Chapter 7 - Xander
He was in his office thinking about his encounter with Rayla from the day before. His mind was a mix of several emotions keeping him busy as he stood by his window, casting his gaze across the horizon.
Xander couldn't seem to get Rayla out of his head, nor could he stop thinking about how he had been a father for thirteen years now and didn't know. He was pissed at her for keeping him in the dark about this, knowing full well what it meant to him. Yes, he did tell her that she wasn't going to be able to give him an heir with the Shadow abilities. But why didn't she reach out when she found out that he was wrong—that her kid wasn't human?
He wanted to blame her; he really did, but a part of him knew that she wasn't entirely at fault. He also had a huge part to play in this… as did the Elders. A frown appeared on his face as he thought about them and how they had misled him. He was going to address that later; however, his heart still beat for Rayla, and he couldn't stop thinking about her.
He tiredly massaged his eyeballs as he gave in to the images of Rayla that were flashing in his head. Seeing her again and speaking with her did a number on him. It affected him more than he had realized. The mere thought of her was making his heart race, a testament to the fact that he was still in love with her.
Xander wanted her back now more than ever. He wanted to have her once again, to give their love another chance and also have the privilege of being in Abel's life.
He found himself imagining how his life would be with both of them in it. He would be the happiest alpha that had ever walked the earth. He thought about how he would be there for Abel during his first turn, how he would teach him the ways and culture of the pack.
He imagined himself with Abel in the woods, teaching the boy how to harness the powers of the Shadows and how to use his abilities to conjure and form all manner of weapons. He imagined teaching him to run at supernatural speed, teaching him to leap, to howl… to hunt.
Abel would be a fast learner since he had alpha blood running in his veins. Xander was certain that he would make sure Abel learned everything there was to learn.
The boy was his pride, his legacy, an extension of who he was, and a testament to the love that once was between him and Rayla.
He had to reunite with them, he had to be with them—and this time, no one would stop him. Nothing would stand in his way, not even the Elders. They ruined his life once all because of a tradition that they were too scared to break.
This time, things would be very different. No one would make decisions for him anymore. And in that moment, he decided to take control of his personal life and his life as alpha of the pack.
He stepped away from the window, ready to go back to Rayla and try to talk things through with her. Yesterday was an eye-opener for him and he realized that he could not afford to lose her again. Despite the argument that they had, he still wanted her because arguments were inevitable and it would probably be the first of many others to come. But he didn't care. He was determined to make this work, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
Just as he was about to pick up his car keys from the table, a thick blanket of shadow crept from beneath his door and climbed, enveloping the door. His eyes glowed as he looked through the shadow portal, although he already knew who had conjured this in his office.
Good. It's about time we had a talk.
He walked through the shadows and appeared at the assembly of the Elders.
“Alpha Xander,” the Eldress greeted.
“Eldress Lana,” he sketched a slight bow.
“I know we said that we would give you some time to find a mate…”
“We also said that we would intervene should you take too much time doing that,” Elder Rook intercepted.
“That was barely twenty-four hours ago.”
“A lot can happen in twenty-four hours,” Elder Rook replied.
“This was just a friendly reminder that you need to get married,” the Eldress said to him.
“It is not proper for an alpha to stay so long without a mate,” Elder Ember chipped in.
“Or an heir,” Elder Rook added.
“You know,” Xander began, scratching his jaw. “Funny that you should mention that.”
“Mention what, mate or heir?” Elder Rook asked.
“Both, really.”
“Have you found a mate… is that what you're trying to tell us?” Elder Silvara asked him, his voice carrying a glimmer of hope.
“That's not far from the truth, actually,” Xander replied.
“Speaking in parables should be our thing, young Alpha,” Elder Thorne said to him.
“What I'm saying is that I have an heir,” Xander declared proudly.
Immediately, there was a hush of whispers arising amidst them as they marveled at what he had said.
“Not just any heir… but one who has already manifested the Shadow Jumping ability,” he added.
“Fascinating,” the Eldress declared with a joyous tone. “But wait. How is it possible? When did you have the time to father a child we didn't know about?” she asked curiously.
“That's the thing; I only just found out recently,” he replied.
“Amazing,” Elder Ember said.
“Aren't you going to ask who the mother is?” He inquired, frowning as he waited patiently to see their reaction to what he had to say.
“I have a feeling you're going to tell us, anyway,” Elder Rook said.
“Yes. You're right. I will.”
“I can sense your pain, young Alpha,” the Silent One finally spoke. His voice was thunderous, like the sound of running water.
Xander's heart skipped a beat as he heard the voice, and he fixed his gaze at the Seventh Elder, whom he had never heard speak before now.
“I know you think that we are the cause of what you consider a misfortune, but I can assure you that everything worked out for your own good,” he added.
“Okay… what is going on here?” Elder Rook asked, a bit confused.
“For my good?” Xander scoffed in disbelief. “You all told me that the human girl that I was seeing thirteen years ago wouldn't be able to give me a worthy heir. You asked me to end my relationship with her, to give up on my love.” The words escaped him angrily, but he was composed enough not to lose control because, despite how pissed he was. He understood his place.
“Hold on, are you saying what I think it is that you're saying?” Elder Rook asked.
“Depends on what you think I'm saying,” Xander responded.
“Well, I think you're saying that the same human girl from thirteen years ago is the mother of your heir,” Elder Rook said.
“Then you're not wrong.”
There was a sudden silence that fell in that instance as they took some time to digest this revelation.
“Impossible,” Elder Ember said with an uncertain tone.
“Is it, though?” Xander replied. “Because I saw the kid Shadow Jump into my room. I've looked into his eyes… he's mine and hers also. Therefore, it's not impossible,” he declared. “You were wrong, all of you.” He pointed at them.
“Alpha Xander, listen to me…”
“Admit it, Eldress Lana,” he cut her off. “You all are the reason that I had been loveless this past thirteen years—the reason she never told me about the existence of my son.”
“You're hurting… I know,” she said to him with a soothing voice. “But believe me when I tell you that fate happens. Fate drove you two apart, and fate has brought you back together again.”
“This wasn't fate, Eldress. This was your mistake… our mistake,” he replied.
“The concept of destiny can sometimes be too difficult to comprehend even for supernatural beings like us,” she said to him. “There's always a lesson to be learned, a reason why things happen when they do and how they do.”
What she said didn't make much sense to him, but then again, he wasn't going to spend his time trying to analyze this or make a meaning out of it.
“I have an heir for the pack. I hope you're all happy now,” he said to them and turned to leave.
“Alpha Xander,” the Eldress called out to him. He stopped in his tracks. “Do you believe in destiny?”
He turned and stared at them for a moment.
“I believe in free will,” Xander replied and walked out through the shadow portal, which vanished after him.
He was really pissed and needed to get his mind off the things that were triggering his anger. His phone rang and he picked it up. It was Asher Grey.
“Hey,” he said, massaging his temple.
“Hey, buddy, where are you?” Asher asked on the other line. “We're all here, waiting for you. Are you still coming?”
Shit!
He had forgotten that he and his friends were supposed to gather at the Full Moon Bar today.
Xander could hear Articus' gentle laughs in the background and Callahan's joke as they conversed. He needed to be around them in order to stay sane.
“Yeah, I'll be there soon.”
“I don't doubt that,” Asher replied and ended the call.
Xander set his phone down, and with his mind, he conjured the shadows. With a flick of his fingers, they spread over a wall. He took his jacket off a hanger and walked right through the wall. Seconds later, he walked out of a wall in an alley. A few steps forward, and he could see the bar across the street.
The bells jingled as the doors parted and he walked in, then sighted Callahan waving at him from their usual spot. Amidst the clinks of glasses and the voices of both drunk and sober supernatural beings, he made his way to his friends.
“Someone looks pissed,” Asher said to him.
“You have no idea,” he replied and took a seat.
“Well, it looks like you have a lot on your mind,” Callahan said and whistled at the waiter behind the counter. “I think we're going to need stronger beer!” he said to him.
“What's going on? Still the problem of finding a mate and having an heir?” Articus asked.
Xander had told them about the situation on the ground the last time they were here.
“Ironically, that isn't the problem right now,” he said.
“Okay… then what is it?” Rowan asked.
The waiter arrived at their table and dropped a couple of more bottles as requested by Callahan. Seconds later, he dematerialized, leaving them to their conversations.
“It turns out that I have a son… an heir.” Xander poured himself some beer and raised his pitcher until he chugged down the entire content.
“Okay, I'm confused,” Callahan said to him.
“I have a thirteen-year-old son,” he replied.
“Yeah… you're not exactly doing a good job at explaining this right now,” Callahan complained.
Xander drew in a deep breath.
“What exactly is going on, Xander?” Rowan asked.
“Remember how you rejected Juniper only for her to return to your life, and the rest became history?” He faced him.
“That's one weird way to put it, but yes. I do remember,” Rowan replied.
“Well, Rayla, my one true love—the human woman whom my Elders pushed me away from, is back in my life with a full-grown child… my child.”
“Whoa,” Asher exclaimed softly.
“Where do I even start?” He started on another drink.
“Do you still love her?” Asher asked him.
“Yes… yes, I do,” his reply was swift, without hesitation.
“Then start by winning her back,” he advised. “A love that has stood the test of time is destiny.”
“Destiny,” Xander said quietly. “That's what my Elders told me.” He drank out of his pitcher.
“The kid… is he…?” Rowan asked.
“One of us… yes,” Xander replied.
“Then Asher is right,” Articus said to him. “This is everything you've always wanted, and it's right in front of you. Don't let it slip away this time.”
Xander let out a sigh.
“This isn't a problem, my friend. It's a blessing,” Callahan said to him. “Think about it. What are the chances that you reunite with your ex after all this time and find out that she has a child for you at the exact time when you need a mate and an heir?”
Xander pondered on that for a while. Now that Callahan put it this way, it made sense to him that this truly just might be destiny.
“It's almost like it's…”
“Fate,” Xander completed Callahan's statement.
“Exactly.”
“When it comes to matters of the heart… go for it with everything you’ve got,” Asher advised him.
“He's right,” Rowan seconded. “The ball is in your court now.”
“Your future is dependent on the decisions you make today,” Articus added. “Decide wisely, Xander.”
***
Having made up his mind to go back to Rayla, Xander Shadow Jumped back to his office, grabbed his car keys, and headed downstairs.
His friends were right. His future was dependent on the choices he would make today, and he had already made his choice. He had chosen to be with Rayla and Abel, and he was not going to give up on them. He wasn't going to leave her place without the two of them.
He brought the car to a screeching halt outside the house and rushed inside. Xander slowed down at the entrance as he saw Rayla frazzled and almost scared in the living-room with some bags already packed.
“Xander,” she called out softly, rising to her feet as he walked up to her.
“What's going on here? Are you traveling or something?” He stopped in front of her, his heart beating fast as he anticipated her response.
“Honestly, Xander, I don't know,” she replied.
She looked a bit weird, like she was worried about something. Fear was palpable in her eyes even though she was trying to mask it.
“Rayla, what is going on?” he inquired.
“We have to leave this, Xander. You're right. Abel can't stay here anymore,” she confessed.
It felt good hearing her admit that he was right. This was definitely his window to make things right again. Now was his chance to take them with him.
“Do you have anywhere to go?” Xander asked her, hoping to receive a negative response.
“The ball is in Abel's court. I want him to decide,” she replied.
Xander turned to the kid who was standing at the base of the stairs. He slowly walked over to him then squatted in front of him. He hadn't really spoken with him just yet, and he wasn't sure what to say.
“Hey, buddy.” He smiled.
“Hi,” Abel reciprocated the gesture.
Xander's heart melted instantly, and he held the boy's hands.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked.
Abel nodded with a faint grin.
“Mom says you're my father.”
A smile brightened Xander's face for a moment.
“I am indeed your father.” He ruffled his hair. “How would you like to come stay with me?” he asked. “We would have a lot of fun. I will teach all there is to know about who we are and what we can do—and trust me, we can do a lot of things.”
Abel laughed lightly.
“That does sound like fun.”
“Right?” Xander chuckled, knowing that he had won his son's heart. “I am so sorry for not being a part of your life sooner, Abel. But I am here now and I want to be a part of your life now. I want to make up for those years that I missed.” He looked into the boy's eyes. “Will you grant me this request by accepting to come with me?”
“Will Mom be coming as well?” Abel asked.
Xander glanced back at Rayla who was almost tearing up where she was standing.
“If that's what you want, then of course,” she replied with an emotional grin.
“That's what I want,” Abel declared.
Xander put his head down and exhaled sharply.
“Okay, Baby.” She walked over to them. “Dad's place it is, then.”
Xander rose to his feet and locked eyes with her, tempted to seal the moment with a kiss as they both couldn't seem to take their eyes off each other.
“Are you two coming or what?” Abel asked as he struggled with the luggage.
Xander walked up to him.
“Here, let me help you with that.” He grabbed some of the luggage from his hands while Rayla picked up the rest and they all headed out to his car.
It was a good thing that he came with the car because he wasn't sure that a human could survive the Shadow Jump, and he wasn't willing to take that risk with Rayla.
They got into the car with Abel in the backseat, and Xander drove away with a sense of accomplishment filling his joyous heart.