Page 68 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

She smiled. She could not toss aside the progress she had made either. While she still hurt every time she thought about everything that happened leading up to this moment, things weren’t as gloomy as they once were. She could now revel in the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Let me take a good look at you, my beautiful boy,” she said, pushing his hair away from his face and glancing into his light brown eyes.

Abel frowned and pushed her hands away. “You’re going to mess up my hair.”

She laughed as he groaned. “Oh, am I?” she asked, still laughing. “I thought you didn’t care how you looked. I can’t count how many times I have heard that from you, my sweet boy.”

“Well, things are different here. Everyone is much nicer. Besides, I’m seeing dad’s friends today so I have to look my best,” he said, raising the duffel he had in his hands.

“Oh?” Rayla played along. “Is that what the bag is about? And here I thought you had decided to leave poor old me.”

Abel’s lips turned up in a smirk. “I will never leave you, Mom. You’re stuck with me forever.” He copied the maniacal laughter he’d watched in movies and Rayla laughed with him, unable to stop from joining in.

Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. He was so very different. So happy and vibrant. She’d always considered him to be her ray of sunlight and now, he truly was one.

She hugged him close, expecting him to pull away and make a comment about wrinkling his clothes but instead, he wrapped his arms around her and played with her hair. Rayla melted into his hands. Her baby boy had become exactly what she wished him to be—happy.

She sniffled slightly and he pulled away, staring at her with concern in those beautiful, brown eyes.

“Are you alright, Mom? Did I say something wrong?”

His concern for her was refreshing. It was the one thing that hadn’t changed about him. Even when he had been an angry kid, unsure of who he was, he had always put her first just as she had done for him. They were a perfect pair and now, they were a perfect trio.

“No, no.” She rushed to dry her tears before smiling at him once again. “You’ve just grown so much and I’m so very happy that you finally found a place where you fit in and can be yourself.”

His smile returned, brightening his face and crinkling his eyes. “Me too, Mom. I’m happy that we’re here and that things are working out better between you and Dad.”

She stared at him in shock. She hadn’t thought that he noticed the tension between them, especially since she had always tried to be cautious around him so he wouldn’t feel like he had done something wrong by choosing to be here with his father.

“Yes. I am happy, too. Your father and I are.”

She kissed him on the forehead just as she heard Xander’s footsteps coming down the steps. He picked up the basket she had prepared for their picnic and kissed her on the cheek.

“Having a meeting without me?” he teased, ruffling Abel’s hair.

Much as he had done with her, he pushed his father’s hand away and frowned at him. “Stop messing up my hair.”

Rayla laughed. His little pout was so adorable.

“Funny, I don’t hear you complaining whenever Articus does it,” Xander retorted, jokingly reaching out as if to touch hair once again.

Abel laughed and moved out of range of his father’s hand in a blur. Rayla would have missed it if she wasn’t so focused on the two of them.

“That’s because Articus is so cool.”

Uh-oh.

Xander turned to him with a mock hurt look, placing a hand on his chest with as much drama as he could muster for a man who had been so serious almost all his life.

“And I’m not? Is that why you don’t let me touch your hair?” he asked.

Abel kept silent, wearing a smile as he mimed zipping his lips shut.

“Oh, that’ll do it. Come here,” Xander said, reaching for him.

Abel’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He turned to run but it was too late. Xander’s huge arms wrapped around him and he lifted Abel off the ground.

“You have one chance to unzip those lips and tell me I’m the cooler one or these hands will be on your head,” he threatened.

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