by Maddie Foxx
Tessa
Maddie Foxx
Copyright © 2015 Maddie Foxx
Tessa Maddie Foxx
All rights reserved
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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to persons living or dead (unless explicitly noted) is merely coincidental.
Cover Design by Tina Adams
Edited by Hot Tree Editing
Disclaimer
This book is not intended for anyone under the age of eighteen or anyone who is bothered by explicit content that includes strong sexual content, situations, and language between a werewolf and vampire.
Note From The Author
This book contains the previously published novella, Dawning, under the name of Madison Johns, plus two additional parts of the story that makes this a standalone and complete book. Maddie Foxx is the new pen name of the Madison Johns paranormal romance books.
DAWNING
Part One
CHAPTER ONE
“I’m going to make you come and when you do, I want to hear you scream my name,” Raphael breathed into Tessa’s mouth.
Tessa stiffened. The arrogance of this shifter was to be expected for his kind, but she wasn’t going to be so easily swayed by his words. “Like it’s that easy. How many women have you said that to before?”
Raphael’s eyes darkened and then returned to normal. He trailed a hand down her arm with the softest of touches that set every nerve in Tessa’s body alive and at attention. She considered her vampire state and felt confused about how it all worked. She came to realize that she was far from dead. On the contrary, she was very much alive. And as the alpha continued to move his hand lower and lower, she felt the heat inside her like never before. In that moment, her nipples tingled, as did her entire body. What was it about the shifter, which evoked such a response, and why did she never want it to end?
Tessa backed up and against the human Seth. When she whirled to face him, his lips turned into a smile. He didn’t touch her or even try to, choosing to stare at her. His blue eyes darkened slightly, and he said, “What’s wrong, Tessa? Certainly you’ve considered what it would be like to succumb to us. Isn’t that why you came home with us tonight?”
She sighed. “Yes. I mean, I thought I wanted this, too, but now I know I’m not ready yet.” Her stomach grumbled. “I need to leave,” Tessa said, watching the pulse throb at Seth’s neck, wanting to sink her fangs into it and drain just enough to satisfy her. But she knew what that would entail and how she’d be damning Seth to an existence as a vampire. How could she even consider doing that when his daughter, Melody, a red-tailed hawk shifter, needed him so much after her mother had neglected her? Even Raphael had responsibilities in the role of father to his nephew, Maxwell, since a human had killed his father. Yes, Tessa needed to get a handle on her cravings for blood—and soon.
Tessa backed up and was out the door almost at a sprint. She wanted nothing more than to know what it would be like to be pleasured by both Raphael and Seth. How many times would they be able to make her come? However, she’d have to wait until she had her wits about her. Tessa didn’t want it to be a one-time encounter. She wanted what her friend Katlyn had found with her mountain lion shifters, Brendan and Chase. Why, Katlyn had just given birth to Brendan’s son, Elric, and Chase’s son, Nolan, fraternal twins.
The moon lit the way as she raced off into the night, the wind tickling her face as she ran. All of her senses were at high alert as she listened for any signs of movement that would indicate a wild animal that wasn't a shifter, since Creeksboro was home to many varieties. One time, Tessa made the mistake of attacking a wolf that turned out to be the alpha, Raphael, and that was basically how she met him and Seth.
Ten minutes later, finally stopping to catch her breath, she was startled as the bushes began to shake and an animal burst out from the underbrush. It was a wolf and he dropped a rabbit at her feet. Is this what life for me would be like? Feeding off animals? Tessa picked it up, her fangs draining the rabbit of blood. It wasn't until she had finished that she realized she was quite alone. Tessa knew Raphael was the one who’d helped her feed that night. Even in wolf form, she could smell the musky fragrance of him. It did irritate her that he brought her that rabbit since she was quite capable of finding her own food. She had to learn her own way as a vampire; otherwise, what future did she really have?
She dropped the rabbit to the ground and wiped her mouth with the back of her arm. Tessa started walking back to the main road, which she had planned to follow back to Shadow Creek where she lived amongst the mountain lion shifters.
Lights nearly blinded her as an ATV came up fast. A smiling Seth stopped and said, “Hop on. I'll take you back to Shadow Creek.”
She climbed behind Seth and held on tight as he spun the wheels onto the main road, leaving a trail of mud and dirt behind him. All too soon, they drove under the Shadow Creek Ranch sign and Tessa got off, thanking Seth who drove off almost immediately. A large man approached, his face still hidden under his cowboy hat until he walked under a yard light—not that she didn't know it was Angus.
She greeted the llama shifter. “Hello, Angus. Nice of you to wait up.”
“I was a little concerned when you left the saloon with Raphael and Seth. Not that it's any of my business, of course.”
“It’s fine. I'm used to you being protective. I guess it must be all those years you've been guarding cattle.”
“Maybe.” He laughed. “It's starting to get light on the horizon so you better get a move on.”
Tessa passed Angus and went into her cabin, hearing the sounds of an infant crying in the distance who must’ve been one of the twins. She’d have to stop by and visit Katlyn the following day and see how she was getting on with motherhood. Tessa shuddered to think what it would be like to be a mother to twin sons. That made Tessa a little sad, since she'd probably never know what it felt like to be a mother. Not that it was in her plans, just that it was yet another painful reminder that her life had taken an unexpected detour after Paige had bitten her, turning her into a creature of the night.
Paige… that was a subject Tessa didn't want to even think about. Paige ran the ranch for Brendan and Chase while they worked it like ranch hands. They were like that, no-nonsense men who never put on airs. So far, however, none of the shifters she’d met acted a bit smug, even though they owned ranches in the area. Sure, they all exhibited a certain male arrogance, but not to the point where they mistreated their mates.
She didn’t know Raphael well enough to know who he really was as a shifter. While Shadow Creek was home to mountain lion shifters, Silver Creek was where the werewolves lived. Then there was Shady Creek, home to the werebears. Katlyn was a teacher and taught shifter children in a schoolhouse at Shadow Creek, including Melody and Maxwell; Joel, a mountain lion shifter not related to Brendan or Chase; and Ivan, the werebear of the bunch.
Tessa opened her refrigerator with an angry look at the blood bag she was forced to drink from most times as sustenance. She slammed the door shut and walked through the all-knotty pine cabin she called home, up the stairs, and slid under the silky sheets. Her curtains were black and not an ounce
of light leaked through, thankfully allowing her a blissful day of slumber.
* * *
Raphael paced the confines of the cabin. “We shouldn’t have pressed Tessa to come home with us tonight. It was too soon.”
“We didn’t push her. She came here of her own free will,” Seth said.
“Yes, but she ran out of here like a frightened rabbit.”
“I’d hardly consider a vampire a frightened anything. They are quite vicious at times.”
“She doesn’t seem that way to me at all. She hasn’t come into her own just yet. Perhaps we should back away until we get to know her better.”
“If you mean not ask her back here anytime soon, it might be a good idea, but is that going to be something you can do? Can you control your lust that long, Raphael?”
“It’s not easy coming back here after living in the wild for most of my life,” Raphael admitted.
“Yes, but you’ve made great strides here. Your nephew, Maxwell, might just come out of his shell with your direction.”
“You expect me to be able to be a positive influence with him when I struggle with my own demons?”
“Being a parent means you sacrifice your own needs. I see you doing that since you’ve stayed this long.”
“I have. Maxwell needs someone to show him the way of being a werewolf, but with his injury, I worry about him. What will happen if I’m no longer here? Will he be turned away from the pack if he’s not able to assert himself as the alpha?” Raphael inquired.
“Do you plan on going somewhere?”
“Of course not, providing the full-blood werewolves to the north don’t decide to push into Wyoming.”
“That would be a dilemma since you spent years living amongst them.”
“Yes, but they’re very unpredictable. Werewolves that are only capable of turning on the full moon have a lust for blood like none other.”
“Dr. Evans is one and he’s never caused any problems in Creeksboro.”
“Yes, which makes me wonder how he’s able to do that.”
“He’s not known to me, and I can’t help but wonder what his story is. What brought him to Creeksboro, away from his own kind?” Seth glanced at the clock. “We probably had better get some sleep. In a few hours’ time, we’ll be having to get the children ready for school.”
* * *
Tessa woke up at eight and stretched before heading into the kitchen. She poured a glass full of blood from the bag in her refrigerator, taking it with her into the living room. Although she hated to feed from what the blood bank supplied her with, it was something she had to do. Her survival depended upon it.
There was a knock at the door and Tessa answered it, allowing Paige inside. Tessa led the way back to the living room where she tipped back the glass, grimacing.
Paige sat opposite her. “It’s good to see you eat.”
“If you count this as eating, I suppose. I was able to catch a rabbit last night.”
“That’s not a good thing to get used to. If you become accustomed to feeding off the blood of animals, it will only make you crave the taste of human blood all the more. It’s just not worth the risk.”
Tessa leaned forward. “I’m not you, Paige. I need some variety. It’s like choosing between a juicy steak and a bowl of cold cereal.”
“We can’t risk for you to be found out. There’s nothing you’re going through that I haven’t done before. I recall the hunger, too, but I know what can happen if you let it get out of control and bite a human.”
“You must mean how you bit me and changed me into a monster.”
“That wasn’t the high point of my life, believe me.”
“You say that like we’re living when we both know we’re not.”
“You are very much alive, Tessa. If only you’d quit referring to yourself as a member of the undead.”
“But that’s how I feel.” Or it was until last night when Raphael made her feel so very alive, if only for moments before she took her leave.
“That will change. So, how have you handled mingling amongst the living?”
“I’m doing fine since most humans are asleep when I’m awake. I would like to see Katlyn tonight, though, if she’s not too exhausted.”
“That sounds like a great idea. Never lose sight of staying in contact with your friends.”
Tessa sipped more of her drink and Paige excused herself and left. Tessa knew she was trying to help, but she also knew that to truly become adjusted to her life as a vampire, she’d have to go it alone. She was given what she needed, but even the medication to help with the cravings did little to stop the need to feed. She just worried about how Katlyn truly thought of her since her ‘change’. Her greatest fear was that Katlyn wouldn’t allow her to be a part of her life any longer. She loved the twins very much. Would her friend bar her from the one thing that brought her joy—holding the babies?
CHAPTER TWO
Tessa tentatively knocked on Katlyn’s door as darkness cloaked her. Brendan opened it and led the way inside, where Chase was walking Nolan who was causing quite the fuss.
“May I?” Tessa asked as she held out her arms to take the baby.
Chase relinquished his hold on his son and Tessa felt a surge of joy gather in her heart. There was no greater feeling in the world than holding an infant. She gazed down at the red-faced and crying baby, putting him to her shoulder and cooing to him gently.
Katlyn smiled from the rocking chair where she was nursing Elric, who suckled with a loud slurping sound.
“Did you have fun last night?” Katlyn asked with a sly smile.
Tessa was immediately on guard. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Perhaps we should leave you ladies for some girl talk,” Chase volunteered.
“Go ahead, guys I know you both need a break,” Katlyn said.
The men were out the door like wildcats—not much of a stretch since they were mountain lion shifters.
Katlyn patted the chair next to her. “Have a seat. I didn’t mean to pry, I was just wondering how it’s going with Raphael and Seth. I know Angus has been giving you rides into town.”
“There’s nothing going on like you might think. I’m in no rush to get involved with them the way you’re suggesting. Not yet, anyway. I’m trying to sort out this vampire thing, which I won’t be able to do unless people quit trying to be such enablers.”
“Meaning?”
“Oh, you know. Dead animals put at my doorstep every night. Even tonight, Raphael killed a rabbit for me. I’m capable of doing that myself if I have a mind to.”
“We’re just trying to help.”
“Well, don’t. I’m not incapable of fending for myself. I even wonder if I’d fare better if I left Shadow Creek.”
Katlyn almost looked hurt at the remark.
“It’s not you, Katlyn. I just feel so strange now, and I really need to be alone for a while. Surely you could understand that.”
“Yes, but I’m really wondering where this is coming from. I suppose it never occurred to me that you’d rather leave than stay here, but I’ll support you any way I can. Please, just give it more thought before you make that move, okay?” Katlyn moved Elric from her breast and applied a damp cloth to clean herself. “Where would you go? Not far, I hope?”
The last thing she wanted was to hurt her friend, but how could she explain how she felt? “I’m not sure. I just need some space to think things through, but I’ll give it more thought if that will make you happy.”
“Look, this isn’t about making me happy. You have to live for yourself and figure out what you really want. Like Seth and Raphael. You seem to be hitting it off with them.”
“I’m not ready to make any decisions right now. It wouldn’t be fair to lead either of them on when I haven’t figured things out yet.”
“I never expected you to, but if you’d like a little more space, I’m sure there must be a cabin on the ranch, which is farther from the main house and us.”
Tessa nodded with a slight smile, laying Nolan down in his crib as he had fallen asleep. “I should get going. I’ll let you know what I decide.”
When the door closed, Tessa waved at Angus who sauntered over. “Evening, Tessa. Nice night for a snack. You want me to find you something to eat?”
“No, there’s too much of that going around. I can find my own food.”
“I don’t expect you like that blood in your fridge all that much.”
“You got that right. Although, Paige has warned me already that the more I feed off living animals, the more of a temptation it might be to hunt a human. I know I can’t do that without turning them, and I’d never do that to anyone.”
“Not on purpose, anyway. Let’s just hope you’re never put in the position to feed like that again.”
“I was forced to kill once, but that was not about feeding, although I did drink. It was about protecting myself.”
“I get it. I know all about doing what you have to if faced with danger. I’ve had to do that, too. Before I came to Shadow Creek.”
Tessa looked up at the llama shifter and smiled. He was the kindest and yet most misunderstood shifter. While he considered himself dumb or slow, he was neither. Anyone would say of him that he was the most loyal ranch hand at Shadow Creek, and protecting the cattle wasn’t the extent of his duties. He was also a friend to them all. She hoped that one day he’d be able to meet a woman who was worthy of his love.
“Can I get a ride into town?”
“If you’d like, but are you sure you want to go into town again tonight?”
“Don’t worry about me, Angus. There’s not much else to do at Shadow Creek, and it gets boring staying in my cabin all the time.”
“Okay, but be careful and call me when you want to come home. I don’t like the idea of you speaking with Raphael and Seth, either. It’s just strange.”
“Why is that?” Tessa wanted to know.