Free Katlyn (M/F/M red-hot menage shifter romance) Standalone (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 1) by Madison Johns Page A

happened. She took a deep breath and then felt steady enough to stand and venture into the bathroom. As she stared into the mirror, a grimace overtook her face. She looked awful! Dark, puffy circles were beneath both eyes, and her face was bloated looking, to her at least. She’d really tied one on last night, and alcohol always went straight to her head. She took her shower right away since she didn’t want to be late on her first day.
    After Katlyn’s shower, she dressed in a cream-colored dress from the clothing that Brendan and Chase had bought her the night before. She didn’t even remember them bringing her purchases upstairs. They had even hung everything up. She slipped on flats and it was then that she heard a moan coming from Tessa’s bedroom.
    Katlyn sat on the edge of Tessa’s bed and asked, “Are you okay, Tessa?”
    “I-I’m not sure. The back of my neck really hurts.”
    The light switch was turned on and Katlyn inspected Tessa’s neck, biting her fist when she saw two puncture marks. What on earth did Paige do to Tessa? How dare she attack her defenseless friend? This certainly added to Katlyn’s dismal mood.
    “Wh-What’s the matter?” Tessa asked, her eyes red and swollen.
    “Do you remember what happened last night?”
    Tessa massaged her brow, flopping back on the bed. “No. I can’t remember anything. Not even where I was last night.”
    “You hung out with Paige last night. Do you really not remember any of last night?”
    “No, but I had the strangest dream last night.”
    “Tell me about it.”
    “I was running across a pasture and an animal was chasing me.”
    “What kind of animal are we talking here? A mountain lion?”
    “I couldn’t see it. All I knew was that I couldn’t let it catch me. Do you think it was just a dream, Katlyn?”
    Katlyn swallowed hard and hugged her friend. “Of course it was just a dream, silly. Go back to sleep. It looks like you have a scratch on the back of your neck is all. I’ll grab a bandage and cover it for you. Just make sure you don’t take it off for a few days so that it heals properly.” She darted into the bathroom and found a bandage and bacterial cream. She first washed Tessa’s wound before she smoothed on the cream and applied the bandage. “There, the bandage is in place now.”
    Tessa smiled. “Thanks, Katlyn,” she said as her eyes closed.
    Stumbling into the other room, tears blurred Katlyn’s eyes. She felt so bad that she had brought them here, and now Tessa was injured by God knows what. Katlyn vowed to find out the truth if it killed her. There’s no way she’d allow Paige to do this to her friend. She’d find out for certain just what kind of animal Paige really was, but right now she had to pull herself together for the sake of the children. She had to protect Tessa at all costs, and part of that was to conceal those puncture marks until she figured out what had really happened to Tessa last night.
    Outside was the utility vehicle Katlyn had used yesterday. Gray clouds hovered ominously overhead and it matched her mood perfectly. The drive was a quick one and she arrived at the schoolhouse with a crowd waiting for her. Katlyn’s heart soared now in excitement at seeing the children.
    Katlyn parked and moved toward the schoolhouse, nodding at the children and parents who waited for her. She then opened the door and led the way inside, inhaling the soapy smell of the Murphy’s Oil Soap that must have been used yesterday after she’d left, but there was still a hint of pine that lingered in the air from the cleaner she had also used.
    Five children ran inside and scurried to the oak desks, their chairs scraping across the floor as they sat.
    “Take it easy, Maxwell,” said Nate, the werewolf she had met the night before at the saloon.
    When Katlyn saw the boy limp to his seat, she said, “It’s great to meet you Maxwell.”
    He flipped back his long hair and smiled shyly, taking his seat.
    “Freak,”