The Alpha’s Forbidden Secret Baby (Starlight Valley Alphas #6)

Chapter 1 - Xander

It was dark, really dark, and the sounds of his growl blended with the coolness of the woods. Twigs snapped beneath his feet while traversing amidst the towering trees. In that utter darkness, his eyes glowed, and he could clearly see his path as he advanced further. His heart was beating faster than usual, his feet were cold, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling of concern that had enveloped him.

A crow perched on a tree before him, locking eyes with him as it cowed eerily, adjusting its wings after a hard landing. The sound of the cawing crow prompted him to stop and squint at the bird, which was unnaturally big for a crow, and its talons were as sharp as his own claws.

For some strange reason, he felt a weird connection with the black bird, as though it wanted to tell him something. He stood there, tall, underneath the tree as he looked up at the branch upon which the crow had settled. He was tempted to ask it what it wanted, but on second thought, that would have been ridiculous.

The crow cawed three times, then flapped its wings, ready for take-off.

“No, wait!” Xander didn’t even realize that he had said that out loud until the bird was already in the air.

With the speed of the wolf inside him, Xander surged forward with a primal grace through the enveloping darkness of the woods. His alpha eyes gleamed with an ethereal luminescence that pierced through the shadows, illuminating the path ahead of him like beacons guiding a lost sailor. As he moved, his supernatural strength was palpable in the way his strides devoured the ground beneath him.

Effortlessly, Xander hurdled over fallen tree branches, glided underneath those that had stuck out into his path, and bounded across moss-covered stones. His eyes occasionally darted to the sky where the haunting caw of that crow pierced the night, guiding him toward something, and he was eager to find out what it was.

Xander felt the primal energy coursing through his veins with each bound and each leap he took. He felt connected with the ancient forces that lurked within the heart of the forest. In his chase of the elusive black bird, through the labyrinth of trees and the thick blanket of fog that carpeted the ground, a cacophony of sounds surrounded him, and although those sounds were those of rustling leaves or the distant howls of nocturnal creatures, Xander couldn’t help but hear those eerie whispers in the winds that blended with the deep chants and sounds of banging drums.

With one final leap, he did a sideways flip over a giant rock, his body arcing gracefully through the air. Upon his descent, Xander tucked in a tight ball, rolling upon the impact with the forest floor and barely a second later, he sprang to his feet with an effortless landing.

That instant, the sound of the banging drums, the chants, and the eerie whispers all ceased, and a deadly silence fell.

He watched the crow settle on a rock in front of a cave, and it cawed one last time before turning into a puff of black smoke and vanishing into thin air.

Xander paid close attention to the sound coming from the darkness of the cave as the hair on his body rose reflexively. He stepped forward, and the closer he got to the cave, the more goosebumps he had. He could sense the presence of another Primal being, but there was something different about this one, something more juvenile.

As he walked into the dark cave, a flurry of wings erupted from its depth; a colony of bats swooped past him in a chaotic frenzy, disturbed by his presence. Xander neither flinched nor did he blink in response to their frantic flight which echoed against the rocky walls. In the midst of the swirling darkness, he heard the helpless whimper of a child from within the shadows.

He ventured onward, seeking to help the child, and as he got close to the shadows hiding the kid, he felt a deep connection like none he had ever felt before. While he was still trying to reconcile with that, a pair of glowing yellow eyes beamed at him from within the darkness, and immediately… everything went blank.

***

With a loud gasp, Xander awoke on his bed to the sound of rumbling thunder outside. His face was covered in sweat, and his alpha eyes were still glowing until he blinked a couple of times. Xander let out an exhausted sigh as he massaged his eyeballs.

He sniffled and smoothed his black hair backward while he struggled to understand the meaning of the dream. Glancing at the clock on the furniture beside his head, he realized that it was four in the morning—once again, he'd woken up earlier than usual. He sat there, disoriented, as he absentmindedly stared at his hands.

It was raining cats and dogs outside, and his window was open. With a swift movement, in a rapid blur, he dashed toward his window and shut it against the rain.

Watching the weeping sky and the trickling of water down the glass of his window, his mind returned to the dream; the crow and the helpless child in the shadows. Lots of questions were overlapping in his mind as he wondered what the dream meant because he knew that dreams could be symbolic.

Was this his own subconscious mind reminding him of the need for an heir? His Elders hadn't confronted him about that yet, but he was certain that they would soon. Besides, they were the reason he gave up on his one true love.

As he stepped away from the window, his eyes caught the bracelet hanging on the ornament on the bedside table. In a heartbeat, the image of Rayla popped into his head; the way she smiled, the way she laughed, and even the expression when they made love.

Xander winced slightly at the aches in his head just from remembering her and how he broke her fragile heart. He never truly forgot her, and the bracelet was a constant reminder of how he managed to lose the one person who gave his life meaning.

It wasn't on purpose. He hadn’t wanted to end things, but he didn't have much of a choice. He was given an ultimatum: to choose between her or his pack. Xander loved her so much, but he had a duty to perform and he had a pack to lead; things would have been different if she was a supernatural being. She didn't have to be a werewolf per say, but if she had supernatural blood running through her veins, their love story would have turned out differently.

It took him a long time to heal from this hurt that kept him awake at night for months. Rayla was everything to him, as he was everything to her. Their love was strong, so strong in fact that he lived with the delusion that he could have her and still lead the pack.

He recalled the intense argument he had with his Elders over Rayla. She had no idea the lengths he went to just to hold on to her. In a split second, Xander found himself deep in thought about that night and the way he defended his love before his Elders.

Shadows danced like spectral figures against the walls, casting an eerie ambiance over the gathering as he stood tall in the center of the clandestine assembly, bathed in the glow of candlelight. The seven Elders of the Moon Shadow Pack sat solemnly in their seats, clad in flowing black. Their faces were obscured by the hoods pulled over their heads, leaving only glimpses of their hair color and piercing eyes.

In a perfect circle, the Elders’ seven seats were arranged, each meticulously positioned with a sense of reverence and honor. Xander's posture was resolute, his gaze steady, as he faced the panel of Elders.

Each Elder represented a part of their pack, and although he was alpha, he still needed their guidance and counsel because they had something that he lacked; experience.

“Do you know why you're here, Alpha Xander?” Eldress Lana asked him.

She was the matriarch of the pack, blessed with wisdom and compassion, and she often was considered the paragon of lunar guidance. Adorned with a crescent pendant hanging from a silver chain around her neck, she spoke so eloquently and graciously.

“To explain why I'm seeing a human girl,” he replied.

“Good, then you know why we have summoned you here,” Elder Silvara said.

He was holding a staff entwined with ivy, which was adorned with healing crystals, distinguishing him as a healer and an empath.

“You have to let go of that human girl,” Elder Ember, the firekeeper and the protector of the pack's flames, added. His robe was adorned with symbols of flames, representing his fiery spirit.

“Let go of her?” Xander inquired with a frown on his face. “Why? Because she's human?”

“Yes. And also because she cannot give you a proper heir to add to the population of those with the Shadow abilities, or did you not think about that?” This was Elder Rook, the one with a temper whose voice was thick, bold, and menacing.

His robe was embroidered with intricate patterns of ravens and chess pieces because he was the tactician of the pack, known for his intellectual prowess.

“It is against our tradition, Alpha Xander,” Elder Thorne said to him.

Elder Thorne's robe was made from the furs of their ancestral wolves to signify his duties as the guardian of their traditions and ancient rites.

“Tradition? These are modern times!” Xander almost snapped, but he never forgot the reverence for the assembly.

“That's the problem with your generation, Alpha Xander; you don't seem to grasp the implications of negating our way of life,” Elder Krull's gentle voice pierced the air.

His calm nature was a deceptive mechanism to make his enemies underestimate him. He was the paragon of survival, a hunter, a tracker with the most heightened senses, second to only the alpha's. He was known for his prowess in the wild. The unique trait that made him stand out from the others at this table was his blue eyes.

“I'm not negating anything—I'm simply saying that it's possible to be with her and not taint the values of our very essence,” he replied.

“That's where you're wrong, young Alpha,” Eldress Lana said to him. “I know you mean well, but it is impossible to have this woman in your life and still play the role of an alpha.”

“You'll be going against everything we stand for if you go ahead with your plan to be with her,” Elder Rook said to him.

“No.” Xander shook his head. “I'm not letting go of the love of my life just because some ancient tradition forbids it,” he blatantly refused. “I will not.”

“Xander Black!” Elder Rook's voice thundered through the room as his gray eyes glowed in the dark. “Where does your loyalty lie? To the human… or to your pack?” he fumed.

“I love my pack and I know my duty, but I also am in love with this woman,” he replied, his heart bleeding as he knew that this was going to be harder than he thought.

“It's a shame that you can only choose one, Xander Black,” Elder Ember said to him.

He noticed immediately how they had switched to addressing him by his real name without the title—and it hurt.

“What you're asking me to do isn't fair,” he said softly.

“I understand how you feel, Xander,” Eldress Lana, ever so calm and compassionate, said to him, her voice gentle and reassuring. “But think about the pack because no matter what happens, a true leader always puts his people first. He puts their needs before his. And sometimes he has to make decisions that would hurt him, but that is the price of carrying the mantle.”

He put his head down, trying to be strong because he knew she was right. Choosing his love would be selfish and selfishness was not a quality of a good leader.

“This is going to be, by far, the hardest decision you'd have to make. Think wisely, Alpha Xander. And remember, the reason we're against this union with the human girl is because of the heir that she'll give you. He or she will be human and will not possess the Shadow abilities unique to the firstborn of the alpha lineage,” Eldress Lana said to him.

Xander was quiet, knowing this was the beginning of the end of his love life. He dreaded it, but at this point, there was nothing that he could do about it. He had to make this choice for the sake of his people; he had to be selfless. It would hurt to see Rayla hurt because of his decision, but hurting her was a necessary evil. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself, but that would be the price to pay.

There was another Elder in their midst who had not said a word since the meeting started. His cloak was the darkest, plain without any patterns or drawings on it. He was known as the Silent One. Rumor had it that no one had actually heard him speak, but he was the paragon of bravery and strength.

“We'll give you some time to think this through,” Eldress Lana said to Xander. “We sincerely hope that you make the right choice.”

A loud thunder snapped him back to reality, and he glanced out his window for a moment before heading to the bathroom to wash his face.

As Xander stared at his reflection in the mirror, he thought about the way Rayla broke down after he told her that he could no longer be with her. He had to act so coldly toward her that day because it was the only way to make her truly believe that he didn't care.

If he had shown her that he still cared, that he actually tried to stand up to the Elders, she would have decided to fight alongside him. She would have had hope that there was a chance for them to be together, knowing that he loved her. Xander had to make her think that he wasn't hurt or that she wasn't worth fighting for.

‘You made the right choice, Alpha Xander.’ Eldress Lana's voice resounded in his head as he looked in the mirror.

Things had been fine with the pack since he let go of her, but then nothing had been fine with him as an individual.

He thought about Rayla a little bit more and wondered what she was up to—if she was seeing another man. The idea of her with another man, being all cozy and lovey-dovey, infuriated him so much that he slammed a fist into the mirror with a deadly growl.

The glass shattered around the point of impact, radiating outwards in a concentric pattern. The cracked mirror created a web-like effect with shards breaking away from the surface.

Staring at his distorted reflection in the broken mirror, he fumed, neglecting the cuts in his fist, which soon healed themselves within seconds.

He drew in a deep breath and finally decided to let go of those negative thoughts. He had made his choice, and he had to live with the consequences.

***

Later that evening, after the sun had set and had given way to darkness, Xander was in his office going through some files when a huge shadow enveloped his space. It crawled up the walls and settled a couple of paces in front of his desk.

He dropped his pen, rising to his feet, because he knew by the energy surging through the shadow that he was being summoned. This was the Elders’ doing.

As Alpha of the Moon Shadow Pack, Xander possessed the ability to conjure shadows, move through them, manipulate them, and even speak through them. The Elders had that ability as well, but only as a unit could they conjure shadows for a meeting, unlike Xander, who could do so at will without any assistance. Those were the perks of being the alpha of this pack.

Through the shadows, he walked into the assembly of the Elders.

“Elders,” he gestured a slight bow.

“Alpha Xander, it is time you had an heir,” Elder Rook declared, going straight to the point.

“What he means to say is that you should be thinking about these sorts of things at this stage of your life,” Eldress Lana said in a more subtle manner.

“I could have had an heir by now if you all didn't dissuade me from going with my heart,” he replied.

Elder Rook was about to respond when the Eldress signaled him with a hand and he went silent.

“That is true,” she said to Xander. “But what is also true is the fact that you need a worthy mate to give you a worthy heir.”

“What, you guys are going to find me a mate too?” he snickered.

“Yes, if the need arises,” Elder Rook said immediately before the Eldress could speak.

“We believe that you are man enough to find yourself a supernatural mate, Xander. We won't meddle in this one,” Elder Ember chipped.

“Unless you're taking too much time finding one,” Elder Rook further buttressed.

Xander sighed softly.

“I'll think about it.”

“I know the pressure is too much, Xander,” the Eldress said to him. “But I also know that you can take it.”

“Thank you, Eldress.” A faint smile lined a corner of his lips. “I'll reach out later when I've found someone.”

“Hopefully, you'll reach out sooner rather than later,” Elder Rook said.

He always had a way of getting under Xander's skin and the latter often wondered if it was a deliberate act. Elder Rook was his least favorite in that assembly, but he still respected him and what he represented to the pack.

Xander stepped out of the shadow portal and returned to his office as the shadow vanished like a puff of smoke. He scratched his car key off the table and headed out. A lot was going on in his aching head, and he needed to blow off some steam. Who better to help him with that than his six friends? He envied them since most of them had found their mates and had had their heirs. If only things would turn out well for him, too.

He went downstairs, entered his car, and drove away to the one place where they all gathered to meet, the one place where he was sure he would find peace… The Full Moon Bar.