Tessa, Vampire/Werewolf Romance, (Standalone) (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 3) (15 page)

“Raphael is right,” Seth said.

Tessa didn’t want to leave him, or remind him that it wasn’t as near daylight as he thought. Did he see something, like perhaps a full-blood? She didn’t see whatever had crossed in front of the truck, which made her worry about Raphael. What if he actually ran across one of the hybrids? Would he be able to defend himself against it?

When they got back to Silver Creek, all the lights were off at the cabin where the children lived with Palina, so Seth walked Tessa back to hers.

“Come in, Seth,” Tessa offered. “I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I’ve been worried about me, too.”

Tessa pulled out two colas and set them on the table. “They’re not the coldest, but it’s something to drink.”

Seth sat down opposite Tessa and frowned. “Things have really changed for me. I just never expected to be where I am now.”

“With me, you mean?”

Seth looked away. “That’s not exactly what I meant.”

“Then tell me what you
do
mean.”

“I can’t, but what I
can
tell you is that I didn’t expect to feel like I did when I saw Carrie’s condition when the children found her. Something inside of me changed. I felt something I didn’t expect to feel for her.”

“Well, you
did
have a child with her, and that’s a bond which can’t be broken. How could you hate the woman who created Melody with you?”

“I suppose, but I also feel a tremendous level of guilt. Perhaps I should have tried to help her and not abandoned her like I did.”

“You didn’t do that, did you?”

“I did go back east and leave them both behind. When I came back to Creeksboro, I was shocked at how Carrie was and her refusal to allow me to see Melody, even though she wasn’t anywhere near a suitable parent. I should have done something, convinced her to stay away from Jason Traxler. I knew the kind of man he was and didn’t do anything about it.”

Tessa took a sip of her drink and said, “It’s not your fault, Seth. If anything, it was a poor decision by Carrie. You could no more have gotten her to stay away from Jason than you could do brain surgery. People are pretty resistant when you tell them to stay away from someone.”

“That’s true, but what about that bastard made her even remotely interested in him? He has a loud mouth and was drunk most of the time.”

“Sometimes we see what we want to and ignore the obvious.”

“Thanks, Tessa. I appreciate your kind words.”

“And you can trust me, Seth. If there is something you care to get off your chest, all you have to do is tell me. I can be a good listener, and I promise whatever you have to say can’t be that bad.”

Seth squared his jaw. “That’s where you’re wrong, but I might just take you up on it when I figure out a few things.”

“I’m here whenever you’re ready.”

Tessa hugged Seth before he left and carefully closed the door as she saw a strip of light on the horizon. The sun would be rising soon and Tessa drew the drapes, not wanting to get caught in it. Once she was satisfied that the cabin was dark enough, she took her clothes off and climbed into bed. She hoped Raphael would be okay and faced no danger, but he was an alpha and one thing she knew about him was that he was quite capable of taking care of himself.

She didn’t try to think about what would happen the following day or when it would be the right time to tell Raphael the truth about what she did remember. Even if it meant that he would be angry enough with her, not to ever speak to her again, it was time to come clean. She couldn’t keep lying to the man she was falling in love with anymore.

Tessa dreamily saw the door open and a dark shape make way for her bed. She could smell the muskiness of Raphael and when he climbed into bed with her, she didn’t react, even when he threw his arm around her and drew her close. This was as close to bliss as she had ever been. It was simple and yet comforting. She was happy that it wasn’t only sex with Raphael. After everything that had happened, that was the furthest thing from her mind.

* * *

Melody shook Maxwell awake. “Get up. We need to get going now.”

Maxwell swung his feet out of his warm bed and dressed quietly, thumping against the dresser as he threw his clothes on in a hurry.

“Shhh,” Melody whispered.

They passed through the kitchen and each grabbed a tart, devouring it as they made their way outside. They walked through the fog that hovered above the ground until they found where an ATV was parked not far away from the cabin. Together they pushed it into the woods near the big tree where they had talked just the day before.

“Start the ATV and I’ll attach the bag,” Melody said.

Maxwell nodded and cranked it over with the key Melody handed him. He almost hoped someone would hear to stop them from leaving, but there were only the sounds of crickets in the woods and frogs croaking. Maxwell just sat there, wondering if there was any way he could reason with Melody.

“What are you doing, Maxwell?”

“Warming up the engine.”

“Oh, gee. Hurry up, would you?”

“Are you positive you want to do this?”

“Yes,” she said, hopping on the back and grabbing the sidebars. “Hurry before somebody hears us.”

Maxwell did as she requested and made his way toward the woods. The trail led to the east of the property where they wouldn’t be so easily discovered as they made their escape. The sun was rising, but not splitting through the clouds, as of yet. Once they entered the trail, he knew they’d be home free.

It was a bittersweet feeling leaving Silver Creek. Maxwell just hoped they weren’t making a terrible mistake.

* * *

When the frantic knock at her door came much earlier than anyone should ever be doing so, Tessa buried her head under the covers. The last thing she needed was for the bright sunlight to penetrate her; it would be her undoing as a vampire.

“I’ll get it,” Raphael said.

He yanked on his jeans and opened the door. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to help
you
, or I should say the children.”

Raphael ushered her in and lit an oil lamp. “Have a seat.”

Tessa sat up, staring at a slight woman with strawberry-blonde hair, her green eyes quite large while searching the room. She was handed a robe and Tessa sprung out of bed, making way toward the woman before sitting across from her.

“What about the children?”

“They’re in terrible danger, I think. I tried to tell them not to go, but they wouldn’t listen.”

Tessa squinted at the woman. “And who are you, exactly?”

“My name is Mira. I came here because…well, it’s not important right now why I came here, but I met Maxwell and he’s been helping me.”

“Helping you do what?” Raphael asked.

“I was injured and very hungry. I only planned to stay until I was healed enough to go.” She sighed. “I suppose I should tell you my story later. Right now, it’s important that you go after the children before they get themselves into trouble. Maxwell and Melody are going to search for a Jason Traxler, they said. It seems that Melody believes he’s responsible for her mother’s injuries. I tried to talk them out of it, but I had the feeling that Maxwell told me he was going just in case something happened.”

“What makes you think that?” Tessa asked.

“He told me they’d be gone a few days. I figured they told me that just in case something happened and they didn’t return.”

Tessa frowned. “Then why didn’t you go to the main house and tell somebody if you were worried?”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t go there. It’s not safe.”

Tessa just shook her head. “Perhaps you should check and see if Maxwell and Melody really are gone, Raphael, before we go off half-cocked.”

“Sounds like a good idea. I’ll come back here and let you know once I find out.”

“If those two have left Silver Creek in search of Jason, I’m going with you,” Tessa insisted.

“No. It’s my problem, not yours,” Raphael said. “He’s my responsibility. Jason is the least of their worries. There are far more dangerous things out there than a man who is presumed to be dead.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay while you check. I’m so concerned about them.”

Raphael left and Tessa stared over at Mira. “So, do you plan to spill your story now?”

“No, I think it would be better for everyone if I didn’t. It’s bad enough I’ve learned that Melody and Maxwell are shifters. I had no idea when I came here. I knew there was a possibility, but now it feels so strange to me.”

“Why stay then if you knew shifters lived here?”

“I didn’t know at first.”

“Fair enough. I’d offer you a coffee, but I don’t have any. I never drink it.”

“M-Me, either.”

“Cola it is.”

Tessa walked over, grabbed two cans of cola and set them down on the table before taking her seat. She surveyed the woman’s pale skin except for her rosy cheeks. What was this woman running from, and why take refuge here of all places? Was she Maxwell’s mother?

* * *

Raphael raced into his cabin where Seth was sipping from a coffee cup.

“Where’s the fire, Raphael? Did you find what you were looking for last night?”

“It’s not about that. I think Maxwell and Melody are in trouble, or will be. We need to check the main house to see if they’re really there or missing.”

Seth dropped his coffee cup and cried out as it hit him on the foot. “Missing?”

“That’s what I’m trying to determine.”

Raphael was out the door with Seth hot on his tail. They sprinted the half-mile until they were at the main house. When the hurried inside, Palina clutched her chest with a fist.

“You two almost gave me a heart attack.”

“W-Where are the children?” Seth asked, panting.

“They’re at Shadow Creek, or so their note said.”

“What note?” Raphael and Seth said at the same time.

Palina went over to a table and handed it to Raphael who examined it.

“And you didn’t think anything might be wrong about this note? Were they gone when you woke up?”

“Actually, yes.”

“That doesn’t sound like the Maxwell I know,” Raphael said.

“I know, but I figured that Melody was wondering if her mother woke up yet.”

“Actually, she woke up last night and told us a werewolf attacked her,” Raphael informed Palina. “One that can walk on two feet.”

“So, a full-blood?”

“Not sure since Carrie was injured a day before the full moon.”

“We had better find out if the children really are at Shadow Creek,” Seth said. “We never even had the chance to tell Melody that her mother woke up and pointed the finger away from Jason Traxler.”

“Why is that important?”

“Because we believe they went after Jason sometime this morning.”

“Go, go,” Palina urged. “I just hope the children really are at Shadow Creek and not searching for Jason.”

Raphael and Seth left, heading to the truck. Once they were inside and the engine roared to life, Seth pointed out, “Looks like an ATV is missing.”

“Better than going shifted, I suppose.”

Raphael sped in the direction of Shadow Creek, wishing the children were there but knowing they wouldn’t be. The sudden appearance of the woman Mira told him that.

“How did you find out they might have went after Jason, again?” Seth asked.

“Mira told Tessa and me. She’s a woman who was apparently injured and was hiding out at Silver Creek. Thankfully Maxwell told her what they were searching for at least, but we both know Jason is nowhere to be found.”

“We can’t say that for sure. All we saw was his burned-down cabin. He could have set it up for all we know.”

Raphael cocked a brow. “But I thought we both agreed he was dead just last night?”

“I did. I’m trying to be optimistic, but I wouldn’t want the children to run into him since he has been known to be violent.”

“Would he really harm the children, though?”

“I don’t think so, but Jason isn’t the one I’d be most worried about,” Seth said. “Did you know Earl was in prison for sexual assault?”

“He had better not lay a hand on those children, or else,” Raphael growled. “Are you sure you don’t remember where you were that night of the full moon? You even managed to make it to Jason’s cabin without remembering. Tessa also seems to have a memory lapse of that night. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me something?”

“What are you hinting at?”

“If you were with Tessa that night, you don’t have to lie. I won’t be mad, I promise.”

Seth laughed. “Are you sure about that? From the way you look at Tessa, I think you’d mind. I think in your mind, you’ve claimed Tessa already.” He shook his head. “And no to your question. I’ve been in Tessa’s cabin, but it was not related to getting up close and personal with her. To be honest, ever since Carrie was injured, I’ve felt something for her that I can’t describe.”

“Don’t let guilt rule your life.”

“It’s hard to explain.”

“You don’t owe me an explanation. I was just voicing my opinion.”

“What if she changed?”

“Women like her don’t change.”

“That’s awfully judgmental of you, Raphael.”

“You don’t need to get hurt. Your focus needs to be on your daughter, not your neglectful ex who, by the way, is a horrible mother.”

Seth just shook his head. “What would you understand? You’ve never fathered a child with anyone.”

“I don’t need to, either. But I’ll keep my thoughts to myself in regards to Carrie in the future since you’re apparently all gaga about her, now that she was injured.”