Paige led me to the side of her tacky purple striped tent as Sam and the kids ran off to play. I eyed her outfit with a cross between a grimace and a smile. What in the fresh hell are you wearing, child?

The thick, bell-sleeved purple robe and turban she wore were as cliché as they came. I clicked my tongue when my gaze reached the top of her outfit. That turban wasn't doing her any favors.

"You really like playing psychic?" I motioned at her getup. "Seems a little undignified, hon."

She shrugged. "Dignity won't pay my rent. That was the only good thing about Heather—a place to live. It was also what made it so hard to get away from her."

"That's what people like her do. It's all about control with them, isn't it?" Jude's face popped into my mind and I frowned. He was the last thing I wanted to think about right now.

"With Heather," Paige frowned, "it definitely was. I just didn't see it at the time. But, um, I didn't pull you aside to talk about her . . ."

She swallowed the words she was going to say. Whatever she had to tell me, she clearly didn't want to. Her hands twisted together in nervous agitation. Was it really that bad? I wasn't quite sure if I was more concerned or annoyed at this point. I just wanted to spend time with my family. Was that too much to ask from the universe? Apparently so.

"You remember how I told you about hearing your name in people's thoughts?" Paige asked in a quiet voice, furtively glancing around us.

I folded my arms and sighed. "Does this have to do with Jude?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "How did you know?"

"Let's just say I've got a hunch." I tightened my arms against my chest as if trying to guard myself against what I knew was going to come. "So, tell me, what's going on? Something nefarious?"

She nodded, causing her silken turban to slip. She huffed and gave it a rough shove back into place. With suspicious eyes cast upward, she slowly started to pull her hand away.

It took everything in me not to reach out and yank the fabric away so she would focus. I needed to know. Finally, when the turban didn't move, she looked back at me. The mild annoyance cleared away, replaced by something much more grim.

"I've been picking up random things from his head. I can't get a good read on him. You know how hard it is for me to read magical people, right? Well, somehow, he's even harder." Paige paused to fiddle with her turban again, huffing at it. "Like, I swear I can't even use my powers around him sometimes."

"Because he can shut you down by just looking at you. You didn't know?" I tried not to sound too incredulous.

"What?" She wrinkled her nose, thinking for a moment. "How can that be? He told me he was a telepath, just like me. He even told me what I was thinking."

I snorted. "I'm afraid you experienced the Jude effect. It's not telepathy, it's psychopathy. He's good at making people think what he wants them to think."

The color drained from Paige's face and I felt a chill creep into my blood. We hadn't gotten into what she had been picking up from Jude's head yet. If she was that alarmed, I knew trouble was in store. Well, more so than there already was. With the way he had been acting lately, I wasn't sure who I was worried about most. Me, the kids, or all of us? Who was he targeting? Better yet, why? Why here and now?

Paige reached out and touched a hand to my arm, then pointed over my shoulder toward Sam and the kids on the carousel. I stared at them with a knotted brow. What did they have to do with this?

"It's him, Rhonda," Paige spoke in a soft voice. "Jude's been planning to do something to Sam. Something to get to you."

"Sam?" I asked in a choked voice, my eyes still locked on Sam as he smiled and laughed with my children. My heart raced. "What have you heard Jude thinking? I need to know every single thing you've picked up."

"He's so hard to read I can't get anything clearly. I wish I could tell you exactly what he's planning, but trying to pick up his thoughts is like listening to a whispered conversation. I only get bits and pieces. I heard 'mind control' the most out of all his thoughts. I kinda think he wants Sam to hurt somebody."

My kids. If there was one way to hurt me, it was through my children. Jude knew Sam had nearly unlimited access to them. He knew I trusted Sam. What better way to hurt me?

I felt like a fool. Jude was a fox in a henhouse and I had been the one to let him right on in. Now, not only had I endangered my kids, but Sam was in his sights as well. You're a damn fool, Rhonda Nielson.

As they circled around the carousel, Sam's eyes met mine. The laughter faded from of his eyes, quickly replaced by confusion. Judging by the worry that furrowed his brow, I hadn't hidden an ounce of the horror and guilt taking root inside me.

"Paige," I fought to keep my voice calm, "I need you to focus real hard for me, okay?"

"Of course. I mean, I owe you for all your help, but I seriously can't get a clear read on Jude, he's just—"

"Not him." I turned my head to the side and looked at her from the corner of my eye. "Sam."

She nodded, the grim set of her expression deepening. "I'll try. Shifters are tough to read in the first place, though. Their animals clambering around in their heads make it so difficult. Have you ever tried to interpret growling? Impossible."

"Just try." I tightened my arms around my chest, swallowing thickly as I turned my attention back to my family.

Sam had already gotten himself and the kids off the carousel, his concern clear even from where I stood. He ushered the kids over to us, which wasn't a small feat. Caleb and Abby were amped up from all the fun. They eagerly jumped on to every possible distraction. Whether it be a sign for candied apples or stuffed toys overflowing from the various tents, it all caught their attention.

All I could focus on was Sam. The closer he got, the more I wanted to sink into those brown eyes and simply forget that this was happening. If only for a time.

"How odd," Paige murmured under her breath beside me. "The animal side is so much more . . . subdued than I'm used to. Pretty easy to read."

Subdued? My mind drifted to a few of the shifters I knew. Maddox, his sister, Meghan, Sophie, and her sister—I was certain even most humans felt their otherness. Shifters just had that extra something about them. The way their bodies moved. And those eyes.

It was only then that I realized I had never seen anything but warm brown in Sam's, even when he shifted. Was that simply the way bear-shifter eyes looked or was it something else? Honestly, except for the occasional growl and the way no scent escaped his notice, he was much harder to pin as a shifter. I had never thought to ask why he was that way.

Sam and the kids were getting close to us when I finally shook my head, clearing away the cobwebs of thoughts mucking up my brain.

"Anything?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"All's good for now it seems," Paige replied.

Sam was frowning as he brought the kids to a stop in front of me, reining them in as they tried to run off toward the sickly sweet scent of candied apples nearby.

"What's good for now?" Sam's concern colored each slowly spoken word.

"Nothing, sugar," I said with the hint of a smile. "Paige was just telling me about the coven."

"If it's all good, then—"

I placed a hand on Sam's shoulder, stopping him from saying anything more with a subtle shake of my head. I realized that just because we were out in public and didn't want our less-than-normal sides exposed, it didn't mean that Jude cared. For all I knew, he had someone waiting in the wings, ready to do something terrible to Sam. Something that could get a lot of people hurt. I couldn't let that happen.

The best thing, for now, would be to get away from anyone who might be able to control Sam. Next, I would have to get Sam away from the children and me. I swallowed thickly even as determination coursed through me.

"I think we should call it a night, okay? The kids are so full of junk food they might lose it all on the next ride."

Abby's lower lip stuck out in a pout. "That's not fair, Mommy."

I looked down at her and lifted a brow. "Oh?"

"Kids . . ." Abby knitted her brows together, trying to find the words to voice the argument in her young mind, "kids don't know that stuff. You shoulda told us that. We wouldn't have gotten so full."

I couldn't help but smile. "Forgive me, baby girl, but I wasn't thinking."

"We won't make that mistake ever again," Caleb said in a voice far too grave for a boy of his years. My children were as ridiculous as they were wonderful. I felt terrible making them leave earlier than we had planned, but I would do anything to make sure they stayed safe. Even if it meant fewer rides at the fair.

I considered, for a moment, that maybe I had been too concerned with their happiness all these years. It was a strange thought for a mother to have. You couldn't be too loving, right? I had resisted the urge to tell them their father was a snake so they wouldn't have to live with that knowledge rattling around in their heads.

I had never once said a bad word about the man and I certainly wouldn't let another soul breathe his name to my kids in a negative light. Some silly part of me—the same part that fell in love with Jude all those years ago—had hoped he might change. I couldn't have been more wrong about him if I had tried.

Now, I realized how useless keeping the truth from them had been. That sure did me good, didn't it? How was I supposed to explain to my little boy that the father he adored was only interested in him if he was useful? I couldn't. That was the simple answer. All I could do was ease the pain he would feel when Jude revealed his true colors.

"You sure you wanna go already?" Sam asked, his eyes telling me he knew there was much more behind our early departure.

"Yeah, I think it's for the best." I stooped down to pick Abby up, then took Caleb's hand in mine. I could feel Sam's confusion, but I still had no idea what I was going to tell him, so I simply said, "Let's get ourselves home."

* * *

Sam's Suburban had never felt so small before now. As we rode home, my mind churned over everything Paige had told me. I was painfully aware of what I was going to have to do and frantically searched for other options. There were none.

I picked at my red nail polish, frowning when little red flakes dappled my pants. I never had chipped polish. Yet the idea of doing something as trivial as painting my nails—my one outlet—felt silly right now. How was I supposed to slap on polish when I was going to have to drive away the greatest man in existence?

"Rhonda, is there something I should know?" Sam's voice was quiet, barely carrying over Caleb and Abby's chatter in the back seat.

"We'll discuss it at home." I struggled to keep the tension out of my voice.

Sam stiffened in his seat. He could tell something bad was coming. What he didn't know was that I was going to have to do something that was going to hurt him. He didn't deserve it, but I didn't see any other options. There was no other way I could protect all of us. I was going to have to tell Sam to go.

At least until I managed to dissuade Jude or . . . I didn't know what. I was hoping a neon light would flare to life right in front of my eyes with the answer at the ready. All I knew right now was that if I told Sam what was really going on, he would get himself into trouble trying to protect us.

He might not be as animalistic as some other shifters, but he was still a bear at his core and I knew he thought of us as his family. There would be no stopping him. And if Jude got his hooks into him? There was no telling what would happen.

I pressed the side of my forehead to the cool window glass and let my eyes fall shut. I could hardly believe that Jude was taking things this far. It didn't make sense. What did he have to gain? I was starting to feel as if I had asked myself that question a thousand times, yet I was no closer to an answer.

Could it simply be the satisfaction of knowing he had hurt me? No. He got plenty of that when he left me with no money and two kids. Every other petty thing he had ever done before had a reason. Looking back, Jude always had some sort of twisted plan. What could possibly be worth all of this, though? It didn't make a lick of sense.

All I knew for certain was that I couldn't risk Sam getting hurt. I opened my eyes just enough to glance over at him. I couldn't prevent all the hurt, though. I knew that the ache in my heart was about to get worse. I also knew that the false words forming in my mind would cut Sam deep, but it was the only choice I had. No matter how much it hurt us both, it would be better than falling into whatever scheme Jude had in store.

* * *

Once we got back to my apartment, the tension continued to stretch between us, growing more apparent with each passing second. The kids were blissfully unaware, tuckered out from their busy day. I hated that I was about to rip Sam from their lives for God knows how long. I wanted to let him stay longer. Paige was right, though. He was fine, but only for now.

The kids were too full from the fair to eat dinner, so we wound them down with a movie until it was time for bed. The entire time, I could feel Sam's eyes on me and I felt terrible for dragging it out. Selfishly, I wanted a few more minutes before my life went to hell. Just a few more minutes with Sam.

It took me the entire movie to figure out exactly what I would say. I didn't want to push Sam away forever. My kids and I both cared far too much for him to do that. I needed to keep him safe from Jude until I could figure things out. I knew Sam, though. If I showed any hint of doubt, he wouldn't leave. He'd never abandon us if he thought we needed him.

I got the kids in bed and they were asleep before I could even turn off the lights. I hovered at the door to their bedroom for a few long seconds, putting off what I knew I had to do. I looked at my children, their innocent faces relaxed as they slept, and my resolve firmed. I had to do this. For them and for Sam.

I took a deep breath as I closed their bedroom door. A quick glance told me Sam wasn't in the living room. My heart froze for a moment. Had he left? As I padded away from the door, I saw the light was on in the kitchen. There you are.

"Sam," I said, wrapping my arms around myself as I moved to the kitchen, "we need to talk."

He was standing at the sink, his back to me, doing nothing. It was like he didn't know what to do with himself. He must have just waited here as I put the kids to bed.

"I'm listening."

I could see the tension as it ran through his body, hardening his shoulders, his arms, then his back. I forced myself to look away. It would only make this harder.

"Hon, I think we need to rein this in. Take a few steps back, y'know?" I didn't mean a single word, but I tried to make it sound like I did. I tried so hard.

I had seen the uncertainty and hesitation in his eyes after each kiss we shared. I knew something was holding him back. And there I was, using it. I was ashamed, but I knew of no other way.

I had to keep him safe. I couldn't let him become a card in Jude's hand, and I definitely couldn't stand the thought of Sam getting hurt because of me. I knew it would break him if he was forced to injure someone he felt he should protect.

Jesus, Jude, I thought to myself. He had always been a selfish, egotistical asshole; I had just been too young and dumb to notice. I used to see it as confidence and self-assurance, not the narcissism it truly was. After the way he acted in the locker room the other day, I was honestly starting to fear him.

I looked toward Sam, his tense back still to me. "I'm sorry, Sam, but this isn't the right time for me. We can't do this anymore."

There was a moment of silence, then he whispered a quiet, "I see."

He turned his large form and headed for the door, all the while carefully avoiding my eyes. I bit down on my lower lip, resisting the urge to stop him, even though I so desperately wanted to.

He reached for the door and the words started to form on my tongue. Sam, wait, I yelled in my mind. I had to bite down so hard I thought I might draw blood. He paused at the door and the words started to pry my lips open, but he spoke first.

"I'm sorry, I really am," he said. "I feel like I betrayed your trust. I hope you'll be able to forgive me someday."

Oh, honey, no, I wanted to cry out. I had no idea what was going on in that barricaded mind of his, but I knew it was all wrong. I swallowed thickly. I had to let him go, though. I started to take a step forward, my body betraying my true intentions.

I forced myself to stop and wrapped my arms around myself even tighter, tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. He turned the knob and stepped outside. I took another step forward, my mouth forcing itself open as he shut the door behind himself. I stopped myself.

Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes as I turned my head to the side.

I had done it. I sent him away. If it was for the best, why did it hurt so damn much?