I shouldered through the doors of the employee locker room, my bear narrowly held in check. I wanted to rend Jude's flesh with teeth and claw. How dare he?

Normally, I had a lock on the more primal side of me, but the things I heard that bastard saying to Rhonda hit every trigger I had. It wasn't just the words exactly. It was the tone, the quiet threat that leaked into every single word. I knew that tone all too well. I could almost hear my mother's voice coming from his mouth. Her manipulations were as subtle as Jude's.

My rage only grew when I caught sight of Rhonda's defeated expression. My vision turned red. I never wanted to see that look on her face ever again. My eyes locked onto Jude as I strode over to Rhonda. I could so easily take care of the cause of her anguish. Permanently. Rhonda wouldn't appreciate me murdering her ex, though. I yanked back on my rage, reined in my bear, and narrowed my focus to an icy precision.

"Why the hell are you talking to my fiancé like that?" I growled out, my voice a deep rumble in my chest. "I think a judge would be damn impressed by our little family."

I did one more quick scan of Rhonda to make sure she was okay. She looked shocked and mildly confused, the defeat from earlier still warring in her eyes. My bear needed to comfort her, so I pulled her into my arms. Some of my rage eased as she relaxed against me.

Jude stared at me, blinking slowly, his expression calm. I could hear the way his pulse quickened slightly as his anger grew. A low, warning growl rumbled in my chest. It was then that I did something I rarely ever did. I let my bear come forward just enough for my eyes to flash to the topaz of my bear. The primal part of me was deeply satisfied by the fear that appeared in his eyes. He was right to be afraid.

My bear wanted to maul Jude for daring to hurt Rhonda and threaten the children, and I was in full agreement. I had to fight myself to keep that from happening, which wasn't easy when both sides of me wanted the same thing.

In an instant, however, his fear was gone. He lifted his chin, a sneer warping his upper lip. If not for his increased heartbeat, I'd have thought I imagined the fear.

I felt Rhonda shiver in my arms and barely managed to get my bear to stand down. Protecting Rhonda was more important than taking a pound of Jude's flesh in revenge for daring to threaten her. Bears were not subtle creatures and we didn't have the patience of cats, but once we caught a scent, we didn't lose it. I had Jude's scent burned into my memory and I would use it to make him regret his actions later. That knowledge consoled me.

"You should've done a little more research before you showed your hand, Jude," Rhonda bit out, her confident tone at odds with her earlier shiver. "So much for a single mother, huh?"

A cold look came into Jude's eyes as he studied us, his sneer still firmly in place. He made the mistake of meeting my gaze but couldn't hold it. His gaze skated off to the side.

"Convenient," Jude uttered, dragging out each syllable with disdain.

"There's nothing convenient about this," Rhonda replied with an annoyed huff of laughter. "You've been gone for three years. What the hell do you know about my life anymore?"

"I know that you're supposedly engaged to your nanny. Which, by the way, mystifies me that you can afford. That must be why you're living in that hovel of an apartment."

A low rumble crawled out of my chest. What was this guy's problem?

"Honey," Rhonda placed a hand on my arm, "calm down. He's just trying to piss you off."

It was working.

"Why do you live there?" Jude asked, a calculating look in his eye. "Why not move in with your fiance? Why not elope?"

"Really, Jude?" Rhonda snapped as he clearly hit a sore spot. "Maybe because I had to wait to finalize the divorce? You abandoned us, but the state made me wait years for your ass to come back before I could even file."

Jude looked shocked and hurt, but I knew what kind of person he was now. I understood his kind. The acting. The manipulations. I'd been there before with the woman who raised me.

"Rhonda, how could you say that? I told you—"

"Cut the crap. I'm done playing your games."

The shock and hurt slid from his face as if they had never existed. "You think we’re done? We're only getting started."

I was done playing nice. I let go of Rhonda and drew myself up. With a deep growl rumbling out of my chest, I closed the distance to Jude. My bear rose to the forefront of my mind and looked out my eyes as I bared my teeth in a snarl. I didn't even try to disguise it as a smile.

Jude barely flinched, but I saw the fear in his eyes and the way his sneer trembled slightly. I heard his heartbeat speed up. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned slightly to the side to look at Rhonda.

"Whatever happens, remember that it's your fault."

Those words. I knew those words. My growl turned to a roar that tore out of me. The noises in the diner stopped for a heartbeat as everyone undoubtedly tried to figure out what they just heard. I cursed myself for losing control.

Jude smirked, turned on his heel, and strode through the swinging doors. I watched as they slowly flapped open and shut behind him and muttered, "Asshole."

"There's not a word out there that can adequately describe how awful that man is," Rhonda added with a sigh. "But asshole will do for now."

I turned back around and gently took Rhonda by the shoulders. She looked pale, and I knew Jude had rattled her. I was certain that my loss of control hadn't helped.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling uncertain after that display. If she was questioning whether or not she wanted to be with a brute like me, my actions certainly hadn't helped tip the scales in my favor.

She looked up at me in confusion. "What the hell are you apologizing for?"

"It's just . . ." I looked away and swallowed thickly.

A moment later, I felt her arms circle around my waist. I looked down and didn't hesitate to pull her into my arms carefully. A small sigh of relief slipped out of me. She held me even tighter, pressing her cheek to my chest. I hadn't lost her trust. That knowledge brought me relief unlike anything else.

I dropped my face down to rest my cheek on her head. Her breathing was choppy. She shivered again. I would do anything for the woman in my arms, but I felt so helpless. I wished I knew what to do to fix this.

I could have stood there and held her forever, but she took a deep breath and released her tight grip on me. Reluctantly, I released my hold and let her slip out of my arms.

She lifted her eyes to mine and smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For everything you just did, silly."

"I didn't do anything." Except prove how much of a beast I was.

"Oh, really? You mean making up a fake engagement and threatening my ex-husband was nothing, huh?"

"It's not that much. I feel like I should've done more." I shrugged. "It was just the first thing that came to my mind. Well, okay, it was the second thing that came to my mind." "The second? What was the first?"

"You don't want to know."

"Sam, tell me."

"I don't think so. I need to get back to the kitchen."

"Samael," she said in her mom voice, "what was your first idea?"

"Ripping into him with teeth and claws," I muttered.

To my surprise, she laughed. "Sugar, I would've thanked you."

Her smile lit up her face and my heart stopped for a beat. I loved her smile. I could hardly believe my luck. Not only was she not angry at me for losing control, but she was able to laugh it off. I wished I deserved her. My gaze dropped to her mouth. I wanted to kiss her.

Memories of last night slammed to the forefront of my mind. Shame crawled up my neck. "Rhonda, I owe you an apology."

"What for? You did good."

"Not that." I couldn't meet her eyes, so I studied the floor. "About last night—"

"You don't need to apologize for that, hon." She patted my arm, her fingers lingering on my arm.

"I need to. I got carried away and—"

"Sam," she interrupted me again, her voice firm, "there is nothing for you to apologize for. We're good, you hear me?"

I lifted my eyes and met hers. I could see she meant what she said. The air rushed out of my lungs. I had no idea why she wasn't angry with me, but I wasn't going to question my good luck. I had been agonizing over last night all day, even though she had been acting normal all morning and through the lunch rush. I had been worried she was just putting on a front to get through work.

"You're sure?" I asked, hesitant.

"Really," she replied with a soft smile that warmed my heart.

"Sam," I heard Eric call from outside the doors, "you coming back?"

I tilted my head toward the sound with a faint smile. "Duty calls."

"Ah, yeah. I suppose we should get back to work. I hope I didn't piss anyone off out there." Rhonda glanced at the clock on the wall. "Although, my shift's almost over."

"I hope the kitchen's not on fire either." I followed her gaze to the clock. "Almost time for me to go get the kids, too."

"I'll see you after class tonight," she said.

"You sure you want to go?" I asked, slightly worried. "Jude seemed pretty mad."

She nodded as she took a step toward the dining room. I followed. "We have a test tonight, so I can't afford to miss it. Besides, if I stop living my life, then Jude wins. I'm not letting that happen. Trust me, I can hold my own."

I knew she could, but that didn't stop me from worrying. Jude was a threat. I could sense his power. His confidence alone told me he was strong. He had a bear-shifter staring him down, ready to claw him to death, and he barely even blinked.

As we stepped out onto the floor, one of her customers saw her and motioned her over before we could say anything else. She looked over her shoulder and waved at me. We knew we might not get a chance to talk before she rushed off to class, so we always made sure to wave goodbye. I waved back before I went back into the kitchen.

* * *

I pulled my Suburban into a streetside spot a few shops down from Every Witch Way. I left work a little early today so I could check it out before I went to pick up the kids. I hopped out and studied the area. It was early afternoon and there weren't many people out. I walked down the sidewalk and soon hit the spot where I remembered the barrier was last night.

I paused for a moment. I wasn't sure what the barrier was or if it was kept up all the time. I didn't want to smash my nose into if it was still there. I balanced on one foot and nudged the general location of the invisible barrier with the other.

My foot went right through. The barrier was gone. I frowned for a moment, considering the situation. Maybe it was too magically taxing to keep up all the time.

I remembered how people had stopped and crossed the street as if there was some sort of compulsion to avoid the area. That wouldn't be too good for selling to tourists. That must be it. The barrier simply wasn't up all the time. With that thought, I walked up to the door of Every Witch Way. I glanced at the small printed sign in the window.

I frowned as I grasped the handle. I was here way later than six o'clock last night, and they were clearly open for business. It sure seemed like they were looking to get some of that tourist cash. So why the barrier then? As I stepped inside, the electronic caw of a fake raven announced my entrance. It was loud and unmistakable, yet I hadn't heard it last night when those witches went inside.

Had the barrier stopped the sounds or did they turn the raven off after business hours? I had a feeling it was the former. The scents of various incense immediately flooded my nose, causing me to sneeze. There were so many scents mingling that even my trained nose couldn't pick out a single scent.

"Can I help you?" a young woman asked from beside me. My senses were so overwhelmed that I hadn’t even noticed her approach. I turned to look at her. She obviously took her job seriously, dressing in a multitude of dark layers and black makeup—even her lips.

"I'm just, ah, here to look around."

"Are you interested in the occult?"

"Recently, yeah."

"A newbie." She flashed me a polite smile. "You have a look around. I'll be up front if you need anything."

"Will do. Thanks, ma'am."

I glanced around as she walked away, the scents of the store still assaulted my nose. A little bit of everything was crammed inside the small shop, from the expected to the strange. I sneezed now and then as I walked, the scents almost too much for me to handle.

Ouija boards were laid out next to stacks and stacks of themed tarot cards. There were various racks and shelves full of smooth stones, salt rocks, and pendants. It got stranger the farther back I went. I soon started to see jars and glass vials filled with various herbs, bugs, and hair. I didn't know whether that was real or just for the tourists. I wasn't up to snuff on my witch knowledge.

I couldn't stop the sneezing and, before long, nodded at the shopkeeper and took my leave. The sneezing continued until I was several feet away from the store. I hated incense.

If they were trying to discourage shifters from entering, that scent mixture was a powerful deterrent. My phone chimed, reminding me I had two children to pick up. I reached my vehicle and glanced back at the store. Something odd was going on here, I knew it. Jude and these witches were up to something. I aimed to figure it out before they did anything to hurt Rhonda or the children.