My Baby Daddy Isn't Human-Chapter 237: What Are You?

A dull, throbbing pain pulsed through Raelynn’s skull as she stirred, her eyelashes fluttering against the dim light. The world felt heavy, her body weighed down by exhaustion. Her breath came slow, uneven, as though she had been running through a storm and only now found a moment’s rest. The sheets beneath her were soft, cool against her skin, but the unfamiliar scent in the air set her nerves on edge.

Raelynn let out a soft breath, her fingers twitching as she slowly lifted her hand above her head. The movement felt sluggish, her limbs weighed down by exhaustion she couldn’t fully explain. As her vision adjusted to the dim light, she focused on the delicate fabric covering her skin.

A nightgown.

Her brows furrowed as she brushed her fingers over the material, tracing its familiar softness. She had been wearing something else before… hadn’t she? A distant memory tugged at the edges of her mind—fabric torn, skin scraped, the cold bite of the wind against her exposed arms. But now, she was clean, the scent of fresh linen clinging to her like an unspoken reassurance.

Someone had changed her.

Had it been Sloane? Or maybe Hera? They were the only ones she could think of who would have done something like this. But she didn’t remember coming back.

Raelynn exhaled slowly, staring up at the ceiling as her mind struggled to shake off the lingering fog of sleep. Her head ached, a dull pressure behind her temples that made everything feel slightly out of focus.

She just had the strangest dream.

Her fingers curled into the sheets beneath her, grounding herself. Falling. That was the last thing she remembered—Axel’s voice, his hands gripping hers, the cold rush of air as the ground disappeared beneath her feet.

But… she was here. Safe. Not shattered against the pavement below.

Thank God.

Raelynn let out a shaky breath, pressing a palm against her forehead. The details of the dream were already slipping through her fingers like grains of sand. Still, she could feel the lingering weight of it, like a shadow stretching over her chest.

It felt so real. Too real.

The way Axel had looked at her—his bruised and bloodied face, his fingers ice-cold against her skin. His grip had been strong, desperate, and then—nothing.

No pain. No impact.

Her heart leaped as she turned her head, blinking rapidly to adjust her sight. There, sitting beside her, was Elion.

The moment their eyes met, Raelynn’s pulse spiked. He was too close, his presence a silent force that filled the room with something intangible—something dark and unreadable. His gaze, sharp yet restrained, followed her every movement as if he was waiting for something.

She pushed herself up with trembling arms, her head spinning from the effort. "Where’s Axel?" Her voice was hoarse, strained from disuse, but there was a sharp demand laced within it.

Elion’s lips curled into something that was almost a smirk, but the sharp edge to his expression betrayed the emotion behind it. "Ah," he murmured, his tone light, almost teasing. "Axel. The first one you ask for upon waking. How touching."

Raelynn stiffened. Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten. It was meant to sound like a joke, but it wasn’t. There was something else beneath those words—something raw. And when she met his gaze again, the flicker of hurt there made her stomach twist.

She shook her head, frustration and worry clashing inside her. "Elion—" she started, trying to push past the ache in her throat. "Just tell me. Where is he? Is he hurt? Is he—" She swallowed hard. "Is he okay?"

Elion didn’t answer immediately. His expression remained unreadable, his fingers idly brushing against the armrest of the chair. Then, with an unsettling calm, he spoke. "He’s gone."

Raelynn’s breath hitched. Her hands clenched the sheets beneath her, her body stiffening. "Gone?" she repeated, her voice rising. "What do you mean gone?"

Elion tilted his head slightly, observing her reaction. "Exactly that. He left."

Her stomach twisted with unease. She looked around the room, her frantic gaze scanning for any sign of Axel, but there was nothing—just the dim glow of a bedside lamp. The silence pressed down on her. "You’re lying."

Elion exhaled slowly, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His presence was overwhelming, yet he remained composed, unbothered by the heat of her anger. "I don’t lie, Raelynn."

A rush of frustration clawed at her chest. She wanted to believe Axel was safe, that he had managed to escape, but something in Elion’s voice, in the way he held himself, made her doubt everything.

She swallowed hard, her throat dry. "Why… why would he just left?"

Elion’s gaze darkened, his jaw tightening ever so slightly before he leaned back. "Perhaps he realized he was fighting a losing battle."

Raelynn’s stomach churned. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Axel wouldn’t—he wouldn’t just abandon me."

Elion let out a quiet sigh, his fingers tapping once against the armrest before he stood. He moved gracefully, each step slow, deliberate. "Does it truly matter?" he asked, his voice deceptively gentle. "He’s not here. You are. But if you’re asking whether he’s fine..." He let the words hang in the air, unfinished.

Raelynn’s breath caught. "What does that mean?"

Elion tilted his head, studying her. "It means he’s not dead, but he’s not unscathed either."

Her stomach dropped.

Raelynn swallowed hard, her fingers clenching into the fabric of her nightgown as Elion’s words sank in. Axel was alive. Relief should have flooded her, but instead, a gnawing unease settled deep in her chest. Not dead, but not unscathed either.

She felt stupid for even wondering why he left. The answer was obvious. If Axel had stayed, he would have died.

She pushed the blankets off her legs, intending to move—she had to see Axel herself—but the moment she tried to swing her legs over the edge of the bed, Elion was there, his hand gripping her wrist before she could even stand. His touch was firm, grounding, but not forceful.

"Raelynn," he said, his voice low, almost careful. "You’re not going anywhere."

Raelynn’s nails dug into the sheets. The weight of his words sent a shiver down her spine. There was something possessive in the way he said it, something that made her insides twist.

She inhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. "Then tell me," she demanded, lifting her chin. "What are you?"

A flicker of something passed through Elion’s eyes. Amusement? Annoyance? It was gone before she could place it. He took another slow step closer, the soft click of his shoes against the wooden floor echoing in the silence.

"You need to rest, Raelynn."

She flinched. He was avoiding the question.

Raelynn clicked her tongue in frustration. "Tch."

Again. He was doing it again.

Avoiding her questions. Dodging the truth as if it were a game he had long since mastered.

Wasn’t he tired?

Because if he wasn’t, then neither was she.

She folded her arms, fingers pressing into her sleeves, and leveled him with a stare. "You keep saying that," she murmured, tilting her head slightly. "Like some well-trained nursemaid."

Elion didn’t react, but the way his jaw tensed gave him away. His carefully controlled expression remained neutral, but Raelynn had learned to read between the lines. Every pause, every flicker in his gaze, spoke volumes.

He was hiding something. And he knew she knew it. freewebnøvel.com

"What are you, Elion?" she pressed, refusing to back down. "Because whatever you are, it sure as hell isn’t normal."

"Raelynn...."

"No." She clenched her fists, shaking her head. "No more of this. No more pretending. No more secrets." Her voice wavered, her emotions raw and frayed. "I saw what you did, Elion. I saw what you are."

Elion’s expression remained unreadable, but something in the air shifted. A cold presence, subtle yet undeniable.

She forced herself to meet his gaze, even as a part of her screamed to look away. "You’re not human."

A pause. Then, the corner of his mouth curved into something almost like a smile—but it wasn’t warm. It wasn’t reassuring.

"I never claimed to be," he murmured.

Raelynn’s breath hitched. He said it so easily, so casually, like it wasn’t some grand revelation that should shatter the very foundation of her reality.

Like it was nothing.

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her blanket, her knuckles turning white. The confirmation, subtle as it was, sent a rush of icy fear through her veins.

But she wouldn’t let herself back down. Not now.

Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths as she whispered, "Then what are you?"

Elion didn’t answer.

Instead, he took one final step forward, reaching out. Raelynn tensed as his fingers brushed against her wrist—gentle, but unyielding. His skin was cool, the touch sending an unsettling sensation through her body.

His eyes, dark and fathomless, held hers. "Sleep, Raelynn."

But Raelynn refused to be left in the dark any longer.