She’d done her best to keep her worries and fears from Liam, and still he knew about the bad people. He’d apparently told Tricia about them at the Enforcer house, and had brought them up again just now. But she had never mentioned the reason they kept moving. She had never told him about the bad people. How did he know about them?

The only obvious answer was that he was already picking up on her thoughts. Allie frowned as she wondered how much of her thoughts he was reading. And how long it had been happening? She worried over that as she returned to sorting the clothes, choosing what would fit and refolding the ones that were the wrong size to place them back in the bags for return.

Allie didn’t think Liam could have picked up much or for long. He had only just turned four. He probably didn’t even understand the threat the bad people represented. At least, she hoped not. But even knowing that bad people were after them must have been scary for him. Especially when he’d woken up alone in the apartment the night she’d gone to the blood bank. He must have been terrified to find her missing. He’d probably worried that the bad people had got her.

“God, I’m a horrible parent,” Allie breathed, dropping to sit on the side of the bed. Stella had counted on her to keep him safe and happy. How happy could he have been knowing bad people were chasing them? And the difference in him now . . . He’d always been quiet and well behaved. She’d just thought that was his nature. It wasn’t like she had a lot of experience with children to judge from. But now, seeing how noisy and happy he was here, she wondered if his previous behavior was more a result of worry and fear than personality.

Liam said he wanted a dad like the other children had. Of course he did. She should have expected that. And he liked Magnus. Which was probably good because an arrangement with Magnus was the only way he was likely to get a dad. She worked from home and really didn’t get out much, so it wasn’t likely she’d meet anyone and start a normal relationship. Not that she really wanted a normal relationship anyway. That way lay pain and betrayal. Just look at how things had turned out for her mother and Stella.

Sighing, Allie glanced around for someplace to pack away the clothes they would keep, but the drawers were all full of Sunita’s clothes. It reminded her that this was another temporary stop, not really a home. Standing, she packed the clothes they would keep back in the bags they’d come in and set them on the floor next to the bed, then grabbed up the bags that held the clothes to be returned, and headed for the door. She’d set them aside for Magnus to return and see what she could do to help make lunch. And then, after lunch, she supposed she’d have to talk to Magnus and agree to be his life mate. There was no sense dragging it out.