20. Kaia
Chapter Twenty
Kaia
Iwake up before the sun, not because I had to.
Or because something startled me awake. I just wake up—naturally.
My eyes open slowly, my body still warm, still heavy with the soft, lingering comfort of real sleep.
I stare at the ceiling for a second, then another, waiting for the tension, the instinct to check the room for threats, for danger.
For the quiet, restless unease that usually follows me even into sleep.
But nothing comes. My chest rises and falls steadily.
There is no tightness or panic, just calm.
I blink and whisper to myself, "I don't think I've ever been this rested." The words feel strange, foreign—but true.
I push myself up slowly, careful not to disturb the feeling, and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I pull on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts—both Jonas's sister's, and still too big—and brush my hair before slipping out of the room.
My goal is to see the sunrise. I pad down the stairs quietly and stop when I see Jonas standing at the counter.
His back is to me while he pours something into a mug.
Coffee. The rich, nutty aroma hits me first—deep and warm, the kind of smell that wraps around you like comfort.
Steam rises from the mug in delicate wisps, catching the early morning light filtering through the kitchen windows.
The dark liquid is nearly black, almost glossy as it fills the ceramic, and I can hear the soft, steady pour—a gentle sound that feels intimate in the quiet of the house.
He glances over his shoulder like he already knows I'm there. "Good morning, Kaia."
I smile without thinking. "Good morning, Jonas!" My voice comes out brighter than I expect.
He lifts the mug slightly. "Would you like some coffee? It's not as good as what you make, but I can try."
I raise an eyebrow as I step closer. "I don't remember you coming into the café, Mister."
Jonas's mouth twitches. "I am not a fancy coffee drinker."
"We have black coffee," I point out.
"Well," he says, turning slightly toward me. "I’m grateful we got to watch the sunrise together. But if that wasn’t possible, I would have been there at the café the moment it opened."
My chest does that thing again—the soft, unexpected pull. I shake it off quickly and say, "Excuse me."
Jonas blinks. "What?"
I notice he's reaching for the cold milk from the fridge, about to pour it directly into his mug of hot coffee. "You're kinda doing it wrong..."
He laughs softly and steps back without argument. "Yes, ma'am."
I grab what I need automatically, my movements slipping into something familiar and easy.
"Do you trust me?" I ask over my shoulder.
Jonas doesn’t hesitate. "Yes, ma'am."
I smile to myself. "Hot or cold?"
"Surprise me."
"Bold choice."
"I'm a bold person."
I huff under my breath and get to work. I grab ice from the freezer, and after Jonas shows me where they are, a cup from the cabinet. Espresso, oat milk, and just a dash of brown sugar. Perfect. I hand the drink to him. "Try this."
Jonas takes a sip and pauses, then looks at me. "This is really good."
I grin. "I know." I make myself one next—same base but with significantly more brown sugar. Because I can and because I want to. And because no one is telling me what I can and can’t do, like putting too much sugar in my coffee.
Jonas watches me, leaning lightly against the counter, something quiet in his expression.
"Sunrise time, ma'am?" he asks.
I nod. "Lead the way."
The beach is a little busier than it had been the day before, but still soft and dreamy.
I walk beside Jonas, the sand cool under my bare feet as we make our way closer to the water.
The sky is already starting to shift from deep blue into soft gold.
Jonas stops near the shoreline, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his cup of iced coffee. His gaze is fixed on the horizon.
I stand beside him, close, but not too close.
The silence settles easily between us. Comfortable, not heavy.
I take a sip of my drink and admire the way the light spreads across the water.
I feel him look at me, just for a second.
But when I glance back at him, he looks away, back to the ocean.
I blink, then realize I've been doing the same thing. My cheeks warm slightly, and I look back out at the water. I take another sip and try to pretend I’m not suddenly very aware of him.
"You look like you slept well," Jonas says after a minute. Not a question, just a statement.
I exhale slowly. "Yeah. I don't think I've ever slept like that before."
Jonas nods. "Your body finally decided it was safe enough." The words settle deep. Too deep.
My fingers tighten slightly around my cup.
"I didn't realize how...not safe…I felt," I say quietly to the rising sun. Jonas doesn’t look at me or interrupt.
He just listens. And because of that, it somehow makes it easier to keep going.
"I keep telling myself I’m fine," I say.
"That I made the right choice. That I’m safe because I left.
" My throat tightens. "But I never stop waiting. "
Jonas nods once. "For what?"
"For something to go wrong," I say. "For someone to find me. For..." I exhale sharply. "For everything to fall apart again."
The waves roll in and out. Jonas shifts beside me. Closer. "Hypervigilance," he says.
I frown slightly. "What?"
He explains, "That feeling. Always waiting for something bad to happen. Always scanning. Always bracing for the worst."
My stomach drops. "Yeah. That."
Jonas glances at me briefly. "That doesn't go away overnight," he says. But he adds, "It can change, though."
I swallow. "How?"
He gives a light shrug. "By proving to your brain that it doesn't need to do that anymore."
I laugh quietly. "That sounds so easy," I say jokingly.
"It's not."
"Great. Love that for me."
Jonas smiles lightly, and we fall back into silence.
I stare back out at the horizon. The sun breaks above the horizon and soft, buttery light spills across the water.
"I ran," I say suddenly. The words come out before I can stop them. Jonas doesn’t react or turn.
He just keeps staring at the sunrise. "I overheard my dad talking," I continue, my voice quieter now, "He was going to sell me.
To another pack. Because of my designation. "
The words feel heavy and real. Speaking them out loud makes them settle in a way they haven’t before. "I’m not supposed to be an Omega," I add. "I’m supposed to be an Alpha. That was the plan. That was...everything I knew."
Jonas's jaw tightens so slightly it’s barely noticeable.
But I notice. "I didn't designate until a few months ago," I say.
"And when I did, everything just...fell apart.
" Something coils in my chest. "But it’s not just that," I continue, "It’s how my parents looked at me after.
Like I wasn't...wasn't useful anymore, like I was something to manage instead of something to...
" I stop and swallow. I can’t finish the sentence.
Jonas speaks quietly. "Something to be proud of…something to love."
I bob my head. "Yeah." The word is a whisper over the sand. I stare down at my drink. "At first, I thought leaving would fix everything, like if I just got far enough away, I could just...reset."
Jonas glances at me. "Did it?"
I shake my head slowly. "No," I admit. "It just made everything quieter. But the fear was still there." There’s a beat, then I add, "Until now." The words slip out before I can stop them.
Jonas doesn’t respond right away, doesn’t make it a big moment. He just nods, once. "Yeah." Like this makes sense. Like this is expected.
I look at him, really look at him. "You just...understand things," I say.
Jonas smiles slightly. "I listen."
"That's not the same thing."
"No," he agrees. "But it helps."
A laugh leaves me. The sun rises fully then, light pouring across the water and over the sand, warming everything in its path. The warmth spreads on my skin and sinks deep into my chest. Something shifts. Not fixed or healed, but…moving.
Maybe it’s easier to tell your secrets when something beautiful is unfolding in front of you, when you don’t have to look someone in the eye, when the world was offering you something hopeful and new.
I take another sip of my drink and glance at Jonas again.
"Thank you." The words are soaked with golden light and vulnerability.
He nods. "Anytime."
For the first time, I believe him.