My Baby Daddy Isn't Human-Chapter 198: Be Brave

The air was warm and heavy, wrapping around Raelynn like a thick blanket. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, the weight behind them making it hard to fully wake up. Her body felt sore —heavier than before—like all the strength had been drained from her limbs. The dull ache lingered in her lower stomach, a distant reminder of the pain that had ripped through her earlier.

Her lashes flickered as she tried to adjust to the light, but the first thing she saw was Elion. He sat beside the bed, his broad shoulders tense, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows. His face was pale, worry carved into every sharp line of his features.

The second their eyes met, Elion’s head snapped up. His irises widened, flickering with panic. He leaned forward so quickly that the chair creaked beneath him.

"Raelynn..." His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. His fingers twitched on the edge of the mattress, as if he was holding himself back from touching her. "You’re awake... How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?"

Raelynn blinked slowly, her dry lips parting. The ache was still there—dull and throbbing—but the sharp edge of it had faded. She could feel how clammy her skin was beneath the thin sheet, the remnants of cold sweat still sticking to her forehead. Despite the heaviness weighing on her chest, she forced out a small breath.

"Honestly..." Her voice came out weak, barely above a murmur. "That was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced." Her lips curved faintly into a tired smile. "But... I guess I can treat this as practice. Delivering a baby is supposed to hurt too... right?"

Elion’s brow furrowed, his golden eyes narrowing with disbelief. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything—just staring at her like he couldn’t believe she could make a joke at a time like this.

"Practice...?" His voice was low, strained. "You’re making jokes now? After what happened?"

Raelynn’s smile faltered, but she tried to keep her expression light. The truth was... she wasn’t really joking. She was scared—more than she wanted to admit. The pain she’d felt earlier was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It felt wrong. Like something inside her body was trying to tear itself apart. freёwebnoѵel.com

But what else could she do except pretend to be brave?

Her hand shifted weakly on the bed, brushing over her stomach. "I’m not really joking... just trying to make sense of it." Her voice softened. "How’s the baby? Everything’s... good?"

Elion’s gaze flicked down to where her fingers rested. For a moment, his expression twisted—just a flicker—before he quickly smoothed it over. His hesitation was so brief that anyone else might not have noticed... but Raelynn did. The small crack in his composure made something cold bloom in her chest.

He leaned forward, his hand finally reaching out to brush damp strands of hair away from her forehead. His touch was gentle, lingering just a little longer than necessary.

"The baby is fine," he said quietly, his thumb tracing lightly against her temple. "You fainted, but... everything is stable now. There’s nothing to worry about."

His voice was soothing—too soothing. Like he was trying to wrap the truth in soft words to keep her from asking more. But Raelynn could feel it—the weight of something unspoken hanging between them.

Her heart squeezed. She wanted to believe him. She really did. But something about the way he avoided her eyes made her stomach twist.

"Elion..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You’re not... hiding something from me, are you?"

Elion’s fingers froze against her forehead.

It was so brief—just a single second—but she saw the way his entire body tensed. The way his eyes flicked away from hers, just for a heartbeat, before he quickly masked it behind that calm, composed facade.

"Of course not." His tone was smooth, but a little too careful. "You’re imagining things. You’re just exhausted, that’s all."

Raelynn’s chest tightened. He was lying. She could feel it—the way he was trying so hard not to let it show. But why?

Before she could push further, the door creaked open, breaking the fragile silence.

Sloane walked in, her eyes flicking between the two of them. The healer carried her usual calm aura, but Raelynn swore she could feel something guarded behind her polite smile.

"You’re awake." Sloane’s voice was gentle as she approached the bed. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Raelynn’s fingers curled weakly into the sheets. She forced herself to sit up a little, even though the effort made her muscles ache.

"Tired... but better, I think."

Sloane nodded, her cool fingers brushing over Raelynn’s wrist to check her pulse. The woman offered her the kind of reassuring smile that felt a little too... forced. Like she’d given the same smile to countless other patients before.

"That’s good. What happened earlier... it’s not unusual. Pregnancies can be unpredictable sometimes." She glanced at Elion briefly before returning her gaze to Raelynn. "But don’t worry. We’ll be here to take care of you right away."

The words were calm—perfectly reasonable—but Raelynn’s stomach twisted.

It was the most generic answer she’d ever heard.

She wanted to ask more. She wanted to demand what was really happening to her body—why the pain had felt so unnatural—but the exhaustion dragged at her limbs again, clouding her mind. Instead, she simply nodded, swallowing down the questions that burned at the back of her throat.

"Okay..."

Sloane’s eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before she turned to Elion. "I need to speak with you for a moment."

Elion’s gaze flicked toward Raelynn, hesitation flashing in his eyes. But after a few seconds, he slowly stood, pressing a soft kiss to Raelynn’s forehead.

"I’ll be right back. Rest a little longer, alright?"

Raelynn nodded weakly, but her heart was pounding behind her ribs.

As the door clicked shut behind them, she watched Elion and Sloane’s backs through the narrow crack between the door and the frame. They stood in the hallway, their voices low—too low for her to catch the words.

Her fingers curled tightly into the sheets, nails digging into the soft fabric.

Her tired eyes stayed fixed on their distant figures, suspicion flickering behind the haze of exhaustion. Even as sleep began to tug at her again, her mind refused to let go of the lingering question burning in her chest.

What the hell is happening to me?