Connor watched, worried, and Sean turned from the sink, scrub brush dripping.

“It’s not up to me, Kim,” Liam said.

“You’re damn right it’s not up to you. It’s up to me.” What was the matter with them? “Y’all are Shifters. You could be arrested for kidnapping me or holding me hos-tage—hell, for even talking to me sharply. They’ll do to you what they’re doing to Brian. A sham of a trial and an execution.”

Dylan finally spoke. “We weren’t planning on telling anyone. Or letting you tell anyone.”

Kim’s heart beat faster. Yep, Dylan was the scariest one in this room, all right. Her powers of argument died under his red-tinged stare. The feral Shifter who’d attacked her now seemed like a puppy dog compared to Dylan.

Liam’s voice went hard. “Dad, you promised this was mine to handle.”

“Aye, but you’re not handling it,” Dylan answered. “You know what you have to do.”

“Let me do it then. In my own time.”

“No, you need to do it now. It’s the only way.”

Kim backed up a step. “Do what now?”

Liam wouldn’t look at her, while Dylan glared and Sean turned away. Connor had his mouth open, clearly not knowing what they were talking about, either.

“Do what now?” Kim repeated.

If she ran for the door, would she make it? How fast could Dylan, Liam, and Sean move? Liam didn’t look ready to spring, and neither did Dylan, who sat loosely, but these men weren’t human.

What was the matter with her? Yesterday, she’d been nervous about coming to Shiftertown and talking to a Shifter who wasn’t behind bars. Then Liam had looked at her with those Irish blue eyes, and she’d melted. She’d even slept in their house without putting up much fuss. She’d done everything on their terms, and Kim never did anything on anyone’s terms but her own.

Now she was reminded of how dangerous Shifters were. She’d blithely walked into their lives, and she knew they wouldn’t let her blithely walk out again.

Kim balled her fists. “Liam, please reverse the scent-marking. I don’t do the dominant-submissive thing.”

“Kim.”

Oh, damn, even him saying her name made her want to flow to his lap and put her arms around him.

“What?” she growled.

“The scent-marking is for protection, not subjugation. Besides, you’re less submissive than the highest alpha female I’ve ever met.”

“Oh, sure. You’re telling me that Glory is submissive?”

Dylan rumbled, “She’s not an alpha. She’s fairly far down in her pack.”

The surprise of that stopped Kim’s speech for a moment. But only a moment. “That explains why she puts up with you. But not me. I’m out of here. I’m sorry, Liam, but you’re going to have to trust me.”

Liam stepped around her to cut off her retreat. No, she wouldn’t have made it to the door. His hands went to her shoulders, and she found herself pinned against the nearest wall.

“And you’re going to have to trust me,” he said.

This wasn’t fair. He smelled too good. His blue eyes held the hint of red that Dylan’s did, but she sensed that Liam was holding himself way, way back.

For one giddy moment she wondered what it would be like if he let loose. Would he press her to the wall, cover her with the weight of his body? Watching him lean around the bedroom door frame this morning, stark naked, had made her br**sts ache and her thighs grow damp.

I have lost my mind.

The moment hovered, Liam towering over her, Kim’s knees wanting to bend. She could slide down Liam’s body and press her face to the front of his jeans. Wouldn’t that be nice?

“Ow!” Connor shouted. He folded over, arms around his stomach.

“You all right, Connor?” Kim asked worriedly.

“No. Crap.” He moaned in sudden pain.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick? Geez, Liam, what did you put in the pancakes?”

A plate shattered on the kitchen floor. “Shite,” Sean whispered, and at the same time his eyes flooded with pain.

Liam shoved Kim from him. “Kim, get away from us. Now.”

All four Morrisseys started growling, eyes changing. Connor moaned pathetically.

Kim didn’t know enough about Shifters to know what the hell was the matter with them. Were they shifting? Or sick? Sean slid to the kitchen floor at the same time Liam fell to his knees. Dylan got out of his chair and tried to go to Connor, but he collapsed before he made it to his grandson.

Liam raised his head, lips peeling back from fangs. “Go!” he shouted at her. “Run!”

Kim didn’t waste time arguing. She fled through the kitchen, wrenched open the back door, and ran outside into hot, humid Austin air.

She could leap into her car, roar the hell out of Shiftertown, go home, and change all the locks. Move. Quit her job, never see Shifters again. They could keep her clothes; she didn’t like most of what they’d packed anyway.

When she reached the bottom of the porch steps, Connor started screaming. The anguish of it made Kim stop, turn back. Connor was the youngest, the weakest of them, and whatever was happening hurt him most of all.

Kim ran back up the steps and into the house. Connor’s keening split the air. Dylan and Liam were both crawling toward him, and she realized that they were trying to touch him, these people who comforted each other with bodily contact.