Chapter 19 - Rayla
Xander’s alpha eyes glowed as he left the house. He’d refrained from showing her the extent of his anger because he didn’t want to scare her or cause her any more guilt. He had seen her shame when she saw him and he knew she felt guilty about what she’d done.
Seeing her lying there in a barn with her hands and legs tied and struggling to put up a fight had been hard for him to take.
What was worse, seeing the villagers she’d known all of her life, gathered in the barn as they talked and laughed, plotting and scheming on ways to torture her until she relented and told them where Abel was so they could mete out even more torture on him had been even worse.
Xander had wanted so badly to rip their throats out so they could never speak again. He wanted to find everyone who had dealt a blow and rip their hands clean from the shoulders, and then rip the legs off of those who had kicked her so they would never be able to inflict pain on anyone ever again.
It was only because his friends had arrived on time to stop him that he had managed to calm himself long enough to go along with the actual plan that he’d set into motion.
Having Murdoch, the vampire, with him had been another reason why he’d managed to calm himself. Together, he and his friends had made quick work of the crowd. He was just about to grab Rayla before he realized that she wasn’t there with the rest.
He was plagued by panic as he wondered where she was and what they had done to her. Surely, he couldn’t have been too late. He would have felt it if they had killed her. She wasn’t connected to his wolf just yet, but he would have felt it in his heart anyway.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he remembered the feeling of his heart in his throat as he prayed for her to be okay.
Xander sped toward the stalls, checking them one after the other for where she could be. He had been about to give up and go search elsewhere when his ears picked up on the sound of mocking laughter. He grimaced as he realized that the owner of the voice had been the same man who had stood on the podium and made terrible comments about his family.
His jaw ticked in anger and he approached the stall, ready to rip apart the head of the man who was mocking her.
‘Calm yourself, Xander. You cannot hurt him and break the treaty.’
Even now, he hated that he had to think of the pack instead of pouring his wrath on the human that had threatened what was his and still threatened to ruin the family he was trying to build.
He walked into the stall and stopped when the sight in front of him had his blood boiling.
The sound of car horns blaring behind him pulled him out of his memories. He did not realize that he had suddenly stopped in the middle of the road.
In the time since he rescued her, he had tried to get the image of the man approaching his woman with his pants down and his cock hard from his head. He had tried to take what was his.
Xander punched the wheel, bending it as the realization that things would have been so much worse for her had he not arrived on time filled his head. How scared she must have been, trying to fight a man who was almost twice her size as she reconciled with the fact that there would be no help from any of the villagers because they did not consider her to be human anymore.
He drove off with the thoughts of murder still brewing in his head. Dialing back on the force with which he punched the disgusting man had been a last minute resort. After all, killing one man would have meant nothing, especially with the memories of the villagers wiped. He could have made it seem like he’d left the village to live elsewhere, but he knew Rayla wouldn’t want that.
He smiled. Even in that moment when she was scared, he knew she would have preferred if she left him alive. Her question after the man slumped to the floor was enough to show that he was right.
Xander pulled into the barn. The people were still on the floor unconscious. He looked at the bodies in disgust. They had so easily tagged her a monster and been ready to kill her and a little boy just because they happened to be different than what their little minds could ever comprehend. It would be so easy for him to kill them all where they slept. He looked away from them and back at Murdoch who was staring at him with a knowing look.
“Your dark thoughts are like a mask on your face, my friend. Very visible for all to see.”
Xander sighed. The place he needed to be was in a room filled with the people who had tried to hurt the mother of his children, but he was the alpha as well as the man whose woman had been hurt. It was his responsibility to see that everything went smoothly.
“Thank you for this, Murdoch. Don’t forget the man in the stall,” he spat out with venom causing Murdoch to chuckle.
“I am done with everyone here. I was merely waiting for you to arrive.”
“Thanks, Murdoch.” He clapped the vampire on the back, in appreciation for what he did. Things would have been a lot messier if he didn’t have him to help with this.
“Anytime, Xander.”
Xander conjured the shadows to take Murdoch back to his home before returning to his car. The ride home gave him enough time to think about how to go about handling things with Rayla.
Why didn’t she come to me?
He tried to think about it from her point of view and the reason why she had chosen to fix things herself instead of allowing him to deal with it. She was his responsibility and he would have handled it immediately, especially as it also affected him too.
For the past two weeks, he had been trying to get her to open up to him and tell him what was bothering her. He’d thought that at the right time, she would open up to him; instead, she had decided to handle it all on her own.
Xander massaged his temples.
So, this is what it’s like to feel betrayed by the one you love most.
He laughed, a sound that was lacking in any humor. He’d tried to hide his hurt from her, masking it with anger until they had gotten home, although he was indeed angry. It was only after she was home with Abel that he allowed the anger to slip off his face, replaced instead with a mask that hid every emotion.
He never thought he would ever have to do that with her. It was insane what a few mistakes could do and how drastically they could change things.
Xander turned off the road that led to his house. He remained in his car for a few minutes, calming himself down. After all that she had been through today, the last thing he needed was to explode in her face like he’d almost done in the car. It had taken a lot to remain calm, not because he wanted to hurt her but because he was plagued with what ifs.
What if I hadn’t gotten there on time and he had rap—
He swallowed. The thought was too much for him to bear, that forming the words even without speaking them wrought havoc on his mind.
What if, what if, what if?
Escaping from the house to calm down while he took Murdoch back home had been easy enough.
“But how am I supposed to escape from my mind?” he asked in the empty car. How am I supposed to hurt that which threatens to tear me apart?
He shut off the engines and stepped out of the car. The walk up the stairs was difficult as he climbed with legs that seemed to be filled with lead.
He stopped in front of the door and listened in, grimacing when he heard her choke on a sob. This was not how he expected to find her.
What did I expect?
He looked down at his hands, splayed out in front of him like they held the answer, but all there was to see were the lines that spread across his palms, branching out like rivulets. In truth, he hadn’t thought of how she would be feeling right now since he’d left her with Abel to comfort her.
He raised his hand to knock but thought better of it, letting it fall to his side. Xander retreated to the bathroom, returning with warm water, small towel, and some salve.
He turned the knob and walked in, setting the water by the table before turning to her. Her eyes did not stray from him the entire time. He gave her time to clean her eyes before turning to face her.
This time, despite the anger he nursed still, he allowed his face to show some of the sympathy he felt for her.
“Come,” he beckoned, stretching out his hands for her.
She quickly got down from the bed and walked toward him, her steps slow and her weight favoring the left.
He sighed. It pained him that she was in so much agony that she couldn’t walk properly, but now wasn’t the time to focus on him and his feelings.
He dipped the rag in water the moment she was seated and pressed it to the cut above her lip. Rayla hissed in pain and he stayed his hands, letting her get used to the stinging sensation.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized for the pain he caused.
Rayla’s body shook with small tremors and her eyes filled with tears that ran down her face.
“I’m so-sorry,” she choked out, bringing her hand up to wipe her tears.
He stopped her halfway and pulled her hands down. “Let me.”
He cleaned her face carefully, pained to see how much she was hurting.
“I’m so sorry, Xander. I should have come to you. I j-just wanted it all to go away.”
He said nothing, but she continued unprompted.
“The video was taken during Abel’s first shift, but I didn’t know about it until after you came to visit,” she began. “The man you saved me from—that’s Ralph. He’s always been obsessed with me but I constantly refused him. After the police came for him when he broke into my house, I thought that was the end of it, but I didn’t realize that he continued to spy on me with a camera. That was until he sent me the video. He’d been spying on me as he usually did when the sound of Abel on the night of his first shift caught his attention. It was why I was in such a hurry to leave when you came the second time. He’s been blackmailing ever since, threatening to post the video if I didn’t pay him.”
Xander nodded. He’d been fuming since she told him the guy was spying on her. Now I wish I killed him.
“So, that was why you sold the necklace,” he said without accusation, but her eyes widened and he watched the guilt and shame return. He sighed once more. He hadn’t been trying to do that.
“I’m so sorry, Xander. I’m going to find a way to get it back. I promise.”
He nodded, refraining from telling her he already got it and it was currently in his suit pocket. He continued cleaning her face in silence as she apologized once again.
“I’m so sorry, Xander. You told me how important it was that your kind remained a secret and I hated myself for playing a role in making that secret come to light. If I had let you know you had a son, he never would have got it on video and things would have been different. I didn’t want you to hate me.”
“Hate you? Rayla, I could never hate you. I only ever wished to take care of you.”
She nodded, still broken. “I know that now, but I was scared and I let things get out of control.”
“It’s alright. I wish you had come to me so I could take care of this and save you the risk of getting hurt, but I understand why you did it,” Xander said. He would continue to make her understand how wrong she was, but that would only make her feel worse and there was no point in that.
“I forgive you, Rayla. I hope you never have to doubt me again.”
She shook her head gently. “Never again, Xander.”
He nodded and dropped the towel in the bowl of water, done with cleaning up all of her cuts and the dirt off her.
She leaned in when he looked up, brushing her lips against his. Xander stayed still for a moment but pulled away, holding her by the shoulder.
“What are you doing, Rayla? You have so many bruises.”
She shook her head. “Please, Xander. I need this.”
“Rayla, I don’t think I can.”
Thoughts of her in the stall, lying there with her tied hands lifted to defend herself filled his head, but before he could convince her it wasn’t a good idea, she shifted her chair closer to him.
“Xander, please. I need you. I feel so dirty from his touch. I just need to feel clean again.”
Her voice broke as she spoke and looked at him with eyes that were haunted by her experience. How could he say no to that? How could he abandon her now when she was reaching out to him to help her just like he always wanted?
He desired to take her pain away and fill her with laughter once again. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, mindful of her hurt lip as he pulled her lower lip into his mouth. The heat of her groan sent a tremor through him, igniting a desire to heal her with every touch. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her onto his lap. He lifted her effortlessly, keeping their lips locked in a passionate embrace.
Gently, he laid her on the bed, his body hovering above hers. She pulled him close, their bodies melded together in a desperate need for comfort and connection.
“Please, Xander, I need you now,” she begged, her hands pushing his suit off his shoulders.
He hesitated, wanting to ensure she was truly ready, but the urgency in her eyes convinced him. He quickly undressed, his arousal evident as he joined her on the bed. Rayla had already shed her clothes, her body laid bare for him.
Xander’s hands traced the curve of her hips, sliding down to the small of her waist before moving up to her breasts. He leaned over her, his mouth finding her stiff nipple as he pushed inside her warmth.
She let out a satisfied cry, arching her back in pleasure. “Yes, Xander.”
Encouraged, he began a slow, deliberate rhythm, savoring the feel of her around him. Her hips matched his movements, creating a dance of passion that deepened their connection.
Xander groaned as his pleasure built, her warmth tightening around him. She whispered his name, her voice a soft chant in his ear, driving him further into ecstasy.
“Fuck, Rayla. You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, kissing her eyelids, her nose, and down to the vein in her neck that pulsed with excitement.
“You’re clean. You’ve never been dirty, and you never will be.”
Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away, tightening her arms around him as she rolled her hips.
“Harder, Xander. Fuck me harder,” she urged, her voice filled with need.
“Your wish is my command.”
He increased his pace, slamming into her with a force that matched her urgency. His lips trailed down her cheekbone as she gasped, her body tightening even more around him.
Their passion intensified, her pleasure evident in the way she writhed beneath him. Xander’s rhythm grew faster, his need to bring her to the brink of ecstasy overpowering everything else. Her hands gripped him tightly, her waist stiffening as she neared the edge.
Xander continued his movements, determined to push her over. He smiled as she sucked in a breath and let out a soundless gasp, her body shaking with release.
He drove deeper into her, his own climax building as her orgasm tightened around him. Groaning, he collapsed atop her, waves of pleasure blinding him.
He rolled off her, his breath ragged as he stared deeply into her eyes. “You’re clean, Rayla,” he whispered.
This time, instead of tears, she smiled and closed her eyes. Xander moved briefly to retrieve the diamond necklace from his suit pocket, placing it around her neck.
He gazed into her eyes, preparing to say the words he’d longed to utter. She clutched the jewelry, looking at it and then at him in wonder.
“I love you, Rayla. I never stopped, and I never will.”
Rayla sniffled, raising her hand to his cheek. She pulled him toward her and kissed his lips softly. “I love you too, Xander, and I always will.”
But he wasn’t finished. He kissed her neck, his hands gliding down her body, reigniting the flames of their passion. His mouth found her breasts again, his tongue circling her nipples as his hands explored the soft skin of her thighs. He could feel her trembling beneath him, her desire rekindled.
“Xander,” she moaned, her hands tangling in his hair as he kissed his way down her body. He settled between her legs, his tongue teasing her sensitive flesh. Her hips bucked against him, her moans growing louder as he brought her to the edge once more.
He moved back up, kissing every inch of her skin until he was hovering over her again. She pulled him into a deep kiss, her body arching towards him in need.
“Take me, Xander,” she whispered, her voice a husky plea.
He didn’t need further encouragement. He entered her again, their bodies moving together in a rhythm that spoke of love and healing. The world outside ceased to exist; there was only the two of them, connected in a way that transcended words.
Their lovemaking continued, slow and sensual, then fast and passionate, shifting between rhythms that mirrored their need for each other. Xander reveled in the feel of her, the taste of her, the sound of her pleasure as he brought her to climax again and again.
Rayla's cries of ecstasy filled the room, each one a testament to the bond they were forging. Xander felt her pleasure echoing in his own body, each wave of her release drawing him closer to his own.
When they finally reached the peak together, their bodies tensed and then relaxed in a shared moment of pure bliss. Xander held her close, their breaths mingling as they slowly came down from their high.
“I love you, Rayla,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her temple. “I’ll always love you.”
“I love you too, Xander,” she replied, her voice filled with emotion. “Always.”
They lay there, tangled in each other’s arms, the world outside forgotten. In that moment, they were all that mattered, their love a beacon of hope and healing in the midst of the darkness that had once threatened to consume them.