Chapter 5 - Xander
It had been twenty four hours already since his last encounter with Rayla—which happened to also be his first encounter with her in years. He still couldn't come to terms with the fact that he actually had seen her after all this time.
As he lay in his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his mind raced as he recalled the look on her face when she set eyes on him in the woods. Her words were hurtful, like she saw him as some sort of monster to be avoided.
It was ironic how those eyes that used to gaze lovingly at him were the same eyes that glared at him with so much hatred and disdain. Xander had thought that he was doing okay until he saw her. Then, his whole world came crumbling to the ground. He had been speechless when they locked eyes and he confirmed that she was indeed his Rayla.
Time had been gracious to her—she was a lot prettier than he remembered her to be. She was gorgeous, a little more slender with a fine physique that dropped his jaw and made him stare at her with his mouth agape.
He could not believe his eyes, nor could he come to terms with the fact that she was holding on to the kid who had shown up in his room, out of the darkness of a corner. The teenage boy was able to conjure the shadows and effortlessly jump through them, which was impossible for humans. Therefore, the teenage boy was something more than a human.
How did she get to be close to a supernatural kid?
Wait a minute…
Xander's mind began to analyze the situation, and his heart skipped a beat as he thought of a possibility that would be both exciting and infuriating should it turn out to be true.
The Shadow ability could only be done by werewolves from the Shadow Moon Pack—specifically those from the alpha bloodline, the firstborn in a lineage.
Suffice it to say, as alpha of his pack, that the kid was from his bloodline.
Now, his heart was racing faster than a galloping horse as he knew that he was drawing closer to something that might be the truth.
The look in her eyes when she held the boy so tightly was the look of a mother afraid for her child's safety.
With a reflexive move, he jumped out of bed and focused on the image of the boy flashing in his mind. There was a resemblance that was striking; that boy had Rayla's eyes and his own hair color.
It was crystal clear; Rayla was the boy's mother. But could it be that he was the boy's father? If yes, then that would mean that the day she left, after he ended things with her, she must have been pregnant.
Did she know and keep that piece of information from him? Why would she do that? Why would she deprive him of the right to know about the existence of his son?
He knew that he hurt her and probably deserved to be punished, but this was a low blow.
Xander impatiently paced across the room with a heavy heart, uncertain about how to feel about this, especially because he was only groping for ideas that would make sense. He didn't have the answers he needed. But she did and he was determined to find her come daybreak. Xander needed to know the truth even though he was almost sure about his assumptions.
He had to talk to her, and this time, he wasn't going to leave without getting answers. He wasn't going to let her push him away again. He would stand his ground and have a decent conversation with her. Xander was not only after the truth, he also wanted to use that opportunity to see her and enjoy her company. He'd be killing two birds with one stone.
For some reason, time seemed to have stood still and he was growing impatient by the minute. He tried to woo the goddess of sleep, but she didn't seem to budge, and now, he had to stay awake and wait for the next few hours. He didn't think that he had that kind of patience but at the same time, he didn't have a choice either.
He would just have to wait.
Thousands of thoughts were running through his mind, all of them revolving around Rayla and the kid.
If the boy was his… and this was most probably the case… then that would mean that the Elders were wrong because the boy definitely had the Shadow abilities. A part of him was pissed at them, blaming them for being the reason he had to end things with Rayla and break her heart. He was mad at them and feared how he would confront them should he find out the truth.
But for now, he had to wait.
***
A couple of hours that seemed like ages sped past in a moment once he drifted to sleep after a long time of brooding, thinking, and worrying. He didn't even realize that he'd slept until he felt the brightness of the rising sun on his closed eyelids.
With a slight groan, he awakened to the yellow rays of the morning sun, filtering through the windows in a soft glow that draped over the room. The sound of a crowing cock accompanied by the chirping of birds outside caught his attention, and immediately, his eyes bulged out at the realization that it was daybreak already.
With a rapid blur of supernatural speed, he dashed out of bed, and a few seconds later, he was in the bathroom getting ready. With the same speed, he did the usual morning routine and bathed.
Xander zoomed out of the shower with a white towel around his waist, and he halted in front of his wardrobe. He wanted to look good, and now he was trying to figure out what exactly to wear. He didn't want to appear too formal, nor did he want to appear too casual.
He shuffled through the clothes neatly arranged on hangers until he made up his mind and decided on what to wear. Withdrawing the selection from the wardrobe, he got dressed in a trice, and with a blur of movement, he stopped in front of his mirror.
Xander combed his soft black hair as he stared at his reflection. He was dressed in a black suit that hugged his masculine physique, exposing the shape of his muscles. His black shoes were shining, well-polished, and the golden Rolex around his wrist added to the wealthy demeanor he exuded. He had no tie around his neck because he remembered that Rayla used to tell him how sexy he looked when clad in a suit without a tie.
He remembered how she used to be unable to stop looking at him whenever he was dressed like that. It always used to make him feel loved and wanted, cherished and adored. The top two buttons of his white undershirt were open—just the way she liked it—revealing the pendant she'd once gifted him while they were still together.
He drew in a deep breath.
“You got this,” he encouraged himself and stared at his reflection for a couple of more seconds before heading out.
***
Driving to the human settlement was the easy part; however, locating Rayla's place was going to be hard. It took him a while before he was able to narrow down her location. He couldn't do it alone, though; the nice ladies and some gentlemen that he'd approached and sought guidance from had been of tremendous help.
As he rounded a corner into a street, he spotted her outside one of the identical houses that streaked both sides of the road. She seemed to be talking with a man, but the closer he drove, the more he realized that they weren't talking—they were arguing, and the man seemed to be yelling at her, his voice drowning hers.
“You were yelling all through the night and it's not the first time!” The man declared angrily. “I have a toddler, you know. You're not the one in this neighborhood, and you sure as hell can't keep disturbing our peace at night!”
Xander, having heard this, figured that man must have been her neighbor.
“Squidward, will you just calm down and listen to me?” Rayla's voice rose as she was losing her temper.
Squidward?
Xander scoffed, understanding the reference. Obviously, the man didn't—unless that was indeed his name. If not, he should have flamed up. Xander thought the name sounded really accurate as the man was literally displaying the attitude of the cartoon character she'd referred to him as.
He pulled over by the sidewalk and stepped out of his posh vehicle with a hand in his pocket as he unbuttoned his jacket with the other.
“Excuse,” he said to the man with a gentle tap on his shoulder.
The man swiveled to face him and went silent after seeing him.
Xander figured that his height had intimidated the man—or was it his classy look? He observed that Rayla was looking at him, and the expression on her face revealed that she was struggling not to acknowledge his presence. In a split second, their eyes met, but she immediately looked away, subtly masking her discomfort. He smirked and turned back to the man.
“That's no way to talk to a lady.”
The man scoffed with disdain.
“That's assuming she is one. Because the last time I checked, ladies don't scream all night—except if they're possessed or something…”
“Excuse me?” She moved closer, feeling really offended by his statement and ready to show him that possessed part of her.
Pissed, Xander grabbed the man by the collar and raised him completely off the ground.
“What the hell?” The man marveled at Xander's strength with wide-open eyes, showing the fear lurking within.
“You obviously don't know how to talk to a lady, do you?” he asked through gritted teeth.
The man was suddenly too numb to even speak as Xander looked deep into his eyes, his gaze piercing through the man's soul.
“Xander… put him down,” Rayla said to him.
It was then he composed himself and glanced around; people were watching and whispering to themselves. The last thing he wanted was unnecessary attention. So, he let go, and the man dropped to his feet.
“If you ever, in this miserable life of yours, talk to her in this manner again, I will find you, and I will end you.”
The threat really shook the man, and he swallowed hard.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes—yes!” he responded swiftly.
“Good. Now, get out of here.”
He rose to his feet and dusted his jacket.
“You two are demons from the pit of hell.” He took to his heels, leaving them alone.
Xander could hear the sound of her heart beating fast as they stood there, staring at each other in silence.
My God! She's gorgeous. How did I let her go?
Xander began to have flashes of images of their time together. He remembered how soft and smooth her skin was, how good it felt to touch it… to touch her. Even now, he could feel her skin on his palms and wished that he would have the opportunity to feel it again.
She was a lot more beautiful than before; her eyes were sparkling, shimmering in the sunlight. Her hair was piled up at the back of her head and clipped. Her lips were so enticing and he recalled the times that he used to freely kiss them at any time.
Flashes of them together in a deep tongue-twirling session hit him hard as he spent the next few seconds thinking about how great of a kisser she used to be. He remembered how they used to roll over the sheets while making love; the sounds of her soft moans, her facial expressions, and her smile all clouded his head, making him regret ever letting her go. He wondered if this little time together was having the same effect on her as it was on him.
There was no denying it; he was still in love with her, and he badly wanted her back.
“What are you doing here, Xander?” Rayla's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“You're welcome,” he said, referencing the fact that he had saved her from Squidward.
“I had that under control,” she replied with her arms across her chest. “And I definitely didn't need your intervention.”
She was rude, and it upset him a little, prompting a snarky and rather sarcastic response.
“Yeah, it definitely looked like that from where I was standing.” He chuckled annoyingly.
“What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that I wanted you away from me—and how the hell did you even find this place?” The words came out of her in a rush.
“Push me away all you want, Rayla, but I am not leaving here without getting some answers,” he replied.
She scoffed and shook her head.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” she said keenly, obviously feigning ignorance as she looked away.
“Then why can't you look me in the eye?”
She shook her head, keeping her gaze across the street.
“Rayla,” he called her softly. “The boy who Shadow Jumped into my room…”
At this point, he listened to her heartbeat, and it was going crazy, beating faster than normal as she struggled to breathe. He could tell that the truth was weighing on her, and she was resisting the urge to confess it.
“He's mine, isn't he?” He stepped closer and turned her chin so she could face him.
She did, fighting back the tears that welled in her eyes as she was starting to get emotional.
Rayla exhaled sharply and walked away from him before heading to the house.
“You coming or what?” She went inside and left the door open.
Xander, who had felt a hint of abandonment after she left, now gave a very faint grin and followed her. He was grateful that she was kind enough to invite him into her home even though she didn't have to.
Amidst his gratitude, he understood the gravity of this and knew that trouble lay ahead.
He walked in and quietly shut the door behind him. A few steps further, he admired the nice and cozy interior decor with walls adorned with framed photos of her and the boy. He walked over to the living room where she was standing, waiting for him.
“Nice apartment,” he said with a grin.
“Thank you,” she replied and sighed heavily.
“The kid is mine, isn't he?”
She paused and shut her eyes for a moment. With all this stalling, he already had his answer. However, he just wanted to hear her say it.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Abel is your son.”
The moment she said it, it hit him like a wave as though he hadn't known already. He was overwhelmed by a series of emotions but the most dominant was anger. Now, he could feel all that rage about her silence on a sensitive matter such as this.
“I can't believe you hid this from me, Rayla,” he said, almost snapping at her.
“ You're one to talk,” she replied arrogantly.
“Do you have any idea what you did?” Now, he snapped.
“Yes!” she snapped right back. “I know exactly what I did, Xander. I made the decision to raise my son on my own since I was rejected by the one who I thought was in love with me—the one who ended things with me without even at least fighting for what we stood for!” Her words flew out of her mouth frustratedly.
“So, that's what you came over to tell me that day?” His brows rose as he realized it now.
“How could I tell you after you broke my heart without any shred of remorse?” Her lips trembled as all those past hurt came rushing back.
“That was selfish, Rayla!”
“Selfish?” She stepped forward with a frown. “How dare you talk about selfishness with me, Xander?” She halted before him, glaring at him, her eyes red with anger. “You chose what was best for you , and I did the same, but I'm the one who's selfish?”
“You could have told me, Rayla!” he raised his voice, that rage clouding his mind as the argument was taking a different turn.
“You're damn right, I could have—but I didn't!” she declared, leaning closer to look him in the eyes. “I didn't because there was no need to tell you anything.”
She was angry, and she wanted him to feel hurt—that was the reason for her attitude.
“This isn't about me, Rayla,” he said to her, his voice a bit lower. “It's dangerous, raising a shifter in a human town—do you have any idea what would happen if he lost control—he could hurt someone… or worse.”
She was quiet for a while.
“I didn't know that he was…” she lowered her voice. “I didn't know that he was like you.” Rayla sighed. “Besides, you made it crystal clear that a human couldn't give you a worthy heir—that I wouldn't give you a child with your traits and your genes. So, how was I supposed to have known that you were wrong?” She almost broke down but didn't.
He let out a gentle sigh.
“Abel's first shift could have led him to anyone. Can you imagine how disastrous that would have been if it wasn't my room that he had appeared in? What if he was thinking about someone else, a crush perhaps, and ended up in her room?”
“Like I said, I didn't know. He only started manifesting three years ago…”
“Three years ago?” His eyes widened in disbelief as this further buttressed his point about the danger the kid and everyone around him was in. “Jesus, Rayla!”
“What was I supposed to do?” She spread out her arms dramatically.
“Reach out to me—that's what you were supposed to do!” he blurted out.
“Wow! That's rich coming from the guy who said that he couldn't be with me anymore. Or have you forgotten so fast that you were the one who broke up with me?”
“Oh, so you chose your pride over our son's safety!”
“Don't do that, Xander, because you have no idea what your rejection put me through,” she warned him sternly.
“You think this was easy for me, Rayla?” He cast a disbelieving look at her. “You have no idea what I went through as well.”
“Yeah, right,” she said sarcastically.
Xander let out a sigh, trying to control his anger.
“You kept my son away from me… but somehow, his longing for a father led him straight to me and, I am not leaving here without him.”
“Excuse me?” She reflexively pulled back her head to observe him with a defensive gaze as the natural instinct in her was clearly activated. “What's that supposed to mean?”
He was about to reply when Abel came down the stairs in a pair of pajamas.
“Mom?” he called out with a soft voice.
Xander's attention was immediately shifted to the boy on whom his gaze was fixed.