Rayla shifted her attention from his cock and focused on his face, watching him sleep like a child. In that moment, coupled with the realization she had last night, Rayla came to terms with one simple fact: she was still in love with him and wanted him back in her life. She didn't want to lose him again. It hurt the last time they were apart, and she couldn't go through that pain again.
But what was the guarantee that this—whatever it was, would eventually grow into something worth holding on to? Since he was still alpha of his pack and still took counsel and guidance from the same Elders that caused their drift in the first place, would they not still oppose this reunion? What if they decided to take the child and discard her because of some ancient tradition that didn’t allow the union of his pack with a human?
Oh, they'd be starting a war, and I won't go down without a fight.
She knew she was overthinking the situation, but she couldn't leave any stone unturned. She had to think about every possible outcome and figure out a strategy to handle it. If she was going to stay here for the time being, then she would have to be smart, think fast, and be at least one step ahead.
While she was still in thought, Rayla heard him groan slightly, adjusting in bed as he turned to face her. He sighed softly and wiped his eyes with his fingers, a bit shocked that she was watching him sleep.
“Good morning,” his voice, bold and thick, resonated through his esophagus.
She smiled, finding his baritone rather hot and sexy.
“Good morning,” Rayla replied, her eyes crinkling at the corners with a mirth.
For the next few seconds, they were silent, both staring at each other without a word. A feeling of embarrassment immediately washed over Rayla's face for no particular reason… or was it because of the way he was looking at her?
It was an awkward moment, and they could feel the weird energy radiating around them. Rayla's heart skipped a beat and she shifted her gaze from him, feeling uncomfortable.
“We should…” he said
“Yeah…” she cut him off immediately, knowing exactly what he was proposing.
They got out of bed and she quietly picked up her clothes littered on the floor. Rayla put her panties on and slipped into her bra. She struggled for a second with the hook but finally got it.
Xander put his shirt on and took some time to button it up. He walked over to a chair, sat down and, after getting his shoes on, he got up and stood in front of her.
Rayla had fully gotten dressed and was sitting on the edge of the bed, piling her hair on her head when she saw it. She almost chuckled, but the atmosphere wasn't liberal enough for that.
“Your uh…” she said to him, unsure of how to put it.
Xander squinted at her.
“Your fly is down,” Rayla blurted out.
“My what…?”
She subtly pointed at his zipper, and he traced her gaze.
“Oh. Shit!” he muttered to himself and quickly pulled up the zipper. “Thank you.”
She gave a faint grin, and that silence returned again until he broke it by clearing his throat.
“I need to go to Abel, hope you don't mind.”
It felt good that he was trying to be close to his son even though deep down she had wanted some more time with him. But she wasn't going to be the barrier between their bonding time.
“Sure,” she replied.
“Okay,” he sighed, a hand scratching the back of his head. “I want to show him around, teach him about the pack, you know… maybe even introduce him to my friends.” His speech was filled with pride.
“Yeah, you do that.” Rayla nodded, trying to look away, turning her gaze to anything else in the room but him.
“Will you be okay by yourself?” he asked.
That's sweet.
She rose to her feet. “I'll be fine. But thanks for the concern.”