Tessa, Vampire/Werewolf Romance, (Standalone) (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 3) Read Online Free

to life as they know it at Shadow Creek. If you’re revealed as a vampire, so would Paige.”
    “That’s if I stay at Shadow Creek, you mean. I have no intention of staying there indefinitely. I think it’s time for me to move on,” Tessa stated. “Besides, Katlyn doesn’t need me. She has two mates and her babies to keep her company now.”
    “I’m sure she would be heartbroken if you were to leave,” Seth said. “She still needs you.”
    “I think she just feels guilty about how I was turned here, like it was her fault when nothing could be further from the truth. I was drunk that night and I felt drawn to Paige, so much so that in a moment of weakness, we embraced. What began as a passionate kiss between us ended up being a taste of my blood for her.”
    “I don’t know all that much about Paige,” Raphael said.
    “She came to Shadow Creek after Brendan and Chase found her down a crevice at Devil’s Tower. She was trapped under a rock and they brought her back to the surface. I’m not sure who exactly put her there, but one thing is for sure—they wanted her dead,” Tessa explained.
    “How was she able to survive?” Seth asked.
    “She was in the shadows so the sunlight wasn’t able to kill her. And with no food, she went into a hibernation state until she was awakened by the smell of fresh blood from Brendan and Chase’s recent kill. They brought her back to Shadow Creek and in time, she began to run the ranch for them.”
    “And she’s never bitten anyone besides you in Creeksboro?” Raphael asked.
    “No, not that I’m aware of.”
    “It must have been very upsetting to be suddenly turned like that. How are you handling it?”
    “I still carry some anger, but I tried not to express too much of it in Katlyn’s presence. I know she blames herself and that’s the last thing I want. Paige was the one responsible, but she’s done all she can to help me ease into this life. I promised Katlyn that I’d think about it before I left, but I know that’s what I want. I’ll speak to Paige before I make my move. Somehow, I don’t expect her to be surprised, but in some ways, I do rely on her for guidance. And that’s another reason I need to leave.”
    Seth stood and stretched. “Do you need a ride home? I, for one, have had enough beer for the night.”
    “Should you be driving your ATV tonight?”
    “No, I have a room at the boarding house on the other end of town.”
    “But I thought you lived at Silver Creek.”
    “I do, but I still keep a room here in town for just such an occasion.”
    “We can keep our ATVs in Dr. Evans’s garage like I usually do,” Raphael said.
    “What about you, Raphael?”
    “The moon sure is bright tonight,” Raphael said with a wink. “I’ll do what I do best: run by the light of the moon.”

CHAPTER THREE
    Raphael waited until Angus ambled outside and Tessa left after saying her goodbyes. Only then did Seth and Raphael take their ATVs over to the good doctor’s house.
    Dr. Evans had given Raphael a key to his house since he had lived amongst the full-bloods for years. He was trusted. Raphael had met the doctor once back in Montana, before he left. On occasion, he still journeyed back there to administer medical attention to the werewolves. It was hard not to respect the doctor for still maintaining contact with his own kind.
    Raphael opened the door and they both drove in the ATVs.
    Once they parked and back outside, Seth said, “I need to get going now. It’s getting late and I’d like to get some sleep. I’ll be back in the morning to take Maxwell and Melody to school.”
    “You don’t need to do that. I can take them in the pickup.”
    “Thanks, Raphael. I’m sure glad to have a friend like you.”
    Raphael nodded, dodging to the rear of the house while the sound of Seth’s footsteps trailed off in the opposite direction. Only then did he rear back his head, his neck bones extending, limbs shortening into the legs of a wolf, shedding his