Page 63 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

He carried her out into the open and gently placed her in the passenger seat of the car before going around to get in his side. his eyes were focused on the road as he drove with a calm that might have appeared normal to others, but she could tell he was seething.

If he was here, that meant he knew about what had happened, knew how foolish she had been, and knew that she had kept things from him. He was clearly betrayed and annoyed. His glanced at her and his hands tightened around the steering wheel, confirming what she was thinking.

“How could you be so foolish?”

His words were calm, and yet, she jumped in her seat when he spoke.

Her eyes filled with shame as she looked up at him, but he was back to staring at the road.

“I’m sorry, Xander. I thought I could handle things myself.”

He scoffed. “How did that turn out for you? Well?”

She couldn’t find it in her to be angry at his sarcastic tone, not when she was berating herself even worse.

“You left and put yourself in harm’s way when I could have taken care of it. Did you consider how Abel would feel if something had happened to you?”

His calm tone hurt her more than anything she had endured from the villagers. He was right, of course. Abel would have been beside himself if something had happened to her. How could she have been so stupid?

“Did you consider how I would have felt? Did you even think about me at all? Did you think about coming to me for help or how heartbroken we would have been if I hadn’t found you on time? Or were you just thinking about yourself?”

She sighed as she looked away. Her eyes held sadness, guilt, shame, and fear as she watched herself in the side mirror. She had hurt him. She had been selfish.

Years of having no one to depend on but herself couldn’t just be let go of so easily but they were a team now, and she’d chosen instead to act like no one mattered, not even her son, even though she’d been doing this for him.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so, sorry,” she said as tears settled in her eyes. Her voice shook as she spoke. All she wanted was for him to see she had realized her mistake and she would never let something like that happen again.

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I had hoped to sort it out before anyone would be the wiser. I was doing this for Abel and for us. But I’m so sorry. I should have come to you.”

The tears slid down her cheeks now, blurring her vision. Xander sighed but said nothing in response to her apology. The rest of the car ride was in silence.

He parked the car at home and carried her upstairs where Abel was waiting.

“M-mom?” his voice broke as he uttered the word and Rayla sighed guiltily, closing her eyes.

“What happened? Mom, are you alright? Who hurt you?” He barraged her with questions as he ran up to them, staying close as Xander lowered her onto the bed.

She reached out to Abel. “Come.”

Abel took her outstretched hand and sat beside her carefully, taking care to not touch his body to her bruised one.

“I’m okay, Abel. I’m sorry for worrying you. Dad has taken care of everything, alright?”

“Are you sure?” he asked, his words carrying the weight of his pain at seeing her like that and filling Rayla with even more guilt and shame.

She had caused so much pain only by being hurt. What would have happened to her baby if she hadn’t made it out alive?

She hugged him to herself, ignoring her own pain and looked up at Xander who was staring at her with blank eyes that showed no emotion. He was hiding from her. He had only ever done that once before on the day he broke her heart and it hurt her because she was responsible for his pain this time.

He sighed. “Stay with your mother, Abel. Watch over her, okay?”

Abel nodded.

“Where are you going?” she asked in a panic.

“I’m going to take my vampire friend home.”

He closed the door behind him and spoke not another word to her as he left the house.

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