Page 43 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

Rayla’s phone buzzed, shattering the silence in the kitchen. Her heart pounded in her chest as she sat at the kitchen table, her hands trembling with anxiety. The weight of the world seemed to press down on her shoulders as she stared at the text on the phone in front of her.

She glanced at the screen, her heart sinking as she read Ralph's latest message. "Two weeks. Pay up or else."

Two weeks?

That's all the time she had to come up with the money or the video would be posted online for everyone to see. She couldn't believe Ralph would stoop so low, but she knew she couldn't underestimate his cruelty.

It wasn't nearly enough time. Panic clawed at her insides as she put down the tea mug to frantically type out a response. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pressed the buttons on her phone, her mind racing with fear and uncertainty.

"Please, I need more time. I don't have that kind of money," she admitted.

The reply came swiftly, like a hammer blow to her already fragile resolve. "Find it, or everyone will see the video. And don't forget, you are to bring it to our date. The date is non-negotiable."

Rayla swallowed hard, the weight of Ralph's words pressing down on her like a suffocating blanket. She couldn't let him win, couldn't let him destroy her and her son when Abel was just starting to get the help he deserved.

"You have to give me more time," she responded.

The typing icon showed for a few seconds and then vanished with no text from Ralph. Her phone remained silent, the lack of response only adding to her anxiety. She felt a surge of frustration and helplessness wash over her.

How could she come up with such a large sum of money in such a short amount of time?

Rayla hadn't been sitting on her thumbs. She had tried to no avail to raise the $50,000. She’d been talking to a bunch of agents in order to sell her house, growing more stressed with each conversation. They weren’t offering good prices. They were blunt; the house was old, located in the middle of nowhere, and hardly desirable.

One thing she had learned was that the area only thrived because the wolves lived there. The small human towns were backwards and full of superstitious people due to stories being passed down of the wolves’ existence, but no proof.

The few humans in the area were moving out, not in. No one was interested in joining a declining community… especially one with weird stories. Apart from that, the property was a relic. It was a closed-off community, not the sort of place anyone would willingly relocate to.

The truth was, she knew they were right. She understood why there wasn’t much interest. But she had to try, despite the mounting frustration and growing sense of hopelessness.

Rayla sighed, rubbing her temples. She was trapped, boxed in by a situation that seemed to have no escape. Lost in her thoughts, Rayla didn't hear the sound of the front door opening.

Before she could dwell on it further, Xander strode into the room, his presence commanding attention. Abel followed close behind, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. She forced a smile, pushing the blackmail to the back of her mind.

"Hey, you two," she greeted, trying to sound cheerful.

Xander's brooding presence filled the room as he stepped inside, his black eyes scanning the room with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Rayla couldn't help but notice how tall and imposing he looked, a stark contrast to her own slender frame. She forced herself to meet his gaze, trying to hide the turmoil swirling inside her.

"Hey," Xander greeted, his deep voice reaching her insides and warming her up. He genuinely made her feel safe despite her concerns. "How's it going?"

Rayla forced a smile, though she knew it didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, you know," she replied, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Just sitting here enjoying my tea."

Xander's keen gaze moved from the full cup of tea on the table and then lingered on her for a moment longer as if he could sense her inner turmoil. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Rayla pushed aside her worries, forcing herself to focus on the present moment. "Yeah, everything's fine," she replied, her voice more confident than she felt.

Xander nodded, his brow furrowed with concern. "Hmm," he said, though he didn't move from where he stood. "Are you sure? You seem… distracted."

Rayla forced herself to meet Xander's gaze, plastering on a smile to hide her inner turmoil. "I'm fine, really," she assured him, though she knew her words rang hollow. "Just lost in thought, I guess."

Xander studied her for a moment longer, his eyes searching hers for any sign of deception. Finally, he seemed to relent, offering her a small smile. "Alright," he said, his voice softening.

She watched as Abel moved closer to Xander, his presence calming the boy's nerves. She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the easy rapport between them. It was clear that Xander had a way with children, something she had always admired about him.

Perhaps this is more than Xander’s easy way with children. It could just be some sort of wolf father-son connection. She felt a pang of guilt for depriving her son of this connection for the last thirteen years.

Rayla bit her lip, torn between confiding in him and keeping her problems to herself. But before she could make up her mind, the two of them settled themselves opposite Rayla, and Xander turned to Abel, a serious expression on his face.

"Abel and I spoke," he began, his voice gentle yet firm. "He has something he wants to tell you."

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