Tessa, Vampire/Werewolf Romance, (Standalone) (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 3) by Maddie Foxx Page B

He headed straight there when he came home.”
    “I should talk to him. Maxwell and Melody found Carrie badly beaten today.”
    “Jason Traxler?”
    “Not sure yet. Carrie is still unconscious.”
    “Where are Seth and Melody?”
    “For now, Melody won’t leave Carrie’s side and somehow, I don’t think Seth will until she comes around.”
    Palina just shook her head. “I just don’t understand him. Lately he’s been acting so strange, and now he’s worried about a woman who neglected his child?”
    “He might in some way feel responsible for not trying to help Carrie get away from Jason.”
    “That’s dumb. You can’t fix stupid especially since she doesn’t want the help.”
    “I’m not going to argue that point since I don’t personally know Carrie. And I certainly am not about to judge her decisions. They speak for themselves. I just hope she recovers and wakes up soon. Melody’s been through enough already. I’ve seen what happens firsthand when a child loses a parent.”
    Raphael excused himself and took a deep breath before going into Maxwell’s room, knocking and waiting for him to open the door. When he did, Raphael was taken aback when Maxwell threw his arms around him. When he pulled away, he blurted, “Oh, Uncle Raphael. I feel so horrible. I was angry and ran from school and when Melody found me, we had an argument. Th-Then her mother came stumbling into a clearing and collapsed. She looked horrible. She was b-bleeding, and both of her eyes were so swollen she could barely see Melody.”
    “Was she conscious?”
    “Only for a moment. She recognized Melody and then was out.”
    Raphael sat on Maxwell’s bed and he joined him. “It’s too bad you had to see that, but if you hadn’t been there, nobody might have ever found her until it was too late.”
    Maxwell nodded. “But what if she doesn’t wake up? I’d hate for Melody to lose her mother. I wouldn’t wish losing a parent on anyone. I’ve lost two. That’s why I can’t quit thinking about where my mother might be.”
    “If I knew, believe me, I’d tell you.”
    “I believe you since you never even met my mother.”
    “No, I was living in Montana for years. Now I wish I hadn’t been. Losing your dad was hard on me, too. It’s too late for regrets, but I still wish I had gotten to know him as a man and father.”
    “Were you close when you were younger?”
    “Yes. There’s an old tree out back we climbed all the time.”
    Maxwell’s eyes welled up with tears, but he wiped them back with the arm of his shirt. “I’d love to see that tree.”
    Raphael stood and Maxwell joined him outside. A breeze was blowing from the north and there would be a full moon tonight. It always stirred up the werewolves, even though they didn’t need the light of the bright orb in the sky to shift. There was nothing like a good hunt on a full moon.
    They made way for a tree, which towered above every other. It was old and mighty, withstanding the test of time. What Raphael had loved the best about it was how the branches were low enough for a boy to reach and climb.
    Raphael pointed out a carving on the side of the tree. “Your father and I carved our names into the trunk of the tree. See?”
    Maxwell searched the trunk and his face lit up when he saw the words that read, Nate and Raphael, alpha twins carved into the tree. He fingered the words and asked, “What does ‘alpha twins’ mean?”
    “Didn’t you know I was your father’s twin?”
    Maxwell screwed up his face. “No. You don’t look like him at all, and you’re much taller.”
    “Fraternal twins, actually. They never look the same as identical. We were supposed to both take our place as alpha, but I knew Nate wanted it more than me. I wanted to explore the world.”
    “Is it true you actually lived with the full-blood werewolves?”
    “Yes, but that is part of my past now. Just know that I’ve served as a protector for many years, and I’ll protect this pack like