My Baby Daddy Isn’t Human

Raelynn's eyes fluttered open, her vision still hazy with sleep. She let out a slow breath, adjusting to the quiet stillness, when her gaze drifted toward the foot of the bed—and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

Elion was sitting there.

Her sharp gasp broke the silence. She instinctively pulled the blanket closer to her chest, eyes wide with shock. He was sitting on the edge of her bed, his arms resting loosely on his thighs, his head slightly tilted downward with his eyes closed. It wasn't clear if he was asleep or just resting, but the sight of him—so close, so unexpected—sent her pulse racing.

At the sound of her gasp, Elion's eyelids lifted lazily, as if waking from a light doze. His gaze met hers instantly, and instead of looking surprised or guilty for being in her room without permission, he only offered a soft, lazy smile.

"Morning," he greeted, his voice husky from sleep.

Raelynn, however, did not return the greeting. Instead, she clenched the blanket in her fists, her brows knitting together in confusion and mild irritation.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Elion stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders as if he had only just become aware of his surroundings. "I wanted to see you," he admitted, his tone calm, almost too casual. "But I guess I ended up falling asleep here."

Raelynn stared at him, unable to comprehend how he could say something like that so easily. Just like that? He wanted to see her? After days of being practically invisible?

"Well, I see you now," she muttered, pushing the blanket aside. "So, I guess you're not busy with your work anymore?"

Elion's expression didn't change. He simply nodded. "Yeah."

Raelynn let out a slow breath, swallowing down the bubbling frustration in her chest. Without another word, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. The air was cool against her skin, making her shiver slightly, but she ignored it as she walked toward the bathroom.

Behind her, Elion moved as well, rising from his seat.

"I'll carry you," he offered smoothly, stepping closer.

But before he could even reach her, Raelynn held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. "No," she said firmly. "I can walk perfectly fine now."

Elion's movements halted, his sharp golden eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion. Then, he sighed and took a small step back. "Okay," he relented, watching her carefully.

Raelynn gave him a curt nod before slipping into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with more force than necessary.

Inside, she pressed her hands against the cool marble sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her heart was still pounding. Not because she was flustered, but because of the anger simmering beneath the surface.

How could he act so normal?

How could he just show up in her room like nothing happened? Did he really not care about lying to her? About making Hera cover for him? He could've just told her he was leaving—why go through all that trouble to hide it?

Raelynn let out a frustrated sigh as she turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on her face. It didn't matter. It really didn't. Not like it was any of her business.

Raelynn scowled at herself in the mirror, shaking her head vigorously before sinking into the warm water of the bathtub. She needed to stop thinking like this.

After finishing her bath and getting dressed, Raelynn stepped out of her room, only to find Hera waiting for her just outside the door.

"Good morning," Hera greeted with a small smile, but there was an air of hesitance around her, as if she was testing the waters.

Raelynn's eyes flickered around, scanning the hallway, but there was no sign of Elion anymore. Of course. Just like before—he came and left whenever he wanted.

She sighed and shook her head. "Let's go eat."

Hera hesitated for a moment before falling into step beside her. As they made their way to the dining room, Raelynn told herself—again—that she shouldn't be mad. It was pointless. It wasn't her business.

But then why did it bother her so much?

The dining hall was already lively when Raelynn stepped inside. The long table was filled with breakfast dishes, warm bread, fresh fruit, and steaming cups of coffee. Hera took her seat, and Raelynn was about to do the same when a new voice suddenly rang out.

"Ah! There she is!"

Raelynn turned her head just in time to see a man waving at her with a wide grin. He had strikingly similar features to Elion, but his expression was far more animated.

"Good morning, sister-in-law," he greeted playfully.

Raelynn blinked, caught off guard.

She barely had time to process the words before she frowned slightly. "I'm not."

The man let out a lighthearted laugh. "Not yet," he corrected, flashing a teasing smirk. "But once the wedding happens, then you'll officially be my sister-in-law."

Before Raelynn could respond, Elion, who had been sitting at the head of the table, spoke in a tone that was both firm and warning.

"Reinhart, enough."

Reinhart grinned but held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine," he said, plopping down into his seat. "You're no fun." He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at Raelynn with curiosity. "I just want to get closer to my future sister-in-law—especially since she's carrying my niece. Or nephew. Or maybe both?"

Raelynn ignored the way her grip on her fork tightened slightly.

Reinhart turned his attention back to her, his golden eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So," he started, "how is it?"

Raelynn raised a brow. "How is what?"

Reinhart took a sip of his coffee. "How does it feel to carry a baby va—"

Before he could finish, he let out a sudden yelp, nearly choking on his coffee as it spilled onto the table.

Everyone turned to look, only to find Sloane sitting across from him with an angelic, innocent smile. "Oh," she said sweetly, tilting her head. "Sorry."

Reinhart shot her a look, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Geez," he muttered, "I know you did that on purpose."

Sloane's smile widened ever so slightly.

Raelynn watched the scene unfold, and despite the lingering irritation from earlier, she couldn't help but feel that the house had become a little more... lively.

Her gaze drifted toward Elion, who was silently eating his breakfast, his silver eyes flickering toward Reinhart every so often with what could only be described as a warning glare.