Page 3 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

If he had shown her that he still cared, that he actually tried to stand up to the Elders, she would have decided to fight alongside him. She would have had hope that there was a chance for them to be together, knowing that he loved her. Xander had to make her think that he wasn't hurt or that she wasn't worth fighting for.

‘You made the right choice, Alpha Xander.’ Eldress Lana's voice resounded in his head as he looked in the mirror.

Things had been fine with the pack since he let go of her, but then nothing had been fine with him as an individual.

He thought about Rayla a little bit more and wondered what she was up to—if she was seeing another man. The idea of her with another man, being all cozy and lovey-dovey, infuriated him so much that he slammed a fist into the mirror with a deadly growl.

The glass shattered around the point of impact, radiating outwards in a concentric pattern. The cracked mirror created a web-like effect with shards breaking away from the surface.

Staring at his distorted reflection in the broken mirror, he fumed, neglecting the cuts in his fist, which soon healed themselves within seconds.

He drew in a deep breath and finally decided to let go of those negative thoughts. He had made his choice, and he had to live with the consequences.

***

Later that evening, after the sun had set and had given way to darkness, Xander was in his office going through some files when a huge shadow enveloped his space. It crawled up the walls and settled a couple of paces in front of his desk.

He dropped his pen, rising to his feet, because he knew by the energy surging through the shadow that he was being summoned. This was the Elders’ doing.

As Alpha of the Moon Shadow Pack, Xander possessed the ability to conjure shadows, move through them, manipulate them, and even speak through them. The Elders had that ability as well, but only as a unit could they conjure shadows for a meeting, unlike Xander, who could do so at will without any assistance. Those were the perks of being the alpha of this pack.

Through the shadows, he walked into the assembly of the Elders.

“Elders,” he gestured a slight bow.

“Alpha Xander, it is time you had an heir,” Elder Rook declared, going straight to the point.

“What he means to say is that you should be thinking about these sorts of things at this stage of your life,” Eldress Lana said in a more subtle manner.

“I could have had an heir by now if you all didn't dissuade me from going with my heart,” he replied.

Elder Rook was about to respond when the Eldress signaled him with a hand and he went silent.

“That is true,” she said to Xander. “But what is also true is the fact that you need a worthy mate to give you a worthy heir.”

“What, you guys are going to find me a mate too?” he snickered.

“Yes, if the need arises,” Elder Rook said immediately before the Eldress could speak.

“We believe that you are man enough to find yourself a supernatural mate, Xander. We won't meddle in this one,” Elder Ember chipped.

“Unless you're taking too much time finding one,” Elder Rook further buttressed.

Xander sighed softly.

“I'll think about it.”

“I know the pressure is too much, Xander,” the Eldress said to him. “But I also know that you can take it.”

“Thank you, Eldress.” A faint smile lined a corner of his lips. “I'll reach out later when I've found someone.”

“Hopefully, you'll reach out sooner rather than later,” Elder Rook said.

He always had a way of getting under Xander's skin and the latter often wondered if it was a deliberate act. Elder Rook was his least favorite in that assembly, but he still respected him and what he represented to the pack.

Xander stepped out of the shadow portal and returned to his office as the shadow vanished like a puff of smoke. He scratched his car key off the table and headed out. A lot was going on in his aching head, and he needed to blow off some steam. Who better to help him with that than his six friends? He envied them since most of them had found their mates and had had their heirs. If only things would turn out well for him, too.

He went downstairs, entered his car, and drove away to the one place where they all gathered to meet, the one place where he was sure he would find peace… The Full Moon Bar.

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