My Baby Daddy Isn't Human-Chapter 71: Midnight Curiosity

Raelynn stirred from her sleep, her stomach grumbling in protest. Blinking slowly, she tried to shake off the grogginess, ignoring the gnawing hunger in her stomach. But as the minutes ticked by, the feeling only grew stronger, pulling her fully awake.

"Ugh," she groaned softly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Guess I need a midnight snack."

Slipping out of bed, she grabbed her robe and wrapped it snugly around herself before padding quietly across the room. The house was dead silent, making her feel like her footsteps were way louder than they actually were. She opened her door carefully, cringing at the faint creak, and stepped into the dark hallway.

The kitchen was just a few steps away, and she moved through the darkness like she'd done it a thousand times. With a quick flip of the switch, the small light brightened the kitchen. The polished counters gleamed under the light, and everything was neatly organized, a stark contrast to how chaotic her kitchen at home used to be.

She went straight to the cabinets, grinning as she pulled open the drawer packed with snacks. "Jackpot," she whispered, grinning as she reached for a bag of chips.

The plastic crinkled loudly in her hands, and she froze for a moment, glancing around as if someone might appear and scold her.

Still no noise. Good.

She shrugged it off and ripped the bag open. Sitting on a stool by the counter, she began munching on the chips, savoring the salty crunch. One handful turned into two, and before she knew it, the bag was empty.

Raelynn sighed contentedly, folding the empty bag into a neat square and tossing it into the trash. She washed her hands at the sink, enjoying the cool water against her fingers. "That's better," she muttered to herself, drying her hands with a soft towel.

She turned to head back to her room but paused when she noticed something unusual. The door to Elion's office was slightly ajar, and a faint light spilled out into the hallway.

"That's strange," she murmured, tilting her head. Elion usually kept his office closed, especially at night. Curiosity sparked in her chest, and she found herself inching closer to the door.

As she approached, something on the floor caught her attention. Her eyes locked onto a tiny dark mark, and she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach. She dropped to her knees, leaning closer as her breath got caught in her chest.

"Is that seriously... blood?" she whispered, barely loud enough to hear herself. Her heart began to race as her mind jumped to the worst conclusions. What if something happened? Could it be a robbery? Or worse...

Raelynn bit her lip, debating her next move. She knew she wasn't supposed to enter Elion's office without permission, but the thought of him being in danger made her decision for her. "If I get yelled at for worrying, then he's the crazy one," she mumbled to herself. After a quick breath to calm her nerves, she shoved the door open further.

"Elion?" she called softly.

As Raelynn stepped into the office, her nerves on high alert, a sudden thought struck her. Wow, I'm an idiot. The realization hit her like a brick to the face. Why didn't I wake Hera? Or Sloane? She could almost picture Sloane's raised eyebrow and snarky comment about her "excellent decision-making skills."

Or better yet, a weapon? How about that? A bat, a frying pan, literally anything. But nope.

And it turned out there was no one or nothing here after all.

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Raelynn's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked around. The office was just as she remembered it—tidy and filled with Elion's aura, well... somehow.

"Elion?" she called again, louder this time, but there was still no response.

Her unease grew as she ventured further into the room. She scanned every corner, but nothing seemed out of place. Letting out a shaky breath, she muttered, "Maybe I'm just imagining things."

She turned to leave but didn't pay attention to where she was going. Her shoulder bumped against one of the bookshelves, and she froze as a soft click echoed through the room.

"Oh no," she whispered, eyes wide.

The bookshelf began to move, sliding open with a low, mechanical groan. Raelynn stepped back, her heart pounding in her chest as a hidden doorway revealed itself.

She couldn't decide whether to be grateful the bookshelf stayed intact or to focus on figuring out what had just gone down.

Her jaw dropped the next second. "Are you kidding me? A secret door?" she whispered in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It felt like something out of a movie, and she half-expected a dramatic soundtrack to start playing.

Her fingers tightened on the bookshelf as she tried to peer into the pitch-black opening. Steps disappeared into the shadows below, with a faint cool breeze drifting up from the darkness.

Raelynn's first instinct was to turn around and pretend she'd never seen it. Her gut was practically yelling at her to stop and walk away before she did something stupid. But her curiosity was a powerful force, tugging at her like an invisible string.

"What if I'm missing something good in there?" she said softly, nervously biting on her bottom lip. She imagined Elion catching her poking around and shivered at the thought of his intense gaze and sharp words. But then again, wasn't it better to know what was down there? Ugh, but what if it was dangerous?

She could almost picture a tiny devil urging her to sneak in and explore while a little angel begged her to play it safe and go to bed.

"Ah, the hell with it," she muttered, crossing her arms. "If he catches me, he'll just have to deal with it. I'm not ignoring this."

The little angel never won these debates, and it didn't look like tonight would be any different. Poor little thing...

She paused, torn between curiosity and caution, her feet feeling like they were glued to the floor. After what felt like forever, she sighed and crept forward, trying to see into the pitch-black space.