El
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soft morning light filters through the hospital window when the door opens quietly.
Kai steps inside, looking more rested than yesterday but still carrying that Beta alertness — the kind that never fully shuts off. El is awake, sitting up against the pillows, her hair a little messy, her expression guarded but calmer than the night before.
Kai offers a small smile. “Morning, El.”
She nods. “Morning.”
He steps closer, hands in his pockets. “I wanted to talk to you about what happens after you’re discharged.”
Her shoulders tense. “I… I don’t know yet. I just know I can’t go home.”
Kai nods like he expected that. “Right. Well, I have a cottage available. It’s
