Page 8 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

There, standing before him, was a half-shifted teenager, trembling with fear and confusion. Xander's instincts kicked into overdrive as he leaped out of bed. Concern for the boy was the first emotion he felt, but he was also ready to defend himself if necessary.

As he approached, Xander took in the sight before him. The boy's eyes were wide with fear, darting around the room as if searching for an escape. His breath came in short, panicked gasps, and his hands shook uncontrollably.

Xander couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the frightened teenager. First shifts were always hard, and he remembered his with a faint smile. But he had help when he first turned; this boy did not.

Why? How did he even get in here?

"How did you get in here?" Xander asked, his voice calm but laced with concern. "Are you hurt?"

The boy's eyes widened even further, which seemed impossible. "I don't know," he stammered, his voice trembling. "One moment, I was in my room, and the next, I was here. I-I don't understand."

Xander's brow furrowed in confusion. How had the boy ended up in his house? And why did he seem so terrified?

With a steady breath, Xander approached the boy, his movements slow and deliberate. "Hey, buddy, calm down," he said softly, his voice a soothing balm in the darkness. "You're safe here. What's your name?"

The boy's breath hitched, and tears welled up in his eyes, but he did not answer. "My mom. Where is she?" His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke, his eyes pleading for answers. "Do you know where she is?"

Xander's heart clenched at the desperation all over his face, a face that looked too familiar. "I'll help you find your mom, but first, tell me your name," he urged gently.

Before Xander could finish asking his question, a strange sensation washed over him. He watched in astonishment as the half-shifted teenager form began to fade into the shadows, his body dissolving like mist before his eyes.

Xander watched in astonishment, his mind racing with questions as he struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed. That was only possible for him or the pack Elders when they pooled their powers.

The Shadow Moon Pack had the ability to hide in shadows, but only those with alpha blood could travel through them. Xander had never encountered anyone outside of his own pack who possessed similar abilities, and he did not know this boy, which meant he wasn't of his pack.

And yet, here was a stranger in his own home, using the shadows to move as if it were second nature to him. Xander leaped into the shadows after the boy, following him on his Shadow Jump even though he had no idea where they would come out of. He felt a strange responsibility for this boy he met just seconds ago.

The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth when he emerged from the Shadow Jump. Xander could feel the tension in the air, and his senses were on high alert. Every muscle tensed as he surveyed his surroundings.

He didn't know what he was seeing as it was the boy's shadow trip, not his. The unfamiliar landscape stretched out before him, bathed in the eerie glow of the full moon. Xander looked around, trying to orient himself, but it was clear that he was far from familiar territory.

He climbed a nearby tree, seeking a vantage point to better understand his surroundings. From his elevated position, he could see the entire forest stretching out before him and a small town not far off. But his attention was drawn to the sound of running footsteps and a woman's voice, filled with panic. “Abel!” she yelled.

As he peered down, his keen eyesight picked out the figure of a woman racing through the village square. She wore a simple dress, the fabric billowing around her as she ran, her fiery hair catching the faint light of the moonlight.

It was clear that she had been in the forest for a long time searching for someone, her clothes rumpled and her expression frantic.

"Abel!" she cried, her voice echoing through the trees. Xander's heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of the young wolf running toward her. It surprised him even more as the woman saw the boy and raced toward him as well.

Panic surged through him. He knew the dangers of an uncontrolled shift, especially in the presence of humans. But to his surprise, the woman embraced the boy, soothing him with gentle words and calming gestures.

As Xander watched from the shadows, his keen wolf hearing picked up their conversation.

"It's okay, Abel," Rayla murmured, her voice steady despite the underlying worry. "You're safe now. Just breathe."

"Mom, what's happening to me?" Abel's voice was filled with fear and confusion, his words coming out in frantic bursts.

Her grip on her son tightened slightly, her hand moving in comforting circles on his back. "I don't know, Sweetheart," she admitted, her tone gentle but uncertain. "But we'll figure it out together, I promise."

As Xander listened to the soft cadence of the woman's voice, a flood of memories washed over him, transporting him back to a time long gone. The way she spoke, the gentle lilt of her words, it reminded him of someone. It was like music to his ears, a melody he had thought lost to time.

With each passing moment, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in Xander’s head. He remembered the warmth of a touch, the softness of a laugh. He remembered the way her brown eyes sparkled with mischief, the way her smile lit up the darkest of nights.

And then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, it hit him like a bolt of lightning. This voice, so familiar yet so distant, could only belong to one person. It reminded him of someone because it belonged to her. Rayla.

His heart pounded in his chest as the realization washed over him, filling him with a mixture of joy and sorrow. Joy, because after all this time, he had found her again. Sorrow, because he knew that their reunion would be anything but joyful.

Xander's heart raced as he swiftly descended from the tree with the agility of a wolf, his movements silent and graceful. Closing the distance between himself and Rayla, he approached them with cautious steps, his eyes fixed on her familiar figure.

---