Page 13 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

“Is he even dead? Did you lie about that too?” he fired at her.

She had lied. Xander was far from dead. The night had proven to her that he was alive and well.

Rayla hadn’t thought of this part. She had been more worried he would be pissed about her hiding his heritage. She had forgotten how she had woven the web of lies so perfectly over the years.

“Abel…” she started.

“Yes or no will do,” he interrupted her again.

She couldn’t look Abel in the eyes. She fidgeted in her seat, filled with guilt. “No, Abel, your father is not dead,” she finally admitted.

She expected him to blow up at this point. But for some reason, he was holding it in.

“For years, Mom, I have been bullied and abused because I didn’t have a father,” he scowled. “You told me he was dead. I believed you. I felt all that pain, but you lied to me.”

Rayla’s eyes shot up at the last words. She met his dark eyes. They burned with pain and fury but were mostly clouded with betrayal. Rayla’s heart crashed at this.

“Does he know about me? Or did you lie to him, too?” He had balled his hands in a fist. His cup of chocolate was long forgotten on the table.

“He doesn’t know about you, Sweetheart. When I found out I was pregnant, he had broken up with me. I thought it best to keep it to myself,” she lamented.

“Regardless, Mom, you should have told me. Why didn't you tell me?” Abel whispered. His eyebrows shot up as his eyes got darker.

Rayla knew that expression. Everything had finally broken into a million pieces. Abel was blowing up in anger.

“You lied to me over and over again. You kept the truth that would have made things easier for me. You kept me away from my father. And for what reason? So you could keep me to yourself?”

Abel had never spoken to her this way. But there was a first time for everything.

Rayla couldn’t form a defense.

“I trusted you, Mom. But you allowed me to go through all that pain. You lied to me. You knew what I was and kept it to yourself,” he screamed.

Rayla jumped up, went to him, and tried to hold his hands like she had done earlier, but Abel pulled his hands out of her grip. His expression was that of undiluted contempt.

“Abel, my sweet boy, I’m sorry I lied. I’m so sorry. I was selfish, but I was only trying to protect you.” Tears dropped from her eyes. Her heart was broken to see her boy this mad at her. She needed his forgiveness. She needed him to understand that she had no choice then.

However, Abel was not buying into it.

Suddenly, he stood up. His rage intensified as he watched her beg and cry.

“I hate you,” he spat. “I hate you for doing this to me.”

He ran upstairs without looking back at his inconsolable mother.

Crumpled on the floor, distress and regret plagued Rayla. She wished she had told him about his heritage. She wished she had not lied about his father.

He was right, after all. If he knew who he was, he could have fought his demons better.

Chapter 5 - Xander

It had been twenty four hours already since his last encounter with Rayla—which happened to also be his first encounter with her in years. He still couldn't come to terms with the fact that he actually had seen her after all this time.

As he lay in his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his mind raced as he recalled the look on her face when she set eyes on him in the woods. Her words were hurtful, like she saw him as some sort of monster to be avoided.

It was ironic how those eyes that used to gaze lovingly at him were the same eyes that glared at him with so much hatred and disdain. Xander had thought that he was doing okay until he saw her. Then, his whole world came crumbling to the ground. He had been speechless when they locked eyes and he confirmed that she was indeed his Rayla.

Time had been gracious to her—she was a lot prettier than he remembered her to be. She was gorgeous, a little more slender with a fine physique that dropped his jaw and made him stare at her with his mouth agape.

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