Page 32 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

Xander stepped back a little and made his eyes glow with a hand stretched out. Using his mind, he willed a blade like black smoke out of nothing.

“Whoa…” she exclaimed softly. “Can you hurt someone with that? I mean, it's just a shadow…”

She was still talking when he swung the blade and it cut through a branch of a tree that had struck out into the balcony. Her eyes widened at the sharpness of the blade as the branch plummeted to the ground.

“Okay, I’ll take that as a yes.”

He chuckled, glad that she was impressed.

“On the battlefield, we can make any weapon of our choice from the shadows.” As he spoke, he demonstrated, willing an axe into his hand, then a hammer, and then a bow and an arrow. Xander strung the bow, aimed it at a tree across the building and, in a heartbeat, he released the arrow. The projectile steaked the air like a line of black smoke with a pointed head. Seconds later, it hit the tree and vanished. “If that was an enemy, he'd be dead.”

“Wow!” she said softly. “It's amazing to think that Abel will someday learn to do all of this.”

The boy's name rang a bell in Xander's head, and a wave of guilt hit him as he regretted not being a part of the kid's life.

“I missed a lot in his life,” he said to her.

Slowly, the smile she was wearing now gradually started to fade.

“I missed his birthday… thirteen times,” he added. His voice was low and filled with guilt. “I don't even know what he likes, what he doesn't like… I wasn't there for his first day at school, never watched a game with him…” Xander's words clogged his throat.

“I…” she began. “I was heartbroken when you ended things with me that day. I should have told you that I was pregnant, but I was hurting by the way you already concluded that the child in my womb wasn't worthy to be your heir.”

He raised his head to look at her and realized that she becoming really emotional and was blinking back her tears. He knew that he hurt her so bad, but he had his own fair share of the pain as well.

“I am so sorry for what I put you through, Rayla. I truly am.” He held her hand and looked deep into her eyes. “If it's any consolation, it wasn't easy on me either…”

“I doubt that,” she replied with a sniffle. “You seem to be doing pretty well as alpha of the pack.”

“Maybe,” he replied. “But as Xander Black, I haven't been doing pretty well,” he confessed and gently raised her chin so he would lock eyes with her. “I've missed you, Rayla.”

“Xander…” she tried to stop him.

“I'm serious, Rayla. I haven't been with any woman since you left. You know why?”

She was quiet, waiting for him to continue, and he did.

“It's because my heart beats for you, Rayla. Only you.” His gaze pierced her soul, and he could tell that she was starting to let down her guard.

Xander dared to make the first move as he attempted to kiss her. Slowly, unsure of her reaction, he leaned closer, his lips inches away from hers. He'd come this close, and she didn't pull away, nor did she push him off her.

He could feel her warm breath on his face, could smell her perfume, and could see in her eyes that she was anticipating his touch. Her breathing was unsteady, her lips trembling.

In a trice, he planted a kiss on her lips, but she didn't respond until he tried to pull away. Rayla pulled him back to herself, allowing her breasts to press against him as she returned the kiss.

The kiss was tinged with the bitterness of unresolved guilt, a shared struggle that neither could ignore. Yet, the passion between them soon began to override their doubts.

Xander pulled her closer, his hands encircling her waist as the intensity between them grew, threatening to consume them both. Lost in a whirlwind of desire, their tongues danced in each other's mouths, their breaths mingling in the heat of the moment.

He cupped her breasts, fondling them gently as he pressed her against the railing. Xander had missed this deeply, and judging by the fervor of her kisses and the way she clung to him, he knew she had missed him too.

Suddenly, he picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, their kisses growing more urgent.

“Can you Shadow Jump us to your room?” she asked in the heat of the moment.

“Can't do that, Hon. It's dangerous to move like that with a human,” he replied, his breath haphazard.

“Okay.” She resumed kissing him.

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