Page 33 of The Dark Elf's Secret Baby

“Mommy!” He calls gleefully, leaping to his feet and running to meet me. I can’t deny that my heart softens a bit to see him so thrilled to see me, and I crouch down to meet him, steeling myself against the force of his embrace as I open my arms to him.

Jasper doesn’t slow his pace in the slightest, crashing into me as his tiny arms twine around my neck. He doesn’t seem hurt or afraid, which is good.

Of course Kerym wouldn’t hurt Jasper, he’s his father for the gods’ sakes,a small, condescending voice in my head snipes. I shove it away, returning Jasper’s embrace before releasing him and stepping in between him and Kerym to meet Kerym’s stare.

Kerym rose to his feet while I hugged Jasper, something wistful dancing across his face as he looks at the two of us before a mask of steel comes down in its place. No doubt he’s still upset over our conversation last night, too, but I can’t find it in me to care. Not when he’s acting like this.

I open my mouth to begin to tell himexactlywhat I think of his behavior when Jasper moves around me, running to Kerym and clutching his massive hand as he drags Kerym toward me.

“Mommy, Kerym do magic!” He tells me as he pulls on Kerym. “Cold magic!” He tacks on, almost as an afterthought.

Kerym smiles down warmly at Jasper, giving his tiny hand a squeeze, and for a second I think my heart might crack in two as I look at the father and son standing before me. I swallow, my throat suddenly thick with my emotion as images of what could have been dance behind my eyes. I force them away, reminding myself of what Kerym just did and falling back into the anger burning in my chest.

“Yes, he does,” I respond drily, my tone forcing Kerym’s eyes to me.

“I do magic too,” Jasper supplies proudly, his little chest puffing up.

“Layla, I-” Kerym starts before Jasper yanks his hand, demanding his attention.

“Come eat?” Jasper asks quickly, cutting him off. Kerym smiles affectionately, opening his mouth to respond before he seems to remember himself and looks at me.

“Only if mama says there’s room,” He says slowly, both of their eyes turning to me. A part of me desperately wants to say no, to punish Kerym for going behind my back and to begin to rebuild the boundaries I’ve built to keep Jasper and I safe, but deep down I know that’s not fair.

Kerym has lost out on so much time with Jasper, and while I’m still not sure what his presence here on Zerva is going to mean for the three of us, there’s no way I can deny my son a chance to at least share a meal with his father- whether I’m ready to have a real conversation with Kerym or not.

“There’s room,” I relent, my tone coming out colder than I intend it to. Jasper doesn’t seem to mind, however, hopping excitedly and tugging Kerym in the direction of our home. Kerym gives me a grateful look, and the soft, enticing planes of his face in this moment very nearly make me forget my anger. Nearly.

I trail along behind the two of them, Jasper babbling about his day and magic and pointing out various things in the schoolyard to Kerym that he finds exciting. As we walk through the gate and head toward the road, I spot a glint of sandy hair walking toward us.

My heart drops into my toes as Harper’s face comes into view, her eyes widening as she takes in the image of Jasper walking hand in hand with a dark elf that shares so many of his features. When Harper’s eyes land on me, walking behind the two of them, a feline grin spreads across her face.

I shake my head vehemently at her as we approach each other, praying to whatever gods are listening that she doesn’t cause a scene. I’ve hardly had any time to get my head around this situation as is- I certainly don’t need Harper’s big dreams of a reunion to give Kerym any bright ideas.

She seems to catch my meaning, saying nothing as she passes Kerym and Jasper on the way to the school, but as soon as she’s passed them, she winks and mouthswow.

My face heats as I wave her off, quickening my steps as I walk past her and looking hurriedly at Kerym to make sure he didn’t catch the interaction. Thankfully, he seems engrossed in Jasper, grinning like a fool down at our son as Jasper waves his little hands about animatedly.

I know the next time I see Harper, she’s going to expect some story about our rekindled romance and how we’re all going to be one big happy family now. I can’t deny that there’s a small, nostalgic part of me that hopes for the same thing, but I’d be foolish to think that’s how all of this is going to end.

Kerym is a dark elf, a miou dark elf at that. A human mate and a mixed child would wreck his dreams- I left for his good as much as I did for mine and Jasper’s, and if he can’t see that, at least I can rest easy knowing that he’ll be happy in the life he’s always wanted for himself.

Thanks to Jasper, there are no awkward silences for Kerym or I to fill on the walk home, or once we get to the house. Jasper immediately sits Kerym down on the couch in the living room, pulling out every toy he owns to show him and directing him on exactly how to play.

I listen to the two of them chatter as I pull down the supplies I need for dinner, finding the ingredients for the fastest meal I know how to make. It isn’t long into throwing together the stew that a shimmering spark flies past my head, singeing the ends of my hair and warming my cheek as it flies past me and rockets directly into the stew with a sizzle.

I whirl on Kerym and Jasper, Kerym trying desperately to disguise his laugh as a cough while Jasper looks at me sheepishly.

“Sorry mama,” He says in a small, bashful voice. A sigh slips through my lips as I shake my head at him, turning away quickly to hide my own smile. Something about the two of them practicing magic together while I make dinner feels so… domestic.

In another world, in a different life, maybe this is what it would always be like. Kerym’s low, velvety laughter and Jasper’s shrieks and giggles twining together and bouncing off the walls as I make dinner, Kerym leading Jasper through spells and exercises and encouraging him, Kerym and I sharing a glass of wine after Jasper’s asleep and crawling into bed together…

No, I tell myself firmly, trying to shove those uselessly sentimental thoughts away. Trying to imagine a future like that only serves to torture me, and I know it. But there’s still some small part of me that can’t help but hope, yearning to have the family I always wanted.

“That’s dinner,” I call to the two of them, ladling stew into bowls and setting them down at the table. Kerym rounds the corner with a squealing Jasper thrown over his shoulder, his face relaxed and smiling as he plops our wriggling toddler down into a chair.

I let Kerym take the seat next to him, sliding in across from the two of them and quickly shoveling food into my mouth so I don’t have to speak. Kerym’s eyes change as they look at me, something hopeful and heated flitting through them despite the stew I can feel dribbling out of the corner of my mouth.

My cheeks flare in response to his heavy gaze, and I nearly choke on a hunk of thison as it slides down my throat.